I Believe..

Everyday I learn,

From those around me,

From the moments I walk through

From what I saw,

From what I did,
From what I did not,
From failures and success,

From what I experienced,
From u and from everyone around,

And...

I grow.

I believe that to grow & flourish u need to learn and to learn u need humility... making humility the most vital attribute in the growth of a person

Randomness

Wrote This as a comment on this awesome post "The poet of your own life" http://comesitbymyfire.blogspot.com/2010/11/poet-of-your-own-life.html at the blog of Relyn http://comesitbymyfire.blogspot.com/ ..thought I would share it with my readers here on the blog..so posting the comment with a few edits (I hope it's fine with u Relyn...if not please let me know)

The poems I do not write are the one's which are kept as memories cherished...of moments, of sounds, of encounters I had...'cuz I lived in those moments as me..through my joy, my sorrow, my laughter and my tears and forgot to pen 'em into words, capture them in my camera or through my brush.... Instead, I caught 'em and weaved 'em into the fabric of my memory....which when I take out of closet some day to wear, bring to me smile and joy by reminding of the happy times that have gone by and of many more times that shall come my way again.

I Believe..

 I shall be as good as dead the day life ceases to be wondrous no more to me.

Just like that

Many a times in life, I feel like a scared little child and this world feels like a scary monster out of those childhood bedtime horror stories, those are the times when I remember the day of my first stage performance as a dancer...

                  I was a 6 yrs old, fat, terribly shy yet confident dancer, who was aware that she danced only for the love of dancing and yet there I was, my tiny little self, standing under the spotlight before an Auditorium filled with people..aware only of those countless staring eyes and a numbing fright. I do not know for how long I stood there..frozen, contemplating  If I should run away and whether my feet would be strong enough to carry me away if I decided to run. And then, I heard the music on which I was to perform and I felt the warmth of rhythm spread through me thawing away the numbing fright. In that moment I closed my eyes, forgot everything else and just let the music take over.

                                I still don't remember what I danced that night, whether I managed to get the correct moves at the right beat. Infact I'd danced with my eyes closed for the first few minutes but even for the time while I danced with my eyes open, I hardly remember seeing or hearing anyone. I stopped when the music stopped and practically ran away back stage the moment I heard people clapping. For the next half an hour, I was shaking and my heart beat was probably loud enough to be heard by human ears. I was living the fright which I had overcome with the help of music on stage.
               Finally when I calmed down, I turned around to ask my teacher how I'd performed and she replied "Superb" adding " I am proud that u stood up your ground and danced, Instead of running away". I was shocked that how could she know what I was feeling, she'd probably seen the question in my eyes 'cuz she said "I was a little girl standing on the stage first time like u too once. We all have to fight our little fears before we can rise up and dance away to glory."
                                
                        While growing up and walking through the roads of life, I have come across many days like that one on the stage, When I have stood frozen with fright, facing uncertainties, feeling as tiny and as scared as I had done then and every time I remind myself of the lesson I learnt that night
                        
                        
" I close my eyes and forget the world.. Instead I open my eyes to the moment and I do whatever I wish to do right then.. In those moments I live life beat by beat, following the rhythm of my convictions. I live for myself. It's not like I am not scared in those moments, It's just that I decide to live out my fears, rather than giving in to them. I fight that fear by overpowering it by doing something that I love doing. I turn to the strength that lies within my heart....Not to win or loose, but to just live through that moment..'cuz in the end what matters more than how bad or good u were is how much u enjoyed and loved what u were trying to do"

नज़्म

के कहीं खो ना जाये राहगीर कोई,

फिर उन्ही राहों पर चलते चलते , 

जिनमे हम भटकते रहे उम्र भर

के मिल जाये किसी थके भटके राही को,

इनकी छाव में चंद लम्हों का सुकून 

इसलिए इन "नज्मों" में हमने अपने क़दमों के निशान छोडें हैं|

"मेरी ज़िन्दगी"

बढते हुए कभी

कभी थमे हुए, थके क़दमों से,

उठते हुए कभी

कभी गिर कर संभलते हुए,

उड़ते हुए कभी

कभी सहम के सिसक कर,

हँसते हुए कभी

कभी आसुओं का हाथ थामे,

खुशी के साथ कभी

कभी ग़मों की सिलाई से,

बुनती हूँ मै ताना बाना

एक नन्ही सी नज़्म का

जिसका नाम है

"मेरी ज़िन्दगी"

ओहड़े फिरुंगी जिसे

जब तक चलूंगी इस ज़मी पर

और छोड़ जाउंगी उतार कर

एक यादगार की तरह 

जिस दिन,

निकलूंगी फिर एक नयी दुनिया के सफ़र पर| 

I Believe..

I began writing this post as a comment on the blog of my dear friend Adee's post on his blog delhidreams fan page on Facebook  (http://delhidreams.blogpost.com)  .

The post was a quote by Zelda Fitzgerald "Nobody has ever measured, not even poets - how much the heart can hold"
 the comment I posted was
                          "  heart is a vessel with no end..and when it can't take the pain anymore and breaks..it scars not just a soul but also the fabric of life of which that soul is an integral part..unleashing a grief that is hard to be damed and cracks which hardly ever get resealed..."


I believe...that love can help heal and keep this enormous vessel strong...So fill it with as much love as u can...wipe away those tears which carry with 'em sorrows unbound through a few kind words, a small gesture, a mere smile and help make this fabric of life a beautiful robe...so that when some day your vessel might not be able to take it anymore, You can wrap around that robe and let the warmth and comfort of it heal the welling grief. 

Fear

In the Nights dark and cold,

While the world silently sleeps,

I lie in darkness, 

screaming within..

afraid, 

not of nightmares,

but of desires and dreams..

screaming at me,

Urging me to grab on to their open arms,

While I,

chained to the world and duties,

lie helplessly twisting and turning,

watching 'em drift afar

I Believe..

Creativity is my bane..because like a hungry raging tide it comes to me sweeping me away in it's wake..raging ceaselessly until I willingly succumb and drown into it's depth uncertain of when I shall resurface again..and still I happily give into this bane..like a a young bird who jumps off the tree into the unknown..uncertain of whether itr will hit the bottom or it shall rise up and fly away to the skies unknown..certain only of a joy within..joy of the warm hope that it might rise and fly high and far away to it's freedom.

Only for You

And if I were to ever bow down
and ask,
just one thing off life..
I would ask,
not for me..but for thee all the joys of life
'cuz in your smile lie hidden,
 all the treasures of my life.

I Believe..

A poem begins... when a soul lying dormant beneath the labyrinth of the human facade is stirred...it's not a mere collection of words, it's an emotion generated from the depth of a being.

A poem in short is the essence of humanity..the ability to feel, understand and respond to an impulse/emotion, as against a mere primal instinctive response.

I Believe..

It's our choices that make us Human Beings...even animals have survival instincts.

I Believe..

With every new life that begins..

Nature, reminds us of Magic...

The magic of creation...

The magic of existence...

The magic of being alive...

The magic that we have within....

The magic that each one of us has the potential to create, by the virtue of doing .

I Believe..

Every idea is born, to....




breathe, 


grow,

live and


flourish

some where...some day.


So, believe in your ideas, let them breathe, grow & take flight under the care of your belief & let them flourish on the wings of your care.

Randomness

My life in a nut shell...

I am a ship,
floating away anchor less in the sea..
I run into storms..
I float over calm waters..
Unaware of  the sands of the shore that awaits me..

I drift on and on......

I Believe..

  

In stillness I find peace but not the answers that I seek...Or  may be the peace reigns because in stillness I let the questions be , without seeking for answers that might be

Randomness

Moonlight
.
Open roof diner
..
Candle-lights
...
Saxophone playing in background
....
wine in hand
......
aroma of bar-be-que in the air
........
dancing through the night in your arms
..............

dream on...dreaming is still tax free..dream on girl.

I Believe..

Every spoken word...every random deed...every chance encounter...every touch leaves an imprint on the sands of time...by leaving behind a memory in the hearts and minds of the one's we touch while walking through the journey of life.

             And even when this life fades away and we cease to exist...a part of that life..how soever tiny continues to live on..as the memory of our deeds, our action...at times passed on as a word of kindness, at times remembered with fondness & gratitude, at times quoted as an example of a good deed...& thus through the fabric of time...We live on through our deeds.



 It doesn't mater how long a life we life, what matters is how we live the life, that we lived, even if for a few moments.


These words of Ben Jonson, are the gist of what i wrote above,


 A lily of a day,

Is fairer far in May,
Although it droop and die that night,
It was the plant and flow'r of light.
In small proportions we just beauties see;
And in short measures, life may perfect be.

Randomness

 For no reason, that I can think of, I just recalled the last day of my MBBS curriculum today..the last of all the many countless exams that we had given over the duration of 4 yrs during our medical journey. It may be hard for you to understand the post if you are not a medico..so I'll describe in brief, what our academic year is like..before moving on to why I began writing this post.

I had hardly started with the academic year when I found myself staring face to face with an exam at the other end of the fortnight. I forgot the count of exams by the time I was 6 months into the 4 yr long course...All that I can recall is a blur of the nervousness, the tension, the madness, the fear of the unknown, the fear of Murphy's law of medicine..the topic u forget to read out of the 15 odd books will be the one the Examiner will remember to ask, the sleepless nights before every exam and the reminder of the next one all ready to grasp u...in between these exams was packed up our whole life, the moments of fun, longings, bonding between colleagues riding the same boat, gossips, lack of sleep, disappointments, successes & never ending fatigue..

                    And then, there comes the day, about which I mentioned at the beginning of the post..the day of the last exam and when the last exam ended..I returned back..got through the routine of the post examination discussion..got back to my room..fell into senseless sleep from all the accumulated fatigue.

                              And then when I woke up...with mind all alert and geared up to begin the preparation for the next exam...I came face to face with the void...the blank...of no more exam...In that moment, I realized that it's all over (atleast for a year or so till the Post Grad entrance exams begin)..For sometime I laughed at the MBBS monster..that finally I made it alive out of it's clutches, in one piece, in one go...and then the world came crumbling down with the emptiness settling in..I did not know what to do in those few moments, I could not understand what all those 4 years had been about...having surrounded myself with the pseudo heaven of studies, work, college & exams..I forget for a few moments all the plans lying written on a piece of paper, during those hours when I had madly wanted all this to end...I remember crying, trying to understand the emptiness that I was feeling..It was definitely not what I dreamed I would feel when I made it to the biggest day of my life.

                                  Today, I realize that that emptiness was not a void of helplessness...but the emptiness of having found what I had started out for...a state of bliss..a state which can only be achieved, after having, loved, lived and having worked hard for a dream, I had dreamed...Those were the moment of bliss I had earned...bliss that I now know I shall never find again in life, after having entered and seen the grind of professional medicine...that pure feeling of becoming a doctor, the dedication to serve, to heal, the pure exaltation of a child who had dreamt of reaching out to the sky and pulling down the stars and in those few moments..something within the child knew that she had caught her star...something that had given her a few moments of peace, hoping that those moments would help her last through a lifetime of hell....

                                                      Wish I could find that certainity again.

Randomness

Quiet Saturday Morning
..
...
Bob Marley
...
....
Cup of Hot and Steaming Coffee
....
.....
Favorite Pair of Old Faded Denim and T's
.....
.......
Canvas, Paints and brushes
.......
........
Paper, Ink and Fountain Pen
.........
...........
DSLR and Pics
..............
..................
The day this comes true..I'll know I accidentally lost my way and found heaven.

I Believe..

Whenever looking around the world & all that's happening in it..I feel like loosing faith in humanity..I remember the look I had seen in the eyes of this 6 month old baby, when I was cannulating him..from the depth of those I could see staring back at me an unconditional surrender..the surrender of trust & faith in another human being, in the humanity that the soul of that child could perceive...That look has always stayed with me & in the moments of darkness..has given me hope to rise up & walk towards th light..'cuz  I could never let down the faith of that little child

I Believe..

Even in the darkest of the human soul lies in a tiny little corner, a part untouched by darkness...filled with the purity with which it was born.

I Believe..

Poetry is a soul laid naked....The sensuality of the raw flesh is what makes it so beautiful.

Contraception - 2

In the last post I'd talked about the Barrier methods of contraception. This post is dedicated to Hormonal methods of contraception.

As I had explained in the last post, contraception is achieved by preventing the sperm & the egg from meeting or if the meeting has taken place, then from preventing the mated egg & sperm to settle down in body & grow up into a baby.

For the entire reproductive process in human body, both males & females, certain hormones are essential. In women these hormones rise & fall with different phases of monthly cycle. The timely & adequate rise & fall is essential for the normal functioning of cycle. Imbalance between these hormones leads to menstrual irregularities or scanty or heavy cycles & Infertility. So it is essential that these hormones remain in balance.

The Two most important hormones of female reproductive cycle are Estrogen & Progesterone.The interaction between these to decides the time when egg is released & if fusion between egg & sperm takes place, they condition the Uterus to receive the fused gamete & help it grow.

All the Hormonal pills bring an imbalance between these two hormones & thus preventing fusion of the egg & sperms or else preventing the fused product to settle. But these drugs if taken without supervision & in inadequate or too high doses can lead to hormonal imbalances & menstrual irregularities. Thus these pills should be used with CARE, CAUTION & UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION ONLY.

I have seen cases where women who use Contraceptive pills to abort, ended up bleeding profusely, some even die before we can help them medically. At times improper consumption of pills leads to severe menstural irregularities, changes in hormonal cycles.

Contraceptive pills though have very high efficacy in preventing pregnancy, there disadvantage lies in the fact that they DO NOT offer any protection from sexually transmitted diseases. So while using OCP's you should make sure that your partner is using a Condom.

Currently Hormonal pills are used as-

Oral Contraceptive Pills - to be used daily, as directed by the doctor till the woman does not want to conceive. (Long term consumption of OCP has been associated with risk of breast cancer, so do make sure that you raise this concern with your doctor)

Emergency Contraceptive pills - Used as an emergency measure to prevent pregnancy within 72 hrs of having Unsafe Sex. These days due to heavy advertising, I-pills have become a convenient alternative for women to use after unsafe sex.This highly irresponsible & dangerous. In such circumstances, these pills be consumed only with consultation of a doctor.

Medical termination of Pregnancy in early weeks of pregnancy - We get a lot of patients in the OPD who come to us after having consumed drugs to abort & then ending up in emergencies or women who insist that we give them drugs to abort pregnancy irrespective of the age of gestation. A word of caution about this. Use of Drugs to abort should be done only with MEDICAL ADVICE, this is for the good of your own health & life.

As I have said before, don't get swayed by the massive Information that is available these days, Use that information Judiciously. Act Responsibly & Stay Safe.



(This post contains just basic medical information regarding Hormonal pills for general awareness. It is not intended as medical advice nor should it be taken so.
Kindly turn to your doctor in case of any queries regarding the above post.)

Haunted

Haunted,
I run
seeking an escape.

Haunted,
I turn around,
to stare into faces that are my own.

Haunted,
I wish to break free
and find an escape.

Haunted,
I break against,
the Iron bars of my cage.

Haunted,
I cry,
I bleed....

Beaten,
again by chains of love,
I give up in the end,
to lie again,
in the pool of my tears.
.
.
..
.
Haunted..
I shall rise again,
to seek my escape.

I Believe..

  

  

It's so easy to pretend & be good at something & get loved for that pretense...&  yet, it's so diffcult to be who u really are & be loved for that.

That is why,


 I walk,

in the shadow of the mask,

Never letting it fall,

'cuz behind the shadows,

beneath the gaiety,

lies a dark sorrow,

unspoken

unwept

unheard..

lying dormant, 

waiting to explode.

August 15th

                     A nation represents the collective soul of the Individuals who are it's Citizens & the State in which a nation is..is a reflection of the attitude that it's people have towards themselves & each other.

Why am I writing this post today?

Because...

It's August the 15th again---- The significance of the day---- It's The Indian Independence Day. What am I going to do for this occasion... I'll probably go to my hospital do the duty  while feeling a little pissed that It's Sunday this 15th Aug & I have been robbed of one of my 11 precious gazetted holiday (to be honest with the kind of work schedule I have the right to crib on loosing my holiday).

And No, I won't go ahead & buy the national flag (which kids go about selling on every traffic signal around this time in India) & wave it around or tweet facts about the greatness of India the nation or add a Patriotic status to my long line of FB status messages or listen to patriotic songs or sit back and discuss how everything starting from public administration to living conditions to law & order is on the down hill & curse the government & politicians for the rotten condition of Nation.

Why?? Here's the reason ---

I don't think how does it help..if we wear patriotism on our sleeves on one day, while shirking away from our responsibilities & duties as a citizen day in & day out. Where is the patriotism when we forget basic civic manners like forming queues, not spitting or peeing in public, respecting women & elderly people, obeying traffic laws, keeping our environment clean, judicious use of energy?

What good can come out of waving a plastic tricolor..which has been made & is being sold by children (who are the future of this nation) in factories when they should have been in schools, happily fed in families.

Should I feel proud to know
that I live in a country where still families throw away newborn girl child or worse kill a still unborn child 'cuz they want sons or wives are burnt for dowry or subjected to domestic violence ?

Where people are killed for marrying against the wishes of their family & these killings are termed Honor killings.

Where people discriminate against fellow human beings on caste, religion, region, discriminate enough to kill.

Where citizens are Indians on 15th Aug/ 26th Jan/ 2nd Oct & for the rest of the year they beat each other up for being North Indians, South Indians, Maharashtrians, Kashmiris, Maoists, Communists the list is unending.

Where citizens spend  more time finding innovative ways of by passing laws, evading taxes & using that money for bribes.

Where cricketers, actors & pseudo celebrities roll in luxury & soldiers, teachers, scientists & farmers are left unthanked for.

Where news is about earning TRP's rather than reporting facts.

Where elected representatives of the country fight tooth & nails with each other in the Parliament, spend more time staging walk outs & getting the house adjourned than discussing the problems of nation, spend crores in making statues & parks while millions die of mal-nourishment & hunger, where nothing lies above petty politics & earning the vote bank.

Where We The People elect Such leaders to rule us, what right do we have to crib?

The purpose of this post is not to criticize a nation that is the biggest democracy in the world over flowing with talent unlimited.. I fully realize that some of the things that I have mentioned above are rampant in every society..but then ours is the nation which stands on the premise of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The whole world is a single family)

               The purpose of this post is merely to show ourselves the mirror..to remind ourselves that --

The change will not happen by sitting in our homes, worrying about our comforts, refusing to accept reality as it is & waiting for someone else to come & clean our own backyard..To make the change happen we will have to shirk off our laziness, clean our minds & then pick up our brooms& clean up our backyards.

Let us be responsible people everyday of our life & celebrate patriotism everyday rather than make a hue & cry of it for a couple of days a year.

                                   Remember, The wall lies within your own mind.

Nemesis

I cannot turn around,
I cannot run away,
I cannot hide..

For me,
there lies no escape,

haunting me,
is a nemesis,
that is my own...
Not a shadow unknown.

The beseeching cry of my own soul,
mirroring,
the sighs of my bleeding innocence
lying stabbed,
with daggers wrought,
in the fire of the sins that were my own.

I Believe..

that the idea of an idea leading to the birth of another is the essence of true creativity.

Contraception - 1

This will not be a single post but a series of post about Measures of contraception & the sensible use of various Contraceptive measures available.

Contraception is simply referred to as any method by which a woman doesn't get pregnant while still being sexually active.

Methods of contraception are divided into

                                  - Reversible (woman can conceive soon after they stop using the method) 

                                  - Irreversible/Permanent (inability to conceive once the method has been used)

Reversible Methods can be of Various Types like Barrier methods (e.g. condoms), Hormonal (Oral Contraceptive Pills), Mechanical (Intrauterine devices like Cu-T).

Today's post will be focused on Barrier Methods.

Barrier Methods - As the name suggests, act as a barrier in preventing the egg & the sperm to meet thereby preventing Pregnancy from taking place.

The commonest Barrier protection method in use these days is the Male Condom (& yes female condoms do come, but they are very expensive, cumbersome to use & at times uncomfortable). 

Male condoms are the easily available, cheap,easy to use, safe & disposable contraceptive devices.

The added advantage of Condoms is that they prevent transmission of STD's & HIV infection.

But a few Things need to be kept in mind while using a condom. For that it's essential to understand that Condom is like a glove that covers the penis & the ejaculate containing sperm is collected in this glove thereby preventing it from spilling into vagina. For the Condom to function efficiently it is therefore essential that the condom is of right size, good quality and covers the penis completely, has space to collect the ejaculate & is intact to prevent the ejaculate from spilling accidentally & beating the purpose of the device.

Check-list before using a Condom -
- Press the tip of the Condom to remove air if any in the condom

- Before using just pour a gentle stream of normal water in it to check there is no leak.

- While removing after coitus make sure that there is no spilling of the ejaculate in vagina & also check the condom for any tear that might have happened during the act.

- In case of tear / leak in condom please make sure to I for your partner and get them to Consult a Obgy specialist.

- It increases the efficacy of condom if the female uses a spermicidal jelly, but this should be done in consultation with your OBGY specialist.

Using condom has no effect on the sensation of the sexually act as is commonly believed.

Also the latest condoms are free of the allergic reactions that sometimes used to occur with latex condoms.

But more important than knowing all this is Acting "Responsibly". It is very Important for sexually active Men & Women (of any age group) to "SAY NO TO UNSAFE/ UNPROTECTED SEX".

U should insist that your partner use a Condom while having sex, because AIDS/ STD's do not have any sexually preferences. They affect both the sexes & AIDS kills both men & women equally. If the partner has any reservations get him to talk to a doctor but donot give in to "Unprotected Sex" in any case.

Also, getting accidentally pregnant due to unprotected Sex, not only leads to emotional problems, apart from the toll repeated pregnancies & abortions to get rid of unwanted pregnancies take on the body of women.

I have seen countless patients go through the mental & physical trauma of the effects of such irresponsible acts, at times even leading to deaths.

I once had a patient, a young girl who got infected with HIV because she had had unprotected sex only once with her boyfriend because he refused to use Condom even when she Insisted, both being unaware that her Boyfriend was HIV +ve. There are many such stories that we as doctors come across daily, Incidents which ruin families & individuals.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT U CAN SAY NO and THAT ONE NO CAN SAVE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. So donot hesitate to make that choice. LEARN TO SAY NO.

I'll wrap up this post with this bit of Caution. We live in the age of Information, the motto of which is "if it's a question, it can be googled". But what can't be googled IS how to use that information correctly, this especially applies to Medical Information. The Information that is available online is what We doctors read all our lives in our books, but the reason why we have to slog 8-10 yrs of our lives becoming worthy consultants is so that we can decide which information is worth using for the welfare of our patients & which is not. My point is don't get swayed by the flood of information, at times too much information can kill.

I Believe..

There are some conflicts in life..that try as we might cannot be resolved..without leaving behind some scars..'cuz the answer to them lies in choosing the seemingly bad out of the worst choices that we have...but what makes the difference in the end is not the choice...but what we did with our choice... which at times even be to let go the choice & turn back up the road.

I Believe..

The thrill I get while doing a surgery is..the thrill of a fight...fight to kill a disease & help a life survive..there is no substitute for the feeling..there never will be... to be able to look into the eye of your patient (even if for a moment) & Say that you won the fight against the disease.


how so many lives I may help get better..but it will never feel the same being a doctor without being a surgeon.

Fighting Breast Cancer

I'm currently working in an Onco-Surgery clinic & since I'm dealing with cancer patients day in & out &  will be assisting Breast cancer surgeries today..I thought I'll talk a bit about the Cancer which is pretty common, carries best prognosis & survival rate if detected timely - Breast Cancer.

Breast Cancer if detected early is treatable in 95 % cases with excellent 5 yr survival rates.

All you need to do to make a mickey out of this dreaded cancer is a little timely caution. These are the following steps that can help :

- Any female above 18 yrs of age should do routine "Self-Breast Examination" every month on a fixed day 4- 5 days after Menses.

- For the examination
Stand In front of the mirror & first look at the shape & size of both the breasts.
Note any abnormality in the shape, size or symmetry of the breast, also look for any dimple or scarring in both the breast, any abnormality in the shape of the nipples or Discharge from them.

 Perform the above steps once with both your hands dangling by your sides & the with both your arms raised above your head.

After this palpate your breasts using your fingers tips trying to feel for any small nodules, hardness, pain or increase of temperature in any particular region of breast while doing so, Do Not hold the breast tissue b/w your hand & thumb ('cuz then u might confuse normal breast gland with a lump)..just go pressing your finger in a clockwise manner all over your breast.

Do this with hands down, then hands raised & finally try to feel any lump, nodule or hardness in your arm pits.

In case u find any change in size or asymmetry b/w the size of the two breasts or any nodule or hardness Please visit your Gynaecologist ASAP.

- After the age of 25 yrs it is advisable to have a Gynec examine your breast at the interval of every 3 months.

- After the age of 40 It is essential that you at least get your breasts examined by a Gynaec once (Ideally we suggest 3 monthly clinical examination & Mammogram ever 2 yrs till the age of 45 yrs & then annually, but that choice is for your Gynaec to make)

- If you have a family history of breast diseases or breast cancer or Ovarian cancer (i.e. In your mother's family or siblings) It's advisable that you consult a Gynac every 3 months for a clinical examination because of the increased risk.

- Please keep in mind that every lump in breast is not cancer. There are many other diseases that can present with a breast lump, so do not Panic, but at the same time it is essential that your disease is evaluated and treated by a doctor at the earliest.

- The Risks of Breast cancers are high in Patients who have:

•  used Oral Contraceptive Pills for long,
•  consume High fatty diet, 
• Have had Previous breast disease,
•  Have had a family history of Breast cancer, 
• Repeated exposure to radiation,
•  In smoking, alcoholic women or women who do not have kids or have not breast feed.

Such patients should be more cautious during examination.

- And for those of you guys who are lolling away at this post--- Breast cancer occurs even In men so be on your look out.

Breast cancer If diagnosed Timely, can be easily treated & Patient can lead a Normal life for long.

It's never harmful to be Cautious...So Give yourself a chance..Spread the word to as many people as you can...Help Us fight Breast Cancer.

"Prevention is better than Cure"

I am sure everyone of u readers have come across the above advice time & again. Generally we laugh this advice off, but as a Doctor I can tell u that Prevention is not just better than cure...at times it's the ONLY cure.

And when not the only cure Prevention is any day better than falling sick, feeling ill, getting a battery of tests done (in the process getting pricked & poked by countless needles) & then eating bitter medicine....So when it can be prevented, a disease should be prevented.

Since It's Monsoon season going on currently, which increases frequency of water borne, food borne & mosquito borne diseases...I'll try to line out a few basic precautions which can be of help.

Water-Borne diseases are diseases that spread due to consumption of dirt/contaminated water e.g. Typhoid, Jaundice, cholera etc.

Preventive measures :  Avoid drinking water from unsafe sources.

                                       At home boil water (best form of water purification) or use water Purifier (when    using Purifier, make sure you get it serviced as per manufacturer's guidelines).

                                       Make sure that you handle drinking water with clean hands & the water containers are covered.

                                       Consult a doctor for vaccine Preventable water borne diseases like Typhoid, Hep A (in case of epidemic)

                                        In case you notice bad smell or change in color in the your water, do notify the MCD administration of your area & your housing society. Do get your Over head storage tanks cleaned regularly.

                                         Avoid using swimming pools unless sure of their cleanliness during rainy weather.

Food Borne diseases that spread by contaminated food like gastroenteritis & diarrheal illnesses etc

Preventive measures :    Avoid eating uncooked/ poorly cooked/ stale food during rainy season.

                                     Avoid eating street food/ at mass gatherings.

Mosquito borne diseases are the disease which are transmitted through mosquitoes e.g. Malaria, Dengue, Chickengunya etc.

Preventive measures:    Wear clothes that cover your entire body/ otherwise Use mosquito repellents (trust the repellent is better than popping bitter Quinine Tablets ask anyone who's taken the tabs once)

                                     Make sure that no water accumulation takes place in your surrounding areas..Clean out the coolers/ add oil to them. Keep a look out for any bottles or jars or pots where accidental water might get accumulated (this helps to prevent mosquito breeding)

                                      In case of open drains notify the MCD & getting them to cover up the drains or else take a community cleaning drive & weekly pour an oil layer on open drains/ consult the local authorities for pesticide sprays.

                                      In case of high grade fever with chills & shivering associated with vomiting headaches, joint pains or red spots over body, CONSULT a doctor IMMEDIATELY (because certain types of malaria & Dengue can kill as fast as they can be cured If diagnosed timely).  

To sum it up, a bit of timely Caution never kills. It's your life, It's your health, So Take a little bit of time and work to Keep yourself healthy...Enjoy .

(P.S. Precautions are not a substitute for doctors and medicines...so please make sure you take appropriate medical advice while taking precautions.)

I Believe..

                                                            Only I can set myself free...
                                                            Only I can bring myself to peace...
                                                            and I refuse to yield the key...
                                                            Damning myself to this cage of pain.

I Believe..

 My life would be a cake walk If I had even a wee bit clue of what I actually wanna do with it out of all the things I wanna do in it...


                          Countless dreams on wings,
                          all restless to take a flight.....
                          Thousand sprouting thoughts,
                          arising daily from burning desire...
                          At the , juncture of these countless winding paths I stand...
                          searching for the one,
                          on which I shall lay my feet on.






Unknown, hidden behind some corner...like a ray of light waiting to break through from behind the clouds...lies a story waiting to be written as my life's own ... there it shall lie, waiting for me till I walk out of the darkness of my uncertainty into it's light.

Dedicated to the Weekend of my Dream

It's Friday..which spells approaching weekend in any normal person's dictionary...but being a Doctor & one who's preparing for her Post Graduation..It spells nothing more than work in my dictionary....So, as usual I'm buried in work ..some that I love, some that I detest & some which should never have been a part of my life at all (if only life had asked for my opinion)
                                   
                                   But, neither life, nor work can stop me from at least fantasizing about the weekend of my dreams (trust me U need to be a doctor to be able to dream about a weekend like it's a rare piece of stone to find)...


                                   I wanna begin my dream weekend with the happy feeling of TGIF on Friday evening...with a calm quiet end to the Friday, when I can sleep late reading, listening to music, drinking & hanging out with the moon all night till I sleep off to dreams...& wake up without the crappy sound of an alarm cutting short my sleep prematurely (there is no feeling as refreshing as being able to sleep, knowing u need not wake up to any waiting deadline in morning).....& a hot cup of coffee &cozy lil breakfast to give a cozy start to the most beautiful day in the week Saturday...If I could have it my way..I would spend my Saturday morning painting, followed by shopping (& road side shopping at that) & a late lunch followed by a movie, then strolling the streets taking pics to usher the evening in & then checking out some cultural events & winding up my Saturday outing with a dinner before heading back home to some more music, writing & painting & sleep.
                                        
                                  For the Sunday ( I generally get a gloomy feeling by the time It's Sunday evening, thanks to the overlooking Monday)..so, I'd love to go start the day with trekking...end it up with lovely Sunday brunch & Siesta...& then head off to a bookstore & beat my Sunday evening blues with the company of books, music & soothing coffee....& finally bid Adieu to my dear weekend for another week of body & soul killing work with sleep.


                                    And now it's time to bid adieu to the post & the reader (if any who managed to reach till the bottom after reading through the mammoth post) & get back to the real world of no weekend only work & long sighs.


                                                       R.I.P Dear dream weekend till I find you.

I Believe..

It's not the weakness of our will but the bond of our love which chains us to the one's we love, that hurts us....and such is the Strength of this love.....that one can go on enduring this pain in silence,  not once but time again,  rather than walking away free, leaving behind the one's we love in pain.....

                                                   While we shall endure

                                                    A thousand silent tears,

                                                    countless bleeding wounds..                     

                                                    multitudes of pain..

                                                   which

                                                   shall all lay forgotten,
                                                   beneath that precious smile...
                                                   which is the ray of light..
                                                   that enlightens the darkness of life.
  
                                                                        
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                    
                                                      

                                                          

                                                  

                                                   

                                                   

I Believe..

Wind merely wishes to flow...unaware of what it leaves behind, what it puts down, what it carries forward...unaware of the lives it touches, unaware of the events it sets in motion....it just flows 'cuz of it's inherent inability to stay still, 'cuz of it's inability to settle down...it flows to find it's own peace.....So do I.

                  

                                              

I Believe..

Setting people up for treasure hunts & watching them stumble is Life's way of adding spice to it's own existence


              We can play along, stumble & rise up again & Spice up our own existence 

I Believe..

Dreams are the first step on the road to make things happen... the pursuit of the dreams is the second step...but the toughest step is to pursue those dreams with the determination that is needed to turn them alive in this world, that we live in....
             People console themselves or are consoled by others, by saying dreaming is half the task done...pursuing is having lived the dream.....But the truth is that dreaming isn't getting us anywhere, neither is pursuing....It's only holding on to that determination that matters..to make it or break it....


I dream, I decide to pursue, I know I have the strength to make it, within but I lack the determination & discipline to hang on to the pursuit......I'm a failed dreamer...I am a mere yarn weaver.

I Believe

The beauty of life lies in tiny little moments which are playing in tiny little corners.....While we run around the world searching for happiness, it is all around us hidden in our actions....Stop for a moment, Take a deep breath & Look all around you...Smile & Spread the smile...reach out with a helping hand, try & share someone's pain....& You shall find the treasure chest of happiness in your own hands.

A free bird

One fine day,
I'll simply vanish, 
leaving behind no trace, 
other than, 
just a memory, 
then slowly that memory shall also fade away...
                       like the wisps of hanging smoke.... 






Still,
somewhere,
high up in the sky,
far far away from all the world's cares,
                                                 free,
                                          unknown, 
                                     Un-beckoned....
                                           I shall fly


                                        Forgotten,
                                        by the rest,
                                        yet, still aware of myself,
                                                             of my dreams,
                                                             of my desires,
                                                             of my choices...


                                                             known only to myself,
                                                                          like a free bird
                                                                          I shall fly ,
                                                                          in the open sky,
                                                           in pursuit of my peace
                                                           spreading wide,
                                                           the wings of anarchy that burns within