Ken Follet

Finished reading The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follet. It is many years since I read the “Eye of the needle” by the same author. But Ken can really get one glued on to the book until it is finished. I like this too. And now I am onto his book “Jackdaws”.


Actually I came across this author once again when I read “The Pillars of Earth” but unfortunately it was an e-book and was only the first volume. I tried my best to find the second one but couldn’t. It left me real frustrated since it was too good. It felt like someone taking away half a cup of the tea that you were enjoying. I will surely look for this title the next time I am in India. But if any of my readers can give me an e-version... that would be like winning a lottery!

Guillain-Barre Syndrome

FIL can now walk much better. Acutally he is very lucky that he was diagnosed quickly. As I wrote earlier it all started with tingling sensation on his legs and later general weakness in his legs. This is when the doctor told him that it was due to lack of calcium. His blood was gven for testing and he started using the walker to walk around. It was only when he fell down even with the walker that the seriousness of the situation was realized. He was immediately hospitalised and was in the ICU, under observation. Dr. Madhusudan was not available but the junior doctors were able to have consultations over the phone. They decided not to wait but go ahead with the treatment and this was the best decision. By then he was losing the sensation on his hands too.

Now we hear from many regarding this syndrome and there were unlucky ones who were not diagnosed soon enough. There was one person (50 yrs old) who was supposed to leave Kuwait for good to enjoy his retired life. It started with his hands and he did the usual treatments available but soon he was confined to the wheel chair and he left Kuwait in a wheel chair. By the time he was diagnosed the disease had taken its toll and he died.

This illness can occur at any age and it usually starts of with a normal cold or fever.