Meningitis Treatment in India

Michael Roy, a 68-year-old retired construction...

Michael Roy, a 68-year-old retired construction supervisor, had been feeling increasingly unwell for two days. A widower who lived alone, he initially dismissed his fatigue and muscle aches as a bad flu. However, when he developed a sudden, severe headache that felt like the worst of his life, a stiff neck so painful he couldn't touch his chin to his chest, and confusion that alarmed his daughter during a phone call, she rushed him to the ER. In the Emergency Department, Michael was febrile, photophobic, and lethargic. Given his acute symptoms and risk factors like age, the internal medicine physician, Dr. Chen, urgently recommended a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to test his cerebrospinal fluid for meningitis. The procedure was explained as critical for diagnosis. Michael was anxious but consented, comforted by his daughter's presence. The LP was performed with local anesthetic; he felt pressure but the acute headache made the discomfort secondary. Analysis confirmed bacterial meningitis. He was immediately started on high-dose intravenous antibiotics and steroids. Hospital recovery was slow and grueling; he spent a week in the hospital battling fever and profound fatigue. After discharge, he required weeks of rest and outpatient therapy for residual weakness and mild cognitive fog. Emotionally, Michael moved from stoic denial to fear during the acute illness, feeling vulnerable for the first time since his wife's passing. Post-recovery, he felt profound gratitude for modern medicine and his family's support, with a renewed but cautious appreciation for his health, agreeing to move closer to his daughter.