Chapter 36: Interested In Remaining Disinterested
1960Page 4,719 of 5,444
From Wednesday, 5 October 1960, Baba began fasting for seven days, this time on only sweetened water. Eruch, too, was ordered to fast in the same manner. The rest of the men and women at Meherazad were put on a partial fast of one meal a day and tea twice during the day. Baba began running a slight fever of 100° that day, and his blood pressure was a little high. But worst of all, a rash developed on the right side of his face and he felt a burning sensation from it. His mouth was swollen, red and sore, and painful blisters erupted all over his tongue, especially at the root.
The next day, his condition was diagnosed by Don and Goher as herpes zoster, and they speculated that he had contracted the infection when bowing to the lepers and poor in September. The ailment was to continue to plague Baba for the next month and a half. Although he was extremely uncomfortable, he remained absorbed in his seclusion work.
Baba had chills on the 6th, and swallowing became painful. Although there was no fever on the 7th, the eruptions on Baba's face and the inflammation increased. The pain was intense. The entire right side of his face from below the eye ached. All of the cheek, ear, chin, glands underneath the chin, and inside of his mouth and tonsil area (even down in the pharynx) was affected. It was such a severe attack that Baba could not even open his mouth. Although cortisone ointments were applied externally, Decadron (steroid) tablets taken, and an injection of penicillin given, no sufficiently strong medicine could be administered internally as Baba was fasting.
By 8 October, Baba's condition had worsened, and Don and Padri came and were consulted. The lesions were increasing. Baba agreed to take an antibiotic for the herpes and something also for the pain, though his fast continued. There was no improvement the following day, and since Baba was not taking enough fluids, an intravenous solution was administered. He was given a vitamin injection, and also a sleeping pill at bedtime.
After Mehera and the women mandali coaxed and begged him to take some nourishment, Baba agreed to ingest something on the 10th, and broke his fast with a glass of buttermilk and some soup. (Eruch also stopped his fast.) But the swelling on the right side of Baba's face continued to increase under the right eyelid, lip and tongue, and the swallowing was still painful.