Passionate Prayers Reading UK 17 May 2015 (shared from FB Memories)

While in the early days at Giffard Memorial Hospital, Nuzvid, A.P., one evening I got an emergency call from OR. There was an infrequent ocular trauma case. When I entered the OR, a boy of about 5 years was draped and only his eyes were visible. To my dismay, it was a case of penetrating injury. The AC was flat with iris prolapse. In those days even in CMCH they did not suture but just had to be satisfied with a pressure bandage. Fortunately, I had a simple operating microscope brought by the late Dr John C Abraham from the USA along with some fine sutures.

I noticed that the anaesthesiologist was quite depressed and grumpy and did not say a word. Perhaps he had a busy day seeing the general medical cases in the OPD. This was his daily routine and then on call 24 X 7.

However, a more difficult decision was whether the good eye would be affected with sympathetic ophthalmia, a condition were the good eye developed severe autoimmune response toward ocular antigens released from the injured eye. If thought so, the injured eye has to be enucleated, otherwise both eyes could be blind.

It was my first case of penetrating ocular injury. I decided to operate. The needle should be within the 0.5 mm thickness of the cornea. Also since the trauma was caused by a non-sterile knife, the possibility of intra-ocular infection was quite real. As such I just suture the corneal tear and did not try to separate all the iris tissues. Iris adhesions could be released later.

After the operation, the eye was padded and the drapes were removed. To my astonishment the boy was the only son of the anaesthesiologist, Dr Nemick Kisku. I am ever grateful for the services he rendered to GMH as my colleague.

The eye healed well but due to iris adhesions it developed secondary glaucoma. Fortunately my friend Dr Andre Mermoud, world famous glaucoma surgeon, operated and the eye became normal again. Due to trauma, the cornea can have scars and can cause squint. But praise God Lynnel Kisku was free from that.

Can you imagine the agony and prayer of the father as he administered anaesthesia to his son? But later in his last days due to kidney failure, he had to face another tragedy. Lynnel was dying from Non Hodgkins lymphoma. I was told that Dr Kisku prayed, “Dear God I am ready to die, but please give life to my son.”

Many years ago, a similar prayer was prayed by my Brother on the Cross.

And that prayer is answered in Lynnel’s life: a person who had undergone so much sorrows but is always cheerful and a blessing to others with his wit and encouraging posts on Face Book. (At present he is waiting for the second bone marrow transplant. Kindly remember him in your prayers.)

Lynnel added his Comments:
“Uncle... that was neatly done.. Thank you. I didn't know much but I always had it hanging in my mind that my dad had his life sacrificed for mine ... The timing was such that the day I got discharged, they brought him to CMC but in vain. He was lonely in Ottapalam and was sick too. I do miss him more after reading ur passage with misty eyes.”

Ronnie Gyi

EYE OPERATION AT GIFFARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL EARLY DAYS

EYE OPERATION AT ANNI, HIMACHAL PRADESH

LATE DR NEMICK AND CATHERINE KISKU AND CHILDREN