A Day in the ICU: Life’s Unexpected Lesson

A week ago, I was at the peak of my energy, riding the high of success. I had just returned from an elated international franchisee meet in Turkey 🌍, where my state swept five out of twelve awards 🏆. It was a celebration of hard work, and my state franchisees was the last to leave the party 🎉, immersing in our victory.

Upon returning to Bangalore, after break of two days left to Mumbai, where I was part of  32 candidates selected for an emerging leadership program. With back-to-back commitments, I pushed myself harder than I should have, fuelled by the momentum of achievement and the demands of responsibility..
Saturday came and being first week of month got myself involved in follow up & closing month end reports along with plan for coming week and month agenda. Late evening, returned home, had dinner, and went for my routine night walk 🚶. But that night, everything changed. Around midnight, I was struck by a relentless wave of unease, followed by severe vomiting and diarrhoea 🤢. By morning, I was completely drained, my body rebelling against the relentless pace I had set for it.

My wife, sensing something was seriously wrong, rushed me to the nearest clinic 🏥. The doctor’s concern was immediate—severe dehydration had thrown my vitals into a dangerous fluctuation. He insisted on hospitalization, and before I knew it, I was lying in an step down ICU bed, surrounded by the smell of the hospital and the constant beeping of machines monitoring in an ICU.

Without my phone, which was not allowed in the ICU 📵, I found myself stripped of distractions. In a world where we are constantly glued to screens 📱, I was suddenly forced to confront my surroundings, to really see and feel what was happening around me. It was a rare moment of clarity in an otherwise busy life.

As I lay there, the room’s silence was punctuated only by the soft hum of machinery. It was in this stillness that I began to notice the stories unfolding around me.

To my right was Vijaya, an elderly woman whose vital signs were dangerously erratic 💔. Despite her condition, no family members had come to visit. She murmured about missing home, her voice filled with a longing that tugged at something deep within me. It was a stark reminder of how, in our so called busy professional life, we often neglect the simple, yet profound, importance of family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦.

Then there was Seetha, a patient who could understand everything around her but was trapped in silence, unable to speak 🤐. The frustration in her eyes was visible as she tried to communicate through gestures, which the nurses initially mistook for simple requests. Eventually, one nurse handed her a pen ✏️, hoping she could write her thoughts. After much effort and confusion, her son was called. He finally understood her message—she wanted to go home 🏠. The realization brought a moment of shared laughter in the room, a brief respite from the tension.

Tulsi, another patient, lay in a coma. Her daughter visited regularly, vigilant and anxious 😟, she discovered that the fluid she had brought for her mother the previous night hadn’t been administered. A confrontation with the nurses, and during the argument, she noticed her mother’s front tooth was missing. The staff had no explanation, and the daughter was left fearing that it had been swallowed 😳. The situation grew tense until a senior nurse intervened, diffusing the situation with calm authority.

In the midst of these life struggles, I was struck by the resilience and companionship of the nurses and helpers 💪. Despite the gravity of their work, they moved with a quiet grace, their smiles and jokes a subtle dissent against the weight of their responsibilities. They reminded me that even in the most challenging circumstances, there is room for kindness and humanity 😊.
However, not everything was as it should be. During the doctor’s midnight rounds, it became clear that the nurse assigned to me had overlooked critical procedures 🚨. She was supposed to monitor my urine output—a task she had completely neglected. The doctor’s sharp pull up echoed in the stillness, a reminder that even in environments where precision is vital, lapses can occur. This incident made me anxious, and I found myself staying awake, double-checking the drip lines myself.

This experience, while unnerving, also brought into focus an important truth. Despite the negligence of one, many other nurses were doing their jobs diligently, ensuring that the unit ran smoothly 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️. 

In our corporate world—a reminder that while mistakes happen, it’s often the dedication and hard work of a few that keep an organization afloat.

Finally, after night in the ICU, I was discharged. My wife, ever supportive, urged me to take it easy. I promised her I would. But within an hour of returning home, I was back to my routine—conducting an scheduled interview, attending a dealership transfer meeting 💼. Yet, despite my quick return to work, I made a conscious effort to balance my time with break of two days. I took my family out for a city trip 🚗, played with my kids, and relished those precious moments before boarding a train that night for another work commitment 🚂.

Life moves fast. We aren’t born just to work and die, but our responsibilities often make it hard to step back. I’m grateful for a family that understands this, and I make it a point to cherish every moment with them whenever I can ❤️.
The ICU was one of the wake-up call, not just for my health but for my perspective on life. It reminded me that in both life and work, balance is crucial—between our commitments and our well-being, between success and the simple joys of life ⚖️.

Thank you for reading about my ICU experience. It was a stark reminder that life’s most valuable lessons often come when we least expect them.