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" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
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: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Amarjit
Powar
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 3:15 AM
To: [email protected]
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" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
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: [email protected]
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)" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
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
[email protected]
098 472 76 126
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