After spending 22 days in the hospital, following his surgery on August 3, Anwar is eager to return to his Badlapur home, but he won't be allowed to meet any relatives or friends for up to five months.
"Much better." These were the first words of 22-year-old Anwar Khan, who underwent a heart transplant, after getting discharged from Mulund's Fortis hospital on Monday. The usually shy youth opened up and said, "I have got a new lease of life. I am feeling much better now. The doctors, nurses and rest of the hospital staff have been very supportive."
After spending 22 days in the hospital, following his surgery on August 3, Anwar is eager to return to his Badlapur home, but he won't be allowed to meet any relatives or friends for up to five months.
While the family lives on the first floor of a cooperative housing society in Badlapur (East), Anwar's father Jamil (48) has procured a flat on the fourth floor for his son's stay. "Everyone at home, including his mother, three brothers and sister, are eagerly awaiting his arrival. Many relatives are keen to meet him. But doctors have prohibited him for meeting anyone. Anwar will mostly stay indoors. The flat has an attached terrace, where he can walk around," said Jamil.
An exercise freak, Anwar has been barred from hitting the gym for at least a year by the medics. "I have also been prohibited from eating non-vegetarian food and drinking alcohol. I am only supposed to eat home-cooked food. I am prone to developing infections due to the immunosuppressants and, hence, have been advised against stepping out," he said.
Two years ago, Anwar had developed extreme chest pain. Over the subsequent months, he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a rare condition which leads to muscle deterioration of heart. The pumping capacity of his heart had dipped drastically, he was breathless and brought to hospital on ventilator on August 31. On August 3, he was transplanted with the heart of a 42-year-old brain-dead patient from Pune after a successful match was achieved.
Anwar is the first patient in 47 years to have undergone a heart transplant in the city. The donor heart was retrieved, airlifted and transported to Fortis hospital in under 90 minutes. A green corridor was created from the domestic airport in Mumbai to Mulund, and the heart was zipped through in 18 minutes flat.
Having left his course in film animation and web designing midway, Anwar wishes to resume it, studying from home. "My son has lost a lot of weight. Once a burly fellow of 70kg, he has become thin and puny, losing up to 30kg over two years," said Jamil, adding, "We will give him a laptop so that he keeps busy."
Anwar needs to take medicines for life to suppress his immunity, lest the foreign heart be rejected by his body, said doctors. "Anwar's family has a direct hotline number to access the doctors and keep them updated of changes in his health. They have been instructed to inform doctors of even the most minor instances of a cough or a cold in his case," said Dr S Narayani, medical director, Fortis hospital.
A heart transplant costs up to Rs25 lakh in India, and Anwar's family has been trying its best to manage the money. "So far, the hospital has not pressured us to pay the bills," said a grateful Jamil.
"Also, the monthly cost of Anwar's immunosuppressants comes up to Rs23,000. He will have to be on these drugs for life, but the dose will be reduced gradually."
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