T minus { Visiting Grandpa @ Medical College }

Have come to know that Grandpa's health condition has deteriorated over the past few weeks. He has lived for 90+ years in the best of his health. Has never gone to a Doc, in fact never seen a Hospital. He has been conducting office of Stamp Vendor since the age of 12. In 2008, he received the Title of being the eldest living man in the neighbourhood. The title was bestowed upon him from the Working Committee of the infamous Pallikunnu Temple Trust. The same temple in which Grandpa had served as Manager of the Trust for decades. For a person of his age that I ever known, have never seen anyone as strong as him who would have the guts to walk to office from home to and fro ( a distance of 5 km ) esp during times of Bus Strikes. Such a God-fearing and Devotee of Sun G0d he was, that he was blessed by the Gods to live upto 93 yrs of age without any traces of Diabetics or Heart-related problems.

Lately, he has started showing some symptoms. Continuously vomit anything consumed. Unable to consume water and food. For the first time in his life, he was admitted to hospital. 2 weeks of observation, he was transferred to a more sophisticated Hospital - the PMCH. Doctors diagnosed the condition as a Pancreatic Growth that had obstructed the Esophagus. The growth has grown to such an extent that it completely blocked consumption of food matter. It was getting difficult for Grandpa to consume any food. And even Water. The only source of Food he was getting was in the form of Glucose Drips and Injections. Due to blockage of Esophagus, saliva and Bile Juices were getting accumulated in the Stomach, thereby causing suffocation and resulting in Vomitting. Sons and Daughters from far and near have been coming to meet their father. I and my mom had taken tickets to travel to Kannur to meet him and to stay at night-time as Bystander at PMCH. We travelled to Kannur on 20th Jan and returned from Kannur by the 5.20 pm Train on 21st.

During our visit and stay at PMCH, that night was a more peaceful night for him. He had slept more peacefully that the days before. Along with us, my Aunt PVN, had also overstayed at the Ward to provide moral support and confidence to my mother. In the morning of 21st, the doctor advised to take him for few more detailed checkups. Later towards 4 pm, the news had come from the doctors that very few chances of recovery if he were subjected for an operation. The risks involved were that he was too old for such a kind of operation and that his body was too weak bcos he hadnt taken food for almost 2 weeks. The doctors said it was too risky to operate on him under influence of Anesthesia bcos they feared he might not wake up from Sedation. That too bcos of his age and current health conditions.

Anyway, my mom and myself returned back to our home on 21st. Dad had come to pick us from the Railway Station.