He came on a stretcher

This story again is during my early days of practice.

 My day had just started and I was going through the in patient files to understand the treatment plans to be executed for the day. Unlike modern hospital, Ayurveda has a separate treatment section that deals with panchakarma therapies. During our Internship we are taught how to do the therapies, besides learning and prescribing them. There are separate male and female therapists to perform these therapies as per doctor’s instructions while in internship, we are suppose to learn them and perform it on ourselves and the patients. Then we also had to do the clerical job of scheduling those therapies for each day, tedious task I tell you!

So here I was posted in the therapy department to begin with my practice. It was my responsibility to schedule the therapies on the previous day, for the following day. I was also assigned supervising these therapies to understand about patient’s comfort during the therapy and also suggest changes in the therapies if required. So my day would ideally get busy as soon as I stepped in to the hospital. I would have to monitor therapies, schedule them, attend to in patients when required and also take up OPD cases and following up with consultants for further course of action. 

On one such day, I had just logged in and was busy getting my to do list for the day. A well built middle aged man was brought to our hospital on a stretcher that day, I wondered what brought him here. There were around 3-4 men who accompanied him. He was directly taken to the ward, which meant it was an admission and now we had to take the in patient case details. I guess this admission was already planned by our MD as he was the one who was his treating physician and we followed his instructions and I was a part of his team. 

The patient and his attendants were dressed in white dhotis and shirts that typically looked like they were from some ashram and they were received with great respect. Once the patient settled, I was asked to monitor his temperature and since his treatment was already scheduled by then, I instructed the therapists to be careful with the patient since he was unable to walk. 

I then got into case details to understand what landed him on the stretcher. It was a case of Rheumatoid Arthritis and he himself being an Allopathic doctor was treated with steroids and many other medicines that unfortunately worked against him. The patient was truly frustrated with his condition, since the condition restricted his mobility and required assistance for his daily routine. First few days he looked very unsettled and irritated, not knowing what to expect of all the treatments that were done. However he was sure he was in right hands, since my MD was one of the pioneers in Ayurveda, having cracked toughest of the cases!! Am truly glad to say I had an opportunity to work with him during my early days of practice.

Back to the story, he was monitored regularly and his men were always by his side to take care of all his needs. Here I got the first hand experience of how Daivavyaprashraya chikitsa and Yukti vyapashraya chikitsa put together can create miracles!! Our hospital had this tradition to perform Mrityunjaya Homa every Monday, doctors and patients were encouraged to take part in the homa. I missed attending it every time for one or more reasons. In his case, he was at the hospital for couple of months and he showed remarkable changes with each passing day of medications and therapies and also his dedicated attendants who never left his side. 

On two different occasions Mahamrityunjaya Homa was organised in his name on a grand scale(by his ashram team I guess) in the hospital for his speedy recovery and later learnt that it was being suggested as a part of his treatment module, by our MD.  That was the day I saw him being cheerful and actively participated in the homa. Not to mention, we doctors were served delicious lunch that day! 😉

The days that followed post homa, did wonders!! He had now slowly started to move around.. He looked very confident of his recovery and also developed deep faith in Ayurveda and spoke to each of our doctors with immense gratitude and respect. His treatments and medications continued and doctors were available round the clock. His frustration and irritation had taken the back seat and he was now getting to see a new life.

He looked like he had lost all hopes when he had arrived the first day. He wasn’t sure if would make it to recovery, given his condition and he himself being a doctor he knew about his disease prognosis. Days gone by faster and he was also recovering at a great speed. By the end of his stay at the hospital, he started walking and now could do all the activities by himself with least assistance. This was truly a miracle for him and all of us! By the time he was discharged from the hospital, he knew each one of us well and invited all of us to his Ashram. He came on a stretcher with no or little hope of recovery, now walked back home with almighty’s grace and Ayurveda as his saviors . 

Life was never same for him again. Thereafter he referred many cases to our hospital and what surprised me most was he would mention my name too, to the patient while he referred and when arrived at the hospital they appeared very happy to have met me! I was touched!! I did meet him again couple of times at the hospital while he visited for his regular rejuvenating therapies. I once visited the Ashram too and was truly moved by his hospitality and kind gesture, his gratitude and respect that he liberally showered on me during my visit. 

Life offered him a second chance and he lived every moment in the service of the Divine thereafter. 

Image credit- www.healthyplace.com