Road to Recovery
23 May 2026
Rcvd a call from my papa’s phone at 07:39 am.
“Is this your known person’s number?”
“Yes, my papa’s, what happened?”
“I am calling from Lokmanya Hospital near Jatra hotel, you father was lying unconscious on roadside, we just got him here”
“Where?”
“Near service road opposite Mother Teresa Memorial, here talk to the doctor”
..and then the caller handed the call over to a Doctor of Lokmanya, who explained to me that my father was bought in with severe head and shoulder injuries. Blood Pressure was ~200 and he needed immediate medical intervention. I requested him to start whatever medication and scans he seems right without worrying about the cost/approval etc. I told him that I am in Pune right now and will take few hours to reach, meanwhile my sister and mother will reach to the hospital.
I called my sister and asked where is papa, she said he is out for his morning walk and that she just had a phone call with him just few minutes back. She rushed out to call a neighbour aunty to be with mummy while she went to the hospital with uncle. She managed the entire situation there and got the docs to perform CT scans at 4 hr interval, both of which revealed severe brain trauma and midline shift due to increased swelling in the brain, more on RHS as compared with LHS.
I reached Nasik around 3pm, and after understanding the latest CT scan reports and internal bleeding situation from doctors, quick talk with sister and other uncles, decided to shift him to Ashoka Medicover hospital. The ER doctor said it is not possible to have this kind of injury simply by falling on his own. After taking another detailed CT scan and blood work, Dr. Vishal (Consulting Neurologist) and Dr. Shekhar (Consulting Neurosurgeon) decided to perform Craniotomy on him the following morning to decompress his brain since the swelling and internal bleeding in the Brain, both were still increasing.
Papa was put on ventilator immediately and kept in ICU, he remains utterly critical. I slept outside the ICU, a person gave me a mat to lie down on.
24 May
Operation was successful, a large piece of his skull was taken out and kept in his left thigh. This gave brain the space to expand outwards and stop the midline shifting inside his brain. He was not responding to any sound, tap, pinch etc. at this point. I sleep outside the ICU just in case they need me for any admin or logistical stuff, with a part of me hoping that I never get called from inside because more often than not, anyone getting call from inside was only when there was a bad news. Sister coordinates with docs and nursing staff the whole day, convincing/borderline reprimanding them for all the stuff.
Starting to gather my thoughts around logistics, insurance claim, managing visitors etc.
25 -26 May
Nothing eventful (which is good). Papa remains on ventilator. With latest x-ray scans, his left collar bone fracture is clear. Along with some more deep scratch marks on the left shoulder, docs are of clear opinion that it can’t be a simple ‘fell down while walking’ mishap. It is either hit and run or assault.
In the meanwhile, I got to know the grief and problems of others waiting outside ICU — A mother with her 23 yo undergoing brain surgery due to a car accident. A mother with her elder son involved in a car crash, her younger son committed suicide 8 months back. A mother with 3 yr old admitted due to unknown insect bite. A lady admitted after taking a fall in bathroom requiring Craniotomy. A mother saw her 19 yo pass away, he has suffered brain stroke due to low water intake and playing in harsh sun. A man saw his father, 92, slowly pass away after fighting for 28 days in ICU.
27 May
Tracheostomy performed. A T-shaped plastic device is put on the neck via a small incision. Now the ventilator pipe is routed directly via neck. This is done because the ‘via mouth’ ventilator can’t be kept after certain number of days because of infection concerns.
I am now pretty sure that papa recognizes my sister’s voice more than anyone else, he responds to her calls and opens his eye without physical tap or pinch that the docs do to observe his response grade.
I don’t like seeing docs put torch light directly in his eyes to observe pupil dilation.
29 May
1st contact with police stn and tried to figure out cctv footage. Lokmanya hospital have CCTV of only 3 days, due to ‘good smartian’ law hospital can’t take name/number of the person who admitted someone to the hospital. Trying to find CCTV at other places.
Papa continues to be stable in ICU but with very little physical response and awareness, and completely dependent on nursing for all his needs.
1–6 Jun
Difficulty in self breathing, oxygen line support is there. Tracheostomy changed to double lumen, a german piece of engineering. I wonder about advancement in medical engineering and biomechanics. Thermovent weaving trials are going on. Papa underwent a full brain + cervical CT scan.
8 Jun
Good day - Papa got shifted to general ward, meaning he is out of danger now. I went out to scout for cctv footage again.
Finally found a cctv that covered the accident spot showing a car hitting him from behind at 7:25 am while he was on his morning walk. He was walking on the side of the road after a 90 deg turn, there was no other vehicle/person in sight. Most likely the driver of the car was either drunk, or distracted since he couldn’t see a man in white t-shirt and half pant against a backdrop of black asphalt road. Afterwards, the car driver called someone and then two other guys took papa on a scooty at 7:30 am, the car driver himself remained at the spot and moved from there only after 7:46 am. Had he taken him to hospital a little earlier, perhaps his internal blood loss could have been contained earlier.
10 Jun
Papa continues to be stable. Nothing eventful. Boring is good.
Anvi’s 6th birthday today. She is happy and content celebrating her bday at home with just 1 cake and namesake balloon decoration.
Went to police stn at night to meet the Investigating Officer, due to new glaring evidence, FIR is now registered.
13 Jun
Papa still in general ward. Responses deteriorating as compared to previous day, we were told that such ups and downs happens in neuro cases of this magnitude.
I went home to sleep at night for the very first time since 23 May. Brother in law and mummy stayed back at hospital. Papa’s response to external stimulus remains very low.
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14 Jun
Bad day - CT scan showed Sinking Skin Flap Syndrome. Papa transferred back to ICU for emergency life saving maneuvers. By evening he is giving good response, eyes fully open, both hand movement, showing thumbs up and down.
Exertion and lack of sleep finally took its toll, I got 102.2 fever with severe body pain by the end of the day. Mummy stayed back at hospital, Brother in law drove me back to home, I took some medicines and slept.
15 Jun
Docs say he is stable, he is still kept under observation in ICU.
16 Jun
Papa is stable now, and an emergency operation is ruled out. He is shifted back to the general ward. His vitals are good, just little infection remains. Things are looking bright.
17 Jun
Nothing eventful, boring is good. Papa is stable, antibiotics are administered for trachea and urine infection.
18 Jun
Neurosurgeon as well as Neurologist is convinced that putting the skull back can help in eliminating the atmospheric pressure which in turn may help papa recover faster.
20 Jun
Operation day — Cranioplasty (putting the skull flap back) is performed, operation was successful. After brief stay in recovery room, he was shifted to ICU for routine observation of 1 day. Vitals are stable, blood drain pipes are put in head and leg (where the skull flap was stored).
21 Jun
Uneventful day, papa shifted back to normal ward, bed#406.
No clue of the suspect car number yet. ParkSyde main gate camera from 7.30am to 7.36am doesn’t show that scooty going towards Bali mandir chowk.
22 Jun
Dr. Parag performed at-bed procedure to remove the blood drain pipes. He mentioned that papa’s response is good and that he will eventually fully recover. Simple assurance like these matters a lot.
In middle of the procedure, he rcvd a call from Dhule which was about a young man falling into a well leading to injury to head and spinal cord. He continued with the procedure while guiding the person on call about immediate check procedures. Medical profession is extremely demanding.
23 Jun
CT scan done today morning around 8am. Results are very promising, mid line shift is stopped, mild swelling with little blood (expected as part of Cranioplasty) is there on right side of brain (where the skull was removed and put back) but it is all ok and expected post-operation. Doc said it is kind of fortunate that the injury happened more on right brain because left brain is dominant and responsible for memory etc. Neurologist said he will keep him under observation for 2 more days before transferring him to the nuro-physiotherapy and rehabilitation center.
Wondering about these patient monitoring machines. Such an important piece of patien observation and monitoring. The one in front of me is of Philips Goldway, probably made in Shenzen, costs between 90k to 1.3L INR. Researching about its Indian competitors, TAM and unit cost.
24 Jun
A visual inspection of throat’s gulping movement was done and docs decided to remove the Traechostomy tube from neck. This is a good sign of recovery. SO2 % is maintained well, no anomalies or stress observed yet. Response is getting better, with little Dumb Charades, he was able to convey to us that he wants his face wiped cleaned. Things are looking bright.
Met with DCP Kirankumar Chavan of Nasik police, he promised accelerated analysis and work on this case.
25 Jun - 29 Jun
Remarkable improvement in awareness, waking hours and hand gestures. Taking 8–10 spoons of water and feed via mouth since 27 Jun. He was able to write ‘mali’ on paper with almost 40% clarity when Mali uncle came to visit him at hospital.
Chest x-ray is good, no infection, coughing and secretions too has reduced. Docs are convinced that his condition is fully stable and he is fully out of danger, planning to discharge him tomorrow from hospital for further recovery at a fully residential rehab center.
Feeling quite helpless for not being able to understand most of his incoherent hand gestures and scribbles on paper.
30 Jun
Day#38 at Ashoka Medicover hospital, Nasik. Good news is that we are shifting him to Nulyfe Robotics physiotherapy and rehabilitation center, Nasik today. It is a center with advance robotics assisted physiotherapy program. Fully residential with nursing care.
5 day Mahamritunjay jaap ritual started today under guidance of Pd. Tiwari ji. If nothing else, it will help mummy and naani calm down their minds and reassure them.
1–7 July
Stable at the residential physiotherapy center. Not much change in limb functions, but he smiles a few times. His understanding and awareness appears to be that of a 4 yo kid. No decline is also considered improvement in Neuro cases like this. Head and thigh sutures removed by Dr. Parag, he has been very helpful and reassuring all along.
10 July
Bad day — After heavy loose motions and loss of electrolytes yesterday, papa is appearing very weak. Another complications that has developed is the Rapid Tongue Movement, Doc asked to shift him back to Ashoka hospital for CT scan and close observation. We packed up within an hour and came back to the place that I was hoping to never see again. Reason is yet to be determined, but front runners are either medication side effect and/or focal lesions or some kind of swelling in the brain. Scan and blood work is done, reports are awaited.
11 - 13 July
Lot of tests conducted at Ashoka. Brain CT scan - ok, Chest CT scan - ok, Blood reports - ok. Docs said most likely it was due to medicine side effect, 2 medicines stopped and 1 changed. Noticeable improvement, tremors almost vanished.
Started speaking in a very slow squeaky voice as of late night of 12th July. He is discharged and shifted back to Physiotherapy and Rehab center on 13th evening. Looking at his activity and awarness, docs here have planned to take him for full physio session.
14 — 28 July
Remarkable improvement as compared to start of July. All vitals normal at all times. No need of throat secretion suction, no high BP tablets, oxygen concentration > 94 even while sitting/standing with robotic aids in physiotherapy sessions. His words are 85% recognizable. Although he speaks random things many times, he usually is able to respond to the question asked to him. RT feed (pipe through nose) is not needed anymore, he has started chewing semi-solid food on his own. Calls me by my name to ask about stuff. We will be shifting him back to home by 2 Aug, and then at home physiotherapy sessions will continue.
2 Aug
Papa is back home. Our kind neighbours and family friends organized a small welcome ceremony, decorated doorway with flowers and garlands. He still needs wheelchair to move around but he is quite happy to be back home, looking at his plants (he has a mini balcony garden of around 40+ potted plants) and mentioning about pending trivial works at home.
3Aug — 10 Aug
Remarkable physical improvement in the last one week since he is back home. Now he is able to sit upright without support for 10–20 mins, can catch a ball, responds to simple trivial questions. Full cognitive and mental recovery will take time, but at least he is out of danger and physically recovering. Dr. Sanket (PT) from rehabMax is very helpful and professional, he is confident that papa will be able to walk on his own in a month!
11Aug — 29Sept
Lots of ups and down, however overall he is stable and improving. The main challenge with brain related issues is the fact that the progress is not linear, there will be days when you’d feel he is just months away from sitting, standing, speaking and doing his own chores but then there will be days where you’d feel like back to square one. Immunity is low, even a small infection leads to fever and dyhadration like situation. 23 Sept marked four months since his accident. He still not capable of being on his own, we all have developed our schedules around him and help him sit, stand, move, eat etc. Next plan is to move back to Pune next month and seek some expert opinion there too along with trying alternative medicines like Ayurveda to atleast heal him physically. Full mental recovery is still far out but atleast full family will be together in the upcoming festive season.
My sincere thanks to Rob Cohee, his Linkedin post about loss of his 14 yo kid in a tragic dirt bike accident inspired me to document my own journey that helped me a lot in healing my mind and freeing it up from the continuous loops of thoughts and memory. I feel human mind tries to remember everything till the time it is not sure if the facts are preserved, once you journal things, it remarkably leaves a bunch of stuff from its clutch. The hardest thoughts to get rid of are the futile hindsight “what if..” scenario thoughts trying to imagine papa not reaching that particular place at that particular point of time.
