Last November, 102-year-old Ramaswamy was unable to get up, lift his let leg or speak coherently post his dinner. While his family did not know what happened, they rushed him to the hospital's emergency room in the next 15 minutes.
"After doing MRI, CT scan and other tests, the doctor told me it was a stroke and that we had two options. I could either consent to thrombolysis, an injection to dissolve the blood clot, or refuse any treatment," says Janaki Ramanathan, Ramaswamy's daughter.
"If we didn't opt for it, they said my father would be paralysed for the rest of his life. If we went ahead with it, there was a six per cent risk of the treatment going wrong. I took a decision to go for it, as 94 per cent is a better bet," she adds. The next 24 hours were spent waiting anxiously in the emergency room. Janaki began to doubt her decision, started panicking and felt confused. "I was tense and wondered what was going to happen to my appa (father). A day later, his fingers started moving and we were relived," she recalls.
Dr Deepak N, consultant neurologist at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital who administered the treatment, says, "When it comes to patients of such an old age, it is always a challenge as the brain is fragile. If the nerves in the brain are already dead due to the stroke, the injection can even cause the nerves to burst. This could lead to heavy bleeding and eventually, death."
According to Deepak, "Ramaswamy is the oldest person in the city to have survived a stroke after medical intervention. What worked in his favour, was quick thinking by his family. The golden period here is three hours, once the symptoms show." Sitting in a wheelchair, covered in a shawl, muffler, wool cap and socks, Ramaswamy says, "I am feeling quite alright. I remember shivering when they conducted the MRI scan but I was not scared. I am glad my daughter took the decision to go ahead with the treatment. I advise people to act fast, no matter what the problem is."
Apart from the stroke, he says he has had no other health problems. "Though I don't exercise, I follow a disciplined routine. I wake up at 6 am, have tea, eat meals on time and don't overeat," he adds.
BE FAST for stroke
The acronym to spot a stroke, according to Dr Deepak N, consultant neurologist, is BE FAST.
"B stands for losing balance, E for blurred sight, F for face drooping, A for arm weakness and S for speech difficulty. T stands for time to act fast."