Showing posts with label bypass surgery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bypass surgery. Show all posts

Monday, June 1, 2015

The Ayurveda way to neutralize heart problems


On returning from Mumbai with the reports (on CDs) of my angiography, I had a frank meeting with my doctor and the cardiology consultant. I asked them a simple question – my age was 59-years and at that age, what sort of blockage in the heart was normal. They hemmed and hawed and none of them had any reply that satisfied me.
Moreover, I had in front of me a friend of mine who had undergone bypass surgery and, while most of such surgeries are successful, his case was one that I would never like to face. He became a sort of a vegetable. He was unable to form words, he was unable to hold a pencil in his hand and watching him struggle to speak or to write, I felt sorry for him. I therefore told my doctor that I would take a call on bypass surgery at a later date.
And, when one is in a dilemma, God shows him the way as he did for me.
There was a woman in my department – she was a dispatch clerk and one day she brought me a copy of a Marathi magazine. In that magazine there was an article on an Ayurveda based potion that could give relief from heart ailments.
The ingredients were leaves of tulsi plant, michhri (kadi shakkhar) and fresh lime juice. Ten to twelve tender leaves of the tulsi plant were to be mixed with the michhri in a mortar and pestle and the mixture, with a tablespoon of lime juice, was to be taken on an empty stomach early in the morning.
Well – the medication could not remove the blockage in the main arteries but it did open up other arteries in the heart to carry the blood. I started with this indigenous medication and began to feel relief. At the end of six months, I requested the doctor to carry out another 2D-Echo test but he went one step further. He advised me to undergo a Thallium Test in the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. It was a non-invasive test carried out with nuclear materials.
And, believe it or not, there was an improvement in the LVEF and I did not go in for bypass surgery. (to be continued …)

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Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


Kenyan lawyer wants to marry Obama’s elder daughter Malia

Modi’s first year in office – how America sees it

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Giant barrel jellyfish 5-ft long, 3-ft diameter and weighing 5-stone each found off Dorset coast

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Saturday, May 30, 2015

Doctors recommend angio-therapy and bypass surgery


Three instances of heart problems within three months had got my doctors worried and, with my retirement coming up, they suggested that I get an angio-therapy done in Mumbai hospital. Their intentions were good because as long as I was in employment, the cost of my treatment would be borne by the company. They wanted me to take advantage of this facility.
But, there were difficulties – I had to go to Mumbai and, during angiography, if the blockages were serious, a decision would have to be taken by my family as to whether the doctors should proceed to the next step which was that of inserting stents or go in for bypass surgery. In case it came to that stage, my family would have to keep ready blood donors.
And, it had all to be arranged in advance. Once at the operation table, decisions would have to be taken immediately. Well – I knew that the condition of my heart was not good. The LVEF was low and 2D-Echo had revealed blockages but my treadmill results were fair enough. Therefore, I decided to get the angiography done and bring back the test results.
My son accompanied me to Mumbai and I stayed with my brother. He had good contacts in Mumbai and that was a great help. I had to stay in the hospital for two days. The period was in 2003 and the practice at the time was to carry out what was known in medical terms as invasive therapy – a capillary tube was inserted through the pelvic region into the heart and images of the internal setup were captured.
The initial recommendation of the cardiologist was that I should go in for bypass surgery which I was not willing to do. I wanted the results of the procedure and, here, my brother’s contacts paid off because the hospital said that I would have to wait till next day for the report but timely interference by him ensured that I got the report within a few hours.
I came back to Nashik with the report and met my doctors along with a heart specialist who used to come once a week as a consultant to the hospital. I confided in them that since I still had one year service left, I could always opt for bypass surgery within that period to avail of the free treatment. (to be continued …)

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


Kenyan lawyer wants to marry Obama’s elder daughter Malia

Modi’s first year in office – how America sees it

Noise pollution leads to obesity – those living near airports or busy streets are affected

Giant barrel jellyfish 5-ft long, 3-ft diameter and weighing 5-stone each found off Dorset coast

ICU beckons me for a second time

Marriages are made in Heaven

Teen, instigated by his mother, bludgeons a Delhi bus driver to death in broad daylight

Dozens of corpses found in bamboo cages in Thai human trafficking camp