24/11 of my Life!!

Prologue

It was one of those usual days office and one of those usual times when I leave from office. I checked the office clock again it was 7:25 pm and I realized its time and I should leave asap so that I can be home before 8:30 pm. As usual I went to the Bus Stand and took my usual Bus, route no GL-23. though the bus was getting crowded I got a seat 3rd seat from the door, on the door side, an aisle seat. The Bus started and as usual took some time to come out of ISBT Kashmere Gate, where my office is, the clock tower showed a time of 7:42 as my bus passed by it. I put my headphones in my ears and connected it to my phone to listen to the radio

The Hit

About 8-10 minutes later, I got a big jerk and felt something just hit my head. Few seconds later I realized suddenly I cant see from my right eye and my left eye is also half closed, my nose and forehead is bleeding badly and I am spitting blood from my mouth. It took me another few seconds to realize that something came and hit me. 

The Struggle in Bus

It was then when I started shouted my co passengers realized I am hurt and told me actually a big rock came and hit me. I then asked for the bus to stop, my co passengers supported and they asked the driver to stop the bus. That's when I realized my phone wasn't in my hand anymore. I told my co passengers my phone has got dropped somewhere, please find it. by now my visibility was only 10% left with my left eye. My co passengers found the phone for me and I dialled my home number and since because of all the blood that was flowing from nose I had difficulty in breathing so I gave phone to a co passenger to talk. He talked to my family on my home landline and told that there has been an accident and we are at Seelampur and gave the phone to me. I don't know who was on the other side of phone but I told I have got hurt and I am coming towards home. The phone somehow got disconnected and then a co passenger asked me for contact number I gave my brother's mobile number. He dialled my brother's number from his phone and explained the situation. I then said my forehead is hurting and if my right eye is bleeding or not my co passengers assured my right eye is not bleeding. I asked for first aid box, and many of my co passengers also insisted the driver and the conductor to take it out, my co passengers then put the blue coloured medicine in my forehead and nose, however I was still bleeding badly, they also asked me not to sleep.

By then I had realized a little what all is happening, so I asked my co passengers to start the Bus again and take me to Max Hospital Patparganj, I also told I stay in patparganj, my family would come there. My co passengers realizing that I am conscious and fully aware of things asked the bus to start again, the bus driver told the other passengers the bus would now stop next at Hasanpur Depot (it is the bus stop where I used to get down daily), so some of them got down.

All this while I was clinging to my Handbag, my phone and a stole, my handbag had a lot of cash and I thought in case anywhere I require to pay in a hospital or something I have enough money, also my handbag had my driving license which had my residence address, it was a way of tracing back my family in case I fell unconscious and also my phone then was the way of connecting to my family.

The PCR Van

The Bus had moved few kilometers that the Bus Driver saw a PCR Van and he said I can be taken to a hospital much faster by a PCR Van. The Bus Stopped in front of the PCR van, it is when my male co passengers requested other female passengers to actually help me out till PCR van, none came to help. Then those helpful co passengers asked if I can walk or not I said 'yes' however I cant see. I remember there were 5-6 people who helped me in getting down, the PCR van didnt have much space it could make only three people sit. 2 of my co passengers got into the PCR Van, others asked me if they should follow it till I reach a hospital I said that is not required.

Those two helpful people they kept on telling me I am fine and would soon reach a hospital. In the PCR van I asked police to take me to Max Hospital patparganj, they said they can only take me to a government hospital and nearest hospital is GTB hospital. I knew how the hospital was so I insisted to the police to take me either to my family or to the hospital I am asking for. I suddenly realized my family needs to know where am I so I dialled my brother's no and kept the phone on. Somehow with lot of insistence police had agreed to take me to where I wanted but suddenly there senior called on wireless and instructed me to take to GTB Hospital and yes by now not only I was bleeding profusely I was vomiting also so I decided that I needed medical attention quickly than reaching my family so I agreed to go to GTB Hospital  . Since my phone was on I presumed family knows I am going to GTB Hospital however I gave my phone to the two people accompanying me and they told on phone that I am being taken to GTB Hospital.

GTB Hospital and formalities

When I reached Hospital I remember my two passengers lifting me and putting me to stretcher and some more people taking me inside. Inside the hospital I was just lying in that stretcher with no doctor or nurse taking care of me. In fact police came and asked me whats your husband's name, I said I am not married take down my brothers name, however police repeated the question again my answer was same , police repeated the question for 3rd time, my answer was same. In the 4th time I shouted and told cant you understand you take down my brother and father's name and number, it seemed they understood. Police then got into paper work and as usual I was still bleeding vomiting and UNATTENDED.

Police then started accusing my co passengers that they have beaten me up and brought into this condition. My co-passengers/ my life savers they came to me and told that police is accusing them. On which in that condition I had to sit and shout that they have helped and have no hurt me. Now please someone do something I am hurt.

After this police came and took my left thumb impression on some paper. I shouted again for medial attention, to this some nurse came and gave me tetanus injection and put me on a drip. it must have been 50 minutes or even more after which this was done. After the police started asking my life savers for my handbag and mobile for custody, to which those two people said we are not handing over anything to police - she is lady and her family is reaching in sometime.

After few minutes my family arrived, with whatever 10% visibility I had I still remember the first look on my dad, mom and brother's face. My belonging are handed over to them by me and my life savers. On questioning the doctor why no body is taking care of me they said  neurology department will take care of her. After being taken to neurology department we were told CT scan needs to be done, then only any treatment can be done. So my family questioned why CT scan has not been till now. The doctor then told that the CT scan machine is not working and handed over a pamphlet of a private clinic nearby to my brother and asked him to get my CT Scan done from there. My family was totally pissed off and clueless. I told my brother take me to max I can go in your car I cant stay here they will not do anything. My brother realized in any case I have to taken out for a  CT scan so I might as well be taken to some hospital where a treatment will happen. He asked the neurosurgeon if I am in a condition of travelling for half n hour in an ambulance. The doctor said yes but still you will be taking her out at your own risk and since a Medico Legal Case(MLC) was registered my dad went for taking a copy of it and my brother went for finding an ambulance. Dad got the copy of MLC and brother luckily found a private ambulance outside.

Out to a better hospital

I was still bleeding badly and vomiting when I was taken in that ambulance to the nearest hospital near my home. My brother and my two life savers followed my ambulance in which I was with my mom and dad till the nearby hospital. I got hurt at 7:50 pm and it was almost 10:00 pm when I reached Max.

The Hospital near my home

I was immediately taken care off in the emergency of new setup with an immediate cleaning, changing of dress, monitoring of blood pressure, drip and other things. I was taken for multiple CT Scan and then me and my family were told no brain injury and no eye injury has happened. However I had multiple bone fractures, depressions in face, my nose has shifted to right, theres rupture of blood tissue behind nose. A plastic surgeon was called for in emergency. She came at probably 12 o clock and told I would need surgery and titanium plates would be required to put inside my skin to bring things to normal. Later on police also came to lodge a formal police report, and this time I signed.

Epilogue

My friends, friend cum colleagues, colleagues and above all my family(including my uncle who flew from Siliguri for my surgery) all supported me through this time of life and still doing so.  My Surgery happened on 28/11 it was delayed as my face swelling wasn't subsiding and without which a surgery wasn't possible. It was a 5 hour surgery with full anaesthesia and there are now 4 titanium plates inside my skin screwed to my bones. I was hospitalized for 8-9 days and was in rest at home for 2 more weeks.

All casts, bandages and staples were gradually taken off. I feel OK now with sensation missing from most of the parts which  either got hurt or got affected during surgery. My right eye is bigger than the left one is yet to come to normal shape . Right side of the face, nose and forehead is still swollen, sometimes they pain too but not much. My doctor says everything would be fine in 2-3 months period of surgery. I have joined office I cant work full fledged and lack stamina largely but its very important to me being close to my normal way of life.

Somethings I want to highlight

• People say humanity doesn't exist anymore, I don't agree. My co passengers who helped me that day especially those two people , a big thank you to them.
• Law and order- What to say about it someone threw a stone at the bus so casually because he knew that nothing will be done about it, and I guess nothing has been done about it because I haven't heard from police. Probably the guy would repeat it someday and someone else would be a victim
• Police's emergency Services- Someone from the bus dialled 100 no and so did my brother from home but no PCR van reached me that day we incidentally met a PCR van which was standing on road that day.
• Police's rules and regulation- Why cannot a accident victim be taken into a private hospital especially when she herself is insisting for it. Why before giving me treatment forms were being filled up ? forms were necessary or my treatment? Why were my co-passengers being accused of beating me? this even a little help today people extend when they see someone in need of help they would stop doing so because of the system and attitude of police.
• Government Hospital- Probably a little humanity lessons needs to be given there, I was lying 40 minutes without treatment. Why are always machines not working? I could afford a private hospital because of my medical insurance and financial condition, what will happen to those who cannot? They would be lying there for hours without treatment and some even may lose their lives.