Googly Moogly and Other Fine Remarks

Googly Moogly is the term that I used to describe what is more commonly known as "Delhi Belly." I prefer this term because it is actually far more indicative to what it feels and sounds like to have this international gastrointestinal delight. Googly Moogly hasn't hit a home run yet, in fact, he is still warming up in the bullpen...

Aside from unearthly bodily functions today has been pretty exciting to say the least. This morning I was injected with my first official dose of stem cells. They injected roughly 40ccs into my right hand, directly to the vein. This was sort of a pivotal moment, although I think that I was trying to defer it at the time. It wasn't until my next injection that I had just before dinner that sort of spun me. Maybe it was the fact that they injected me this time twice, once in each thigh, intramuscularly. For those of you having trouble picturing it, they jabbed the syringe at a 90-degree angle straight into my thigh. As this jabbing proceeded I felt as though my muscles were tightening and my legs were full. NOW, this is where it gets sort of cloudy. I know what it feels like to feel my legs. I did it for over 16 years. So when I see a needle poking down into my muscle, I know very well what that should feel like.

Well then, where is the line drawn between what my mind remembers and what my sensory neurons tell my mind at a given instance? Who's to say? That is exactly why this whole thing is a bit difficult to assess.

Sarah and I had a strange moment of feeling uneasy as we evaluated through a makeshift physical examination. At one point it looked like my leg moved (when in fact it was a silly combo of tight hips and pillow positioning), and both of us got this cringy look on our faces as though we had just eaten about 30 not-so-ripe lemons. I am not really sure why it is so distasteful to entertain the thought of me moving my legs and such; isn't this exactly why I am out here?

Change, in all forms, takes time I suppose.

Welcome Home Dr. Shroff!

Today was the day. After a 27 hour plane ride from the States, Dr. Shroff arrived at the Green Park Clinic early this afternoon. I met with her right away. She is a beautiful woman with a wonderful sense about her. Maybe it was the fact that SHE is what I have been waiting for, but regardless I felt totally at ease and comfortable in her presence.

She immediately asked me what I expected to get out of this experience. "To stand, right? Bladder? Bowel?" In shock about having to respond to an unimaginable expectation somehow without allowing that realm of hope to enter, I simply replied, "sure." With that we went into the Physio room to show the doc my tricks, or lack there of. She called it "technical difficulties." What she is referring to is the fact that it has been 11 years since my accident and I have a ton of tightness and restriction in my hips and knees particularly. Normally this wouldn't be such a hindrance...I just had to compound that with the fact that I have 2 metal rods running the length of my left femur and right tibia. (This is the only time that being a robot has NOT come in handy.) These implants keep the physio-therapists from all the potential physical aggression of their tenuous job. I was told that if we were able to completely straighten out my legs I would have been in calipers (braces) by next week. Maybe I didn't want that Forrest Gump look anyways.

Even with these challenges, Dr. Shroff remains hopeful and says that we will figure it out. She injected me with my "test dose" of cells. This was about 5 to 10 ccs of stem cells warmed after being stored in a freezer. This dose was injected straight into my shoulder muscle just like any vaccine or shot I've received in the past. No fairy dust. No Abracadabra.

The test dose went fine. No adverse reactions; not like they were anticipating them in the first place. All of the doctors told me that no one has ever had an adverse reaction because there is simply nothing in the cells that could provide such a display...it is only procedural protocol that they must follow. Therefore, my full treatment will begin tomorrow.

To keep my feet in good health while I am in bed the sisters have created, with the utmost technological savvy, glove booties (as I would like to call them.) Basically they are 2 water-filled medical gloves to rest under my feet and heels so that I get some extra cush.
To make these "booties" feel less strange to me I have outfitted them with faces: one of me (open-mouthed on the right) and one of an Indian woman (with the bindi on the left).

Tomorrow we will be in full-swing and I am very much excited to live every moment as it unfolds. It is sort of reminiscent of having your doorbell ring only to find an anonymous package, wrapped beautifully, at your door. You have no idea what is inside, and it sort of makes you nervous to think about how it found its way to your door...but nonetheless you want to dream on it for a minute then rip it open to see what's inside.

A Vision In Teal

A little 2 minute hello from all of us to all of you. True to form, we spent the majority of those 2 minutes describing food.

By the way... today the three gals had a mild shopping spree. If interested, the entire details and "contest" can be viewed on Sarah's blog!


Indians are quite interesting people. It doesn't matter the question nor the form of the question and the answer is always, "yes." They also do this funny nod-thing where their head circles as they shake their head. We are told that this can mean a myriad of thing ranging from "yes," "maybe," "I don't know," and my personal fav, "I am not interested in what you have to say." I think that THAT may be the answer we get most often, though it is still too hard to tell.

There is one woman in particular that intrigues me. She isn't one of the sisters, and I am not quite sure of her role at the hospital but she usually takes our meal orders, makes my bed, delivers mail, and pretty much is found around every corner of the hospital. She is a beautiful native woman who only dresses in full teal-colored saris. Her hair always pulled back into a tight bun, perfectly revealing gorgeous bindi head jewels and a gold medallion of a nose ring. Sarah and I have spent much time pondering whether she likes us or hates us. Her English isn't very conducive to reveling emotion. I really want her to like me just for the fact that she has a true calming aura and awe-inspiring smile. Today, after a long time in the heat of the Delhi day, we returned tired and weary. Sarah ran next door to the bank for me and I awaited her return in the lobby. As I waited, the teal mystery woman waited with me. She looked dead into my eyes, walked for me, and knelt down to me resting her hands on my knees. She told me that it must be hot because my cheeks were red. (Aren't my cheeks always red?) She smiled and pinched one of my cheeks like she was conversing with a chubby, little baby. Her smile told me that she was going to look after me. I breathed a sigh of relief, maybe two.

Today I Got Pooped On By An Indian Crow

What's strange is that I sort of feel like I am on vacation right now. I get to go out and experience Delhi, see the sights, you know, be a tourist. I have someone that makes my bed and cleans the room. The only difference is that I have this nervousness, this unknown anxiety looming over me every step of the way. This will be better tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will get my test dose of cells. What this means (or at least what I have gathered from various half-responding sources) is that I will have a minute amount of cells injected just below the surface of the skin on my arm. We will wait to see if there is any adverse reactions: any swelling, redness, that sort of thing.

And for everyone wondering...YES, I have finally secured some soy milk! It has been a challenge, one not for the weak at heart, but successful nonetheless and I feel much more whole again.

One last thing before I head down to Physiotherapy-- auto-rickshaws are probably the fastest and most affordable ways to travel in Delhi (and absolutely the most exciting). Here is a photo of some for mom because she asked:

The Waiting Game

Still no Dr. Shroff and still no treatment. She should be back in town tomorrow says the sisters... but I feel like I've heard that one before. No worries, I will just continue to pretend I am on vacation. That cerebral concoction I do quite well.

Today was more markets and more sweat and urine-soaked street walking. We managed to make it to 3 different markets and all feel quite skilled at loading and unloading a wheelchair from an auto-rickshaw.

I bought my first authentic Indian garment today, a KURTA--which is basically my favorite invention. It's not exactly a shirt but it's not really a dress either. The 3 of us spent about 2 hours tornadoing through Fabindia, a marvelous shop. I chose to make my purchase on feel rather than sight. I am pretty confident that I petted nearly 200 kurtas before making my decision.

Later that day on the way home, Sar and I stopped at Green Park Market near our hospital to buy some dish soap. We ended up with some great dish soap along with the new "Sex and the City" movie, "Juno", some animal documentary, and a fabulous Indian love story (assured the clerk,immediately seeing the romantic in me.) Each flick was about $3US. I am pretty sure that isn't legal.

Speaking of immediately seeing into people: Indians have a terribly uncanny way of seeing into you. They mostly don't say a word, but instead look at you... or through into you. It is incredibly frightening and wondrous all at the same moment. I wish I could do that.

Nothing Ever Happens On Sundays

This is what I am figuring out. Much like life works in hospitals in the States. So today the 3 Amigas charged through the hospital doors with a destination in mind: market shopping.

We walked from the hospital down a few blocks, stopping only to realize that we have no real destination in sight. After ending up in a plaza primarily reserved by a man showering and others receiving hair cuts in the street, we retreated deciding that it was way to intimate of a start. From there we hailed a rickshaw, (Erin doing the haggling for an appropriate white girl fee), and headed to the center of Delhi--a haven for shops, dining, and more touristy and comfortable beginnings for us.

Shopping was fun. The heat didn't bother us much aside from continually having to wipe foreheads and chug water.

Our adventures were supposed to cease as we hailed yet another rickshaw to return home. I was just about dying for a toilet at this point and I wasn't feeling quite Indian enough yet to do as the locals do (pee on a nearby building). One benefit to our return rickshaw: it was incredibly speedy to aid in the prevention of kidney reflux. One disadvantage to our return rickshaw: I thought I was going to die, so it really didn't matter what state my bladder was in. It was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but far more wild and a bit more toady. I have never seen or been privy to such maneuvers in a vehicle in my whole life...I know, hard to believe. We were on the road. We were off the road. We were on the wrong side of the road. We were on the median. We were lodged between a car and a mule. We were everywhere.

India is great. So far I have two favorite things. The first thing is VEG or NON-VEG. This option virtually applies to everything! The second thing is lizards. I saw a very tiny lizard on the hospital lift this morning which quickly achieved Honorable Mention on my list of cool things to write about.

If I am boring you to death, you may want to check out both Erin and Sarah's blogs and their perspectives of these experiences and others like them:
http://www.yourerinfix.blogspot.com/
http://europeansarahwilson.blogspot.com/

Day 2: Friends, Yoga, Fried Chicken Feet and A Belly Ache

Sarah arrived just after 3 in the morning. I awaited her arrival at the stinkin', stinky airport with one of the hospital security guards that claimed to speak English. Although when I asked him if he'd like to sit down, he simply replied, "yes," and kept standing for another hour or so.

After getting Sarah settled into the new sounds and smells that is to be her life for the next 2 months, we quickly fell asleep. Here is a picture of our room:

In the morning we awoke to a phone ring, not even the computer one. It was Erin and she was down in the hospital lobby.

Erin, Sarah, and I spent the day catching up and playing a new favorite, Apples To Apples. (If you don't know it, it comes highly recommended--by me). In the afternoon we were invited for a little bit of yoga down in the physiotherapy room with another patient, Leah. It was fun to watch...seeing as they wouldn't let me do anything except move my head from side-to-side. I have a feeling that someone is trying to frustrate me! Oh well, I'll get my turn. The yoga quickly turned into "hot yoga" in the heat of the Delhi afternoon. Everyone, save myself, was drenched in sweat by the time it was over. I got a good chuckle from that.

This evening, Sar and I had the pleasure of dining on authentic food from back home...uh-oh, you guessed it, FRIED CHICKEN. I have included a picture to explain:

This may be part of the reason my belly hates me right now.

As far as my treatment goes, things are a little confusing right now and I think that is just because Dr. Shroff is away. She will return on Monday?? I'm not really sure because it is really hard to understand some of the "sisters" or nurses sometimes, even though their good intentions are seen in their smiles for sure. In fact, a few of them were explaining some unique markets to venture to tomorrow, so that is what appears to be in store...seeing as we all need to get a little fresh air. That may be asking for too much.