RESPECT YOUR KIDNEYS

A few days back I read news that a teenager had consumed 4 liters of power drink in a span of 16 hours while taking part in some computer games competition and this lead to failure of his kidneys placing him on critical list.

This set me thinking that most of us when we talk of health we talk about heart, liver or lungs. We say that so and so cooking oil/ food/ fruit is good for heart or overdrinking/ fatty food is bad for liver or smoking/ pollution adversely affects our lungs. How many of us ever speak about kidneys?

Let me now share with you all my own experience which has opened my eyes, though a bit too late.

Last year one fine morning in early February I just did not feel like getting up from bed. I did not want to eat anything. The previous night I had attended wedding of a nephew in NCR. I did not wish to drive at night, so we went by taxi. I thought may be I was exhausted. A couple of days of the same situation our son forced me to go with him to see our doctor. I was advised ultra scan as well as blood test. Next day he collected blood test reports. On seeing the reports doctor told that I be taken to hospital immediately. I was thus hospitalized.

In the next two days some tests were carried out. I was then told that my kidneys were severely infected and were almost non functional. Luckily I responded to medicines and was sent home after 3 weeks. During this period I had to undergo dialysis half a dozen times. I was told that though my kidneys have started functioning almost normal but I would have to carry on taking medicines as well as come for review every month and blood test every quarter. This was as kidneys had not been able to purify my blood during that period leading to composition of blood going haywire. My hemoglobin had gone down to 9 while potassium, sodium and some other components went much beyond upper limits. High potassium in blood leads to erratic heart functioning, may even cause heart to stop.  A lot of restrictions were put on my diet. No leafy vegetables, no tomatoes or sauce, no cucumber, no fruit or fruit juice, no dry fruit, just a couple of cups of tea in a day and NO DRINKS which I used to take in moderate quantity – three or four small Old Monks in the evening due to low blood pressure and enjoyed a bottle of beer on Sunday afternoons. I loved to have a tetrapack of fruit juice, mostly tomato, with breakfast everyday and fruit, specially Banana,  after meals but no more now. It was only after a few months and after blood tests that I was allowed to have guava, papaya or apple in little quantity but still no juice. A month later I was permitted two or three small drinks due to my blood pressure going low often at night. On next review I was permitted to have very limited quantity of tomatoes in preparation of vegetables and small sachet of tomato sauce once a week only but no raw ones. I am still continuing with medicines – 11 pills a day, as well as reviews as told. My stamina has gone down making me feel tired even without undertaking much of hard physical work.

Though it was not pinpointed as to what was the cause but in general it was felt that I may have been taking some food which when digested added some extra nutrients into blood causing unwanted stress on kidneys while filtering blood -  could be regular drinking packed fruit juice/ having fruit regularly after meals .

So friends, it is better to know what caution to take for safeguarding our kidneys than to suffer.   

WE MUST APPLY MIND WITH BROAD OVERVIEW

About ten days ago I read in newspaper that DGCA was very perturbed about dance moves performed by cabin crew of an airline on Holi while aircraft was in transit from one place to another. It was termed as flying hazard and concerned airline was asked for explanation as well as action against defaulters. As per news co-pilot had taken video recording on his mobile. The concerned airline has suspended the captain and co-pilot of the said flight.

In my personal opinion the reaction of DGCA as well as the airline is absurd. The crew had to be on duty on a festival as well as many of passengers might have travelled on that day out of compulsion instead of enjoying the festival at home. So all that crew did was to let off pent up feelings by dance moves as well as entertain the passengers who missed the festival at home. How did it become a flight safety hazard? Did they burst crackers or throw colours leading to stampede like situation? Action against co-pilot may be taken for using mobile but not for leaving cockpit. Don’t captain or co-pilot even leave cockpit to relieve themselves during long flights and ensure safety of aircraft with needed crew in the cockpit or do they use adult huggies during the period of flight?

I think we do have to look at everything with a broad view and not with blinkers on.   

EDUCATED ILLITERATES

MUST ENCOURAGE THE DESERVING

Last month I had shared my views about giving encouragement to children upto certain age taking part in competitive shows on TV Reality Shows. This time I am sharing something which had touched my heart.

I watched some episodes of Indian Has Got Talent on Color TV Channel. This was hosted by Karan Johar along with Kiran Kher and Malaika Arora Khan. In some episodes few Bollywood stars also joined as judges. The contestants had put up good show. One who particularly impressed me is a girl of little over 20 who had lost her left leg above the knee in some accident. She performed dance. Though she walked with crutches but put those away to dance on one leg only. She put up a superb performance doing all moves of an able bodied dancer including some stunt moves which you may have seen in other dance shows. She made it to finals but did not win. Again may be due to so called voting by the viewers.

My heart goes out to her as I look at her as a role model for all those who are differently abled. I strongly feel that even if she did not get sufficient votes from viewers, the sponsors as well as the said Channel should have given her special prize to encourage not only her to continue with what she is doing but to also encourage other differently abled persons to live life as they wish to with courage. How I wish I could do something for her! I would surely love to meet her to pay my respects and encourage her.        

TACKLING ORGANISED FRAUD

In the past month or so I have read a number of reports in newspapers about cheating of gullible innocent people by fraudsters. They advertise investment schemes offering very attractive returns. Most of such persons already have some reputed working organization to give realistic touch. Then after some time the schemes fail and almost all investors lose out on their hard earned money.

This opened up an old wound. I too had invested the money which I received after taking voluntary retirement in 1991 but luckily mostly in less paying but secure deposits. I did put some money in shares and debentures or fixed deposits with some companies which looked quite attractive and secure. Fortunately I got back most of such amount except about Rs 30 thousand or so. One of such organizations was based in Delhi. So I visited their office which was quite posh. I was promised that they would return my amount. I managed to find address of their Managing Director. I had a look at his residence. It was a fairly big bungalow in a upmarket locality. There were a couple of high end cars parked in the parking space within. Inspite of follow ups and the case being in court, I did not receive anything back. I happened to pass that area again after a couple of years and found that he was still residing there and had even new models of cars parked. This set me thinking   about our judicial system for such matters.

After reading recent cases, I strongly feel what I am saying in the following paragraphs.

Such fraudsters should be put behind bars till last of the investors has been given his/her money, alongwith due interest, back. They should under no circumstance be let out or even afforded any facilities not available to common criminals.

Apart from that all moving as well as fixed assets of not only such persons but even their close relative, like spouse, children & their families, parents, siblings & their spouses, nephews/ nieces & their families, should be taken over till money has been paid back to every investor of their fraudulent schemes.

Otherwise all those who have lost their hard earned money be called and such persons handed over to them for whatever way they wish to handle or treat them. 

DO YOU SUPPORT MY VIEWS?

Lately I have seen some reality shows of competitive nature, be it dance or singing or other talents. In many of these there are children who compete with adult artists. Their performance is very impressive most of the times but somehow they get eliminated by or at semi final stages. Though there is voting system for viewers but transparency in that is not clear. There was a news item some time ago that in one of such competitions one of the participants had bought bulk SIM cards which were used by his close one to vote for him more than one time. My intention is not to cast aspirations on fairness of TV channels but to bring out that such participant children are in tears on being eliminated even after their sterling performances. I thus suggest that children upto certain age, say 10 years, even when eliminated should be given some prize in the form of a trophy as well as cash apart from encouraging words like their performance has been very good and with little more practice they can surely win FIRST prize. This will go a long way for psychology of the child. I think TV channels or sponsors are surely in a position to bear this small expenditure to ensure that such children are not disheartened and leave practicing whatever be that talent.

Another point which has been coming in my mind is that how would we feel if we see our ex- Presidents promoting something or the other in ads, TV or print? I am sure that we will feel that they are degrading sanctity of their position, isn’t it? So don’t you think that  recipient of our HIGHEST NATIONAL AWARD, BHARAT  RATNA,  should also not be shown in any such acts?

These are my personal views. I do not know if any of you support me on this.      

YOUR VIEWS, PLEASE.

Some of the news items in the recent past have made me wonder if we are really in 21^st century where equality of gender is a norm and not at the mercy of those in position of some power, where those in such position of power rather inculcate sense of gender equality without any bias than to take shelter behind issuing medieval dictates.

A week or so ago it was reported that a State Government has transferred 800 male teachers from girls schools. Does it not show the mindset of those in power? Have they not accepted their incapability of ensuring that no untoward incidents of gender harassment take place by inculcating right sense of values as well as meting out exemplary punishments on those found guilty? Next there may be creation of only women villages or localities.

I am all for meting out justice at root level, like Panchayats but it must be without any gender bias. A so called Community Panchayat in Bengal first ensured as prelude to what happened later by imposing fine of Rs 50, 000 on a poor family for their girl talking to a man outside their community knowing very well that the family is not in a position to pay such sum thus leading to that poor girl being gang raped on “legal” order. What are our so called elected representatives doing for this shameful act? Or they are just silent due to vote bank considerations? Or they deny it as not having taken place under their governance?

Today’s news – A girl was paraded in the village with shoes loaded on her head for not obeying dictate of Panchayat. She is married but living away from husband. She was being harassed by some local youths who wanted her to have physical relations with them. On not being able to bear such sexual unwanted harassment, she approached the said Panchayat which ordered her to compromise with those errant persons rather than taking action against them showing clear gender bias. When she did not get desired and justified support from them she approached police and this is what she was punished for. Does it not show that the said Panchayat members wanted her to be a whore with those young men? What are our elected representatives going to do about it? NOTHING, if I am not mistaken as they will be in denial mode.

There are numerous instances of Khap Panchayats issuing dictates for girls -what to wear and what not to , what hours to go out of house  unaccompanied by male escorts if allowed to go out at all, not to have mobile phones, upto what class a girl should be allowed to have education if at all and the list is inexhaustive. Does this not show their mindset of gender bias as instead of ensuring that males give due respect to females by teaching them right sense of values and penalizing ones who default in exemplary ways? And the best is that a Chief Minister of state backs all such Panchayats.  Is it not vote begging gesture?

I also am all for such fast justice mechanisms at root level but WITHOUT ANY GENDER DISCRIMINATION. How will such Panchayat members react if an all women Panchayat issues dictate to chop off P*****s of all young males as they are potential rapists?   

And the worst is that majority of women who can do a lot are passive spectators if not supporters of such dictates.  

May I invite your views, please?