My experiences about Meningitis,Asthma, Hypertension,etc.. an autobiography .........for guidance,precaution,information of the humanity.....

My Experiences about Meningitis, Asthma, Hypertensions,etc,,,,,

Human body is an abode of all types of sickness and after undergoing the ordeals of such diseases we learn   certain   things from our experience…It becomes a matter of advice for others to get guidance in taking steps for   avoiding occurrence of such ailments….

It was in 1979 I had come home from Bihar   on leave     I was with my wife and son one year old   whom I had seen him after one year of his birth on account Official pre occupation being the Manager of a Branch of Bank of India at    Majhgaon  Singhbhum Dist Bihar. It was not possible to get leave sanctioned and come home and see the child who was born in Aug 1978...even the news of his birth sent to me by post by my father in law from   Theni Tamailnadu reached me after one week. Leave apart the difficulties faced as above I come to know the cause and faced the dreadful disease Meningitis....   on my getting an attack of Pneumococci Pyogenic Meningitis on 24th Aug, 1979. We had gone to various places like Ernakulam, Palghat,   Trichur , Pattambi etc    with the child  and returned to Bangalore where my elder brother was staying with his family. My father was with my eldest brother at  Madras…In Bangalore after we reached from Trichur the incident happened. It was raining heavily in Shoranur or Trichur where I had gone to meet my colleague  Mr. K.B.Anujan who had earlier met with a scooter accident in Jamshedpur a few months back. Perhaps the heavy rains without much shelter of covering drenching us and me lead  to cold , flue, high fever  and that particular evening it started with continuous cough, some feeling of lightning coming through eyes, uninterrupted cough and  high fever, confusion,with stiff neck, feeling like  seizure ,  mental and physical unrest,etc,  I was later  told  that my little son was sitting on me and playing and I was not aware of it while I was lying almost unconscious .. In the course of facing the agony. .attack...affecting Brain... …the ordeal continued for the whole night. Meantime three of my sisters were in Bangalore the elder Lakshmi who had come home for Ganapathi Pooja  at Palace Guttahalli temple or so  got me some  Crocin  tablets  etc gave me, telling it will reduce the fever, But it did not work. In the early morning probably I was unconscious unable to get up or know anything taking place,, I was taken to Dr Nichani just next door  in groundfloor to our house at   Anneyappa  Block,Seshadripuram,Bangalore, who advised that I may be taken to Arpitha Clinic…Sedhadripuram as he could not diagnose and treat me  based on symptoms… Hence  ,my  brother  Sundaram took me in an  autorikshaw immediately   to the nearest clinic at  Seshadripuram  near  my school ,  Arpitha  clinic manned by Dr Selvaraj. , Doctors at the clinic  suspected it to be meningitis,, possibly…or I do not know  what happened..,called their surgeon Dr Renuka Arya by afternoon had the lumbar  puncture done  etc…assisted by his Assistant Surgeon Dr Kurse ..For a few days such procedures etc were done and I do not remember much except every 10 minutes some intravenous antibiotic injection or so was given for a few days.While at clinic undergoing all treatment I used to get head ache or pain unable to explain. I used to call Dr Selvaraj who used to tell the nurse assistants to give some Duadin tablet or so.  don't remember the names exactly..Bottles fluids of Dextrose and Sodium chloride   (saline)along with Multivitamin were also found used entering my body through veins in arms using needles attached identified at specific positions, fluid bottles /bags. (Intravenous solution or I V )found hanging and attached to the hospital bed.It used to cause unavoidable pain and was unable to tilt it  or move hands and if moved the nurses used to set it right .Dr Kurse the Surgeon checked me,tested my memory loss if any,  damage to hearing,other organs,etc..etc   and prescribed Librium 20. Tablets for emergency relief from all head related problems along wuth injection of some antibiotics daily for some days.I continued  taking Lubrium 20 a prescription drug for a number of  months avoiding overdose, etc.which used to give temporary relief to the phenomenon or ache in the head ...at which point unable to know..

This is the beginning… I thought I would recollect from memory certain things which would be useful to the readers…

I shall state on account of timely action taken by my brother in taking me to the clinic and the proper treatment given by the Doctors and the help rendered by many of my relatives in Bangalore  I was cured..My father aged   78 who was in  Madras  came by night mail to Bangalore from Madras  along with Anna and Manni…and all these added to  accelerate   my recovery…   I was told they had boarded the train   Bsngalore Mail about to leave Madras Central Station.My younger brother Dr Narayan was in UK and younger sister Sobhana was at Madras  and all of them prayed for my recovery. Above all the God Almighty came to my rescue and saved my life….I shall write further  next day…….

Today 20th October,2015....

I continue.This  has occurred 36 years back.  My memory is not damaged to recollect and reproduce the events here.....I am ok now.But I must say I had been subjected to medication,care,some heaviness of head,headache,feeling uneasy inside the brain or  cerebrum,cerebellum, cranium, medulla oblongata,skull,etc and unable to  feel, compare ,explain the feeling within the head or brain.     Probably I had medications like Alprozolms, Diazepam,etc,,like Valium 10,Librium 20, etc taken for some months....I  was the  Manager of the Branch  of Bank of India  in Bihar which  was in front of my residence...I used to get severe headache on forehead/head/skull...my wife used to tie the forehead with a cloth for some time and  pacify. the  relief  used to be there...Perhaps I should not have continued using Diazepam tablets,etc   and instead resorted to Pranayama,yoga, etc   and got cure earlier.  Once or twice I had written a letter to one of my relatives in Madras  who sent me some powder  which I took..seeing temporary relief...Ofcourse application of pain balms, etc on forehead had no action or result reducing the headache. Possibly it was one of the post meningitis  possibilities,of course not a matter to worry.  ,These are just narrated for information..for any person  who might choose the right course of remedy... Ofcourse as a natural urge and desire I used to meet all types of Doctors,,Homeo, Ayurvedic, Allopathic ...expalin the situation but none of them being familiar with meningitis and post meningitis  period  with no other symptoms could suggest any medicine.It may have been perhaps due to the  swelling or inflammation of the portions in brain  and continuous dosage of antibiotics which might have caused the state of headaches  or pain on forehead to me..I say now  there is no symptom of it....However the said type of headache subsidised after taking some powder or tablets from a Homeopathic Doctor at Chaiabasa.  Bihar  and I  stopped taking Allopathic muscle relaxants, tranquillisers,etc.But I must say the moments of such headache experienced..I am unable to explain...and had no other problems...like loss of memory, eetc .. Ofcourse  I had appetite and all  other functions  of the body working well..except occasional attack of Bronchial asthma   during winter season which I was able to mange using Steroid tablets like  Betnesol, or other salbutamol,, deriphyllin, tablets,,etc,,etc,,etc,,Ofcourse this asthma had no influence on the meningitis,  although the headache existed and I fought it.Of course I would have forgotten the difficulties or headache/pain faced  and fought by me.. Now there appears to be vaccination or some immunization medicine    available preventing its occurrence. I pray God the computer geniuses  or Software persons... speed up  and succeed  their   research and attempts using the intelligence of brain  in  inventing of  programmes with thinking  powers  of infinite capacity and devise machines which can diagnose, presscribe  remedy and monitor any person for  all known and unknown   diseases in the universe. ..Ofcourse   the advanced dvelopment of medicine has incresed the longevity of humans in the world through medical  treatments., pre care, etc... Meningitis..it is heard to occur more for  children ...Neo Natal Meningits  happening within 28 days  after the birth...  and the percentage of survival minimum if immediate diagnosis,removal of infected  cerebrospinal fluid inside the brain or surroundings or spinal cord called inflammation of the meninges  of brain and spinal cord...are removed by Lumbar puncture .  It involves ...piercing needles  inside spinal canal  under pressure by qualified Surgeons  through the backbone,spine,etc....and injecting medicines like  in chemotherapy in some non infectious type cases. The other forms of meningitis caused through viral,bacterial or mosquitoes bites are also equally stated to be dreadful and fatal if antibiotic injections of required dosage are not given followed by Lumbar puncture  Again Meningitis is  contagious....the bacteria can pass thourgh coughs, sneezes, contact from the affected  person also by sharing toothbrushes,etc, as such the required precaution in not meeting in contact with an affecetd person till cured is suggested  ...Being a layman my opinions are not to be taken as of a medical man but as the experiences shared by a survivor or one who had an  attack of Brain Fever or Infection.... It was informed me a case of meningitis similar to Japanese Encephalatis ..which was caused by bite of mosquitos after eating the waste of pigs   ( or excretia, night soil or dung of pigs)infected with a disease biting humans,etc I recollect and analyse there used to be pigs in large numbers in the area Majhgaon Bihar where I was working and residing alone as my  wife was  with  child were born just a year back at Theni Tamilnadu .The female  mother pigs with a large were found moving around in dirty stagnant waters,etc   and  travelling fast to all surroundings... with the family  and a number of small ones or micropigs I donot know the technical term... with all mosquitoes around  sitting on the  stagnant  water and the back of pigs,etc,,an unhealthy unbearable sight for any humans..Perhaps the suroundings  experienced  a bad pungent smell..all indication for us to avoid such routes..In India it is common unavoidable but in countries like USA  you may not see such things as the Government takes much care for the health and welfare of its citizen. It may happen India ...as eradication of Malaria and small pox being made,Governments may take steps eradicating such other dreadful  diseases..like Meningitis, Dengue Fever,etc,,...Might be it  could   have caused the disease as some mosquities might have  bitten me.and we cannot  find out which mosquitoe bit and caused any infection....  The attack happened after  my  coming from there on leave to Bangalore.So one advice to all is... we should be careful about surroundings especially be away from pigs,dogs,etc ...and stagnant  , poluuted dirty water with insects, mosquitoes,germs, worms, etc floating on it or living happily...and breeding too .We donot know the process and cannot see the growth process of the mosquitoes through naked eyes..I think....Again the other causes of Meningitis  reported are from  relapse of Typhoid,Tuberculosis,etc  and mine was not either of these.of course as I wrote early ,we were drenched in heavy rains in Kerala and the next day we reached Bangalore when the incidents followed.on the previous,day we were at our Athan's pathumuri Agraharam  ( Manu athan late T S Easwaran .. my father's sister's  son who retired as  Court Master in Bombay High Court and came back to ancestral house...Pathu muri..ten rooms  name ...built by his father... at   Ravipuram Road, near Valanjambalam  Sivan Koil...Ernakulam) in one of the houses at Ernakulam after returning drenched.In the night I had continuous cough/headache with expectoration and  it was unabated despite my taking some expectorants like Vicks Formula 44,or Glycodine or Benadryl, as I remember....with no effect...that is,what  is to  be noted..All non prescription medicnes will not have any effect   of remedy if you have an attack  meningitis,..On the day of occurrence of Meningitis , I must have suffered  or undergone untold problems,with high temperatures,over 104 degrees Fahrenheit .. ,stiffness of neck,  vomiting sensation, feeling of lightning striking inside the brain,etc.  it is difficult to recollect and remember...My Physician Doctor Nichani  practising just near our house in Bangalore used to call me and enquire all the symptoms, feelings etc faced by me before the attack etc as he was the person who recommended me to the clinic for immediate action and he wanted to know for his professional guidance and knowledge. I thank Dr Nichahni    It appears,all these must have been cause of Bronchitis then Pneumonia,leading to so called Brain infection through my body. I read somewhere post meningitis you may lose memory,etc, and get angry at all things.,etc,,..the second portion may be true  as I was much short tempered and strict with my juniors in my Office  and used to get angry more frequently...the anger part   I have slowly controlled and reduced as it was my hereditary asset...and developed by me..but I donot know if  the attack has affected me. in any other way...I shall think over and write further after a day as these information should be useful to others,who may face similar situations of a disease considered  a life threatening medical emergency... very serious requiring urgent  medical  attention.My terminology and use of improper words may please be treated unintentional  and a few terminological inexactitudes might have crept in. Give me some time to recollect past....


I WOULD LIKE TO ADD......

After fighting the after effects of Meningitis, I used to get some feeling  of discomfort inside the head  over the skull as well as through forehead...for a number of years  and however  didnot affect me in my physical, mental and other activities. It was in 2001 or so when I went to my Physician Dr Sivaraman at Mandevalli , Madras and mentioned him about my discomfort he gave a referance slip to some clinic im Luz. Mylapore  to take MRI or CT Scan.  .I donot remember  what it  was ... My duaghter  Chitra who was  studying MBBS at Perundurai  Medical College was in Chennai with me at that time who took me to the Scan Centre and told   me  ""Appa  donot worry it is only a diagnosis used by Physicians to to daignose and treat medical conditions.  Let us see.There is medicine for any sickness or conditions.""With passage of time I donot remember whether it was MRI or CTscan.. that was taken.She was with me  and accompanied me home after the scanning or whatever they call it. ..The scanning done and the report  I collected after 2 days showed  no reason of any condition affecting the brain. Instead  my Family Physician after  seeing the the report said     ""you are OK..   have no problem."".and thus I continued...and perhaps the said headache etc disappeared slowly later.

It may be noted here....

MRI   is Magentic Resonance Imaging  which physicians  use where the magentic  field and pulses of radio active energy are present to make pictures of structures and organs of human body including those of the brain and the central nervous system.MRI gives a different information about structures of body seen through X rays, Ultrasound or Computed Tomography ( CT) Scan.  MRI uses a powerful magentic field.

A CT Scan is called X Ray computed tomography  (X -RAY CT )...uses computer processed combinations of many X ray images taken from different angles...producing cross sectional images of specific areas of scanned object....

An ultrasound Scan ..known as Sonogram  or ultrasonography.....    a device  which ..uses high frequency sound waves to  create some image of parts of inside body such as stomach,heart,liver,muscles, joints of blood vessels etc...

There may be more such advanced dignosing techniques and reporting systems through scanning images....of parts of human body....



28th Oct, 2015,,,,

I continue....as  you would have found  I might have forgotten many  things, episodes that occurred  but would try to recollect a few and also add some information gained about the type of Meningitis I had...

It was a case of Pneumococci Pyogenic  Meningitis....caused through Bacterial infection...It is also to be noted that meningitis is the infection and inflammation of the meninges. I am unable to show a picture of brain and the spinal cord. However the  infection is found to pass on through the body and affect or infect  the  liquid   or cerebrospinal fluid    found  in the brain and spinal cord..  It is found that   Pneumococci Meningitis is a serious disease and can be fatal if proper treatment is not  given immediately It is also found if antibiotics donot work the meningits end up fatal.

The meningits is caused by bacteria called streptococcus.pnemoniae,The said bacteria can cause other illness like  bacteremia  ( a blood infection),ear infections,pnemonia and sinus infection.

The said meningitis is transmitted from person to person  through bacteria in tiny droplets from the mouth ,throat or nose.of an infected person.....If someone having disease coughs, sneezes near you ,  you may contact the disease.Also the disease can be infected from anothr person by sharing a cup, fork, straw , cigarette,etc,  So it is advisable to take proper care of all these when we are in crowd of people likely to be affcetd with such  contageous disesae.

I donot remember many of the syptoms I had except the  ones I have written above...but it is found  that most common  symptoms  are...

Chest Pain,
Chills,
Confusion,
Cough,
Headache,
High fever
Vomiting,
Weakness,
agitation,stiff neck,rapid breathing  etc...'

I would have had most of these symptoms....

So these are guidelines for others the relatives or firends who are nearby to guess about possible sickness  of an affected person and move the patient to a  Clinic or Hospital   having  a Physician well qualified  who can diagnose   and  start treatment immediately followed by Lumbar Puncture  and   other procedure, to be done by Surgeons  and   giving   repetitive doses of injections of antibiotics,,,etc...to the patient...

Some of the antibiotics found  prescribed for immedaite  shots are...

Ampicillin,
Benzylpencillin.
Chloramphenicol and
Penicillin

I donot   remember the names of antibiotics which  were given to me...but was given for a perios of 3 months or 6 months after the attack.....even after returning to my place of work at Mjhgaon  Bihar  after completing my leave period of 3 months at Bangalore.....My Doctor Dr Nichani used to admnister the injections   regularly  ...initially he came home later I used to go to his clinic...

After the attck treatment etc I was instructed not to strain, walk ,etc, for some days..a   month... in spite of that on account of the emotional bond between siblings, I went to the house of my eldest sister   Parvathi who was  staying  nearby by walk and climbed  their home with difficulty. and felt happy seeeing her  ..telling her so any things.....But we should follow what Physicians advise and should not strain  immediately..

I shall try to recollect...the  othr points and write later.... a picture is pasted here  to show the  meninges....

The after effects of meningitis may be many....including damage to brain, spread of infection to other areas etc...However  for a few percetnge of meningitis victims only these long term disabilities or difficulties in feeling will occur. Most of the cases headache due to irritationof brain meninges will be there ..for a few weeks or months not years...

Severe headache I had during menigitis caused due to irritation of the meninges and possibly due to inflammation of nerves nearby  and also due to increased pressure within head.

It is understood the headaches after meningitis go away after sometime although infection is cured ...say for a few months. I had similar headaches etc for a few years. not continuously.....but have not felt them extremely problematic or irritating  as I  was busy with my work, care of children ,etc and also enagaged in activities.But those who get headaches regularly might feel  frightened as if the illness has occurred again, But it does no thappen...

Ofcourse after  so nay years of the attack , and cure   I donot  feel or remember the  severeness  of headaches or the frequency of  their occurrences but feel am away  from the effets threof, It can thus be noted  headaches or memory loss etc are not  permanent factors  ,,as I have found...It is informed that you can become allright after  a short period of the infection disappearing by using antibiotics and very rare cases of having any after effects,. But apart from any Medical evidence it is possible that the element of anger...or short  term temper tantrums, mood swings, minor depression,  joint soreness, bad taste feeling in tongue, metallic taste,  etc may occur...Some of these when you actually  feel and experience another person may not be actually understand it.....Perhaps if you take some food having spicy taste or coffee containing good flavour, it may disappear ....but if you take some paracetamol tablets or other tablets it maynot work...  Some of these and others I have experienced...but have not affected me in anyway.... Donot be discouraged if your Physician says he doesnot know  what it is.. as it is impossible for anyone to imagine the real nature of headache...etc experienced by a victim after meningitis....but these are minor things as would have after attack of any other illness  will subside slowly and allow us survive....may occur to any person who would have been a victim of such illness...which can be rectified by proper food,activities, exercise, belief in God ,  support from your family  members , and friends ,etc.  



About Lumbar puncture done at  the Clinic...Arpitha Clinic, Seshadripuram, Bangalore 560020

I donot remember the dates..time...procedure..etc. when the lumbar punctures were done...but immediately  after admission to the clinic...However   I have vague re collection. .I  was made to sit or lay down  facing the ground...some anaesthetic injections given at the back  .....Dr Renuka Arya assisted by Dr Kurse...must have immersed under pressure  some needles at  the back ..mostly spinal cord to get the liquid ..cerebrospinal fluid ....to get  the presence of infection checked for meningitis.......Out of unbearable   pain ..I remenber having called  AMMA...my late  mother who perhaps saw me from heaven and  blessed me getting cured....The Doctors were heard  pacifying saying...Raghavan..you are very co operative...just one more  minute....like that the preocedures were over, Whether  another Lumbar puncture  was done I donot remember...Now I  give  you information from Internet as to what is lumbar puncture

      ++++lumbar pucture....is the procedure for taking fluid from the spine in the lower back through a hollow needle usually done for diagnostic purposes..+++++.

Other medical details as to  other purposes, contents of the fluid,test etc  I am unable to state  as it  pertains  to the  subject of medicine...

The fluid thus taken was sent to National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro sciences, Bangalore ...for analysis and report...I  remember my  elder  brother   Sundaram went later to  collect  the reports   from the Institute.  while I was in the Clinic for same days...and discharged...My eldest sister in law Manni...Rajalekshmi Stayed in the  clinic for two nights as others were not allowed to stay  there overnight. My wife and son Rajesh one year old were at home.  My brother in law Sri M H Krishnan  husband of  elder sister Lakshmi  had tlephoned to  eldest brother  Konthai at Madras who came from Madras with Manni and my aged father .Also my mother in law came from Tiruchirapalli. In addition the prayers of my sister  Sobhana and Bagavathi from  Bangalore were there ..the net effect  was  culminating in  my getting me cured...



..Details of  report etc I am unable to know ...However it can be noted the analysis and reporting of such matter are not done at other diagnostic labs....

Sorry if I have erred many a time during my explanation of various things...


I shall continue  later,,shall be glad if it is useful to any.....

Dear friends, messengers of God, parents and friends of   Family…..please read…..

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Life  is a rightful period of existence provided to us by God. We continue to live passing through various stages. In the process some of us encounter certain ailments, physical and mental discomforts, etc which get cured by gifts of God and through Medical treatments, etc which are available in plenty nowadays. Let us   pray God to make the whole universe disease free and also provide permanent remedies for all types of physical and mental ailments

.

Advancement of science   and technology has made any sickness curable and research going on in discovering permanent solutions for producing insulin within human body without aid of medicine or eliminating occurrence of other diseases affecting the brain. There were no medicines for certain cancer like Leukemia, etc…a few years back, but are found curable now.   Similar is the case of complete eradication of Small Pox or Malaria which have also been eliminated in various countries including India. Global polio eradication   program initiated by Governments in collaboration with World Health Organization, etc are progressing well in eliminating many contagious and infectious diseases universally. I have heard  that in the past say some of my nearest relatives were victims of attacks of what  we call the present variation in Blood Sugar,Tuberculosis,etc as there were not recognized systems of   medical  diagnosis, analysis and prescription of drugs were for cure  ..Similar was the case and   vaccination for polio, etc which had not vaccines such as Triple antigen etc being now administered for children after birth. Public are required to take advice or  consultation cum advice  from General Practitioners for  availing  all immunization programs, administration of vaccines,etc in time

Let the humanity understand the need to avail the benefits of immunizations and vaccination etc for diseases like Dengue, Typhoid, Meningitis, Polio, other fevers, flu, etc, etc and avoid occurrence of such dreadful diseases to the children and elders later. Let us also take steps in avoiding mosquito bites  polluted water ,etc by keeping our surroundings clean and avoiding  surroundings   likely  to cause infectious including some fast  food ,aerated waters, ,etc and it  is also requested  not to resort to self medication and   take any medicine   under  the guidance of your Doctor,

In various blogs and websites  and Medical reports  and Health groups,etc,we are privileged to read and know much about the causes of various sickness, precautions,  short time and log time effects, precautions, advice from forums, etc, etc for guidance of the common man as well as those who are affected with such ailments, etc, They are useful for the teeming millions of population and useful for the medical profession for observing, recording and analyzing  various factors associated with such new diseases found .

 In this connection I have added in my blog…..My experiments about Meningitis, Asthma, Hypertension, etc, an autobiography …for guidance, precaution and information of umanity….Please go through the same and feel informed and benefitted..My story is one of fighting

   Bacterial meningitis and survival thereof along with attendant incidents, precautions, etc as considered relevant to the subject.

The sorry narrated by me  reports the occurrence of Meningitis, symptoms, immediate action taken by relatives in referring to Medical  Profession and the timely action taken by the Physician  and  Surgeons etc and the post disease care etc  and the assistance or help rendered  by  relatives and  friends  ,Doctors,etc,  mitigating and solving  any   any   other  problems to me

.

Health is Wealth….in achieving this objective in  life   let us make use of all tools available in the world including possessing knowledge through various websites , blogs, common discussions,etc,,