Health, hope, happiness

This 'book'' is about a life lesson "I BELIEVE", everyone should learn. Mostly when you feel tired, hot or cold, you feel you're very sick but you will only understand what it feels like to be really sick when you're in the hospital with real bad sicknesses. But once I used to be just like others! I thought if you had a little cut it was very hard or threatening! But later on, when I was nine I understood how it would be when you actually are terribly sick. When my grandparents came to our house, my grandfather was very energetic and happy! But slowly by the time we went through some of the funny and enjoyable trips, he started not feeling very well.

Later we had to cancel the rest of our trip and they had to go back to India in Kozhikode. That was where we found out many difficulties in our grandfather whom I call "daddy". He was a very professional person, interested in writing books! I have always seen him as my hero and I have also tried writing books and I enjoyed writing and reading them! It would be my dream to publish the book I wrote named "The Lost Kid".

Daddy went through many harsh ailments that were very well handled by doctors! But we had a bad feeling with nurses because some of them just walked away from us ignoring our 'Please ……' and when we asked if taking off the urine tube hurts or pains!

But let me explain what he went through. First, it was found out that he had some issues in his liver! But that was nothing compared with the other difficulties he went through! He had to undergo a surgery to remove the gall bladder! They even showed us the gall bladder. They didn't let me in because I was too small.

They did the surgery in an "L" shape. The operation lasted for 48 hours. In the hospital I believe there are 5 floors, "including Ground floor". In Ground floor there is a restaurant, a canteen, an ATM, a 24 hour pharmacy, the insurance office and lastly, the elevator station. In the first floor there is physiotherapy department, where my mom and I bought ice cream and there was also a lab where we tested blood and also gave our blood. Usually, my grandma undergoes physiotherapy treatment. On the Second floor, there is the ICU where daddy is. I will always remember the days when we waited on the seats behind the ICU where my mom and grandma would wait for him to come out fine!

I was also very worried but I didn't show it or cry like the others. We never entered 3rd floor. Though our room is on the 4th floor! We even saw a newborn baby!

After the surgery grandfather had a heart attack but he was put on pain reliever medicine through a tube so he didn't really notice. But he still noticed something not right on his chest. Because of the operation, all the waste of the surgery was going out of the body through two tubes! I cried badly when I saw the blood waste coming out of his body or when he tried to stand up from bed.

Also he was not allowed to eat anything for a long time! At last my mom asked the doctor to do something for him; she said that she just wanted her dad! She had been crying so hard when she said that! Such are the moments when you always remember that you are lucky for not being sick at all! Never show it is to actually be sick! So remember health is something you should maintain and keep with wherever you are; hope is something you should keep, and share with others; and finally, happiness is what keeps all your family strong together.

(Athmika Sujay is a 4th Grade student based in Sacramento, California, USA)