Seven years ago, my father suffered his first brain stroke. And, we had no clue about it. There were too many issues that clouded or vision.
I was some 20 km away from home in Vasant Kunj when my sister called me on phone and told me that Dad wants to see a doctor. That swept me off my feet because he never went to any doctor even when he should have. Miraculously, he would be all right after some time like the rest of us. The whole family was averse to visiting a doctor unless it was something really big. Fortunately, that big thing never happened before. So, when this happened we did not know what to do or where to take him.
I asked my sister what the problem was and she told me that my father was complaining of headache and dizziness. I assured her I would rush back. I turned my car around headed for home wondering all the time as to what could have happened to my father to make him want to see a doctor. He is an ex-army man and he was very strong from inside.
To tell you the truth, God had been very kind to our family and none of us had visited even a clinic for decades and we did not know anything about clinics and hospitals. The date was December 6, 2008. We took him to the nearest hospital. It was a Saturday and there was skeletal staff there and it was late in the evening. There they conducted an ECG. Nothing showed up in the ECG report. They finally prescribed some medicine for gastric problem.
But, after we returned from the hospital, he wasn't quite the person he used to be. I kept on asking what was wrong and he kept saying that he was all right. Next morning, he dropped his toothbrush while brushing his teeth but he managed to retrieve it. When he sat at breakfast table he dropped his spoon. I asked him again and he insisted that he was all right. Then he picked up the glass of milk and dropped it spilling it all over the table.
Then, we cleaned up the table and put him back there to complete his breakfast. That's when things started happening that set us thinking. He picked up food on his spoon and failed to guide the spoon to his mouth. He went well past his mouth and kept going. We had to stop him and guide his hand towards his mouth. After that his mouth contorted and he started mumbling. We were not able to make out the words that were emerging out of his mouth. Then his steps got unsteady and wobbly.
I thought it was time to take him to another hospital. So, we took him to a private hospital in Vasant Vihar that was some 5 km away from our home. Being a Sunday, the staff strength was poor there too. But, there was a young doctor who told me: "I do not know what the problem is...but, I think you should see a neurologist."
"Do you have a neurologist here?" I asked.
Pat came the reply: "No."
"Where can I find one?" I asked him. He asked me where I was staying and when I told him that we are holed up in Vasant Kunj, he recommended a private hospital to me.
Another drive took us to the private hospital in Vasant Kunj only to discover that out of the two neurosurgeons, one was out of country and the other one was out of town. I realised that Saturdays and Sundays are very bad days for falling ill in Delhi.
So, I brought my father back home. Then I called some friends. One of them agreed to accompany me in my hunt for a good hospital. Somebody told me that the best thing is to go to All India Institute of Medical Sciences. There I encountered long queues and difficulties in getting the patient admitted.
Finally, at 8.30 pm I reached a hospital in Saket. The OPD had closed for the day. I was told that the earliest we can see a neurologist is at 10.20 next morning. I retired for the day.
We got ready early next morning and ferried my father to the hospital much against his will as he kept saying that he did not want to go to a hospital. There, as we entered the doctor's cabin, he announced that my father had had a brain stroke.
That was Dr J D Mukherjee, the head of department of neuro-sciences. My father was admitted to the hospital. He underwent treatment for about 10 days after which he was discharged. His recovery level was almost 80 percent. The doctors were really surprised. After that, I used to take him to the hospital every day for two months and three days a week for another four months for physiotherapy. That's because, he had a brain stroke on his left side, so the right side of his body got paralysed.
Though my father never became his old self, he was quite close to it. Thereafter, he suffered two more brain strokes, one epileptic seizure. He was also admitted twice for aspiration of the lungs.
It was Dr J D Mukherjee's timely intervention and constant support that has helped us to keep him alive. But, during these seven years, he has lost much. His limbs have stiffened. He cannot move.
We feed him through Ryles tube using a feeding bag and his urine is drained into a urobag with the help of Foly's catheter. There is a lot of secretion specially during the monsoon months. We use a suction machine to extract the secretion and a nebuliser to control his secretion. He has an air bed but since December 2014 he has developed two bed sores which is a matter of concern. Dressing is being done by a trained wound nurse on a daily basis but it is not curing completely.
He lost his tongue about one and a half years ago. But, the good thing is that he is still alive and responsive. He looks up every time we call him. And, his cheerful countenance is something that keeps us going.
There are a couple of things I learned from this experience:
1) If you are not able to make out what your patient is ailing from, the best thing is to take him to the 'emergency' in the nearest hospital rather than spending time looking for a good hospital. If you are not happy with the first one, try out another hospital in the vicinity for a second opinion.
2) If I had done that, we would have known that my father had suffered a brain stroke within hours. And, if he had been treated within three hours of the stroke, the recovery level would have been almost a hundred percent.
My suggestion is don't waste time when your near and dear ones suffer from an ailment. Indecision could cost you a lot. Because, in treatments of this nature, time is of essence.
Now, I know that if a patient is unable to co-ordinate his movements (which is called motor control), or his speech is not clear; or, there is contortion in the mouth, if he is unsteady in his steps, these could be indications or symptoms of a brain stroke.
My total ignorance and subsequent realisation has inspired me to bring important health related information to my fellow human beings based on my experience and study. I must caution my readers though that I am not a professional medical practitioner and, therefore, for professional help they should go to a trained doctor. The idea of writing this blog is to try and guide you towards the right people, the right places and timely treatment.
I hope the journey I am trying to begin here will draw many co-passengers make it a fruitful one. I hope you will find my blogs useful.
I was some 20 km away from home in Vasant Kunj when my sister called me on phone and told me that Dad wants to see a doctor. That swept me off my feet because he never went to any doctor even when he should have. Miraculously, he would be all right after some time like the rest of us. The whole family was averse to visiting a doctor unless it was something really big. Fortunately, that big thing never happened before. So, when this happened we did not know what to do or where to take him.
I asked my sister what the problem was and she told me that my father was complaining of headache and dizziness. I assured her I would rush back. I turned my car around headed for home wondering all the time as to what could have happened to my father to make him want to see a doctor. He is an ex-army man and he was very strong from inside.
To tell you the truth, God had been very kind to our family and none of us had visited even a clinic for decades and we did not know anything about clinics and hospitals. The date was December 6, 2008. We took him to the nearest hospital. It was a Saturday and there was skeletal staff there and it was late in the evening. There they conducted an ECG. Nothing showed up in the ECG report. They finally prescribed some medicine for gastric problem.
But, after we returned from the hospital, he wasn't quite the person he used to be. I kept on asking what was wrong and he kept saying that he was all right. Next morning, he dropped his toothbrush while brushing his teeth but he managed to retrieve it. When he sat at breakfast table he dropped his spoon. I asked him again and he insisted that he was all right. Then he picked up the glass of milk and dropped it spilling it all over the table.
Then, we cleaned up the table and put him back there to complete his breakfast. That's when things started happening that set us thinking. He picked up food on his spoon and failed to guide the spoon to his mouth. He went well past his mouth and kept going. We had to stop him and guide his hand towards his mouth. After that his mouth contorted and he started mumbling. We were not able to make out the words that were emerging out of his mouth. Then his steps got unsteady and wobbly.
I thought it was time to take him to another hospital. So, we took him to a private hospital in Vasant Vihar that was some 5 km away from our home. Being a Sunday, the staff strength was poor there too. But, there was a young doctor who told me: "I do not know what the problem is...but, I think you should see a neurologist."
"Do you have a neurologist here?" I asked.
Pat came the reply: "No."
"Where can I find one?" I asked him. He asked me where I was staying and when I told him that we are holed up in Vasant Kunj, he recommended a private hospital to me.
Another drive took us to the private hospital in Vasant Kunj only to discover that out of the two neurosurgeons, one was out of country and the other one was out of town. I realised that Saturdays and Sundays are very bad days for falling ill in Delhi.
So, I brought my father back home. Then I called some friends. One of them agreed to accompany me in my hunt for a good hospital. Somebody told me that the best thing is to go to All India Institute of Medical Sciences. There I encountered long queues and difficulties in getting the patient admitted.
Finally, at 8.30 pm I reached a hospital in Saket. The OPD had closed for the day. I was told that the earliest we can see a neurologist is at 10.20 next morning. I retired for the day.
We got ready early next morning and ferried my father to the hospital much against his will as he kept saying that he did not want to go to a hospital. There, as we entered the doctor's cabin, he announced that my father had had a brain stroke.
That was Dr J D Mukherjee, the head of department of neuro-sciences. My father was admitted to the hospital. He underwent treatment for about 10 days after which he was discharged. His recovery level was almost 80 percent. The doctors were really surprised. After that, I used to take him to the hospital every day for two months and three days a week for another four months for physiotherapy. That's because, he had a brain stroke on his left side, so the right side of his body got paralysed.
Though my father never became his old self, he was quite close to it. Thereafter, he suffered two more brain strokes, one epileptic seizure. He was also admitted twice for aspiration of the lungs.
It was Dr J D Mukherjee's timely intervention and constant support that has helped us to keep him alive. But, during these seven years, he has lost much. His limbs have stiffened. He cannot move.
We feed him through Ryles tube using a feeding bag and his urine is drained into a urobag with the help of Foly's catheter. There is a lot of secretion specially during the monsoon months. We use a suction machine to extract the secretion and a nebuliser to control his secretion. He has an air bed but since December 2014 he has developed two bed sores which is a matter of concern. Dressing is being done by a trained wound nurse on a daily basis but it is not curing completely.
He lost his tongue about one and a half years ago. But, the good thing is that he is still alive and responsive. He looks up every time we call him. And, his cheerful countenance is something that keeps us going.
There are a couple of things I learned from this experience:
1) If you are not able to make out what your patient is ailing from, the best thing is to take him to the 'emergency' in the nearest hospital rather than spending time looking for a good hospital. If you are not happy with the first one, try out another hospital in the vicinity for a second opinion.
2) If I had done that, we would have known that my father had suffered a brain stroke within hours. And, if he had been treated within three hours of the stroke, the recovery level would have been almost a hundred percent.
My suggestion is don't waste time when your near and dear ones suffer from an ailment. Indecision could cost you a lot. Because, in treatments of this nature, time is of essence.
Now, I know that if a patient is unable to co-ordinate his movements (which is called motor control), or his speech is not clear; or, there is contortion in the mouth, if he is unsteady in his steps, these could be indications or symptoms of a brain stroke.
My total ignorance and subsequent realisation has inspired me to bring important health related information to my fellow human beings based on my experience and study. I must caution my readers though that I am not a professional medical practitioner and, therefore, for professional help they should go to a trained doctor. The idea of writing this blog is to try and guide you towards the right people, the right places and timely treatment.
I hope the journey I am trying to begin here will draw many co-passengers make it a fruitful one. I hope you will find my blogs useful.
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