FLINT, MI – Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, a outstanding Flint-based doctor, was talking at a medical convention final month when his phrases faltered, an unsettling second that hinted at a a lot bigger well being challenge.
The board-certified otolaryngologist and president-elect of the American Medical Association struggled to search out significant phrases, prompting concern amongst colleagues.
That second triggered an pressing care go to, which quickly escalated to a stunning prognosis: a mind tumor, confirmed at Flint’s Insight Institute of Neurosurgery & Neuroscience (IINN).
“A couple of minutes into this presentation, for about 90 seconds, I wasn’t making any sense,” Mukkamala stated. “Everybody there knew one thing was mistaken. I used to be by no means this incomprehensible.”
During the MRI at Flint’s IINN, Mukkamala was on a WhatsApp video name together with his father, Dr. Apparao Mukkamala, a retired Flint radiologist now dwelling in India. As he walked out of the appointment, he confirmed the scan to his father, who instantly acknowledged it as a tumor.
The MRI revealed an 8 centimeter temporal lobe cancerous tumor on the left facet of the mind.
Mukkamala stated physicians suspect the tumor is a grade 2 or 3 glioma, with survival charges various relying on the prognosis.
“It’s very totally different studying an 8 centimeter mind tumor in your son versus all the opposite sufferers my dad has seen for 50 years virtually,” Mukkamala stated.
He will obtain surgical procedure to take away the tumor on Friday on the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. by Dr. Ian F. Parney.
Mukkamala will keep awake through the process, answering questions like “How do you say goodbye in French?” to assist the neurosurgical staff navigate the fragile job of eradicating the tumor whereas defending key language-processing areas within the mind’s left hemisphere.
“There’s really some new therapy obtainable simply this yr for a particular kind of glioma that I’d qualify for, and as soon as they get it in a jar and take a look at it, it’d make it pointless to do radiation or totally different chemo, but it surely nonetheless stays to be seen,” he stated.
Mukkamala is already taking levetiracetam, or Keppra, to stop seizures and steroids to scale back the swelling across the tumor, which he stated is working nicely.
“Thankfully, it’s not a model new drug that prices an arm and a leg,” he stated. “It’s comparatively cheap in comparison with a few of the different stuff on the market.”
Mukkamala became the new president-elect of the American Medical Association in June, the nation’s largest physician organization. He will turn into president in June 2025.
Mukkamala has been lively within the AMA since his residency, and presently serves as chair of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force.
He additionally performed a task in response to the Flint water disaster, serving as chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint with a concentrate on funding initiatives to mitigate the results of lead in youngsters.
He stated if therapy goes nicely, he does plan to return to work.
“Assuming there’s no seizure exercise and I’m not a threat to my sufferers, I’ll resume affected person care,” he stated. “In truth, I’m scheduled to renew surgical procedure in my workplace towards the top of February.”
Mukkamala has turned to writing as a strategy to course of his prognosis, conserving a file titled Tumor Reflections the place he paperwork his ideas and experiences. The file begins with, “Don’t wait to indicate affection to individuals till a second like this. It is a singular alternative to share ideas that often go unsaid pondering that there’ll all the time be time to share later.”
He famous that the U.S. healthcare system has areas in want of enchancment and stated he’ll now observe these points from the angle of a affected person, not simply as a physician.
Mukkamala stated he has a $18,000 deductible that renews in January and can probably need to pay the primary $36,000 within the subsequent few months of his care.
“I’m able to enhance these deficiencies,” he stated. “I’m in a terrific place of not having to fret about issues like prior authorization, or fear about paying my $18,000 deductible after which one other $18,000 subsequent month. These are luxuries I’ve been afforded and hardly anyone has entry to that stage of care. Hopefully after I emerge from this, we’re able to shut that hole.”
Now going through this private well being problem, Mukkamala continues to encourage these round him together with his resilience, sharing his journey as each a physician and a affected person with unflinching honesty.
“I’ve had unbelievable outpouring of assist from the neighborhood,” he stated.
