STRESS, SUCCESS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN
The Highs and Lows of A Woman’s Journey in the Corporate World
CARE: This is Chapter 59 of my book Stress, Success and Everything In-Between. These are individual anecdotes but to understand the professional journey in totality, I would recommend reading the book right from Chapter 01 onwards.
When I joined a branch in central Delhi, I was suffering from a relentless cough that refused to abate. This persistent and nagging discomfort robbed me of sleep, peace, and productivity. Despite countless visits to medical professionals, from general practitioners to specialists, no diagnosis could be reached.
One of the staffers,
seeing me coughing badly, suggested I see Vaidya ji, who also sat in the same
government building where my branch was. I was told that anybody who went to
him got cured.
The reputation of
Vaidya Ji was impeccable. He was a gold medalist, the personal physician to the
President of India, and possessed a legendary healing touch. Countless stories
circulated about his ability to cure even the most intractable ailments.
I made an appointment
and met with Vaidya Ji. He asked some basic questions, examined my throat,
checked my pulse, and assured me that I should not worry. He gave me 60 pudiyas
(sachets) of medicine containing a white and grey powder. He advised me to lick
it twice daily after mixing it with honey. Desperate for relief, I embarked on
the treatment with renewed hope.
The treatment seemed
almost magical. Within two days, my cough vanished miraculously. Each passing
day brought with it a new wave of energy. I felt rejuvenated and was brimming
with energy. I felt my happiness returning and my spirits soaring. The world
seemed brighter and less burdened despite the heavy workload at the branch.
I strictly followed
the advice of Vaidya Ji that I should not stop the treatment even if I feel
totally cured. Two months passed quickly.
Lo and behold, my
happiness was short-lived, and one day, my world of delight crashed suddenly.
In a get-together, I shared my experience with a doctor friend whose son also suffered
from a persistent cough. Upon hearing about my treatment, he expressed doubt
about the probable use of steroids.
“I hope he did not
give you steroids,” he enquired.
I wanted to hit
back, “You allopathic doctors! You cannot appreciate any other stream, be it
Ayurveda or Homeopathy.” But I behaved like a decent host and restrained myself
from reacting adversely.
Our friend politely
asked me if I could spare one pudiya for him. He said he would have it tested
in his hospital lab, and in case it is devoid of steroids, he would ask me to
fix up an appointment for his son.
Intrigued, I agreed
to let him test a sample of the powder. A week later, he called me to confirm
what he had suspected. The test result was shocking. The powder that I was
merrily licking twice a day contained high levels of unaccounted steroids.
He advised me to reduce the dose gradually and get rid of this harmful treatment. My heart sank and the joy I had felt was replaced by a growing dread as I tapered off the treatment.
Recently, the memory of those days returned in a big way when I read on internet that steroids, when taken in large doses or for extended periods, can interfere with the ability of our body to regulate blood sugar. This can cause insulin resistance, a condition where the cells of our body become less responsive to insulin. When insulin resistance develops, the pancreas may produce more insulin to compensate, but eventually, it may become overwhelmed. This can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Oh my God! I recalled I had developed type 2 diabetes within a couple of years after discontinuing the treatment, even though I do not have such a history in my lineage. The regret of taking the treatment from Vaidya ji has returned in a big way. I wish I had not licked that powder so earnestly for so long. But I allowed my desperation to impair my ability to make a rational judgment.
(To be continued.....)
*****
9 comments:
Varsha Uke Nagpal: Many of us resort to alternative medicine because we are told that our ancient medicines etc had jadi booti which was plant based and therefore would not harm our system. Allopathic medicine generally is more chemical based.
Old beliefs and trust in traditional medicines could be detrimental when some people take advantage of trust and harm you.
Thankfully you were checked in time and more harm could be avoided.
A story very well told with a moral too.
Narendra Singh: Quite a few of these vaidyas are quacks and use harmful allopathic drugs for quick treatment. They are not under govt. regulation and as such get away with their frauds. However, there are some genuine vaidya who are good.
Shanta Vasan: I am dumbfounded can't express myself. Thank God somebody opened your eyes.
Rukkie Oberoi: With sincere regards, these steroids sometimes develop hormonal changes which results, females start act like males and vise a versa .Growth of hairs speech etc. Never trust these quacks, specially who are honorary appointments.
Gulshan Kumar Dhingra: Your story powerfully illustrates the vulnerability that often accompanies chronic illness and the desperation for relief, leading us to trust alternative treatments without full understanding, Ma’am!
Reliance on Vaidya, a respected figure, highlights the danger of blind faith in reputation, even when backed by credentials.
The shock of discovering that the seemingly miraculous cure was driven by harmful steroids, serves as a reminder of the importance of questioning treatments, no matter how trusted the source.
The eventual onset of type 2 diabetes adds a sad state of regret, emphasizing the long-term consequences of short-term solutions.
The story starts with a sense of desperation due to a relentless health issue, which quickly draws the reader in & ends offering a reflective and
cautionary message.
Prannath Pankaj: Though I do not altogether discount the efficacy of the Ayurvedic system, I agree that there are the practitioners who unabashedly play with the health and life of innocent patients who repose trust in them. All that one can say is that one must be cautious and first try to test the treatment being administered to them and then go with it.
Although as a rule this cannot be said about the practitioners of the Allopathic system, I have known a couple of cases in which they too keep their patients in dark about this and the patient learns about it only when she /he is at the brink. Caution therefore is necessary there as well.....
Kanwal Bir Singh Bedi: A lesson for all of us: look before you lick.
Rajni Mishra: I am quite wary about the alternate medications. I recall the horrible experience one of my ex colleagues had on taking medicines from a supposedly Ayurvedic vaid. My colleague had a thick crop of hair which just fell off in clumps and he went totally bald because of the reaction. Fortunately for him, once he discontinued the pudiyas, his hair regrew!!
Mamta Varma: There have been many such cases where 'pudiya ' medicines have caused havoc with people 's health. Thanks for sharing the story.
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