Journalism of Courage
Obesity put brakes to a full life,but a recent bariatric surgery has filled Muzaffar Khan with renewed hopes
Twenty-two-year- old Muzaffar Khan from Buldhana district,tipping the scales at an unbelievable 265 kilos,underwent a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at Jehangir Hospital on April 26,2010. Subsequently,in the last three months,he has shed 50 kgs of weight. Post-surgery,the patient would be able to lose 50 per cent of his weight in a year’s period and another 20-30 per cent in the following year. He will stabilise to weigh around 100 to 125 kgs, informs Dr Srihari Dhore Patil,the surgeon who operated on Khan.
I cannot believe it. I am so excited, says Khan,adding,I can feel the difference in the way people have started behaving with me. My mobility has improved and I have regained my lost confidence. For the first time in my life,I was recently able to fit into an auto-rickshaw. When I come next,I should have lost enough to be able to ride a motorbike. Sleeping normally,which was not possible earlier,is now a reality for me.
Khan used to suffer from bouts of breathlessness and all around him there were serious concerns about his health. Then he found out about the procedure at the hospital while surfing the Internet. I could not fit into a car or a rickshaw. Public transport was out of the question. To travel within Pune,I needed an ambulance. My life revolved around my room and my bed, says Khan,further stating,I was more than happy to take any medical risk,if it gave me the chance to lead a normal life,like other members of my family and friends. I wanted to avoid serious ailments in the future.
