Guest Story 

 

I was living in kalbadevi at that time and as 70% of the people born and brought up here in Mumbai suffer from asthma due to the extensive air pollution, I did too.I've had asthma for as long as I can remember. My asthma really started affecting me at that time, I had a doctor who would inject me with a medicine every night, but its effect would wear off the next morning causing me to have difficulty breathing again.

 

I soon shifted to Goregaon with my wife and my 3 children in hopes of getting better but things kept getting worse, it was to the point where I would dread having even a normal bath because it would include drawing water over my head which in turn would make my breathing go haywire.

 

One day things got out of control when I fainted in the bathroom because my breathing had stopped, my wife called up my brother who took me to my doctor, Dr. Usha Gotig who conducted my usual check ups. On seeing my condition that day Dr. Gotig (who was now very close to my family) teared up because couldn't bear to see me like that.

 

That day she took a risk and gave me a very powerful tablet which is given to a patient in a very urgent time, the tablet's name was wysolone,I had to take 4 doses of the tablet every single day. She told me that she didn't want to give me that medicine as the tablet I was given was a very powerful one and one could even die as a result of abruptly stopping it.Things were under control now and my breathing was restored. 

 

Dr. Usha was a very good doctor after seeing my condition that day she immediately recommended me to meet Dr. N.J Shah who worked in the Bombay Hospital. Upon visiting him, Dr. Shah immediately asked for conducting an ECG. On examining my reports he told me that all the nerves surrounding my wind pipe had swollen as a result of which I had difficulty breathing.

 

Dr. N.j Shah was a very friendly doctor after looking at my reports he asked me where my home town was I replied Rajasthan. He told me that this was the crux of the problem, I had moved to Mumbai 4 years ago and to think that Mumbai's climate would suit me after being accustomed to Jaipur's climate was negligence on my part. He told me, "agar Tum 5 saal Aur Mumbai me rahe toh Jee nahi paogey waapas Jaipur Chale jao sab Theek ho jaayega." According to Dr. Shah it was crucial for me to move back to Rajasthan because that was the only way I would survive with my sever asthma.

As instructed I moved back to Jaipur because after all I needed to live for my family. With prescribed medication from Dr. Shah and a strict advice of never settling in Mumbai again, I began a new life in Jaipur. It took me a year to get back to my normal breathing. I take those medicines to this day, and also use an asthma inhaler before going to bed at night without fail on Dr. Shah's instructions. I am healthy now thanks to the efforts put in by Dr. Usha Gotig and Dr. N. J Shah.

 

Ashok Agarwal