Near Death Experience

by Tariq A Rather

It started with swelling in my left leg calf muscle area around first week of September, 2016.

I showed it to my journalist friend, who advised me to start walking, as I was not going for morning or evening walks.

The current uprising (since July 09) kept me on my toes as I would ensure to move out and not to get locked down at my house. That way I could ensure situation and other reportage to General News Room of News Services Division (NSD) of All India Radio, New Delhi. The result was, at least two to three situation updates till late evening for over 82 days without any break.

Taking my friend’s advice, I started walking, but the swelling in my calf muscle area did not subside. Reason: the long distances I used to cover in my car to cover daily events.

Within a few days, the swelling made my left calf muscle area feel like a rock. Besides, I would feel more pain now.

Even on Eid-ul-Azha (September 15), the day two civilians were killed during protests in south Kashmir, I was working, despite pain.

With broadband internet service down, a number of journalists and photojournalists, assembled at a common friends house who internet lease-line installed. It was one of the few working internet facilities around.

Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)

When the pain became unbearable, a senior friend of mine, who lives in Jawahar Nagar area, facilitated my consultation with Dr Hardeep Singh, a senior Physician at SMHS hospital Srinagar. After three days of check up and some medication, he finally recommended Doppler Scan of my left leg. The Sonologist diagnosed Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT), or simply a clot in vein.

The physician immediately put me on Warfarin Sodium 2 mg, and advised regular INR investigation. He strictly recommended complete rest, while keeping my leg in elevated position on a set of pillows. He categorically told me the danger of displacement of clot.  He also recommended Oxanoparin injections to be injected in sub cutaneous mode.

Ignorance, Negligence & Casual Approach towards DVT

However, despite physician’s strict warning, I still drove to and fro between my temporary residence and office.

Besides, twice a day and four days a week, I would travel some 3 kms to get Oxanoparin injections.

Around ten days later, I visited my home in Lal Bazaar, via Foreshore Nishat road, travelling at least 22 kms a side.

The next day, as I had to file a story, I visited Radio Kashmir’s office, one of the few places with working internet. This time I travelled around 45 kms to and fro from Lal Bazaar. The next morning, once again, I had to travel around 22 kms to reach my office. In a few days, the symptoms of going against doctor’s advice started surfacing.

For five days I suffered from fever, pain in the back rib cage, breathlessness and other kinds of uneasiness.

Then I consulted another physician, who on the basis of investigations, prescribed 01 gm Monocef IV injections.

I took injections for four days, twice a day, without a miss, but still there was no relief.

With no end to pain, I consulted Dr Khalid Mohiuddin Mir, a Senior Cardiologist at Khyber Medical Institute, Srinagar. He performed Echocardiography. Thankfully it was normal.

Subsequently, I consulted Dr Irfan Hakeem, a physician, who could sense emergency because of the way I moved my leg. He told me that the thrombus (clot) has been displaced. He recommended a chest X-ray, which showed something abnormal. Then on September 30, he recommended CT Angio.

He looked worried and facilitated an ambulance from Khyber hospital up to CT Scan Centre. He told me to inform him about the results on phone. After I told him about the results over phone, he immediately advised me to visit SKIMS. It was late in the evening, the situation outside was still tense. After three brief obstructions, we reached SKIMS’ emergency.

SKIMS Sojourn

When I reached there I was shivering with pain. After doctors on duty in Medical Emergency did initial check up, I was provided a stretcher and the treatment started.

That night I was in pain. A friend of mine, whose mother was admitted in the same emergency ward, helped me. The doctors revealed I had suffered Pulmonary Thrombo Embolism (PTE). The thrombus in the left leg calf muscle area had been dislodged as I had taken DVT casually despite doctor’s warning.

The worst part was that the clot pieces had gone into veins of lungs. I was later told that it could have been fatal as clot could have ended up in brain or heart.

For next five days, I was in medical observation ward. During this time all necessary investigations including Echo, USG and other scans were performed.

After a few days I was shifted to general medicine ward. This started another phase of treatment. In this ward I could notice, perhaps for the first time, that how dedicatedly and tirelessly these doctors work. I remember some of them by name, like Dr Rafi Jan, Dr Sonaullah Shah, Dr Syed Mudasir Qadri, Dr Ajaz Koul, Dr Shabir, Dr Irfan and Dr Rajesh.

After a near death experience, I felt like a changed person.

I began acknowledging and observing small things that make larger difference in life. I could observe how a sweeper ensures that hospital is mopped and cleaned regularly. Or how doctors team, along with consultants and seniors, juniors and medical students, visit every single patient. I observed how every single individual matters. From the person who brings breakfast in the morning for patients to the doctors, everyone has a role.

The twelve days I spent in SKIMS hospital proved life changing for me. It was a learning experience.

During my stay I came across two rural women (one elderly, another anaemic unmarried but of marriageable age), and an elderly person, probably in his fifties, who also suffered from DVT. However, unlike me, they had taken doctor’s advice seriously and were thus saved from PTE.

The only reason I am penning down my near-death experience is that I want to awaken people, who like me, might have taken DVT lightly. Please avoid self medication and listen to your doctor.

During follow-up treatment, I came across a number of competent doctors. I want to thank Dr Syed Mudasir Qadri, Assistant Professor, for his painstaking efforts. In fact, we must appreciate our doctors who save hundreds of lives on daily basis without anybody noticing.

I agree that our hospitals lag behind on many fronts, but isn’t it or collective responsibility to help keep these places in order.

In the end, and above all, it was Almighty Allah’s compassion and benevolence that I am cured.

(Author is posted as Assistant Director News and presently works as All India Radio Correspondent for AIR, New Delhi)

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