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embarrasing moment
September 2009 
Never Kiss A Stranger
Posted on Sep 23rd, 2009
by 
Praveer
Praveer
PSRI
I looked forward to seeing my wife in the ICU after her major surgery. In a hurry, I fumbled the foot covers, got my arms crossed in the hospital gown, couldn't figure out which way the green face mask went on. The only thing I really stopped for was the disinfectant hand wash - I love the smell.
"Lolita Shukla?" I asked another masked and gowned figure who was hurrying past. He waved vaguely down a long wide hall with well spaced beds on either side. My gown, foot covers, mask and head cover flapping unfamiliarly, I moved at a disorderly speed towards the bed. From a distance, even shrouded in her mask and head cover, she looked grey and worn and pinched. Well, naturally, I thought, it was an eight hour surgery after all.
Arriving, I said "Panda?" Her eyes fluttered and I saw no recognition.in her eyes, a deeply frightening experience. The doctors had told me she had weathered the surgery well and was responsive. But here she was, unblinking, and, I thought, somewhat fearful.. Holding her masked face in my hands in bewilderment and looking for clues to her condition at the surrounding instrumentation, I bent forward to kiss her when from the corner of my eye, I caught a movement further left from her bed.
Panda was in a bed further down, it turned out. I was fondling a complete stranger. When I reached her and leaned over to give her a kiss, she hissed, "What were you doing to that poor woman!" I explained. She sighed, "You're such a dope."
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Praveer, so glad Panda is feeling better and able to give you heck! Always a good sign ; )
My inner Mr. Bean applauded wildly - I have never felt so silly in my life, DL. But Science is merciful. Panda was still woozy from anesthesia, and does not remember the first day, or this incident. She does, however, vividly recollect that in the middle of the night, some people erected a colorful chapel in the ICU and there was ceremonious singing and dancing by children. “Really?”, I asked her. “Really”, she maintained, solemnly.
Praveer: When I began reading this my heart flipped - I haven't been reading many blogs lately and felt like crap for not knowing your wife was in need of surgery (and so I send good feelings and hope that all is well)……..and then I read the ending of this story and I must say, there was a loud booming chuckle stuck in my throat, trying to get out and it did, except there was a delay. Thank you for the laugh. More importantly, thank you for words that remind me I need to be more in touch with what my Gaia friends are experiencing…..
Namaste' (and continued greetings to all for happiness and healing)
Anytime's the right time to visit, Jacqualine-Marie. And I'm glad you got a chuckle out of this! A month and a half later, Panda's doing very well. Her first project was to get to her hairdresser, but she was too weak to make it there. I let her know that the only way would be to exercise and build up her strength, something she hates. But with the incentive dangling in front of her, she put in the time and did the work, and voila, appeared in her beautician's sanctum sanctorum yesterday and returned victorious. (Of course, I would have taken her anyway) :-)