In good health and bad

Though my addiction to regular walks is from younger days, even after taking an early retirement at 50, I maintained this routine religiously. I even salute the ground when I enter or exit a park, because I consider it as a temple of health.

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While earlier, it was to keep myself active, but at 86, keeping myself fit has become an obligation, if not an obsession, to be able to serve my nearly bed-ridden wife. Whenever asked why I am always on the move, my reply is, ‘I am keeping myself fit so that I can fulfil the pledge to look after each other in any situation. Had I been in a similar physical condition, she would have done the same.’

A few years younger than me, with her asthmatic morbidities, she continuously needed medical props like nebulisation, lung-support ventilator and oxygen at night or even daytime, but more of my care and presence.

My wife of over six decades, who recently left me, was a chronic asthmatic, and was in and out of hospitals. Her both lungs had developed fibrosis, so her treatment in hospital included extra oxygen, nebulisation and lung-support machine. I had arranged for the regular supply of oxygen, nebulisation compressor and bi-pap machine for lung support at home.

When going into a semi-comatose state, she was given enteral feeding for intake of food via the gastrointestinal tract, for which a surgeon and a nurse were arranged at home.

For the last three years, she was leading a near-normal life with the help of a walker, after replacement of the ball and socket in her right pelvic.

During all the three waves, she miraculously escaped Covid-19 infection. Even during the third wave, when I myself tested positive for the virus, her test was negative.

Many times, I had to get up in the night to adjust her oxygen intake, and give her water to sip, as being on bi-pap machine, her mouth dried more often.

As she was suffering for the last many years from pulmonary disorder, I had to sit through to regulate her oxygen intake. However, I considered it my duty to make her as comfortable as possible in every situation.

In this endeavour of mine, my son, his wife and my grandchildren were equal and willing partners. Whenever she was in acute distress, a hug or a peck on the cheek appeared to give her some relief from the ordeal.

But when I myself got infected with the deadly virus, I avoided such contacts with her. This precautionary measure may have even hastened her end. But what I can’t understand is that in spite of my being infected with the virus, how so aged and frail a person, with serious morbidities, achieved victory over the virus. I can only attribute this to her will to fight any ailment, even if it is as deadly as Covid-19, which she defeated despite serious morbidities.