I was working in Madras (now Chennai) in
1983. It was my first job. I had to travel a lot. So, I had almost all my food
from restaurants in different cities. Some were hygienic, most were not. One
day, while I was waiting for a train at a station, I felt so tired that I lay
down on a bench. Someone woke me later and told me that the train was arriving.
I got on the train and reached Madras that night. Next day, I had a fever.
My roommate, who was also my colleague at work,
suggested I see a doctor. We went to a nearby clinic and consulted a doctor. He
told me it must be the Flu and gave me some tablets. A few days later, I still
had a fever. My friend told me to meet the doctor once again. We went to the
clinic and the doctor said it must be Malaria. He gave me some tablets for
Malaria and told me that if the fever does not go away in a few days then it
must be Pneumonia.
A few days later, I still had a fever. I
decided to book my ticket and return to Kerala. After reaching home, I went to
a Hospital and consulted a doctor. He told me to get myself admitted there. He
continued giving me the Malaria tablets for a few days and then conducted a
blood test. The blood test revealed that I had Typhoid. Now, I was given
medicine for Typhoid and also told to have only a liquid diet. I was
hospitalized for one month, after which I was discharged. I returned home cured
but weak. It took some time to regain my strength.
The doctor at Madras thought it was the Flu
or Malaria or Pneumonia. He made three wrong guesses.
