Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS): Amitabh Bachchan Thursday thanked his legions of fans for their prayers and love but said it might take him longer to recuperate from the surgery he underwent for an earlier complication. As doctors extended his stay at the SevenHills Hospital due to fresh complications, the megastar connected with his fans on twitter.
"I have no idea now how long this will take, but it does look as though it will be long... thank you for your prayers and love...!!," he tweeted Thursday evening from his hospital bed.
"How times change ! During 1982 'Coolie' episode, I used to keep all your prayers under my pillow... now... on Twitter and Blog...!
"There were many hundreds that prayed then in 1982, but were faceless and distant... now they are with face name and 'handle'," he added.
On Wednesday night, Amitabh had informed that some new complications had cropped up.
"I seek forgiveness... I will not be detailing any more... some fresh medical issues have come up, and I need to concentrate on the treatment now," the 69-year-old ailing actor posted on his blog.
The megastar was operated upon Saturday, and was due to be discharged from the hospital Monday. But following complaints of acute pain, doctors decided to keep him under observation at least till Friday or Saturday.
However, his blog update, which was unusually short and to the point, indicates his condition could be grave. The hospital authorities, when contacted by IANS, remained tight-lipped.
So far, his health hasn't deterred him from blogging and tweeting to be in touch with his "extended family".
"Once you open Twitter, you just remain there... an obsession to read and know what others feel and say... Attention to laptop and mobile has increasingly become the ultimate yardstick for communication... To all those that communicate with me here, and wanting personal response... it is inconsiderate to ask me in this condition," he added.
Amitabh is staying at the fifth floor of the seven-star hospital, and is being taken care of by doctors, his wife Jaya and daughter Shweta Nanda.
Amitabh Bachchan's health problem started 30 years ago in Bangalore - when Puneet Issar hit him by mistake in his solar plexus while shooting for "Coolie" and it turned out to be nearly fatal.
After that he was reportedly attacked by the life-threatening disease Myasthenia Gravis, a neuromuscular ailment that causes muscle weakness.
Big B was back in the hospital in November 2005 -- first he was admitted to Escorts Hospital in the capital and later shifted to Mumbai's Leelavati Hospital with diverticulitis of the small intestine - when the walls of the large or small intestine tend to get weaker leading to an inflammation.
On Nov 30, 2005 he was operated on for the problem and he had to be in the hospital for two months.
Three years later, on his birthday, Oct 11, he complained of pain and was rushed to hospital. He was suspected to be suffering from incisional hernia, a recurring problem that has been troubling him since the near-fatal accident on the sets of "Coolie".