Bro. Martin's Hospitalisation

Hi friends,

On Saturday, 12.01.2008, Mr Lobo and I visited St Mary's School, Dum Dum and met Bro. Anil who gave us an up date on Bro. Martin Fernandez's condition.
Since then , he has been giving regular updates on Bro. Fernandez's condition.
I give below the updates he sent.
I have given the complete updates so that all of us know the intricacies of these heart operations.

"Dear Brothers and Friends,

Thank you for your prayers.
My exam was good.
Greg has sent an update on Martin.
Since I have another paper to go, he looks after the daily update and I send it to all.

Keep praying and all the best.
Anil.

Martin.....January 10, Thursday !!!!!!!!!!!

Cecilia was contacted and she said Greg could visit Martin in the morning though visiting hours are only from 4:00 to 7:00 PM.
Greg was able to talk to Martin from 11:00 to 12:00.
Martin was a bit quieter than yesterday and has an upset stomach.
The cough and could are still bothering him even though he is being treated for them.
A test involving sonography was scheduled for the afternoon and the results would be known in the evening.
In the evening, Martin was very happy to see Anil, Kevin Ward and Gerry Menezes and he was a lot more cheerful after their visits.
Greg met Dr Kahali for a few minutes at about 6:00 PM and asked the doctor to go ahead with the preparation for the ICD implant.
Dr Kahali mentioned that Martin would have to be moved to the ICU while the medication was being discontinued so that he could be supervised more closely.
After seeing the results of the test the doctor would be able to decide if a defibrillator would be required.
The operation was not like the by-pass and involved a smaller cut in the chest. Martin was given all the information when he was met after the meeting with Dr. Kahali.
A priest from Kidderpore came to give Martin Communion at 7:00 so Greg left.
That's the way things are at present.

Martin wants to convey his thanks to all of you for your prayers and support.
So do I – and we know you will continue.
Dear Brothers and Friends,

On Thursday Cecilia, the PRO in Birla Hospital, phoned in the morning to say it would be a good idea to be at the hospital after lunch as it would be possible to meet Dr. Kahali between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. before he started his rounds of the wards.
Anil, who came in from Dum Dum, and Greg were at the hospital at 12:30 p.m. and met the doctor at about 1:30 p.m.
He said that the operation was scheduled for Monday evening.
This operation is to put in a dual chamber pacemaker.
There was no need for the defibrillator (whatever that is) and it did not involve any deep cut in the chest.
Cecilia arranged for the two of us to see Martin, even though it was not visiting hours, so Anil went up to the 2 nd floor where Martin was and then Greg met Martin and was able to stay there till 2:30 p.m.
Martin was wearing a halter, which is a device to keep track of the heartbeats and record them so that the pacemaker could be calibrated correctly.
The medication is being reduced and tomorrow Martin will move into the ICU.
I don't know the rules for visiting him in there but we will find out tomorrow.
As the normal visiting hours are from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PM Greg was able to see him again at 4:00 p.m.
Martin, needless to say, is in much better form, especially as he had Solly, Sabino and Mouvin in to visit him and keep him cheerful.
The Priest from Kidderpore was in at 7:00 p.m. to see Martin.
A number of Martin's ex-pupils ring, so Greg takes down their names and conveys their messages to Martin the next day.

Thank you for the prayers and support, and please continue.

God bless.
All the updates are sent thru' my e-mail account since Greg does not have all the addresses with him.

Keep well.
Anil.

Dear Brothers and Friends,

Martin was looking a lot more relaxed and comfortable yesterday.
Cecilia, the PRO in Birla Hospital, usually rings at about 9:00 AM if Martin can be visited in the morning.
There was no call so Greg stayed in St. Joseph's in case there was one.
Br Sabino very thoughtfully arranged for sandwiches and tea in case a visit to the hospital was possible.
Cecelia was contacted at 2:30 when things at the hospi are less hectic and said Martin was in good form.
The doctor was pleased with the result of the tests carried out during the previous day.
The harness, which had been put on the previous day, had been removed and that was a big relief to Martin as it was quite uncomfortable.
The operation is still scheduled for Monday night. Br Tommy Samuel and Greg left for the hospital at 3:00 as visiting hours are from 4:00 to 7:00.
Tommy kept Martin company and brought him up to date with the news till he had to leave at 5:30 as he was traveling that night to Saraitoli (?).
Martin was in good form and even wrote a note to a great friend of his, Des Murray, who is staying in St Joseph's but is unable to move around as he has a very painful injury to his leg.
Greg had to leave at the end of visiting hours but Martin had two more visitors – Priests from Kidderpore.
Martin gets a copy of all the calls made and messages received from anyone and that always cheers him up a lot.
Greg sends a prepared message to acknowledge your thoughtfulness but that is not enough to express the gratitude we feel.
Thanks once again and please continue to pray for Martin.
The Internet was not working in St Joseph's so this is being sent on Sunday.

SATURDAY: 12th Jan

I'm sorry Friday's update could not be sent as the Internet was not working the whole day.
On Saturday Greg went in at 3:00 and the trip took longer than usual because of the big fire in Burra Bazar, but he reached Birla Hospital at 4:00.
He was on the point of going up to the CCU when Anil rang him and said Cecilia had arranged for technicians to come and explain what the ICD (the pacemaker) was and did.
Greg met Cecilia and Anil but decided to go and tell Martin he had arrived and then come down to meet the technicians as they had not arrived as yet.
Martin had been taken for an X-Ray so word was left with a ward boy and Cecelia, Anil and Greg were shown what the ICD was like and how it worked.
All this was done on a laptop so it made things very clear.
This Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator regulates the heartbeat, keeps a record of what is happening in the heart; can be adjusted by an external device.
The surgery required is minimal and takes about 2 hours.
The device is inserted into a pouch of muscle and terminals are passed through a vein and attached to the right auricle and right ventricle, which is why it is called a dual chamber ICD.
The explanation was good and they cleared up a lot ignorance about what exactly the thing did.
It was now about 5:00 so Greg went up to see Martin. Jim McGinnis from Dum Dum had come and was keeping Martin company.
Martin was very cheerful and relaxed and it was hard to believe that he was a patient in the hospital!
After a while Anil came in and he chatted with Martin.
While he was there some Minister or the other came in and there was the usual commotion they create wherever they go.
Both Jim and Anil had to make the trip to Dum Dum where the ex-pupils were having a reunion so they left. Fr Saluvai, from Kidderpore parish, came in at 6:15 or so to give Martin Communion and chatted for a while. Greg left at 7:00 when visitors were "shown the door".
Martin gets a copy of all the SMSs and the gist of phone calls and that really cheers him immensely.
He conveys his thanks to all of you.
Please continue to pray for him, especially on Monday evening when the operation is to take place.

Love and God bless.
Greg Fernandez
Just finished my last exam. On my way to the hopsital. All my exams were good. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Anil.

Dear Brothers and Friends,

Martin was a bit tense when visiting was allowed at 4:00 PM but he had a string of visitors who came in despite the CPI(M) rally that was held somewhere in Cal. Br Griban, who is a Novice and a past pupil of Martin's, and Greg were there at 4:00. As only one visitor at a time is allowed in, David Fernandes, his wife, Prudence, Brs Gerry, Jayesh, and Mouvin had to take in turns go in.
While Gerry and Greg were chatting at the entrance to the hospital they met a group of 4 ex-students of St Mary's, Dum Dum.
William Barno, Peter Haley, Peter Choudhary, Ben Tully and Guy Gomes met Martin and did him a world of good. They gave him a huge Get Well card.
It was so big that it attracted the attention of all the nurses who came past! By the time visiting hours were over, Martin was definitely happier and a lot more relaxed. Anil, of course, has been in constant contact and takes on a lot of the worrying.

The operation should be at 7:00PM today, Monday, so Anil, Cecelia and Greg will be there. After the implant, Martin will be in a safer condition than he has been in for the last 10 years or so.
The ICD regulates the heartbeat and also prevents strokes. So even in the event of the heart stopping, it is programmed to restart the heart automatically.

Br Solly Morris phoned his sister in America. She is a nurse and had looked after Martin when he had his by-pass in Bombay so he has great confidence in her advice. She gave Greg a lot of advice to pass on to Martin and that will help him to relax and have more confidence in the operation and in his condition. Thanks Agnes.

Martin conveys his thanks once again for the prayers and support – and please continue to pray for him. Thank you and God bless.

Greg Fernandes
Dear Brothers and friends,

Thank you soooooooooo much for all the prayers and support from all parts of the world.
Martin's little surgery took place at 19:30 IST on Monday and lasted for an hour. He was out at 20:30 IST smiling but tired.
He had local anesthesia. Greg and self were at the hospital the whole evening and left at 21:30 IST.

Today, (Tuesday) I was there to see him after my class.
He is in good form. Jim, Mouvin, Tino and his cousin were there to visit him.
Martin taught Tino in Asansol years ago.
All these visitors brought a lot of cheer to Martin.
Greg was there the entire evening.
I hope Martin be discharged by the weekend.

Once again, on behalf of the community at St. Mary's I extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have been praying for Martin's good health and to those who had special Novena prayers for him.

Keep well and all the best.

Love,

Anil.
15.01.2008 "

I am happy to say that the operation was done successfully and we could all breathe easily.
I wish Bro. Martin and long and healhy life.

Radheshyam