What is in common between them ? 
Last Monday I got up and getting ready to go to office - thought it was another usual day, but it wasn’t. Around 6am it started paining below left ribs. The pain increased exponentially and it became unbearable around 7:30am. I had some kidney stones diagnosed earlier but was dormant, often, when I remembered to be precise, I use to drink water. Last year it was about 6mm and this year it has grown to 7.5mm - that is about 25% growth even during sub-prime crisis and economic downturn - not bad at all - wish my fixed deposit grows at that rate!
Soon, I called my photographer friend, Dr Ajit, a well known kidney transplant surgeon. I could not reach him but I rushed to Columbia Asia Hospital in Bangalore where he practices. On the way, I could contact Ajit when I reached hospital, Dr Ajit’s friends Dr Mohan and Dr Manohar whom I was supposed to see have been informed. His friends knew I share same interests Dr Ajit did - wildlife and photography. They started talking to me in those languages!
After a couple of doses of pain killers I was able to talk. Ultrasound scan showed a 7.5mm stone stuck at the tip of the ureta. Dr Manohar showed me the sonogram and showed the stone. I was curious to know where the ureta is - being familiar with 1600×1024 resolution and s-rgb color space is no use to interpret what is seen on the ultrasound screen. I asked Dr Manohar, where is the ureta ? Manohar replied - “Ganesh, it is not like tiger stripes - you can’t see that clearly but I can” - Needless to say I agreed with him!!
Next couple of days I was on medication (dialators, pain killers) in the wait mode to see whether the stone just passes out by itself - unfortunately it didn’t. On Thursday, doctors decided to remove it using endoscopic surgery. At 2 PM I was taken to operation theater where Mrs Ajit who is anaesthetist there helped me boost my confidence, so nice of her - it really helped. I was scared about taking anaesthesia. In OT I was greeted by Dr Manohar, who said - “See Ganesh, this is our forest”, I agreed and told him - “You folks are tigers here” - both of us had a laugh. Just before injecting anaethesia doctor asked where I wanted to go, he himself suggested Nandi Hills for some bird photography, I agreed. Next moment I was there probably, when I opened my eyes around 5pm my father and wife was near by. I was back from my 3 hours journey to Nandi hills.
Got discharged from hospital yesterday evening - It is still paining a bit, hope to recover soon…
Hi Ganesh
Interesting perspective about the whole issue. Hope you recover soon.
Comment by Gautham — May 30, 2008 @ 10:20 am |Edit This
Comment by ganesh — May 30, 2008 @ 11:44 am
Hey Ganesh, sad to know the pain you had to undergo. Wish you a blindingly speedy recovery! And the artist in you can never be surprised and like Gautham said, you have looked at the whole unpleasant episode in a very different perspective! Hats off to you!
Comment by Santosh Saligram — May 30, 2008 @ 2:27 pm
Sorry; I meant “suppressed” and not “surprised”!!! Please pardon the typo.
Comment by Santosh Saligram — May 30, 2008 @ 2:27 pm
Get well soon Ganesh. We are missing you on the field.
he he
Waiting for images from Nandihills !!
Comment by Shivakumar — May 30, 2008 @ 2:50 pm
Wish the tigers have done a good “hunt” of their “prey” to extinction!
How about some *MACROS* from Nandi hills ?! :))
Comment by Pramod Viswanath — May 30, 2008 @ 3:40 pm
hope you’re feeling much better my friend- be well!
Comment by Cindy — May 30, 2008 @ 9:33 pm
Thank you all friends for your wishes..
Comment by ganesh — May 31, 2008 @ 1:23 am
Really no need to thank me or my wife (Medha). We just did the things we have been trained to do. You don’t thank the pilot after each landing, do you?
Don’t keep ‘growing’ more stones! You might end up being able to build that dream house if you do!
Comment by Ajit K Huilgol — May 31, 2008 @ 3:32 am
Dream house with kidney stones ! An interesting thought Ajit
Comment by ganesh — May 31, 2008 @ 3:52 am
Wish you a very speedy recovery Ganesh! Hope to see your masterpieces at the earliest.
Wonder what caused you to have them in the first place? Wrong food habits?
Comment by Keshav — May 31, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
Wish you a speedy recovery Ganesh. Missing your images from the field. Take care.
Comment by Mahesh Devarajan — May 31, 2008 @ 6:49 pm
Get well soon, Ganesh!
Comment by archnprabu — June 2, 2008 @ 5:16 am
You’ll be out and about in no time! Take care Ganesh!!
Comment by dan — June 2, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
Ganesh,
Hope you are feeling better now.
I just wanted to check on what you are up to and what do I find? No more samosas, puffs and mensinakai bajjis
Let me know when you are visiting western hemisphere and I will put you on a healthy diet then 
Get well soon
Phani.
Comment by Phani — June 6, 2008 @ 10:38 pm
Hi Ganesh,
Hope you are doing fine now,
Regards,
Raj.
Comment by Raja Shekar — June 8, 2008 @ 12:13 pm
Lovely write up of this experience.:). Now keep the stones out, a beer at times wont be bad u know.:):).
Comment by Nilanjan Das — June 17, 2008 @ 4:59 pm