32-year-old Mumbai man fights fear, wins over tuberculosis in six years
On a friend’s recommendation, he visited the civic-run TB Sewri Hospital where all medical tests were done again
In 2011, Ramesh Babu Nimma, 32, a resident of Dadar, who works as an electrician, started experiencing terrible cough. He blamed it on his habit of smoking cigarettes, but when his weight dropped from 54kg in just three months, he was alarmed.
He then visited a doctor. Based on his X-ray, he was diagnosed with drug sensitive tuberculosis (TB).
He was started on five medicines daily for six months, but with repeated bouts of vomiting, he gave up.
“I remember telling my mother not to force me to take the medicines. At one point, I had accepted that I was going to die as I had stopped taking medicines altogether,” Nimma said.
For the next four months, Nimma went to his village in Telangana to try Ayurvedic medicines. However, there was no improvement and he returned to the city.
On a friend’s recommendation, he visited the civic-run TB Sewri Hospital where all medical tests were done again. This time, the bug had acquired resistance.
“The doctors got angry with me for leaving the treatment mid-way. They said, I would’ve been cured already, had I not left the treatment,” said Nimma.
The treatment was now going to last for two years, where he had to take around 15 medicines daily.
“It was tough, but I did not drop out this time, except when I was admitted to Nair hospital for dialysis.”
Even at the end of two years, his sputum showed signs of infections, so he had to continue medicines for another two years.
Finally in 2017, Nimma was cured of the disease.
“My weight has now increased to 62kg. Last five years were tough, but now I am out of it,” he said.