She Cried over the Phone

There is this lady who has been consulting me regularly for past 5yrs or so. She and her husband  has been following Ayurveda since then.  It was their first consultation when she had come with multiple health complaints, Frequent migraine, severe digestive issues and was extremely stressed to name a few. 

Her first few consultations required quiet a lot of counselling every second week or so. She was still not convinced that she can recover and lead a normal life. She was a homemaker but was passionate about aromatherapy and I guess she also had a small scale business at home wrt same.

Back to the story, this lady no matter how hard I tried to motivate her to change her diet and lifestyle but she wasn’t very convinced. The list of food changes that was given to her, made it tough for her to follow. Initial few consultations, she admitted not taking medications regularly since it was bitter and also failing to follow the diet changes.  Ayurveda has very few medicines that are tasty, rest of them are more or less bitter.  However during the follow up, she agreed to take them but to return back each time to say the medicines were bitter and she puked, hence didn’t take it as per the prescribed dosage. 

Couple of visits, she gradually started making strict changes in her diet and she saw things improving. This fueled her confidence and she had agreed to make further changes that would speed up her recovery. Her husband who was until not a part of this conversation/consultation, wanted to give it a try to know if it would be of any good to him. He too had digestive issues and disturbed sleep cycle, perhaps due to the position he held at his office, the amount of stress and responsibilities that he carried on his shoulders. 

He agreed to follow everything said and his condition required minimum medications. Since both of their food habits were now more or less same with few exceptions, they both started following same diet changes. He found remarkable improvement in his issues and was gradually off the medication but continued to follow prescribed changes. However, she did not fail to mention that these changes rather got her some extra work having a school going child at home who demanded variety of food and she had tough time catering to her needs and preparing separate recipes for herself and her husband. I had no suggestions to offer for this complaint!

Gradually there came a time when she was almost normal and didn’t require visits for a year or so. Meanwhile I changed my clinic and lost in touch with her. One day out of nowhere I received a message on my WhatsApp requesting for a consultation. She did introduce herself and having known her case, thought it might be same issue again. I suggested her to call me in the evening and to share her reports before hand. 

She shared her Xray film images and her doctor visit updates. When she called me, she started sobbing saying, ” I only trust you doctor and I will just follow what you say and I do not want to do any tests unless you suggest me.”  I was not able to figure out what made her cry. I said, ” You please brief me on what exactly happened and why was the Xray taken and what did the doctor say.” She had developed severe pain in her left arm associated with swelling and redness and she narrated her horror. Since it was sudden onset, when she visited the Ortho doc at her place and seems he asked her to go through couple of investigations and suspected a malignancy!! She continued to sob after having said this. 

She asked me,” Doctor, what do you think it is? anything serious? I will believe it only if you say so.” I was trying to analyze what made the doctor to say so.. But now I had no time to think because she was on the other end waiting for my answer! I paused for few seconds and asked her to  narrate the history as to how it started and when. ” Doctor, I have this congenital deformity of the bone in my left arm and it has troubled me quiet often in my childhood and the doctor back then had said that it would settle gradually as per my growth and wouldn’t be a matter of concern however would have to bear with little discomfort at times” She explained. I got my answer there!! Now my intuition was in action and clearly indicated that is just a inflammation due to regular wear and tear and definitely not malignancy!! She again repeated her question” Doc, what do you think it is?” Now I had to give my answer, and I said that it wasn’t any case of malignancy but just the inflammation and not a matter of concern. But she again stressed saying that her doctor is strongly suspecting it. I said, ” Don’t worry I assure you it is not that but still go ahead with all the investigations that he wants you to take and I will tell you what should you be doing further.” She again asked if I was sure and it isn’t any major issue. I reassured her again. 

My intuition was very strongly suggesting that she did not have any malignancy. I waited to hear from her. Next day she again called me and said, ” Doctor, the MRI says just the inflammation like you said, but the doctor isn’t convinced yet and said that he would have a word with the Radiologist.” “Let him go ahead, you just follow what he has to say and share the investigation reports me I said. Whatever is the outcome of the investigations, I will treat” I said. She was relieved having heard that and said she would call again after another visit with the doctor. Two days later, she called again. ” Doctor could not arrive at the conclusion about its malignancy so he just asked me to take few meds and follow up 15days later.” She said. 

“I will only take what you suggest” She insisted. ” I will mail you the prescription soon. ” I replied. I asked her to get back for a review 2 weeks later. I just prescribed her one classical medication in decoction form and about which I had learnt during my early days having practiced with a Senior Ortho doctor who taught me about these formulations and their practical application. I waited to hear from her.

A week later another message popped on my WhatsApp, that read” Doctor I want to talk to you again.” Same evening she called and sounded very happy!! ” Doc, my pain and swelling is completely gone and no discomfort either!” I was delighted to hear this!! ” Continue the same medication for one month with half the dose and then you can stop.” I answered.  I thanked God too for helping me with the directions in treating this case!! 

She didn’t come back again with any issues, hopefully she doesn’t have to!

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