AHMEDABAD: Even as Gujarat has second highest second highest mucormycosis burden in India, the fight with the dreaded black fungus for some patients is proving a long drawn battle spanning months. Dipika Shah, a 42-year-old resident of Tharad, Banaskantha, has been struggling with MM for 10 months now and still has miles to cover on her road to recovery.
Dipika’s struggle can faze even heroic fighters. Having barely survived Covid lung infection in Palanpur hospital in August 2020, she suffered MM which could be diagnosed only in Ahmedabad. “She has undergone four surgeries including removal of eye, jaw and clean-up of sinuses and forehead bone due to rapid spread of black fungus,” said eye surgeon Dr Sapan Shah.
Dipika says she has lost 40 kg and currently struggles with secondary bacterial infection in her eyes and nose. In a bid to avoid travelling back and forth to hospitals, she shifted from Tharad to Paldi here along with her daughter Riya who has practically given up her studies to look after the mother.
“Mom finds it tough to eat even now as she does not have a upper jaw. Many times, liquid fed to her comes out from the nose. She still has discharge coming out from her eyes and bone of the nose. I have to do daily dressing while getting it regularly checked by doctors,” says Riya.
Dipika says the family has spent more than Rs 50 lakh after her treatment and it will still take months before she can go home. “Doctors say it will be a few more months before all the infections clear up. Thank God my family is affording and strong and does not allow me to give up hope,” says Dipika. Experts say that second wave of Covid has triggered an epidemic of MM cases in Gujarat. They warn that it is imperative cases are diagnosed and treated early as advance infections can increase mortality or in the least push the patients into suffering spanning months.
“During the Diwali wave, we treated some 30 cases of Mucormycosis. Out of these, five-odd patients have a prolonged struggle.
The recovery period becomes protracted if fungus reaches the brain. In many cases, due to compromised immunity, patients contract drug-resistant bacterial infections which are tough to treat,” says nephrologist Dr Aashay Pandya, who treats MM patients.
Infectious diseases specialist Dr Atul Patel says Mucormycosis can take months to clear up.
‘Early diagnosis, treatment are key’
It is important for patients to be diagnosed and treated as early as possible as deeper spread can up mortality risk or extend the treatment and recovery period,” said Dr Patel.
Hasmukh Patwari, an Ambawadi resident, has been struggling with MM since Diwali. After getting his eye removed and a surgery to clean his sinuses, he fell prey to kidney complications.
“It has been six months and he has lost all sense of taste and smell. Doctors say it will take months before his olfactory senses return,” said his daughter in law Megha.
Dr Arvind Agarwal, a maxillofacial surgeon, said that they had started seeing the mucormycosis patients in the first wave around August-September. “The spread was comparatively lesser than what we are seeing now. But even then, these patients needed at least four to six months of treatment and follow-up,” he said. “Often, a small patch missed during the surgery would grow again, requiring another procedure. We are expecting the patients to now approach the doctors again for reconstructive surgeries.” Dr Devang Gupta, an ENT surgeon with Civil Hospital, said that on an average a patient needs two to three months to completely heal – given he/ she gets the medication and appropriate surgery. “The road to recovery is often long, and tiresome. The complete healing and reconstruction can take even more time,” he said.
Dipika’s struggle can faze even heroic fighters. Having barely survived Covid lung infection in Palanpur hospital in August 2020, she suffered MM which could be diagnosed only in Ahmedabad. “She has undergone four surgeries including removal of eye, jaw and clean-up of sinuses and forehead bone due to rapid spread of black fungus,” said eye surgeon Dr Sapan Shah.
Dipika says she has lost 40 kg and currently struggles with secondary bacterial infection in her eyes and nose. In a bid to avoid travelling back and forth to hospitals, she shifted from Tharad to Paldi here along with her daughter Riya who has practically given up her studies to look after the mother.
“Mom finds it tough to eat even now as she does not have a upper jaw. Many times, liquid fed to her comes out from the nose. She still has discharge coming out from her eyes and bone of the nose. I have to do daily dressing while getting it regularly checked by doctors,” says Riya.
Dipika says the family has spent more than Rs 50 lakh after her treatment and it will still take months before she can go home. “Doctors say it will be a few more months before all the infections clear up. Thank God my family is affording and strong and does not allow me to give up hope,” says Dipika. Experts say that second wave of Covid has triggered an epidemic of MM cases in Gujarat. They warn that it is imperative cases are diagnosed and treated early as advance infections can increase mortality or in the least push the patients into suffering spanning months.
“During the Diwali wave, we treated some 30 cases of Mucormycosis. Out of these, five-odd patients have a prolonged struggle.
The recovery period becomes protracted if fungus reaches the brain. In many cases, due to compromised immunity, patients contract drug-resistant bacterial infections which are tough to treat,” says nephrologist Dr Aashay Pandya, who treats MM patients.
Infectious diseases specialist Dr Atul Patel says Mucormycosis can take months to clear up.
‘Early diagnosis, treatment are key’
It is important for patients to be diagnosed and treated as early as possible as deeper spread can up mortality risk or extend the treatment and recovery period,” said Dr Patel.
Hasmukh Patwari, an Ambawadi resident, has been struggling with MM since Diwali. After getting his eye removed and a surgery to clean his sinuses, he fell prey to kidney complications.
“It has been six months and he has lost all sense of taste and smell. Doctors say it will take months before his olfactory senses return,” said his daughter in law Megha.
Dr Arvind Agarwal, a maxillofacial surgeon, said that they had started seeing the mucormycosis patients in the first wave around August-September. “The spread was comparatively lesser than what we are seeing now. But even then, these patients needed at least four to six months of treatment and follow-up,” he said. “Often, a small patch missed during the surgery would grow again, requiring another procedure. We are expecting the patients to now approach the doctors again for reconstructive surgeries.” Dr Devang Gupta, an ENT surgeon with Civil Hospital, said that on an average a patient needs two to three months to completely heal – given he/ she gets the medication and appropriate surgery. “The road to recovery is often long, and tiresome. The complete healing and reconstruction can take even more time,” he said.