After 100 days in the hospital, Sarla (name changed), 57, a native of Gandhidham in Kutch, continued to inspire the medical staff at a private hospital in Ahmedabad with her never-say-die attitude.
She was hospitalised due to her autoimmune disease, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which she had acquired from swine flu and a cardiac issue. In terms of the outcome and length of hospitalisation, the doctors caring for her at Apollo Hospital claimed that her situation was one in 1,000.
Dr Manoj Singh, pulmonologist and critical care specialist, said that the woman developed the condition around September 27. “She had to be stabilized first before she could be transferred to Ahmedabad. She was put on the ventilator when she arrived on October 1. Due to her autoimmune disease, she was already on immunosuppressants. Swine flu made the treatment an uphill task. She was earlier treated for TB and had minor lung infection.”
She remained on the ventilator until October 31 and was then admitted to a high-dependency unit (HDU) where she stayed until mid-November. An ICU team and a team led by rheumatologist Dr Vishnu Sharma carried out the treatment. Her illness had made her muscles feeble. A catheter and feeding tube were inserted together.
Dr Singh added, “Her condition deteriorated a couple of times, but she remained firm. Given her age and the nature of the disease, things could have taken a turn for the worse, but she began showing signs of improvement. She came out of the HDU and slowly stopped needing the catheter. She was discharged on January 9 with a feeding tube, which will also be removed once she regains strength.”
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