COMMUNICATING EYES.

We are aware of different means of communication by human beings and animals by speech, sounds, and body language. Even responses among plants were observed by Sree Jagadish Chandra Bose, the plant physiologist by inventing his sensitive instruments. But effective communication with eyelids and eyeballs for expressing one's ideas may be a strange knowledge.

Here is a totally paralysed person, having only heartbeat and eye movements lived for five years in ventilator and at last, we can't say breathed his last, because he did not breath himself for five years. His heart stopped pumping and bid farewell to this world.

This happened thirty years ago when no computer or sensor technology was popular. Stephan Hawking, the renowned scientist, lived with a different disease, MND(ALS), somewhat in the same condition for a longer period in a computer age and he could explore computers for communication. But our this patient was suffering from an autoimmune disease called Chronic Inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. He was totally paralysed, including diaphragm, the respiratory muscle. Therefore he was on a ventilator after tracheostomy, for five years. All efforts of strengthening his muscular system failed. Even in this condition also physiotherapy was inevitable to prevent decubitus ulcer and joint stiffness. I had the opportunity to attend him for thirty minutes every day for five years. This was the time I saw his strange way of communication with eyelids and eyeballs which were the only muscles working in his body. His face also was paralysed which prevented facial expression. He was fully conscious and intelligent till death. He was aware of all activities of doctors and nurses in the ICU. He slept only three hours at night and one hour during the daytime. He was alert during the rest of the time watching the working of nine ventilators and staff and the grimaces of ailing patients. At times he would make a weak sound with his feeble tongue to caution the nursing staff for any of his needs and other patients which came to his notice.

He was inquisitive to know each and everything and could hear and understand as he had no hard of hearing. What surprised me and others was his modus operandi of communication with his eyelids and eyeballs. The eyelids could be moved up and down, eyeballs to all directions, and also an interesting eyeball rotation which was impregnated with many information. It is unfortunate that l couldn't have a video of his expressions with eyes thirty years ago. You might comprehend all his expressions by seeing it. All who attended him learned a new language which probably is unknown to others. One of our hospital newsletters published his news with a caption, " A patient with speaking eyes". All his hospital charges were made free for many years. I treated aphasic stroke patients speaking monosyllables, but they could produce sounds of different decibels. They also communicated effectively in their own way. But the ocular communication of the aforesaid person is really a wonderful caliber, that reveals the alternatives God provides in predicaments.