.......Aachoo.

 

It started off as a small trickle from the nose, a sniffle, a little bit of a body pain in the afternoon, by late evening I knew, with the start of the sneeze, I was walking around with the flu.

Like I advice others, I got some vegetable soup, a good dinner, and off to bed with the pouring rain all through the night, how I knew that  ? I was awake till morning, my mind playing some neurotic games of past, present and future, all in one.

Into the second day, the aching body showed the presence of my body deserving attention, and all the others in continuity.

Am into the third day, so much better, except for the dry hacking cough, and the burning eyes and the look of a drunk in my bathroom mirror.

By now many would have thought, stupid, can u not take a simple medicine, and ding this narrative. Or maybe a flu vaccine for the prevention of future cold  !


I have always debated, how they could predict future strains, for the next winter, and with it a vaccine.  ?


I remember someone quoting, " Treat a viral, takes a week, leave it alone, clears by seven days." It could literally be mine now.

Well I am preparing myself to win this present battle, and develop immunity for the repetition of the same strain somewhere in my future.

I had a herbal concotion, spicy gravy with idlies, and a soothing lozenge of peppers.

The only thing, I haven't done, what I recommend for others is a visit to Sithan or Sadasivan restaurant in my village, for a spicy dinner.

Maybe tomorrow.

P. S.
This has been my way, I do get this once in a few years, and the experience is mostly the same, and a silent scolding from those around, who care

A check on the self- esteem

 On the road last morning, I noticed a daring two wheeler cross, checking his wavy hairdo in the rear view mirror, and giving it a brush up with his fingers going threw them.

Smart to meet his gal, or on to his work.

I appreciate such folks, but only if they are also careful and not lost in their safety, when checking on their self- esteem.

I have noticed others and myself, take a step back to check on the reflection in the mirror, adjusting a belt, a tuck up, a breath in, it does matter, to meet the situation or the challenge.
(The girls, would have their own moves)

Dressing sloppy and looking odd, and out of place, draws a damp to a spirit.

Go out smart and look grand to oneself first, and to the rest of the world next, to win luck and more, Naturally.

P. S.
I see it best, with the selfies, and at one way reflecting glass, such adoration surfacing.

An expectorant called...... Brandy

 Don't ask me why past stories are surfacing....the recent sniffle, must have touched memory spots.

It must have been the days when the price of petrol was slowly rising from rupees three per litre and moving inches, with inflation.

The evening of seeing patients was over, (eight o clock) I made a walk to see my paternal uncle and aunt, who stayed a few houses away, in a thatched hut, adjusant to their big house.

In between my talking nonsense of no value, I had bouts of cough.

He let his lady make two small onioned egg dish, and made a quick drink of a cap full, in a small glass, with a smirk. "Drink up", he said.


Sweet talking some more, I was off.

The next two days was expectoration and more, bringing up all the phlegm.

On the next visit, no enquiry was even made, it was visible enough.

Then on, from a bottle of McDowell brandy, a cap full in a small tumbler of water, was the expectorant for my patients, no gender variation. (do not know when it stopped)

P. S.
Each doctor must be having their own preferences in prescribing an expectorant. ( my secret is out)  

ReplyForward

Our ideas are stolen, and we foolishly buy them back.

 I was at a village store, waiting to buy some peanuts, and palm sugar, ( must be peanut ladoos for the evening) when another customer stood alongside, asking for a famous multinational brand of toothpaste, the shopkeeper, who was at the back, called out, " With or without salt ? ", being astonished, I was lost with the aftermath.

I remember our folks were ridiculed about our tooth powders, and neem twigs, by the twice a day foamy brushers.

The advertising brands now have a plethora of ingredients, in their tubes as a paste.
Calcium carbonate,
Titanium oxoid,
Soapy surfactant detergents,
Glycerin,
Silica,
Alginate,
Aluminium oxide,
Fluoride,
a disinfectant Formalin, and a finishing touch of a mouth washer, with Chlorhexidine, after the brushing.

Now they are tempting with a salty tang, to sell.

For pearly glistening teeth, we would buy any shells, salted or plain, even if we live on the shore, and have a warm, broad, and a natural smile.

Say Eeeeeeee.

P. S.

I shuttle between charcoal coloured powders, aathi and neem twigs.

Altered state of consciousness

 Understanding of consciousness is difficult and, it's altered states are beyond the level of medical graduates, brought on by trauma, both physical and mental , drugs from outside and from within.

I got a taste of it recently.

An elderly paternal uncle had come to see me during my college days, taking him for breakfast, I was to discover later, how pitied I was for the menu of idlies and sambar, I was invited to his house, when I was on vacation.

The breakfast this morning was stony idlies, and watery sambar, (a state of consciousness)
I got to work, using my fork, I cut up the idlies, into small pieces, and flooded the plate with the watery sambar, within a few minutes the sambar became thick, the idlies became soft, and tasted great. ( an altered state of consciousness was realised)

Maybe this can be the way of changing situations, which are possible, and leave the rest to Nature, to make alterations of those beyond.

P. S.
Simple lessons can start at the table, before moving on to understand them at philosophical lectures.

A seat below and behind the waterfall.

 It was a bright and warm sunday morning, and a solo trip to Kodiveri waterfall was on the mind, from two days back.

The backpack was set in order, bathroom slippers, spectacles case, shorts, towel, water bottle, cap, wallet and mobile.

There was a spring in the step, and a bounce in the heart, as I knew the place to board and change, I reached the check dam and spillover waterfall at a quarter to noon.

With thoughts of fish on my mind and tongue, it was the priority before the first of the multiple baths.

Finding a fish stall with no customers, and two very elderly ladies in their seventies ready to take on customers, I sat on the polyester make shift carpet to suit wet trousered and sand stuck slippered bathers.

For now I will over simplify the fish dishes as a relishment between the visits to the fall and back.( leaving a special review for them later)

The spillover waterfall across the breath of the Bhavani river, is breath taking to the vision, and a suffocation on the breath when you are under it, by its force and your emotions.


Every visit, the fall is different, as the quantity varies, and also the area where the water spills.

This time I managed to find some rocks behind some falls, which were like seats.

You can imagine, a seat under a waterfall direct, and others behind it, and u see the fall before you, while getting drenched. (Normally most stand at a fall.)

The time spent was three odd hours, so the time table was half an hour, fish stall, half an hour bath, three times, some minutes spent shuttling between the stall and water front.

I was at the state highway bus stop at 4 pm.
( last two kms walk, like the start)

These words are typed in notes, on the public transport on the national highway, enjoying the breeze and passing country side by the window seat.

A few more kms to my next change over, on the way Home.  

ReplyForward

Who is WHO, to decide what is what?

 The same line seems to be coming up again and again, as a title for an article, it is just that it can be seen from different angles.

Just say, we are a gathering of medical Doctors, discussing a topic, (say hypertension)
It's biochemistry, clinical picture, pharmaceutical preparations available, pricing, prevention, and the like.

How it would be if we have people of other health care systems ( Y, U, S, H,) sit along, and discuss it on our terms, not theirs, ours  ?

Even reading it could be nauseating.

Now imagine if, in the gathering we have politicians, philanthrophists, bankers, biologists, zoologists, computer engineers, and others, discussing our subject, and telling us what to do, would we sit and accept, or move?

Now let us centre on WHO, and the team that leads the present pandemic crisis, how many belong to our profession?

When did they last see a patient?
Who pays them? What do they get in return, for their ruling?

Why should we agree to the words of another, to a subject we take pride in reading, practicing, and building with such difficulties?

The trust by the public on us is being eroded, and the blame of the misdeeds are being borne by us.... A pity.

It could be the same with all professions, this is mine.