Stories and Some Learnings: When you don’t panic, you can have thought clarity

This is the season of panic. Everyone around is panicking about a disease and rushing; not pausing, not thinking but only rushing. Rushing for medicines, rushing to doctors, buying random equipment and what not…

Last weekend as we moved stuff to our new residence, the dust hit me perhaps and the next day I was having breathing difficulties. It could be some other factors as well but had I not related it to the dust and my history with allergies, I would have looked for an oximeter. Obviously the readings wouldn’t have been as expected owing to the breathing difficulties I had and also because the oximeters are not 100% reliable.

Since I have a history, I chose to follow the course of treatment that I usually do and this is Day 3 and my breathing has improved and I know it will take another day to get back to my normal self.

During the last three days, I have been working, both on the laptop and also on the household chores. I have paused, rested, lied down to bring back my breathing to a normal but never once touched the oximeter.

I have had this wheezing issue for about 20 years now. The first time I had this I didn’t even understand what was happening. Back in that hostel room, my friends did what they could — back massage, water to drink etc. Common homeopathic medicines which I carried anyways helped as far as I remember but the second time was more difficult. I felt I was choking, that my chest and throat were blocked; I couldn’t find peace in lying down or seating. There were nights when I hardly slept, my breathing would be fast, my back would ache and I really wished someone could work a magic on me and remove the accumulated phlegm. Then someone recommended Krupa Homeo. Yes, I was in Bangalore then. The medicines helped and I came out of that dreadful period without a single dose of allopathy medicine.

This issue didn’t repeat till a few years but once during a visit to my hometown, which is a hill station the breathing issues re-appeared out of nowhere. Again it took 2–3 days to get back to a slightly better condition. It happened a few times after that too and I would be scared whenever a visit was planned. This I linked to the moisture and may be some pollen too. Again the same difficulties in sleeping and I would toss and turn but comfort was distant.

Thankfully the last two times I visited I didn’t face this issue. And my joy knew no bounds.

This hit me now in 2021. The few at work with whom I shared asked me if I had checked the oxygen level. I tried to be as polite as I could in telling them that the first time I faced this problem was like 20 years back when we had no oximeters. Some suggested medicines to me to which I told them that the only time I saw an allopath, I took only 2/3 doses of nebulizer of the week’s prescription of two doses a day each and threw the rest away.

This time however, my discomfort was slightly less I felt, may be less by 3–5% only. May be because I have started with Pranayam. And to be honest I am not regular. But I feel even the irregular practice of Pranayam helped!

Next steps: I will work on finding a pattern; if certain weather conditions aggravate the issue, if certain food items trigger the condition. And also be more regular on Pranayam.

And not panic! And not follow the crowd as always!

P.S. This little write-up is not an Allopathy vs Homeo case study. The intent is only to reiterate that there are alternate cures, there are lifestyle changes that one needs to adopt, that one has to be patient and not pop pills at the drop of a hat. And one must know how to decide which course of action to take.