The Sniffles

Even here in Mauritius, we experience winter. Most often, with the threat of an anti-cyclone in the area, the days are overcast, rainy, windy and all together very un-island like. The anti-cyclone usually lasts for 3-4 days, enough to make any islander miff! Shabd is no exception.

While he is gifted with his mother's superior genes, he does on occasion succumb to the odd viral/bacterial infection. This has been the case for the past 3 weeks. What we thought was a bout of the common sniffles has turned into 'rhume' - runny nose as Shabds paediatrician, Doctor T. so eloquently put it.

Doctor Thancanamootoo (try saying that with a mouth stuffed with bhajia), or Doctor T. as we so fondly refer to him is our go-to guy when Shabd is not well. We found him in the yellow pages on the Sunday Shabd turned one month old and was crying inconsolably. We of course, being the cool calm inexperienced newly inducted parents, were clueless on what to do. He was the only Paediatrician consulting, on emergency cases, on a Sunday. Obviously, we've stuck with him.

Doctor T. in a gentleman, quite advanced in years with excellent bedside manner...by this i mean bedside manner toward ME, the mother! He is quite small in stature, baldingish, gentle and witty. When we asked how often we should wash Shabd's hair for example, he replied that since Shabd did not go into the sugarcane fields everyday, there was not reason to wash it daily! Or when Shabd growled at him quite menacingly, by the way that's the new sound: "grrrrrrr" Doctor T quite calmly replied, "Yes...yes...I'm afraid!"

Doctor T is gentle, calm and available. And when you're a new mom and your family are kilometres away and a BBM consult with Tascia comes with its own challenges (no BBM anymore) then the closest one can come to reassurance is a Doctor T! Sometimes, i call him just for a comfort chat..."Yes Mrs. Beekharry, Shabd's a bright boy, he's developing well...nasal lavage three times a day. Call me tomorrow to let me know how he's progressing...okay then, goodbye."

Shabd by the way, is doing much better. Unfortunately, after 3 weeks of this rhume, Doctor T was obliged to prescribe antibiotics. "He's a strong boy, Mrs. Beekharry. Don't worry, he'll be fine."