Old ailments, new measures-Part 2

>>> Continued from Part-1 <<<

On Saturday we went there. Now that Chinese doctor didn’t know English. He had a female assistant (can’t exactly be called nurse) who translated Chinese to English back and forth. Now with my 15 yr old migraine history, even they were surprised. But I didn’t care about migraine. I was so much used to it. I wanted to sleep.

The doctor checked my pulse and asked me, through the translator if I get tired very easily. And I was about to tell him my blackout sessions, breathing trouble and palpitations, but instead just said “yes”. And then he explained why it was. As per Allopathy, “insomnia” is a neurological disease. But as per Chinese medicine, insomnia is related to problems with heart and spleen.

And hearing this we both looked at each other. Now does that mean that my blackout sessions are due to a weak heart? God, if at all I had anything weak on my body, certainly it WASN’T my heart, anyway. It would be more precisely my spine or discs? If I was weak-hearted then I wouldn’t have reached here!! . I screamed mentally. I am not even thirty and does this mean that I am going to have a heart attack? After explaining the 45 min session of acupuncture along with Chinese medicinal teas to be taken-, which they told, will be covered by medical insurance, she asked if I wanted a session now. And I said YES. What I didn’t know that how it was going to be done.

I have read that they used fine needles and it didn’t cause pain. On a room inside the clinic, lying on my back, I was not at all scared. I felt like lying down for a facial! Now this doctor, tore open a box marked “acupuncture needles” and after cleaning my skin with spirit, started inserting them into my head, first! [There ended my facial feeling] Literally it was more like hammering – he would just prick the skin and then with a slight knock on the top of needle it will be hammered into my whatever nerve endings that caused migraine and insomnia. (Later, he told me that because of my particular(!) condition, he treated me for both!).

And soon I realised one thing, whoever told me that acupuncture didn’t hurt, actually was lying! It hurts. Come on- they are all 1.5-inch needles. And can you guess how many needles were hammered into my whole body? 12!!! At first I felt pain, then I felt as though I am fainting, then finally I felt sleepy- yea, I did feel sleepy!


The sole witness to my needling- who was also the master-brain behind all this exercise, must have felt bad for me with all those needles stuck all over my body. Because he came to me and asked with a worry “Does it hurt? It looks like it hurts.” I told him- yes, slightly. But to be honest, I had faith in Chinese medicines. So I didn’t mind lying down with all those 12 needles poking me for 45 minutes, making me look and feel like “Bheeshma in Sarasayya (pincushion ) - as in Mahabharatha. And I even thought of asking my hubby to take a photo of me in “sarasayya” so that I can see how I look and may be post in blog! LOL…. But seeing worry written in his face, I decided to put that idea aside!

What happened after 45 minutes in “sarasayya” and what about the “medicinal tea”- on my next blog!

Old ailments, New measures-1

It has been a very long time since I wrote something. No I am NOT down with work. I am (was) down with something else. My migraine returned with a vengeance once it felt sure that my slipped disc was better. Now should I be thankful that they attack me only in a mutually exclusive way? I wonder if they have an understanding between each other. Any way finally my husband asked “Do you have any special gene in your body that particularly attracts diseases, one after another?” The migraine attack had gone too bad that I had to end up in ER due to non-stop vomiting. Now THAT needed four injections a day, not to mention seventy euros of medicines.

But things didn’t end there. After that horrible migraine session, I didn’t know that another disease/condition was on its way to me – nothing but insomnia. I stopped sleeping. I would lie with wide-open eyes till 5 am in the morning. First I tried to sleep. Then I stopped even trying. [Now there is some history here. I am a nocturnal being by birth. My dad used to call me “fox” because he used to say that I “hunt” at night. Physically and mentally I will be more alert at night and very groggy at day. May be, that explains why I forget what I was talking in the middle of a sentence, which is very common now a days!!].

Anyway my husband didn’t label me as “fox” and leave me on my own with my nocturnal hunting-habit. He had a wonderful (!) idea of trying alternate medicine, so that I wont be drugged to sleep. And he chose “acupressure”. Yes, that’s right, the Chinese type of acupuncturing with needles on certain nerve endings. Now, honestly I want to believe that his intention was good, and that he didn’t think about taking revenge on me for my non-stop talking and that he didn’t remember the age-old issues I have with any kind of needles on my body.

My migraine is 15 yrs old and runs in my family. Every female in my mom’s side has it, and we all suffer from identical symptoms with my aunt and myself competing for the top. My mom and my cousin (aunt’s daughter) come second. We all tried Allopathic, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic medicines. And I am sure if we had authentic Chinese therapists in India, we would have done that too.

So, when my husband suggested Chinese medicine, I was ready- anything to get a good night’s sleep because I was really developing problems tracking the thread of my conversation. Now, last week I cancelled two appointments. Finally it was decided that this weekend we (in fact I) would try acupressure no matter what happens.

And thus the much-expected day came, when we went to the Dr & Herbs clinic.

I will tell my experience, there in next blog…

A 27 yr old Fantasy!

My dad had lots of friends who were working in Dubai. Also my sister’s (cousin) dad was in Dubai,too. So we had one of those silver colored Sony stereo cassette player that blinked light green lights according to the beats of the songs (in the cassette) playing. I was just 3 yrs old when I would look at that blinking beats for hours without anything to eat or drink. The year was 1980, and it was the boom of Disco. Apart from Boney M and ABBA, the one song that made the blinking lights go wild (and me too!) with beats was this song…
Disco Deewane – Nazia Hassan.



Even at the young age of 3 , I could evaluate the beauty of the woman pictured in the cover of that cassette (see the pic above?).
Wow! How much I loved to look like her when I grew up. I loved her everything. I loved the way she held the mike. I loved the way the light made her brown hair go red (I still have fascination for red hair, though I see lots here in Ireland-original and colored!). I even loved her khaki dungarees and the way she held her hair in a lose braid, with a slight tilt. I badly, badly wanted to be her.

Of course my 1.5 yr old cousin didn’t share my fantasy to become Nazia Hassan. So I was left alone in my fantasy world of me singing with the blinking lights, when I grow up. (It was one of the many fantasies I am thankful, that never came true!). I think I shared the awe till I went to proper school when I was six, and found my self bombarded with more things much intriguing than Nazia Hassan.

But as childhood thingies never fade off completely, now when I am nearly 30, I had this déjà vu, of Nazia Hassan, which made me google her name last Friday. I was shocked to find that she passed away in 2000, at 35 yrs of age, still angelically beautiful! I got some of her songs from Pakistani music sites.



I almost cried when I came to know that she passed away in 2000. And now my ipod and computer plays only Nazia Hassan songs(at least, till I get over that!). Another tribute to my 27 yrs old fantasy!

Hare Krisna Island-Part 2

Hare Krisna Island-Part 1





Lake Erne rippling against Inis Rath Island.



A fluke photo, again by me, on our way to Cavan,the previous dusk.




Vrindavan welcoming spring


Vrindavan welcoming spring and me....


A picture inside the Hare Krishna Ashram, that touched me most....its was breathtakingly beautiful!





Vrindavan in spring, again!




I think humans haven't set foot in this area, at least!



We took this using a timer-set mob cam placed in a tree-branch and I was smiling at it, as though it was the most beautiful thing in this world!

I was even nudging hubby to smile cos he has difficulty in smiling at non-living things!!!!




Camera was in his hand, as you can see... me trying to get my face inside the frame!



When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. (W.Wordsworth)


The one thing (among others) I love Ireland is for tulips and daffodils!!!!


Thats me swinging my a** off..... (LOL)

My niece- date of entry- April4,2007

Shail aunty’s blog on her niece inspired me to write this. Actually I was planning to write this since last month. As I have mentioned earlier, I have a very close cousin, (whom I thought was really my sister, till I was 6 or 7 yrs old).



And now on April 4, 2007, she gave birth to a baby girl. Actually she was way due the proposed delivery date. In fact she was admitted to hospital one week before and was shuttling in and out of labour room, because the baby didn’t want to come outside, even after a number of shots for inducing pain.

I used to call her twice a day, and finally she told me “Chechi, I just want this baby to come out, some how. This child is teasing me even before its birth”.

And you know what happened?

We Hindus have a custom of looking forward to the star(constellations) in which new-borns come into this world. Now my cousin had her first labour inducing shot on Sunday. The star was “atham” (aka Hasta). So, we all thought the baby’s star will be “atham”. But she didn’t deliver.
Another shot on Monday – she didn’t deliver, star on that day was again “atham”.
Another shot on Tuesday – she didn’t deliver, star was “chithra”

On Tuesday evening I told her, “You know, why this baby is not coming. It’s because it is waiting for my star - chothi, which falls on Wednesday. Baby will come tomorrow.”

Next day, “chithra” ended on 11:20 am. She gave birth to a baby girl (contradicting scan results of being a boy!) at 11:30 am, to be born on my star “chothi” aka swati.

Now, my cousin says, she knows why the delivery got delayed by one week. And she very well remembers how I created difficult times to my mom, when I was young (and even now!). She told me innocently “Chechi you are right. I think this daughter of mine will give me tough times, just like you did to Valiamma(my mom)”

He…he…he…. And I laugh my heart out! And who is laughing more - my own mom!!

Rumour is that she told my cousin that she can give her valuable tips on “How to raise a girl born on “chothi” and still be sane!”

This is Divyashree:

DOB: April 4, 2007

Star: swati (chothi)

Job: Making her mom loose her marbles, by refusing to stop crying 24*7.

Results: Our neighbours who even saw us (sis and me) grow up say, that they haven’t seen this kind of cry-baby as long as they could remember.

Inis Rath Island - Part 1

Place: Inis Rath Island, N.Ireland, UK
Date: 20 Apr, 2007
Characters: Nature, me & hubby
Device: my camera




Inis Rath Island, N.Ireland , UK.


Inis Rath Island, N.Ireland , Co Fermanagh, UK.


Lough (Irish for "Lake") Erne , Co Fermanagh


Lake Erne, where Inis Rath Island stands


Lough (pronounced as lo-ck) Erne

Inis Rath Entrance from the Lake Erne.


Thats me...in water..well....almost


Pancha Pandava Trees - as they are called in the island.


Vrindavana- the whole island is called so.


The way towards the building...(or once-up-on-a-time palace).


Another part of Vrindavan..

Wondering how Indian Names came in Ireland?

krishna island


Note: As I am recovering from slipped disc, weight loss, migraine and reactions to all those prescription painkillers that I took for the issues mentioned, in a combined way, I am very much in a non active state. So, pls forgive my absence in your pages...I will be there in a slow but steady manner.

Bouncing back on my "back" , again!

I have lost count of the number of times, I bounced back in life after some accident or injury or trauma(mental,too!). And each time I surprise myself, by being happier than before. I can only thank God, who blessed me with that spirit in me. A lot of people have told me in the past that I am truly a strong survivor, but I didn’t believe it, till this moment – after my latest survival!

It has been one and half months, since I stopped working in office. Tougher times are always at the beginning and end, when at first you do not accept that you CANNOT work and at the end you are SCARED to get back to work. God! How constantly we resist changes in our lives!

There are lots of good things that happened during this ‘break’ I took. First, I started taking a course on creative writing, which makes me so happy and full - from inside my heart. Finally, after 29 years, I am studying something entirely for MYSELF and NOT to meet my parents’ or teachers’ or manager’s expectations or standards on me! WOW! What a wonderful bliss! You know happiness lies in NOT making others happy. It lies in making just yourself happy! A lesson I learnt, now!

So for all my friends who didn’t know what happened to me, I had a slipped disc again for the fourth time in last 4 yrs. Now the disc didn’t just slip and sat there. It started pinching the nerve (Sciatic nerve) that was near it, just like those naughty 4 yr old kindergarten boys. And the nerve got irritated and started annoying my brain. So, my brain just numbed my left side, starting from my left hip till ankle, through the leg. And here I was trying to use my left hip and leg, with no success! It is nothing serious, it always happens to me. So I know, when the pinching starts, and ends with numbness.

Ironically, the main problem I found was I didn’t have broadband at home. Can you imagine? Ireland, one of the richest countries in Europe and still do not have broadband coverage, in some of the exchanges (which included our exchange)? That was what irritated me, and I closed down my blog, because I just couldn’t drive or take the bus to an Internet café, to keep my blog active – at least when my doctor asked me NOT to sit or stand for long period.

Among other nice things that happened were, renewing my library card and reading ‘Memoirs of A Geisha’. I fell in love with that book again and again that I am still renewing it every two weeks, though I have finished reading it twice! My librarian gave me a huge, jute book-bag (with the name of the library printed on it) - when she saw me struggling with the weight of six hard-back books I carried each week. It was kind of funny. She must have thought I was really a bookworm.

When the relationship between my doctor and me reached a personal level, she recommended me this book – You Can Heal Yourself – by Louis L. Hay. (Www.LouiseHay.com). I am usually not into those self-help books, which says “You Can Be A Millionaire Within Two Months” OR “You can lose 30 pounds in two weeks”. I really think, each person is different and the ways that worked for one may not work for another - like prescription drugs!

But I should say that this book was wonderful. Though I reached only till Chapter 7, I must say that Louise knows what she is writing/teaching about. A wonderful book, especially when you are trying to bounce back into life!

So, that’s all what is happening now. I presume that I can start work from 15 May (which also happens to be my first anniversary day in Ericsson). And another ‘good’ thing - I lost 4 kilos, now hitting 48 kg, with bed-rest! And who said that you have to be ‘active’ to lose weight?

note: the pic is actually me swinging my heart out,in a kids' park,of course!

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