Hammer And Chisel

In 1990's I had severe pain in my right leg and suffered a lot. I had osteomyelitis of my right leg's tibia bone and underwent saucerization surgery of the leg's bone to get better and was cured. I wrote this poem at that time.This is a real life experience i have penned down.

For two long wretched years in vain, I’ve suffered an agonizing pain,

Painful days and painful nights, no good night’s sleep has been my plight;

I was healthy, active and busy, practicing Ophthalmology,

Until a gradually increasing pain, in right leg drove me quite insane.

I consulted doctors – nearly a dozen, who advised me treatments and investigations,

But my disease defied all reasons, relief eluded despite good intentions.

Firstly diagnosed as “Sciatica”, I did exercises INA MINA DIKA,

No relief – someone said “Painful Muscle Cramps, start on Evion – use infra-red lamps”.

Pain persisted like Indian communalism, the new diagnosis was “Rheumatism”,

Medicines tried were homeopathic, my condition remained most pathetic.

At long last my leg’s X-Rays were taken, which left me very very shaken,

Mid-third of Tibia showed bony lesion, its presence and nature was all confusion.

After many more investigations failed to pin-point the condition,

Developmental? Cancer? Or Infection?. This was the million dollar question.

Thousands of tablets and capsules later, when my pain did not get any better,

I thought my fate was sealed forever, by now I was convinced I had cancer.

Then one good doctor I consulted, from him my direction of treatment resulted,

“I’ll operate at once if you would so please, for there is no other way out of this.

With hammer and chisel, power-saw and drill, my bone was exposed, examined and sliced,

With nimble fingers and an expertise, my problem tissues he neatly excised.

Lo! It wasn’t developmental nor cancer, infection indeed was the answer,

Thank you good doctor for bone carpentry, you’ve set me on my road for recovery.

You roared like a lion and walked like a king, I was frightened to ask you one single thing,

Your surgical skill and hammering, has indeed quickly set me walking.