Dear Friends, It is Mr R. Sudhir who has given new hope and breathed new life in me in 2004 by making me aware of assistive technologies. As regards Aurvedic treatment, I have taken atleast 2to 3 rounds of treatmentfrom adoctor in the Govt College at Thiruvananthapuram Dr Santha Kumari. She had very correctly told far back in 1994, when I started observing a sudden fall in my eye sight that Aurvedic treatment will not cure my disease, but could slow down the rate of degeneration of retina. I honestly say that those rounds of treatment helped a lot in coming out of my gloom and deressive state of mind rejuvinate my body, improve my general health and enabled to to open my eyes in bright light without any irritation. No doubt, I have lost my central vision now, but can still distinguish between light and shade even after 14 years of me first noticing the fall in my eye sight in 1994. My intention in writing this piece is to make the needy aware of the availability of treatment in govt hospitals also, where a middle class person can bear the expenses.Treatment of R P is not confined to treating the disease, it extends to cover the overall health and more so of the health of the mind of the patient. Niranjan.B
On 2/5/09, Amarjit Powar <po...@shaw.ca> wrote: > Well, while living in Zambia, Africa, where my Optic Atrophy was diagnosed > by an East Indian doctor who was serving in Zambia as an expatriate Chief > cconsultant Opthamologist in those days, from the prestigious All India > Institute for Medical Sciences in New-Delhi, Dr. Krishan Lall, I was asked > to look at the sun for good 15 minutes through a pin-hole pricked through a > dark green leaf plucked every morning from any tree. -- just as long as it > was a dark green leaf. He had said it in no uncertain terms that the > ongoing medical research had proven that > Chlorophyll, any of a group of green pigments found on photosynthetic > organisms, as a breakthrough treatment to regenerate degenerating nerve > cells. He had said he had diagnosed the sister of a famous East Indian > cricket star in the early 70's, whose name has now skipped my memory, with > the same condition as mine and prescribed the same remedy. Now, wasn't that > quackery? (Broad Smiles) > > But you see, in your case, you were sniffing flowers in the morning -- > which is a technique used in aroma therapy -- and is believed to have a > therapeutic effect on the soul and mind. > Amarjit > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Subramani L" <lsubram...@deccanherald.co.in> > To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> > Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 1:54 AM > Subject: Re: [AI] Sreedhareeyam & Retinitis Pigmentosa. > > >> No one can go as comical as one of my "alternative therapist" was: he >> asked me to smel a particular flower every morning. Upon my mother's >> compulsion I did until I felt I would end up getting allergy of some >> sort and started to push the flowers silently under the kitchen sink. >> >> Subramani >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in >> [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Amarjit >> Powar >> Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 3:15 AM >> To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in >> Subject: Re: [AI] Sreedhareeyam & Retinitis Pigmentosa. >> >> Hello George, >> I too absolutely agree with Sudhir when he mentions, "What usually >> happens >> is that one is influenced by the positive vibes existing in their campus >> >> between the patients that makes one..." >> We all know it that RP does not have a treatment in any mode of any >> medicine >> as such. But the matter of the fact is that at times the heart won't >> accept what and when the tongue utters the truth. We will want to keep >> on >> searching for alternative therapies -- no matter how comical the course >> of >> treatment may be. It's a common everyday practice in virtually every >> corner >> of India to go to see "babas" for seeking their blessings for >> restoration of >> eyesights. More often than not, we cling onto old-age myths. But the >> cures/miracles , if any takes place, are mere coincedences. What do >> other >> listers think about my views? >> Amarjit >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "George Abraham" <geo...@eyeway.org> >> To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> >> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 10:20 PM >> Subject: Re: [AI] Sreedhareeyam & Retinitis Pigmentosa. >> >> >>>A good revealing note. Very useful. >>> >>> George >>> George Abraham >>> CEO >>> Score Foundation >>> Y-70, Lower Ground Floor, >>> Hauz Khas, >>> New Delhi 110016 >>> India >>> >>> Ph:+91 11 26852581, +91 11 26852559 >>> Fax:+91 11 26852559 >>> Mobile: +91 9810934040 >>> E-mail: geo...@eyeway.org >>> Website: www.eyeway.org >>> Eyeway Help Desk: +91 11 46070380 >>> For online donations: >>> http://www.giveindia.org/give/pledgepage/thescorefoundation >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Sudhir R (NeSTIT)" <sudhi...@nestgroup.net> >>> To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in> >>> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 11:54 AM >>> Subject: [AI] Sreedhareeyam & Retinitis Pigmentosa. >>> >>> >>>> Hi folks ! >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Been following the thread on Sreedhareeyam and thought I should share >> my >>>> experiences and observations, being a RP patient myself and one who >> has >>>> been associated with this institution since its inception. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> a) Sreedhareeyam has good treatments for eye disorders like >>>> hyper-myopia, astigmatism, etc. I have seen radical improvements in >>>> patients who are able to reduce the power of their eye glasses after >> a >>>> few bouts of in-patient treatments. But, here I should also mention >>>> that the eye exercises prescribed by the Arvind Institute for Perfect >>>> Sight, Thiruvananthapuram are equally good in bringing down >> refractive >>>> disorders. They hold camps for 2 weeks where they teach simple eye >>>> exercises designed to strengthen eye muscles and thus correct the >>>> curvature of the eye lens. Exercises include palming, following a >> ball >>>> as it bounces from one hand to the ground and catching it with the >> other >>>> hand, staring at the sun with eyes closed, staring at darkness and a >>>> lighted candle alternately etc. This hardly costs anything and can >> be >>>> continued in the privacy of one's home after the initial >> non-residential >>>> training. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> b) Retinitis Pigmentosa is a family of diseases with varying >>>> manifestations in different patients. I have seen patients for whom >>>> only the lateral vision is getting affected and they have no problem >>>> reading or recognizing people since their central vision acuity is >>>> maintained, though the field of vision narrows down progressively. >> But, >>>> for a lot of people including me, RP is also accompanied by macular >>>> degeneration and optic atrophy and here there is very little that one >>>> can do. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> c) ) Sreedhareeyam's cure for RP is a bit hyped, if one is >> polite >>>> about it. Usually, RP is also associated with high refraction >> problems >>>> like myopia, astigmatism etc and these are addressed to a large >> extent, >>>> especially in younger patients, but, this is not due to improvements >> in >>>> retinual attenuation or pigmentation, the root causes of RP. What >>>> usually happens is that one is influenced by the positive vibes >> existing >>>> in their campus between the patients that makes one feel good. >> Usually, >>>> patients who reach Sreedhareeyam are facing vision loss and are >>>> undergoing the associated trauma of depression, self-hatred, >> rejection >>>> from mainstream society or self-withdrawal. In Sreedhareeyam, we >> come >>>> across people of our own kind and it consoles us tremendously. Then, >>>> there are the unconfirmed stories of how some guy or gal has been >>>> "cured" by the treatment which instills hopes in us. Sadly, as a lot >> of >>>> ex-patients have vouched for in AI, these hopes turn into >>>> disillusionments quite fast. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> d) My friend, Dr Reshmi Pramod, an Ayurvedic doctor herself and >>>> now visually challenged, tells me that Susrutha (Acharya of Ayurveda) >>>> himself says diseases of the Retina cannot be cured. I request >> Reshmi >>>> to comment further on this, especially since she herself was a >> patient >>>> of Sreedhareeyam for multiple bouts. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> e) The treatments at Sreedhareeyam has become very costly over >>>> the years. In 1999, when they started off, it was a very small, >>>> intimate affair where there was excellent interaction between the >>>> limited patients, therapists and the doctors and their family >> members. >>>> Progressively, as it grew from the small Illam (traditional Kerala >>>> House) to the complex of modern buildings and cottages, it has lost >> its >>>> intimate character and is today a commercial entity, mainly into >> medical >>>> tourism, targeting rich NRIs and foreigners. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> f) In conclusion, if one has the luxury of time and money, >> one >>>> can keep on experimenting with Sreedhareeyam and similar institutions >> in >>>> Kerala (who also claim cures for RP). I feel bad for middle class / >> low >>>> income group parents of blind / low vision kids who trek religiously >> to >>>> this place every 3/6/12 months and spend time and money trying to >> cure >>>> blindness or reverse deterioration. Wherever possible, our self-help >>>> group in Kerala reaches out to such patients and reach them the >>>> redeeming message of assistive technologies and urge them to continue >>>> their studies / professions using computers. Prasanna Kumar, Reshmi, >>>> Renuka and countless others from Kerala have been able to use >> computers >>>> instead of running after miracle cures and are productively engaged >>>> today. I myself often rue the 10 years I wasted in pursuing >> treatments >>>> of all genres (homeo, naturopathy, suddha, unani, ayurveda at >>>> Sreedhareeyam and at other places) and wish I had learnt Java and >> Oracle >>>> instead with all that time, money and residual vision. (smile) At >>>> least, that would have contributed better to my new career (started >>>> after losing sight and then having to quit a public sector company >>>> through a voluntary retirement) as a marketing manager in a software >>>> company ! >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> g) I Do not wish to discourage anybody from trying >> Sreedhareeyam, >>>> but, please note that all that glitters is not gold. (smile) >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Thanks and rgds >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> RS >>>> >>>> Kochi >>>> >>>> sudhi...@nestgroup.net >>>> >>>> 098 472 76 126 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> h) >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe send a message to >> accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in >>>> with the subject unsubscribe. >>>> >>>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >>>> please visit the list home page at >>>> >>>> >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i >> n >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> To unsubscribe send a message to >> accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in >>> with the subject unsubscribe. >>> >>> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >>> please visit the list home page at >>> >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i >> n >> >> >> >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please visit the list home page at >> >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.i >> n >> >> Email secured by TPML Raksha Checkpoint >> >> >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please visit the list home page at >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> > > > > > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with > the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. 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