Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Daisy - III

At The Hospital And After

I reached Blue Cross hospital the day after Daisy was picked up. It took me a while to locate her in the hospital. When I found her, she was still in the isolation room. She hadn’t yet been attended to. A couple of Blue Cross workers were assigned the duty of initiating the formalities for Daisy. Under my scrutinizing eyes, they opened the doors to the isolation room. Daisy emerged at the doorway, and I must admit she looked terrible. Her mouth was red with blood – she would have bitten her tongue from the terror of the “pick-up”. She did not seem to recognize me at all and refused to budge. One of the workers promptly carried her in his arms and we marched toward the general OPD under a tree. A lady doctor greeted us with a smile, and asked Daisy to be laid on the metal table before her. She examined Daisy and ascertained that a muscle on the leg has been damaged in the impact of the accident. Therefore, Daisy limped. She administered an injection and Daisy’s treatment began.

The doctor informed me that the chances of recovery were unknown at that point. It will all depend on how Daisy’s body responds to the injections, she said. I left the hospital that day not with guilt but with a feeling of peace. A little voice inside told me that she has come this far, it will only get better from this point onwards.

Daisy was in the hospital for four weeks. I visited her every weekend. My visits also opened the doors to a world of compassion, love, and care toward animals. This was the first time I ever visited a hospital for animals. In the hospital, apart from dogs, there were cats, goats, pigs, and horses. I read whatever I could find about Blue Cross Hospital, Chennai on the internet. My purpose of coming to Chennai became clear to me. This was my primary gain. I left the hospital each of the days I visited with a sense of inner peace. The world of animals is so uncomplicated unlike humans that it charges the weary recesses of the mind with hope and love.

By the end of the second week, Daisy had started responding to the treatment. After the third week, she was up on her four feet. I was very excited at the recovery. All the same, she had grown thin. I was told that she was not taking food, she was in fact, surviving on glucose. Now when I think about it, I am not surprised or alarmed. Daisy is very choosy about food!!

Finally, the day to release her approached. MD had presented Daisy with a violet band. I had chosen the color. Being the color of the crown chakra, among many of its properties, violet also provides healing – physical, psychological, and spiritual. I believed Daisy would stand protected at all times. Another reason for the band was to send out a signal that the dog had an “owner”. I handed over the band to one of the Blue Cross workers requesting him to fix it around her neck the day she is released from the hospital.

The van, a much smaller one halted at the same spot it had come four weeks back. A door opened and Daisy popped out. Although thin, she looked sprightly with twinkling eyes and a cool voilet band around her neck :-) She looked relieved to return to her old spot. She went about busily sniffing the various corners of her bus stop. It was fun to watch her. The Blue Cross workers produced a sheet of paper once more, I signed on it, and tipped them generously out of heartfelt gratitude. I left Daisy at the bus stop as I walked back home.

To be continued.

9 comments:

Absolutely Serendipitous said...

After reading your posts about Daisy, i some how feel that Daisy is blessed.Not many street dogs get such help.

ambrosia said...

Srivandya, thanks for your comment. I will answer through my next post :)..... this is something I want to write about.

Anonymous said...

When I read this - I realise that between the two of you, I have heard only snatches of this story. Its the first time I am going through an animal hospital - through Daisy! What is crown chakra? Why did you not put the collar on Daisy yourself?

aroop said...

i hope Daisy is doing good now..i thought of saying "alls well that ends well" but i guess its still not the end..is it..!!

Anonymous said...

We want the bulletein board back. Missing the latest news.

A very cool cat said...

Hey Ambrosia - and how it is to be commenting on your blog again! LOVED your Daisy posts - and first, as an animal lover, let me thank you with all my heart for your kindness and compassion, and for helping little Daisy. There are so few of us around, and so many animals in need - I feel a little happier knowing there are people like you around.

I don't know if you know, but my mom - and I should do a post on her - has all her life picked up animals from the street and looked after them. My home in Cal is a virtual menagerie! But it's the best place on earth. And one more thing - don't be traumatised at the way Daisy was picked up - it looks terrible, I know, but that it how it's done. And the neck is where mother dogs and cats hold their young ones, and that's the place to pick them up from. It doesn't hurt.

Good to know Daisy's doing well - keep me posted. Btw, what are you doing in Chennai?

Sigma said...

Glad to see you back and about :-)
Even though I realized it a bit late.

So ... hows your PG now .. still the same?

ambrosia said...

It is nice to get back to blogging again :) Thanks everyone for writing. CoolCat and Sigma, a special thanks for the faith that I will be back one day :)

Another post in the present series is long overdue, I am just not able to write, and this time it is because of the lack of time. Much of it is spent at the workplace.

@ KD - Answers to you reserved for later.

@ Aroop - Daisy has opened a whole new world, so it's just the beginning :)

@ MD - Bulletin board is back. For the rest, "Headlines" is just about some funny news about family members and friends.

@ Cool Cat - I am touched that you read through the Daisy posts. I have laughed over the many funny stories involving your cats :D At one point I used to get regular updates. They were real good fun! I am sure you will agree that as animal lovers we feel blessed to feel the joy animals are capable of giving us.

Yes, I kind of vaguely know about the animal welfare activities your mother is involved with. Here in Chennai I have met some lovely women who have similarly given shelter to abandoned dogs and puppies left to die. You know, in this city, "unwanted" pups are stuffed inside bags and thrown into the sea. Horrible. Humans who are capable of such acts conveniently ignore that there are other living beings inhabiting the earth - and not just them and animals and plants which they can exploit for commercial needs. At the same time there are angels like your mother. I am so much looking forward to a post about her activities!!

Thanks, your clarifications make me feel better. I am glad picking them up that way does not hurt.

Here in Chennai I am working with an e-learning company making e-learning courses for various learner groups. Instructional design is what they call it :)

@Sigma - Heyyyy, I am so glad to see you too!! Before I could get myself to be regular with making blog visits, you have come to mine - and that makes me feel really encouraged. Well, things are better at the PG from as described in my comeback post :) I have one thing less to crib about!! Hope you are doing well :)

Anonymous said...

AD your new post is long over due. Wake up! the excuse is running out of limitation.