How an irresponsible Statement can change your Birthday

Today I want to write a separate blog entry to explain you what was going on in the last days here.

My brother Purnendu started feeling pain in the upper back four days ago. He went to the doctor because it got worse. They had an X-ray done, he got medicine, too, but he did not get relief. That is how the doctor sent him to get an MRI done. On 13th October, he went for an MRI to look deeper for the reason. In the evening the report reached the doctor, who had been recommended to us and whom we did not know before. When he got the report, the doctor phoned straight away. Purnendu passed the phone to me and the doctor said he had a slip disk which compressed his nerves. The doctor sounded a bit strange to me on phone, his voice was funny. He told us he would have to have an operation as soon as possible.

We made our preparations and in the morning went to the doctor again to have another talk before going to Delhi for a good clinic to get the operation. He told us that we should have gone to Delhi for the operation yesterday already.

So on my birthday morning we cancelled our party, we called the guests and cancelled other arrangements. Yashendu had already baked a cake the evening before and so we thought we at least cut that. In a small circle, only with family and our visitors at the Ashram, we cut the cake and distributed it. Then we hurried and got into the car to Delhi.

We have been lucky that we got an appointment with one of the specialists of a very renowned hospital. When we reached there, the surgeon examined Purnendu and looked at the X-ray and MRI pictures. After seeing this all he said ‘I wonder how you got the idea to come for an operation?’ We told him that we had been sent by a doctor. The answer that he gave us was very clear: there is no need for surgery in this case. He said he would give Purnendu some medicine that would give him relief and we should come back to him a week later. The diagnosis of the other doctor was plainly wrong!

Purnendu received his medicine and we started our way back to the Ashram where we reached in midnight. With two doses of medicine, Purnendu really felt some relief and could rest and sleep. He is better now, so don’t worry.

After meeting the specialist, we had some talk among each other and with some other people and we heard from several places that this doctor has a bad reputation for his alcohol problem. He had sounded funny at the phone and when we met him in the morning, he was also just a bit strange. We believe he gave a wrong diagnosis because of being drunk in night.

You see how much tension one person’s statement created! And obviously we believed him. He was the doctor, we could not take any conclusions from seeing the MRI! One should really be aware of what one does because so many people and their day can be affected by that! And another doctor’s statement changed it all again. We are very happy now that he does not need surgery!

So this is how I was very busy yesterday and this is the reason why I was not available to receive your birthday wishes on phone or to reply your wishes by phone, email or on facebook. Now in the morning, I am reading all your wishes and am writing this in reply. I am very thankful to all of you who share their love, friendship and best wishes with me! If I could not reply personally, you now know why and I know you will understand! I thank you all from my heart!