Few days back when our hospital's special ICU (intensive care unit) was almost occupied by swine flu patients to be frank enough I hesitated to enter into that particular ICU.
(I feel humiliated to see the condition of the patients).
Mostly patients were kept on ventilator support and were allowed to have hardly 30-40 ml liquid per hour depending on their tolerance level.
(As a dietician I am interested to share only the diet aspect of the patient) One of such patient was Alok, who is only a 20 year old energetic boy, but had been struggling with life at that moment.
In my morning rounds everyday I had to face his mother looking all with her hope for her son's life.
Unknowingly I developed weakness towards her feelings.
I became sympathetic to her rather than becoming empathetic as with the entire patient.
But by seeing his condition I could never expect that he will remain alive.
But as time goes on 10 days-15 days-30 days I started noticing slight improvement on him.
I was enlightened with hope to some extent Gradually I tried to increase the feed volume to 50 ml then 60 ml then 80 ml and finally to 100 ml per hour.
Till now he was fed with Ryle's tube.
One day morning I found him opening his eyes.
But he was restless.
Slowly as the day had been progressed he could able to speak to me.
I was extremely happy at his improvement.
Already I started giving oral feed to him.
By the time he could able to give me the choice of his feed.
Clinically as such there was no restriction on his diet I advised him plenty of fruit and vegetable besides giving high biological value protein feed.
As he was far better than before (already shifted to room) I tried to encourage him taking soft as well as normal diet.
Today after spending 50 days in the hospital he is taking permission from me to take chicken.
He is so happy along with rest of his family.
I felt grateful to ALMIGHTY for being kind enough to save his life.
Tomorrow he is going to be discharged from the hospital.
I wish him all the very best in his life.