FAITH HEALERS & MIRACLES

I did it again!! I succeeded in injuring my foot once again. This seems to have become a sort of a routine happening. For no rhyme or reason I simply go and get hurt. It incapacitates me for at least 15 days at a stretch. It angers me and makes me rest. Resting is something which I never like to do. What exactly was it which made me feel that I cannot rest or should not rest? I really do not know.

When I was in St. Anne's Convent in Secunderabad (Andhra Pradesh), I was in the Boarding House. Every Sunday, we were required to rest in the afternoon. I was one person, who could never sleep. I would toss and turn and would wait for the time to get out of bed.

Getting out of bed in the morning has never been a problem for me. I love to wake up and start my day. I could never understand how people sleep during the day, almost everyday. Somehow for me time could never be wasted, and sleeping meant wasting time. My thinking has always been that daytime hours are meant to be used for working and night time is for resting and recuperating.

TNN, my husband loves the opposite. He loves to wake up late, loves to lie in bed and loves to sleep during the day-"if given a chance". He has a theory that there are two types of people-the Larks and the Owls. The nomenclature is self explanatory. I am the Lark and he is the owl.

Coming back to My Foot, literally it is making me take rest for long spells.

Recently, I simply slipped down a flight of spiral stairs, landed on my foot, hurt a tendon in my knee, and bruised myself in umpteen places in my arms and legs!!It was awful. It was a Saturday evening, so I refused to go to the Hospital as there would be only Emergency service. I could not bend my knee, or walk and was in great pain. Come Monday and off I went to Max Hospital. The Doctor saw me, and got the X-ray done. He advised that I get a brace which would incapacitate my leg, and straight jacket my knee for a week. The brace was to have dials and I would be able to control the movement. I was to contact the company and a representative would come and demonstrate the equipment to me at home. I was also to tell them who had referred me to them. Somehow, the idea did not appeal to me. It smacked of," I scratch your back, you scratch mine." The medical profession has totally lost its Hypocrites oath. It seems to be only business now. Am I sounding cynical?? Oh no!! But what to do???

Well, one week was over, of course without the braces, but with voluntary incapacitation. The knee was no better and the pain persisted. Another week went by. I came to know of a hakeem who works wonders with such problems. I gave it a shot as I believe in trying alternative cures. I went there early on Sunday morning. He is situated on the other end of Delhi, which meant a good 30 km away. He lives in a small place and every one knew him and his house. He took one look at my knee, the swelling, and scolded me for not taking my X-ray for him to see. Then he put some red thick oil on my knee, put cotton around the knee and calf and tied a tight bandage . He asked me not to remove it for a week and to keep my leg straight. It is now the 5th day and lo and behold, the pain has gone, and I am able to keep my leg down for small stretches without pain.

This reminded me of another such incident which happened about 25 years back. My father in law used to suffer from a lot of pain in his back. In spite of a lot of treatment at the PGI in Chandigarh, and physio therapy there was no relief. We came to know of a person who sat under a tree and cured such problems. My father in law was taken there, and the witch doctor, quack or faith healer, or whatever one wishes to call him, made the patient squat on the floor, gave a push with his foot on a particular spot. My father in law screamed in pain and then, what do we see? The pain had gone, was kaput, vamoosed, disappeared!!!

My niece who referred me to my latest hakeem was suffering from pain in the knee. She saw seven Orthopaedics who all recommended surgery to set right the problem. Not wanting to go in for surgery she went to the hakeem for treatment. He treated her and she was able to walk without the surgery within a week. She and her family have great faith in this person. And why not?

Miraculous? Yes it is indeed and I am amazed!!

I wonder if it is only faith healing, or time has helped, or the power of his oil, or all three things together??

Whatever, I will surely think twice before hurting my foot :)).

I will think three times before going to a Doctor.