Story of the Roaring Throat

This was on a November afternoon, when the winter was tiptoeing into the suburbs of Bengal, I went to meet Dr.Chakrabarti. When I visited his place his lunch was over, he was sitting on his arm chair, and gazing into the sky. I went from behind and clasped his eyes. 'You girl, you are again back for a story?'

I giggled in reply.

 I sat on the old matt on the terrace floor, and he started. 

"I was working as a senior pediatrician at Barasat District Hospital then when I happen to treat Jayati's child. One day she informed me that her maternal uncle was blessed with a second daughter. But on a sad note, the baby was sick. So she had referred him to consult me. This case ended up being very interesting.

Mansi and Sumit were residents of Liluah, they made a middle class business man's family, quite well of to meet basic needs. They were blessed with one daughter in the beginning. After two or three years their second daughter took birth.

This baby was born sick. So, naturally she was referred to better hospital for treatment. There she was diagnosed with heart ailment and the prescription showed Transposition of great vessels.

The child remained in hospital, under treatment. Until one mid night when Sumit received a phone from the hospital, "Your child needs to undergo operation urgently or else the baby will die". The father was taken aback. He was also instructed to deposit two lakhs rupees in the billing counter and bring the slip for operation. He was worried and doubtful. So, he consulted and got my reference from Jayati. Then, he came to me with the ECO report and a CD. He sat, showed me the report, CD and left. But I was skeptical about the diagnosis.

Transposition of great vessels is associated with gross cyanosis (the body turns blue) and the child dies quickly. I doubted if it was a wrong diagnosis. What made me more thoughtful about the report was its structure. The report was written in such a way as if was wishfully concocted into a diagnosis of the fatal disease.

I suggested him to visit R N Tagore Heart Research Centre, it’s a trusted hospital for heart faculty in the city. They took the baby and went there. R.N Tagore Heart Research Centre, Kolkata kept the baby for two more days, for reinvestigation. In the end the baby came out with a clean chit for any heart ailment.

But to the dismay, the baby was sick and growing worse. The parents called me for suggestion. I asked them to admit her in hospital. For next few days the baby was again hospitalized where she further deteriorated. Next day afternoon at around 3 pm when I was fast asleep after the whole day’s work my phone rang. A husky wet and tired voice of the broken father spoke, "I think my baby will die on my lap".

Relentlessly, I asked few questions and came to know that not a single hospital was admitting the baby. They all declared to give up all hope of her life.

"If your baby is to die on your lap bring her to me, let her die at my place!"

He came to me in no time. The mother Mansi was about to have a nervous breakdown. So, I called Jayati. Jayati's kid was still breastfeeding. So, I asked her to breast feed the baby. Miraculously after breastfeeding the baby started opening her eyes slowly. Hope larked in every corner of our heart.

I sheltered them in my balcony. Mansi and the baby was made to stay there. 

At first I gave a glucose drip with my own hands. Later treated with some antibiotics. For many days it went on like this.

My basic work was to counsel the mother, and keep an eye on the baby. She was improving every single day. 

On the eleventh day, I told Sumit, "Mr. Father our baby is out of danger, so you may take her back to home". But the problem which prevailed was a weird sound. She made a weird sound. The sound came from her throat.

Perhaps this noise mislead the other doctors to diagnose her with heart disorder.

But I understood the noise was coming from throat, and not from heart. It is called Congenital Laryngeal Stridor. If you call it a disease then it’s a disease, or else it’s not. This does not cause much difference in the baby's life. It does not require any treatment nor any medicine. As the baby ages this disorder subsides. Since the Food pipe and the larynx is small and tender in case of babies so, when they breathe in and out, the movement of air through the pipes causes the noise. The larynx flaps and the sound is made.

But what amazed me was the loudness of the sound. It was a rare case.

The whole treatment cost was not more than Rs.500, now she is 11-12 years and healthy. 

I felt happy to give back the parents a living new born.