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colleague                                                                                                                                                         EULOGIZING DR . SIVA...




                   I remember Siva when I first started work as a daytime hospitalist at Suburban. He was sitting on his corner in
                   the doctors’ office. Sometimes quiet, looking at Wall Street, sometimes conversing, laughing and making jokes.                                                For those of you who don't know me, I am Anitha Chetty, and I have been friends with Sudarshan for the past
                                                                                                                                                                                 11 years. We worked together at Suburban Hospital, and he was not only my colleague but also my brother.

                   I came late to Suburban, but for the past couple of years, we got together quite a few times. I felt I knew Siva
                   for so long.                                                                                                                                                  I still remember the first time we met when he saw that I ordered a blood pressure medication called nifedipine.
                                                                                                                                                                                 At the time it wasn't used very often, and he was very impressed that I knew what it was. The first words he said

                          I enjoyed talking with him so much. It was so easy to speak with him and discuss everything—politics,                                                  were,  “So you like nifedipine, huh?” He then became my go-to person for everything medical.
                          culture, finance, spirituality, kids, family.  quiet                                                                                                           I remember discussing a patient with him and telling him the many tests that I had run and saying


                   I still remember going with him to George's steakhouse. Lately, only in March of this year, to World of Beer,                                                         I don't know what else to do. He looked at me, gave me that Siva smile and said, “I think it's time
                   I remember having chicken wings and baked brussels sprouts with bacon. I order the same when I go there now.                                                          to discharge them home.”  To this day, it is very common to hear amongst our hospitalist group
                                                                                                                                                                                         “What would Siva do?”
                   I miss the afternoon walks and tea where we would talk some more about money and politics.
                                                                                                                                                                                 Shortly after that meeting, our relationship blossomed into an amazing friendship. I started going to him
                          Despite many lectures from him, I still do not remember what to change on my retirement plan,                                                          with everything, not just medical stuff. Sudarshan would always listen to me. He was calm and patient.
                          and now I am afraid I will never figure it out.                                                                                                        He didn't try and fix things for me. He just let me vent, then he would say a couple of words that somehow

                                                                                                                                                                                 made all the difference.
                   Every time I drive on Fernwood Road, I look for him walking with Alina.

                                                                                                                                                                                 One of the life lessons he taught me was to wait 24 hours before emailing, calling or texting someone when
                   I am pretty sure that I can talk endlessly about him, but I will stop and say that he was a wonderful person
                                                                                    laughing
                   as a friend, colleague and mentor.                                                                                                                            I'm angry. Over time, he increased that to 48 hours. He appreciated my spunk and directness and helped me
                                                                                                                                                                                 find my voice and use it to become a better person.

                          I know that I didn’t know him for a long time, but I feel lucky to have known and worked with him,
                          even for a short period.                                                                                                                                       He always made me laugh—whether it was following the drama of the hospital group or discussing
                                                                                                                                                                                         some pop culture that made no sense to him. I loved to call him a pot stirrer, because he would come

                   He will be always remembered.                                                                                                                                         in a room, make a few slightly controversial comments and then leave with his smile and know that
                                                                                                                                                                —Avenir Mulita, M.D.     many discussions were to follow.   >>>








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