A Final Conversation...

For 15 years, I had a patient under my care who battled Chronic Kidney Disease and Chronic Heart Failure, experiencing many ups and downs. Each time involved treatment, timely decisions, and a journey from ICU to home. Together with the family, we fought a long battle.

The past few months were very difficult. We did everything possible – medications, dialysis, nutrition, monitoring – but the body was exhausted. A few days ago, he was admitted to the ICU. One organ after another began to fail. Finally, today he was put on a ventilator.

As a doctor, I was doing all this, which is mentally exhausting too, but you don’t stop.

At such a stage, one afternoon outside the ICU, his daughter came to me.

"Doctor... may I speak to my father? Will he hear me?"

I was silent for a moment.

The body was inactive, running on machines. But I firmly believe one thing:

"A patient on a ventilator, even if unresponsive, is listening. The feelings, words, and touch of loved ones reach him."

I slightly opened the ICU door, and her words silenced the whole atmosphere.

ICU is a battle between doctors and fate.

The doctors’ team fights with all their strength, but fate’s signature has the final word written beforehand.

At that moment, I was not a doctor — I was a witness to a daughter’s final conversation...

"Sometimes life takes you beyond your duty — where emotions speak and God listens."

Dr Ravindra L Kulkarni Just For Hearts