The Thought Addict

I'm a pediatrician, and it has been told that pediatrics is one of the toughest medical specialties, because it deals with young children who tough to understand and 'handle'.  This statement couldn't be any farther from the truth. Before I became a pediatrician, I too had been a believer of this view. I had had very little opportunity to interact with children, much less understand them, and they were truly an enigma for me.  My earliest personal experiences with a child was first, with my nephew, and later, my daughter. The moments I've passed with them have been no less than eye-opening and life-changing. Every day spent with them showed me my drab world in its raw beauty as seen through the unassuming, wonder-filled eyes of a child. In fact, all children are often better than grown-ups with many 'superior' traits. They live in a simple world with simple beliefs. All it takes is a keen eye and a loving mind to understand them. Children have ...

I recently travelled by bus on an overnight journey, and in a nutshell, it was a terrible experience. This was an anomaly, considering the number of times I've travelled ever since I was a kid. The bus was in a bad shape, and the driving - what can I say? Half the time I felt as if I was being dragged along the rugged road, with the bus taking off in short leaps like a grasshopper. And the rest of the time, I was trying hard to lie down with the tiniest part of me touching the sleeper berth, so that I could spare my poor aging body the agony of being flipped in air often with a vigorous jolt. The bus was of course air-conditioned. I had wanted that so that there would be at least some semblance of neatness and comfort on a long journey. What I had not anticipated was a gaping wide AC vent right on top of my head with the thermostat set at 16 degrees Celsius on a cold winter night. Well, the best part of my journey was that : it ended!! As I got down from the bus, I was th...

For a moment, I felt like I was getting into the shoes of our very own Czar of Confusion . Right or Wrong? Yes or No? These questions flooded my mind as I reflected on my past. The new year wasn't new to me anymore. None of the good wishes that came by lifted my spirits. Nor did I feel anything 'new' or special about the day. It was the same old routine with probably a few changes here and there that didn't actually matter. For the first time, I did not feel like taking any resolutions, because these gave no 'actual' results, in the positive sense. Reflections from my early life flew past, and nothing special remained in my mind, especially when I thought of the new year. As a young adult too, I don't think I've really enjoyed the new year by partying or dancing, as is the culture now. So did I not have any happy or joyous moment all these years? Am I right in inferring that happiness is a passing phase and happy moments are not here to stay fore...

Sandy:  I've bought some of the best kachoris in town, just for you. Simply indulge! Mandy: Arre yaar, my stomach is no feel good today. It is sick. Sandy: What happened? Mandy: Last night, we were at a party and I gorged myself on some spicy stuff. Samosa, laddoo, batura, pulao...they all endlessly came in front of my eyes and I couldn't resist. Sandy: Are you so starved? Mandy: Shshhhhh!! Talk a little soft...my mom in the other room. Already getting scoldings from her. Sandy: !!! Mandy: Now getting heartburn... the diaphragm, the separation in the abdomen moving up and bringing the bile to the forefront...and the digestive juices regurgitating... Sandy: Oh my god, you have so much knowledge about heartburn. I thought it happens only when a girl hurts you, and you burn your heart??!! Mandy: No, No. You not understand. This is big problem. Heartburn can cause damage to your stomach! And you may have to undergo appendix operation to make it alrig...

Reading is good for the mind, and the heart. This is not about the bookworms. Nor is this connected to any literature. The 'reading' here is about reading someone's mind and understanding their emotions.  Listening to a person in emotional trauma may seem trivial but it does a lot of good when you listen them out. Most people are hesitant to open up but when they do so, it means they place complete trust in you, the listener. Unless you place yourself in the position of the affected, it is impossible to understand what that person is going through.  Once the listening is done, it is not over.  The second phase is to console. Anything that is said or done during this vulnerable moment can have a big impact on the person undergoing trauma.  The consequences can be beneficial or harmful.  One inappropriate word said, and the incidents that follow can be disastrous.  The next time you find someone in emotional trouble or trauma, help him/her overcom...

Bold -- If you are a medical student or a doctor, this word will immediately bring to your mind Blood-Oxygen-Level Dependent imaging. On the other hand, if you are a dumbo like me you will see that the word is already in boldface. So why am I emphasising the word? And why is it associated with blood? I'm not getting into any of the mundane definitions, explanations or mnemonics. Until I read about the rare 'Bombay blood' this morning in the newspaper, I was not aware of it. Less than 190 Indians are known to have this blood type in which the basic protein H antigen is missing, according to the report.  It is heartening to note that three samaritans with this rare blood group came forward to save a life. But the need of the hour is something different. We need 'bold' people who are willing to donate blood on a regular basis to save lives.  Today, though there is an awareness, people seem to be too busy to spare time for this noble act. Until there is an un...

For an hour or so, I was forced to sit idle because there was no power at home. Only then did I realise that I had become a television addict, of late. No, I'm not the mega serial lover or the movie buff, but one who likes to watch anything that comes straight out of real life or everyday happenings.  I'm not a news addict either, but something connected to crime, law and punishment makes me sit glued to my chair, in front of the TV for hours. Sometimes, I switch channels only when I feel it is an overdose of crime. We have enough crime happening in real life these days. Will watching these real stories, picturised straight out of police diaries, make others alert and cautious? Will it make an impact on the society and bring about a change? These questions flood my thoughts every time I watch an episode, and often the answer is summarised into a big NO. Crime headlines make people sit up and think. There's a follow-up for a couple of days more, and then we tend to f...