Report of 25 Sept '05
Hello from Chennai -
Happy World Heart Day. I trust each of you is taking some steps to protect your heart. The value of a 30-minute brisk walk each day, regardless of age, is unquestioned. In fact, at one of the sessions on diabetes at the 2005 conf of the American College of Physicians, I said a couple of words at the end about the benefits of "lifestyle modification" in my patients. As they cannot afford meds, to treat high blood pressure I suggest salt restriction and a 30-minute daily walk, and it helped bring at least 1 BP down 20 points. Right after this, a U.S.-based physician asked about the feasibility of lifestyle changes, and whether it was realistic to try, and I feel it is. So, feel free to get out there and walk, people.
The Banyan goes along well. After I finish at the sick room, we have patients whom we see at our quasi-outpatient clinic. One of them, UM, came in w/ a serious upset stomach and it sounded like she had amebiasis, which is very common here. As I started investigating how she could have got it - if it's from Banyan food, we have a problem - Leela, the nurse, asked her if a fellow resident known for buying food from outside had given her any. UM said, "Oh, no, her heart is not like that," and we laughed. I was informed that UM is currently studying law (hooray!) and is tutored at an attorney's house, where the family also feeds her; I am happy at this grace and generosity, but felt that UM ought to forsake a meal or 2 which she is glad to do. UM got selected for Criminal Law while in high school, more prestigious here than Civil Law, and Leela informed me that UM's classmates got so jealous that they drugged and raped her. I don't know yet how the mental illness set in, but I was saddened at UM's ordeal. My great good fortune is that friends have generally been happy at any successes I might have had - esp here at the Banyan, which all of you appear to revel in - and one of them, my husband, feels happy and proud regularly, which does bolster the spirit. I am delighted that the Banyan sees fit to ensure that UM gets the education she dreamt of, and again I think what a great place the Banyan is. Vandana and I got to chat a bit this week and it was fabulous; she is a remarkable human being, as is Vaishnavi. Vandana mentioned that a grant of 1.8 million rupees that is rightfully theirs has not come from the Government as they have not bribed anyone, and that they will not. So there is someone else who will not bribe.
We have had a fair procession of sick people come by our flat, too, and treating folks at the vegetable market continues. One day, at the supermarket, a fellow customer stopped, leaned his basket on the checkout counter and said he had to stop and sit down; he was sweating profusely (he was "diaphoretic") and I got pretty worried that he was having a heart attack. He said his legs, ridden w/ arthritis, were bothering him and after quizzing him a bit to rule out said heart attack, we continued on our way. Naren and Navin were pleased that we'd stopped and ensured the man was ok. We stopped similarly at a store in the U.S., too, and one of the ladies that worked there is now on our email ist.
Scott showed up a day early this week - on Thursday night, long after we'd slept (so it took me quite a while to realise that it was him on the phone calling from the train station), and celebrated his b'day with us. It was pretty darn divine to hang out w/ him for an extra weekday and we went out for lunch at an unfortunately obscenely expensive (u.o.e.) restaurant; the food was great, tho', and we resolved to pay the bill in dollars where it did not seem that u.o.e. We lingered over the meal too, so we could eat again if we got hungry and it was lovely; I looked at this intelligent, handsome, witty young man and felt privileged that he would choose to spend a day with me, indeed that he would choose to share his life with me. It was a stellar start to the weekend. We took the kids to a silent film festival hosted by the Ability Foundation to observe Deaf Awareness Week and it was great to be in the midst of differently-abled folks, some of whom were at my talk a couple of weeks ago. I like the kids to regularly see that some folks do without various senses or abilities or money, not just without Nintendo and Game Boy.
As I was hanging out w/ Scott, a friend oversaw tutoring for me and coaching for exam week continued. The students appear to be holding up well. We were tremendously privileged last week to see Jothi and Ketan Sukkawala, their kids Rohen and Ravi, and Jothi's mother. Jothi is a classmate from med school and she and Ketan had spent 2 weeks in Vellore w/ Health Volunteers Overseas, which they enjoyed. It was great to see them and share news of our professional lives, and to enjoy each other's sons. My friend, Maya (from 10 yo days), very generously sent us some markers and activity books for our tutoring kids, which I will be delighted to give out. Her father brought them to Chennai, and he and I had a good time gabbing, too. It is lovely to be in touch w/ old friends and their families, and make new ones. The young folks who were in the crowd at the Brecksville Kiwanis meeting we spoke at in May emailed us and said they wanted to send money or supplies for the work here, which I was totally thrilled at. Really, the compassion of young folks is enormous. So, the Brecksville school kids (Key Club) will send us some $ for our Halloween carnival for the underprivileged and the 7th grade class is collecting some goodies for the same. Carrie and Rex Cassidy, who hosted us in Brecksville, initiated a school supplies drive there with their little daughters Blythe and Lauren, and got many pounds of supplies; they will send some to us and a lot more to an orphanage in Madurai. I like this - that the orphans are sitting around one day, and kaboom, a whole pile of treats shows up announced to them. We are so tremendously fortunate in our friends and correspondents.
Naren and Navin continue with school and are trying to study on their own without us nagging them, under a new system of rewards suggested to us by our friend and my med school biochem professor, Richard Luduena. On Naren's school trip, the girls had a "dare" and 2 girls entered the 10th grade boys' room after curfew, and were caught there, sitting and gabbing. There was a huge meeting to decide if the 4 kids were to be expelled and finally, it has been decided that they will not be, but they are shorn of their titles: House Captain, School Pupil Leader, and House Vice Captains. Naren told us of this incident, and we are grateful the child trusts us enough to confide in us.
We continue to receive kind messages from you all and are grateful. All the chilluns we tutor like the gifts you send.
'There are three things you never want to see on a Christmas present: "One size fits all," "fun for all ages," and "removes unwanted hair." ' - Jim Mullen
Until next week -
Renu
Happy World Heart Day. I trust each of you is taking some steps to protect your heart. The value of a 30-minute brisk walk each day, regardless of age, is unquestioned. In fact, at one of the sessions on diabetes at the 2005 conf of the American College of Physicians, I said a couple of words at the end about the benefits of "lifestyle modification" in my patients. As they cannot afford meds, to treat high blood pressure I suggest salt restriction and a 30-minute daily walk, and it helped bring at least 1 BP down 20 points. Right after this, a U.S.-based physician asked about the feasibility of lifestyle changes, and whether it was realistic to try, and I feel it is. So, feel free to get out there and walk, people.
The Banyan goes along well. After I finish at the sick room, we have patients whom we see at our quasi-outpatient clinic. One of them, UM, came in w/ a serious upset stomach and it sounded like she had amebiasis, which is very common here. As I started investigating how she could have got it - if it's from Banyan food, we have a problem - Leela, the nurse, asked her if a fellow resident known for buying food from outside had given her any. UM said, "Oh, no, her heart is not like that," and we laughed. I was informed that UM is currently studying law (hooray!) and is tutored at an attorney's house, where the family also feeds her; I am happy at this grace and generosity, but felt that UM ought to forsake a meal or 2 which she is glad to do. UM got selected for Criminal Law while in high school, more prestigious here than Civil Law, and Leela informed me that UM's classmates got so jealous that they drugged and raped her. I don't know yet how the mental illness set in, but I was saddened at UM's ordeal. My great good fortune is that friends have generally been happy at any successes I might have had - esp here at the Banyan, which all of you appear to revel in - and one of them, my husband, feels happy and proud regularly, which does bolster the spirit. I am delighted that the Banyan sees fit to ensure that UM gets the education she dreamt of, and again I think what a great place the Banyan is. Vandana and I got to chat a bit this week and it was fabulous; she is a remarkable human being, as is Vaishnavi. Vandana mentioned that a grant of 1.8 million rupees that is rightfully theirs has not come from the Government as they have not bribed anyone, and that they will not. So there is someone else who will not bribe.
We have had a fair procession of sick people come by our flat, too, and treating folks at the vegetable market continues. One day, at the supermarket, a fellow customer stopped, leaned his basket on the checkout counter and said he had to stop and sit down; he was sweating profusely (he was "diaphoretic") and I got pretty worried that he was having a heart attack. He said his legs, ridden w/ arthritis, were bothering him and after quizzing him a bit to rule out said heart attack, we continued on our way. Naren and Navin were pleased that we'd stopped and ensured the man was ok. We stopped similarly at a store in the U.S., too, and one of the ladies that worked there is now on our email ist.
Scott showed up a day early this week - on Thursday night, long after we'd slept (so it took me quite a while to realise that it was him on the phone calling from the train station), and celebrated his b'day with us. It was pretty darn divine to hang out w/ him for an extra weekday and we went out for lunch at an unfortunately obscenely expensive (u.o.e.) restaurant; the food was great, tho', and we resolved to pay the bill in dollars where it did not seem that u.o.e. We lingered over the meal too, so we could eat again if we got hungry and it was lovely; I looked at this intelligent, handsome, witty young man and felt privileged that he would choose to spend a day with me, indeed that he would choose to share his life with me. It was a stellar start to the weekend. We took the kids to a silent film festival hosted by the Ability Foundation to observe Deaf Awareness Week and it was great to be in the midst of differently-abled folks, some of whom were at my talk a couple of weeks ago. I like the kids to regularly see that some folks do without various senses or abilities or money, not just without Nintendo and Game Boy.
As I was hanging out w/ Scott, a friend oversaw tutoring for me and coaching for exam week continued. The students appear to be holding up well. We were tremendously privileged last week to see Jothi and Ketan Sukkawala, their kids Rohen and Ravi, and Jothi's mother. Jothi is a classmate from med school and she and Ketan had spent 2 weeks in Vellore w/ Health Volunteers Overseas, which they enjoyed. It was great to see them and share news of our professional lives, and to enjoy each other's sons. My friend, Maya (from 10 yo days), very generously sent us some markers and activity books for our tutoring kids, which I will be delighted to give out. Her father brought them to Chennai, and he and I had a good time gabbing, too. It is lovely to be in touch w/ old friends and their families, and make new ones. The young folks who were in the crowd at the Brecksville Kiwanis meeting we spoke at in May emailed us and said they wanted to send money or supplies for the work here, which I was totally thrilled at. Really, the compassion of young folks is enormous. So, the Brecksville school kids (Key Club) will send us some $ for our Halloween carnival for the underprivileged and the 7th grade class is collecting some goodies for the same. Carrie and Rex Cassidy, who hosted us in Brecksville, initiated a school supplies drive there with their little daughters Blythe and Lauren, and got many pounds of supplies; they will send some to us and a lot more to an orphanage in Madurai. I like this - that the orphans are sitting around one day, and kaboom, a whole pile of treats shows up announced to them. We are so tremendously fortunate in our friends and correspondents.
Naren and Navin continue with school and are trying to study on their own without us nagging them, under a new system of rewards suggested to us by our friend and my med school biochem professor, Richard Luduena. On Naren's school trip, the girls had a "dare" and 2 girls entered the 10th grade boys' room after curfew, and were caught there, sitting and gabbing. There was a huge meeting to decide if the 4 kids were to be expelled and finally, it has been decided that they will not be, but they are shorn of their titles: House Captain, School Pupil Leader, and House Vice Captains. Naren told us of this incident, and we are grateful the child trusts us enough to confide in us.
We continue to receive kind messages from you all and are grateful. All the chilluns we tutor like the gifts you send.
'There are three things you never want to see on a Christmas present: "One size fits all," "fun for all ages," and "removes unwanted hair." ' - Jim Mullen
Until next week -
Renu
posted by Renu Weiss at
8:39 PM
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