Rheumatic Artheritus -- how I came out of it?

' I'm planning to start working out'

'But why? You are quite normal.'

NORMAL,Don't youknow that Aman is cribbing all the time that I should take care of my weight.So I will have to.
Take care  but don't forget your problem lest that gets aggravated
The word problem shook me and I was driven back in the memory lane.
It was 1998. The month was Dec. We-all family members -were going to a faroff city  to attend some social function.The weather was foggy.It was biting cold.We reached Ambala by taxi .The train was late.It was being announced at hourly intervals.I enjoyed the weather. I roamed at the platform for 4 or 5 hours and then settled inthe waiting room. It was midnight. The train was 12 hours late.
We faced the same weather on our return journey as well.We again went to attend a marriage after two days. It was there that my problem started raising its head. My jaw was locked. I was fasting while all were enjoying the delicious food.
After about a week I felt pain in my wrists and ankles. I went to a neighbourhood doctor.He gave medicine for two days. On the third day he declared that I should go to the civil hospital. My instant reaction was -is it gathia(artheritus) ?He said,"I fear."
So I reached the hospital.I went through various tests . At last the doctor declared that it was Rheumatic artheritus and recommended painkillers till it became aggravated. I knew how terrible the problem could be .But I am thankful to God that i was not depressed .I just felt that I was getting my share of problems.
It was not acceptable to me to just take a painkiller for such a serious problem and wait for the problem to aggravate. Since allopathic  doc. was not ready to  give any medicine, I decidked to go for an alternate system of medicine.I went to a wellknown  homeopath.The doctor was quite confident and assured me that he could cure me.But in vain.
After about six months ,someone suggested to my husband to take me to an allopathic doctor who had cured his son cpmpletely.We contacted the doctor.Medication started after lots of tests. At first the visits to the doctor were on weekly intetervals. Then  the visits were  every fortnight and then every month.The medicine was the same but every month a lever test was recommended  to confirm that the medicine was not affecting lever.(the doctor told me so).Walks and exercises were also recommended though quite difficult for a patient.It continued for about two years but one question haunted me all the time-what if the lever is damaged? Moreover a close family friend kept on insisting to leave this treatment as it may lead to serious problems.At last I decided to try alternate system of medicine.I went to a homeopath again.He started the treatment but l had to take the painkiller I was told to continue the painkiller.A few months passed.I felt no improvement and was disappointed.
I now went to a well known ayurvedic doctor.The treatment started--damn expensive for a middle class person--lots of medicines.It continued for three or four months.There was improvement and then the doctor said ,"The treatment is over--you are 75% O.K.The rest will depend on your lifestyle and you can take any medicine recommended by me if you like.I could not understand the logic  of the last sentence.
A few momths passed. Life continued  on painkillers. Again I was told about a homeopath-an aged person.I went to him. He felt my  pulse and told a lot  of things about my problems and started medicine.My friends told me that he spoke these very sentences to all his patients.Doublemindedly I started the medicines.I felt some improvement.At that  time I was  having a sort of second elbow on my arm. With the medicine  the second elbow vanished. Again after some time the improvement stopped.I had to leave the doctor.
Life continued with the problem and the painkillers.
Nature has its own ways and there is time for everything.One of my colleagues advised me to go to a doctor in a village near Chandigarh.He was not a trained doctor.His father was a Hakeem and so he had some knowledge of a few diseases and its medicines.Having no other alternative I went to the doctor--a simple man who gave medicines and did some odd jobs  for a living.He diagnosed the problem from the urine bought by the patient.He gave me so many medicines some of which were prepared at home.No normal tea--only desi tea.Medicines started at four in the morning as they were to be taken before going to school.(I was working in a school at that time.) Fresh fruit in breakfast, beaten curd with pepper with lunch and dinner,water boiled with herbs during the day and so on. I religiously followed all his instructions.and my problem was under control.Now there was only one problem--I had the problem of temperature every fortnight for which I had to take a painkiller.
The medicine continued for about two years and then I discontinued it.I continued taking water boiled with herbs.Life went on.The problem, sometimes,  aggravated but was in control with the painkillers .
As luck would have it, a therapy named CERAGEM started in and around chandigarh.It was claimed it could cure  many of the chronic diseases .I was also tempted to go there .There was a lot of rush  It took about three hours to have the therapy of thirty minutes. Three months passed. All of a sudden my problem aggravated.All painkillers failed. The time was very testing.But I continued the therapy as it was claimed that the problem aggravated before subsiding. This position continued for five days .Even three painkillers a day were not giving any relief. On the sixth day , as I got up,I felt that there was no pain . As a precaution I took half the tablet.The whole day passed. There was no pain, .there was no temperature after that. I started feeling better.
Five years have passed. Now I often feel quite normal. Sometimes there is problem,  but it itself subsides in  two-three days.I often continue that herbal water. If I feel the need, I take the therapy as well ,as I have bought the machine at home for life-long use.
I am thankful to GOD and to all my friends and my near and dear ones for guiding me , giving me moral support and helping me in every possible way whenever the need arose.