Lying on the floor of the Four Seasons hotel bathroom was not my idea of a great way to begin my 3 week journey to India. Unfortunately, I had a contaminated meal the evening before at an outside of the hotel establishment, and hadn't felt right all day. We were hosting 30 physicians for a medical lecture that evening in this beautiful hotel. I was so sick, I disappeared unannounced.
My frantic colleagues had searched for me for over an hour, before sending in the staff of this well appointed, public hotel bathroom. As soon as they saw my condition, they wisked me up to the hotel spa, so I could lie down. I certainly had wanted to visit the spas of India, but not in this way! My colleague refused to leave my side. I could see his concern, and honestly felt bad enough that if I died that night, I was ok with it.
My other colleague pulled a guest from the audience, a kind vascular radiologist, Dr. Girish Warawdekar. He said to me, "Heather, you are running a fever. It must break before we can give you anything. Do you want to be admitted to a hospital?" At the same time, he wrote a prescription, and sent the hotel staff after it.
Being in a foreign country, and having worked in several hospitals that week, I was concerned about being admitted, so I declined. Dr Warawdekar injected Zofran (miracle drug for severe nausea, typically given to cancer patients) and I immediately felt well enough to be transported back to my hotel. I thanked him profusely, and promised to look after him and his family, should he ever come to the US.
The next year he did attend a medical conference in the US, and I had the opportunity to share my pictures of the trip after my sickness, including a beautiful Hindu wedding I attended, as well as the amazing trip across Rajasthan with Palace on Wheels. I wanted to show him that his care allowed me the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of India.
And now infinity. I am at a dinner with another Doctor, originally from Goa, who tells me about this incredible mission he has in Mumbai, where they utilize expired medical products as well as recycle cadaver heart defibrillators for people who otherwise cannot afford medical care. Ironically, I had just worked with a hospital that had expired medical devices, and they knew I traveled for work to third world countries, and asked if I could help them to donate. The Doctor he works with in Mumbai? Girish Warawdekar, the same Doctor who saved my life in Mumbai.
My frantic colleagues had searched for me for over an hour, before sending in the staff of this well appointed, public hotel bathroom. As soon as they saw my condition, they wisked me up to the hotel spa, so I could lie down. I certainly had wanted to visit the spas of India, but not in this way! My colleague refused to leave my side. I could see his concern, and honestly felt bad enough that if I died that night, I was ok with it.
My other colleague pulled a guest from the audience, a kind vascular radiologist, Dr. Girish Warawdekar. He said to me, "Heather, you are running a fever. It must break before we can give you anything. Do you want to be admitted to a hospital?" At the same time, he wrote a prescription, and sent the hotel staff after it.
Being in a foreign country, and having worked in several hospitals that week, I was concerned about being admitted, so I declined. Dr Warawdekar injected Zofran (miracle drug for severe nausea, typically given to cancer patients) and I immediately felt well enough to be transported back to my hotel. I thanked him profusely, and promised to look after him and his family, should he ever come to the US.
The next year he did attend a medical conference in the US, and I had the opportunity to share my pictures of the trip after my sickness, including a beautiful Hindu wedding I attended, as well as the amazing trip across Rajasthan with Palace on Wheels. I wanted to show him that his care allowed me the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of India.
And now infinity. I am at a dinner with another Doctor, originally from Goa, who tells me about this incredible mission he has in Mumbai, where they utilize expired medical products as well as recycle cadaver heart defibrillators for people who otherwise cannot afford medical care. Ironically, I had just worked with a hospital that had expired medical devices, and they knew I traveled for work to third world countries, and asked if I could help them to donate. The Doctor he works with in Mumbai? Girish Warawdekar, the same Doctor who saved my life in Mumbai.
Please keep posting about your adventures. I will keep reading. :-)
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