Story Poem by bhumika wadhwa

STORY…….
Do we ever ponder upon the transience of life? ? ? Most of us are accustomed to taking tomorrow for granted. I was one of the gang too till last year.
I was stirred out of my complacence with the sudden news that a dear friend was on deathbed. The prognosis was that she slipped into a coma and could be brain dead following a cardiac arrest that happened without warning. Coma is unconscious state where patient cannot react with surrounding environment. The brain stem is the portion where automatic responses to the body including heart rate, blood pressure and breathing are controlled. Now, it is this RAS(Recticular Activation System) located in brain stem which is responsible for "on/off" of the brain.
The person's whose ‘RAS' is not functioning, is said to be in coma state. Glasgow coma scale is simply way for measuring the depth of coma, based upon observations of eye, movement and speech. Patients undergoing lighter coma's may offer some response to the point they may even seem wake.
Cardiac arrest is cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to the failure of heart to contract effectively. Arrested blood circulation prevents delivery of oxygen to the body. Brain injury is likely if cardiac arrest goes untreated for more than five minutes. Most suitable treatment is CPR(Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) to provide circulatory support followed by defibrillation if a shockable rhythm is present. Her recovery, though, unlikely would be a miracle, the Doctor's pronounced. My reaction was of complete disbelief.
She was a clinical psychologist and professor at National Mental Health Institute (NIMHANS) in Bangalore. To me and hordes of our friends, she was nida. Our friendship dates back some 30 years, from a college in Chennai where we shared a room in the hostel. A ‘compassionate' human being, her all encompassing smile remains etched in my mind for the rest of my life.
It sparks off memories of our college days. I remember girls in the hostel finding solace in smiling face that spoke more than words. Her's was the shoulder we cried on when weighed down with problems. We always felt good after that. So years later when her colleagues at NIMHANS recalled her extra-ordinary skills as counselor and a child psychologist, I was not surprised. I was reminded of our college days college girl.
According to her relatives, the misfortune befell without prior warnings. It was just another normal day at home and an action-packed one at work. In the evening, she was chatting with her husband over a cup of coffee, laughing as usual, when she complained of some discomfort and crumbled in a heap. That was their final moment of togetherness. In the hospital ICU, Doctors tried hard to keep her alive, but nida had already travelled far away into another space that none could penetrate.
I recall my shock and indignation at death's unfair choice. I couldn't imagine how a life that was, by all accounts, a celebration can be mixed in full bloom. She was a perfect wife, month, career woman and a genuinenly good human being who had miles to go, so many dreams, so much more to give….
I couldn't see any reason behind this and kept questioning ‘why' in deep concentration. Then in a moment of contemplation, the truth began to dawn on me. "Take charge of life before death steals it from you", ‘I heard her advise me', ‘so that when life ebbs away, you can let go holding no grudges'. The episode hit me hard. I began to realize the lesson-life wanted to teach me to learn.
Nida's joie de vivre was legendary. She was always full of life and everyday was packed with action as if there was no morrow. Ironically, death came too soon. There was never a dull moment with her, not even in the ICU, where she lay income for a month. Everyday, she sprang surprises on the Doctor's that kept everyone's hopes high of a possible recovery. In the end, she bowed to death valiantly.
I remember her gratefully as I wake up every new day with a prayer on my lips for the gift of life and try to live the day as if it may be my ‘last'. In her ultimate death, she taught me to value life. I know she has excited contented and in peace.
Farewell, dear friend, It pains to know we can no longer be in touch. But you continue to live in your beautiful daughter's in whom I see you always………
TAKE CHARGE OF LIFE BEFORE DEATH STEALS IT FROM YOU……