One diagnosis, several cures for dengue
It was October 1, the last working day at school before the Dussehra holidays. On her return that day, my wife, a teacher, looked tired. I didn’t take it seriously, considering it to be a hectic day. By evening, things got worse as she developed high fever for which I gave her medicine.
My mother-in-law, who happened to be visiting us during that time, swirled a piece of alum a few times over her head and then burnt it in an attempt to ward off any evil eye. It is believed that the shape adopted by a swollen alum in fire gives a clue of the face who has cast an evil eye.
Considering it a seasonal viral fever, we tried antipyretic pills for two days, but when that didn’t work out, a visit to physician and a clinical lab report confirmed it be a case of dengue fever. For this, the standard line of treatment includes paracetamol, plenty of fluids, complete bed rest and frequent monitoring of the cell count, especially the platelets.
The next morning when the maid came to know that madam is down with dengue, she made a strong recommendation for goat milk as it helped immensely in the recovery of the fever in her family last year. My wife enquired from where we could fetch goat’s milk, which was basically an indirect way of asking me to arrange for it. With some effort, I managed to arrange the goat milk but its strong odour didn’t go down well with her.
In the meantime, I got a call from my uncle in Delhi. He said he had just learnt that Geeta was suffering from dengue. He insisted that I should give her concoction of giloy plant as it has strong antipyretic properties. I searched for the plant on our university campus and made a concoction after boiling its stem. Before I could give her the boiled stuff and hope for the desired effect, she showed me a WhatsApp message from a friend about a homeopathic medicine known to increase the platelet count.
In my office, a senior attendant suggested papaya leaf juice extract for increasing the platelet count. I took a fresh papaya leaf from the plant in our lawn, crushed it in a mixer and gave its juice to madam. I don’t have any clue if the bitter juice played a role in increasing the platelet count but to make up the bitter taste it left, I had to arrange for kiwi fruit, also considered good for curing dengue.
Later in the evening, I got a call from the office of the dog squad unit at Punjab Armed Police (PAP), Phillaur. I was to attend a meeting as a technical expert there the next day. I conveyed my inability to do so, stating that my wife was taken ill with dengue. The person at the other end earnestly offered to donate blood in case transfusion was required. I was bowled over by his genuine concern but my only dilemma being how would the ‘home minister’ behave once she receives blood from a cop?
WITH SOME EFFORT, I MANAGED TO ARRANGE THE GOAT MILK BUT ITS STRONG ODOUR DIDN’T GO DOWN WELL WITH HER