Yolo You Only Live Once

By Dr. Shilpa Aroskar

With these and other riveting real life stories about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, YOLO presents a relatively unexplored perspective of medical treatment and recovery. It highlights the mind-body link, mystical healing, and spontaneous remissions, which do happen, reinforcing the greater truth that the human mind is perhaps the biggest pharmacy and the power of faith and hope can indeed move mountains.
Drawing from her rich professional experience and personal life, Dr. Aroskar addresses fundamental questions like: Why are some people more prone to disease than others? Why does the same treatment heal one and fail another? How can one remain relentlessly optimistic and resilient when confronted by daunting challenges? How does one stay strong in the face of adversity? She also addresses the doctor-patient relationship, the dilemma of euthanasia; and panaceas for ailments.
Despite path-breaking progress and technological innovations, medicine remains an imperfect science. Epoch-making discoveries have pushed the boundaries of human capabilities to fight disease, but like a hydra-headed monster, new challenges keep springing up every day. Is the mind then the ultimate saving grace of humankind?
A deeply engrossing and enlightening book..."

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Point Six Technologies Pvt Ltd
• Release date: Oct 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9789352018055

Dr. Shilpa Aroskar

DR. SHILPA AROSKAR is a paediatrician by profession and a writer by passion. She is currently Head, Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology, Reliance Hospital, Navi Mumbai. Gifted with the human touch, she has always gone beyond being a clinical professional to devoting her efforts towards being a force for good. Whether as President of the Indian Association of Paediatrics, Navi Mumbai, or working with less privileged communities, her focus has been to create sustainable impact.An avid reader, she first took to writing as a stress buster. It soon became a passion. Her book, Parents Guide to Child Care is considered the Bible of Indian parenting. Her second book, YOLO: You Only Live Once drew inspiration from her rich professional-life experiences. Her popular blog: Slice of my daily life@drshilparoskar on Word Press, draws readers across age groups, ethnicities and geographies. In her trademark style, she makes her readers laugh, ponder and wonder at the commonalites and mysteries of life.Married to an ophthalmologist, and mother of two, Shilpa lives in Navi Mumbai. She loves to travel, seeing the world as an exciting adventure book to be savoured. Her other interests include painting and music. Contact: [e-mail]

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Introduction

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I am not a skilled writer; nor is this book filled with chiselled phrases and ornate language. I am a doctor, a Paediatrician to be precise, who is passionate about her work – someone who has immense respect for the medical profession. Writing just happened to me a few years ago, when I published my first book, Parents Guide To Child Care. Writing for me is akin to meditation. It helps to unlock my mind and soul and clear the worries, stresses and events of a long working day.

Ever since I was a toddler I wanted to grow up to be a doctor. I was never afraid of Dr. Uncle in his white coat. In fact, I was fascinated and awed by him. In those days we had one family physician and he treated everything and everyone – from paediatric to geriatric. He was more like a friendly uncle than a sophisticated consultant who specialized in different parts of the human body, like we have today – the super-specialists.

I chased my dreams. With hard work and by Gods grace, I gained a place to study medicine at a reputed college in Mumbai. My life changed forever. I believe every doctor has been ‘chosen’ to be in this profession; it’s not just merit or luck that takes you there. It has to be your calling. One requires a daunting wealth of attributes – a sensitive yet robust heart, a compassionate yet practical approach, hands skilled enough to operate yet gentle enough to comfort another, the patience to listen to patients and their relatives, as well as being precise and firm in communication, whether breaking good news or bad. Hence my conviction that those who choose to take up this profession by choice, are destined to do so.

What prompted me to write this book were my own unanswered and unresolved questions regarding diseases and their cure – which eventually my patients enlightened me about. They not only unveiled the mysteries of medicine but taught me how hope, courage and faith can help to win life’s battles. I learnt how to cherish every moment of this precious life with an attitude of gratitude; bringing to each day the power of positive thinking. This has had a tremendous impact on my personal life, shaping me into a better doctor and human being. I wanted to share these stories from real life in the hope that they will help those battling disease, giving them the zeal to heal and bounce back with renewed vigour.

Life’s many enigmas raised questions and caused conflicts in my mind: Why were some people more prone to illness than others? Why did two patients with the same disease, given the same treatment by a common doctor, respond differently? What was the most powerful force for healing – dawa (medicine) or dua (blessing) –    or a combination of both? What is the doctor’s role in society today –    honest healer or savvy business person? The answers to these troubling questions, which I discovered in my personal journey as a doctor, and an individual, I have shared with my readers in these pages.

What causes disease? Should we depend on science alone or consider the psycho-spiritual roots of illness as well? Does disease run after people or do people catch diseases for whatever reason? The mystery of human maladies and the science behind the origin of disease have always intrigued me, first as a student, and now, even after a decade and a half of practising medicine. From dissecting a cadaver to learning the anatomy of the human body, seeing a living patient’s open brain, to witnessing death from disease at the age of twenty, was at once fascinating and frightening.

One lifetime is not enough for any doctor to master the complexities of the human body and its illnesses. With ever-evolving science and research, new diseases erupting and old ones metamorphosing into new forms, it is enough to fool us, proving microbes are perhaps more intelligent than humans. The quest for remedies is never-ending in the world of medicine. Different doctors often opine different cures for the same disease, leaving the ailing patient ever more confused.

In ancient times, our ancestors lived healthier lives than we do today. While (statistically) human longevity has increased, so has the incidence of ailments like hypertension, diabetes, heart attack, and the king of all maladies – cancer. Do we blame it on changing lifestyles, genes, environmental factors like pollution, radiation, green house effect etc, or do we choose mind over medicine?

As a student of science I believe in evidence-based medicine and the biochemical physiology of diseases. However I can’t ignore the fact that stress, anxiety and fear certainly make us more susceptible to disease. Many Western studies have proven the ill effects of stress, including acidity, sleep disorders, eating disorders, palpitations, and lowering of the immune system. It is scientifically proven that the human body responds to stress by releasing chemicals like catecholamines, causing changes in the amygdale (part of the brain). Our state of mind affects the state of our body via the endocrine, immune and central nervous systems. There is enough scientific evidence to suggest that the majority of diseases originate in the mind.

Man is what he thinks all day long. ~ Ralph Waldo Emmerson.

What then is the biggest healer? I love my job but hate disease as much as you may perhaps fear it. Relieving a patient of suffering and seeing him return to normal life gives doctors a satisfaction no other profession offers. However, there is also a downside. Most patients want a quick fix for their ailments, which is not always logically possible. Then there are instances when one is just not able to get to the root cause and doctors often label these cases ‘idiopathic’ (cause unknown). These are also the cases that trouble my cognitive mind the most, for I feel helpless. Then there are the diseases that mysteriously heal on their own; these we label as ‘spontaneous remissions’. And there are the terminal diseases like cancer and other debilitating illnesses, which present a real dilemma – by offering a remedy am I shortening or prolonging the suffering and pain? Healing may not be a reversal of disease, but getting people back to their full potential, with peace of mind, is always the outcome every physician hopes for.

In my journey as a doctor, I have striven for perfection and precision. Sometimes I have stumbled and failed, but I have had my eureka moments as well. What has constantly amazed me is the power of the mind and how far it can help in healing. Some may call it the power of prayer or miracles. From my experience I have come to strongly believe that healing does occur at the cellular level, that it is a mind game. The law of action and reaction is indeed universal.

In the ancient era, before microbes and antibiotics were discovered, people were still healed. Be it by visiting shrines, bathing in holy waters, using amulets, talismans, blind belief, or the miraculous intervention of a Divine Power, they were healed. There are numerous tales of healing in world mythology and the scriptures; for example, the blind person whose sight was restored, or the paralyzed man who walked again. There are even incidents of the dead being brought back to life, as Lazarus was in the Bible. Though these incidents may sound unscientific in the modern era, one cannot deny the power of the subconscious mind.

Patients with a positive mindset somehow pave their path to healing, whether through their faith in science or the doctor treating them or the power of prayer. It gives them the courage to accept and hope for a better tomorrow. It works in their favour. On the other hand, there are patients who keep doubting everything, from the doctor to the disease, and the outcome is complications and prolonged illness. I am not suggesting one should blindly believe in the doctor; the patient certainly has the right to know all about the disease and the treatment options, and to decide. But, as Einstein said: Ultimately the belief in the existence of fundamental, all-embracing laws rest on a sort of faith. He believed that science too, is based on a rational Universe.

At the same time we certainly cannot deny the add-on advantages or booster effect of alternative therapies like yoga, meditation, diet and exercise in healing both the mind and the body. As far as the effect of spiritual mantras on healing goes, we certainly need more data and research to support this. Some spiritual seekers strongly believe in healing mantras. Dr. Howard Streingerl, an American scientist, collected mantras, hymns and invocations from all over the world and tested their strength in his physiology laboratory. His research revealed that the Hindu Gayatri mantra produced 110,000 sound waves/second, and was thus the most powerful chant in the world, capable of developing spiritual potentialities.

But there are instances when everything fails, despite having faith and the right medical treatment. Disease wins and the patient succumbs. It also has to be accepted that no power can predict or prevent death; no doctor or spiritual teacher can guarantee life. We fear dying so much that we fear to live and enjoy this beautiful life while we have it. Steve Jobs once said: Death is a destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.

Who is this book for? It is not just meant for sick people, physicians or medical personnel. It is meant for all of us who have encountered illness, physical or mental, who have seen someone we care about suffer, and for all those in search of a healthy and positive life. Sometimes the body sends a message through illness. The wise ones listen carefully. This book is thus for all of us who struggle with our own battles in life – be it work, relationships, finances, health, love etc. We are in constant pursuit of ultimate bliss, eternal peace and good health.

Like you, I too, have gone through the seasons of life and seen both storms and sunny days. While trying to aim high, striving for perfection and working hard for a work-home balance, I realized I had stretched my own limits and was perpetually stressed. Unable to accept failure, not being able to cure every patient, and not giving enough time to my growing children, all this made me unhappy. It resulted in personal health issues which came as a wake-up call. It opened the door to a new opportunity – a message life was trying to convey.

It opened all my senses and I tried to see the medical world, my patients, disease and healing, with a new vision and an open mind. Do we treat only the disease or do we treat the patient? I had tried to help them recover scientifically, but learnt from my patients that there is far more to healing than medicine. I saw the power of positive thought and emotion, and the vital connection between mind and body.

This book is a guide as well as a record of my own learning from my patients and their families. I hope these factual incidents will help you in your own journey to heal; inspiring you to