Wife and I are on a week end holiday at the Taj Exotica in Goa. Among the many activities happening at the place, the one which I always wanted to do but never got a chance to do was to learn and play golf. There is a 9 hole golf course in the hotel where you can learn and play golf with a coach for an hour. So I book an hour and start my golf lessons with my coach Johnson D’silva.
First, the basics. The stance, the grip, the feet, the swing etc. Most important of all, he tells me to keep my eyes on the ball. I start with the big shot called the T shot in which you swing the club and hit the ball a hundred yards away to reach as near the first hole (our first destination) as possible.
As I hit my first swing, I looked to the sky to see where the ball went. It went nowhere. It was peacefully perched like Lord Ganesh on the T, untouched.and unfazed. Ofcourse I had swung the club in air and had completely missed the ball.
My second swing grazed the ground and the grass a bit too much and managed to push the ball a few yards.
That is when my guru swung into giving me a sound advice, which I later thought was the key to good golf, and good living. He said, Sir, you are taking your eyes off the ball at the last minute as you are too anxious to see where your ball is going, whether it is going to the desired destination. Please forget where it is going, forget the result. Just keep your eyes on the ball and swing to the best of your ability. The result will take care of itself.
It immediately struck a note in me ! How familiar ! I thought. In the next few shots it was amazing to see how he would catch me taking my eyes off the ball even for a fraction of a second to see how I was doing or how the result was.My best shots, the best connections between the club and the ball were when my eyes were only on the ball and I let the swing take care of itself.
How familiar it was to the advice my father used to give me in my student days, when I struggled to get a good result. He used to place his hands on my shoulder and gently tell me to do the best I can and forget about the result. Of course, my best results were when I did forget about the result.
And the same is true now as I attempt to treat my patients. Being over anxious to see the result, I stress myself too much, whereas doing my best and leaving the rest helps me treat them better.
The same was true when I was treating my ailing father, who in his last days could not even turn sides while in bed, what to talk about bowels and urine. ‘Thinking’ about his condition stressed me no end, but when I confronted his state and ‘acted’ to the best of my ability to comfort him, there was great peace in my heart.
Finally, the same is true about Christ’s message of love (especially your enemy), which I think is the epitome of selfless action, action without regard to the result. It is where I think Christ meets Krishna.
So, whether it is working or painting, singing or ‘swinging’, the Geeta law permeates our lives - whether we realize it or not- and brings forth the beauty of life.
Just the way it did during my golf lesson that day. Thank you Mr. Johnson !...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Cutting delays after a heart attack
Cutting time, saving (heart) muscle ! saving life !!
Most of the time ‘wasted’ before reaching hospital is due to non or mis recognition of heart attack symptoms and reluctance to act fast.
Recognition: How to know it’s coming?
Few heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "Hollywood or Bollywood heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:
Chest discomfort : Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest (over an area of the size of your palm) or on either side or both sides of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like ncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Sometimes it is a feeling of “gas”, lump, indigestion or burning in chest like “acidity”. The feeling is different in different people.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Quite a few times, a similar but milder and shorter lasting ‘warning’ discomfort may have occurred few hours or days before the main ‘event’.
The usual reactions to the symptoms are :
· It can’t be me !
· Let’s wait & watch.
· Why disturb others ? (especially if it’s in the middle of the night).
· The discomfort is mild, it can’t be a heart attack.
· We’ll go in the morning.
· Let’s wait for the family doctor or a cardiologist to come home.
NO. Minutes matter! Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out (phone a doctor about your symptoms). Calling a well equipped cardiac ambulance is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. Sometimes, clot dissolving drugs may be given in the ambulance itself which can be highly successful in reducing the damage to heart muscle.
EMS staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped.
However, if you can't access the cardiac ambulance or it will take time to come, have someone drive you to the hospital right away. If you're the one having symptoms, don't drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other option. Take a taxi or even an auto rickshaw to the hospital.
Remember, reaching hospital within 1 hour of chest pain and then receiving clot dissolving drugs or emergency angioplasty may mean the difference between life and death or the difference between damage to a large area of heart muscle and minimal or no damage to the heart muscle despite the heart attack.
Finally, please have a health insurance. Unfortunately, many times, it is lacking in people (like the economically disadvantaged) who require it the most .
Most of the time ‘wasted’ before reaching hospital is due to non or mis recognition of heart attack symptoms and reluctance to act fast.
Recognition: How to know it’s coming?
Few heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "Hollywood or Bollywood heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:
Chest discomfort : Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest (over an area of the size of your palm) or on either side or both sides of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like ncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Sometimes it is a feeling of “gas”, lump, indigestion or burning in chest like “acidity”. The feeling is different in different people.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Quite a few times, a similar but milder and shorter lasting ‘warning’ discomfort may have occurred few hours or days before the main ‘event’.
The usual reactions to the symptoms are :
· It can’t be me !
· Let’s wait & watch.
· Why disturb others ? (especially if it’s in the middle of the night).
· The discomfort is mild, it can’t be a heart attack.
· We’ll go in the morning.
· Let’s wait for the family doctor or a cardiologist to come home.
NO. Minutes matter! Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out (phone a doctor about your symptoms). Calling a well equipped cardiac ambulance is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. Sometimes, clot dissolving drugs may be given in the ambulance itself which can be highly successful in reducing the damage to heart muscle.
EMS staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped.
However, if you can't access the cardiac ambulance or it will take time to come, have someone drive you to the hospital right away. If you're the one having symptoms, don't drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other option. Take a taxi or even an auto rickshaw to the hospital.
Remember, reaching hospital within 1 hour of chest pain and then receiving clot dissolving drugs or emergency angioplasty may mean the difference between life and death or the difference between damage to a large area of heart muscle and minimal or no damage to the heart muscle despite the heart attack.
Finally, please have a health insurance. Unfortunately, many times, it is lacking in people (like the economically disadvantaged) who require it the most .
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