The lifestyle continued for two years. When my 2nd year exams were going on, I noticed that I could hardly write because of pain due to swollen knuckles. I skipped that year’s exams completely as I started suffered from swelling in different joints in my body. In the morning if my left shoulders hurt and swelled up, by afternoon I would see my right knee hurting and swelling up. Within a few days, I was bedridden and I could not move a finger due to pain.
I did not inform my parents initially thinking they would be worried and I went to an Allopathic doctor near my college with my friend’s help to find out what was wrong with me. He said I was having rheumatic fever! He told me, (even to this day, I wonder why that doctor was so unkind to say this to me) that he doesn’t see a good prognosis for my condition. He told me having rheumatic fever at this stage could mean spending my later years on a wheel chair, as my heart valves might stop functioning, and I might not be able to marry or have kids. I was asked to be on Penicillin injections for the rest of my life.
I was petrified, depressed and felt like my world crashing in front of me. My friend, who came with me to the doctor, called up my parents and shared with them every word the doctor said. They got petrified too. My father rushed to the hospital where I was admitted and asked me to go back home to take Ayurvedic treatment. But the doctor insisted I take the first Penicillin shots as my stage was worsening. My father was reluctant to allow this and yet, he agreed as he could not see me suffering.
I went home and decided to try Ayurveda. I was bedridden for 6 months. I had to take a break from college and study the texts myself. I had traction from my neck up and my hips down and I could not even hold a pen or a book to read, My mum was patient enough to read the shlokas and chapters to me and I would memorize them lying on the bed. I was on Ayurvedic medicines and food and also did body treatments to bring my mobility back slowly. My friends and relatives would come to visit me and I used to make everyone read out books for me, to give rest to my mum. I slowly started seeing differences in my swelling and pain in a few months. Six months later, I could play my favourite sport – badminton!! Touchwood, I did not have any relapse and got cured completely – thanks to Ayurveda!
In spite of Ayurveda running in my blood, I never knew it could cure diseases completely unless I was faced with a situation with my own health. Of course, since childhood, I had seen people waiting in long queues for hours in front of my house to take my father’s consultation and I knew something was working, but never really got convinced until I got cured myself with Ayurveda. Ever since, I am the biggest propagator of Ayurveda. If I could do it, anybody can! The learning and experience I have from my own life is bigger than any Ayurvedic text I have studied!
