Trigeminal neuralgia

 This is posted with the Consent of this gentleman suffering from Trigeminal neuralgia.

The trigeminal nerve is one of the 12 cranial nerves ( fifth ) that innervates the face and head namely upper and lower Jaw, orbit and eyeball, and cheek.

Both sensations and muscle movements.

There is a condition of this trigeminal nerve by inflammation causing severe chronic pain called Neuralgia.

This inflammation could be by many causes like compression of the nerve by a blood vessel impinging on it a tumor or cyst decreased blood supply to the nerve sheath, or trauma like in post-dental procedures.

This type of chronic pain ( lasting more than 6 months is chronic pain ) is called neuropathic pain.

It's excruciating generally on one side @ to nerve distribution and exhausting.

It sometimes is associated with reflex muscle movements or tics hence called tic dulorex.

The pain can come in waves for a few days triggered by a touch or food movements or even a cold wind and lasts for some time and with relief or no pain at times.

If an obvious compression is made out surgical methods could be used to relieve or radiofrequency ablation of interventional pain management by destroying part of nerve.

Medical treatment with mainly anti-epileptic ( used in seizures ) help.

There are other analgesics and in severe cases, even low doses of narcotics are given for relief.

Mr. M ......came to me in Indira Gandhi Cooperative Hospital referred by a neurosurgical colleague about a year back.

Luckily my combination of medications including a not-much-used topical ( patch ) semi-opioid has helped him so much.

He is one satisfied patient I have who calls me just to tell me he is pain-free and happy going about his work.

At his age quality of life and freedom from pain are our two aims

To an extent, I have succeeded in achieving that for him.

I am posting this just to just remove the impression that Palliative medicine is just tender loving care for dying patients as many believe,

that's called Terminal care which too is part of Palliative medicine.

Chronic pain management using the right combination of medicines including narcotics like Morphine and fentanyl judiciously for several chronic conditions is very much a part of Palliative medicine.

Communication and inclusion of family in the treatment process and feedback from patients are very important and my availability round clock by mobile by me gives them trust and confidence.

Even in cancer patients, many have severe pain during diagnosis and treatment and they could get completely cured of it if in favourable stages and pain management supports them during treatment but can be stopped once the cause gets cured.

All reactions:

26Simi PM, Thomas Antony and 24 others

missing them

 If there are two persons I miss not having with me for more time, one is my elder daughter, Shilpa, though it's a relief for her and in a practical sense to us parents too as looking after a severely disabled child though a ( beautiful doll )is not easy and my heart goes out to thousands of senior parents having to look after adult disabled children.

To an extent, our daughter spared us that though we do miss her and will till we die.

The other person I miss sorely though not all the time is my father who left me when I was just ten years old .

The trauma in school days was when teachers asked what my father's doing to all every year beginning later when I needed his counsel and blessings as a father and later as a friend, but my mother more than made up for all that.

But strangely my dad impressed me for life in just ten years.

Even now I remember him and his very intelligent loving eyes he never till he died raised his voice let alone his hand on me or my sister and even reprimanded my mother if she did so.

Love and making me understand my faults were his ways.

His hard work sincerity never doing anything against rules humility above all scholarship in Sanskrit his love for Carnatic music his simple but neat clothes his walking long to save money on bus tickets his never aching for luxury but providing his family the best had impressed me by observation.

He silently taught me so much which would shape my life

Even now I think twice before spending for anything ,I don't mind travelling i public transport ( I need basic comforts of course ) and as far as possible I have genuine and equalneighbors concern for every human being whoever he is

He worked in the Tamilnadu secretariat in Home department and his English noting's in files were even appreciated by ministers I heard ( those were days when English wasn't looked down upon) we lived in Mylapore the center of Brahmin orthodoxy but our neighbors had no qualms to ask doubts in Sanskrit to Nair Sir who would patiently explain .

There was a Vaidyanathaswamy Iyer next house to our,he was working in the postal dept He had a tuft and was very religious .

Swami was one of my dad's ardent admirers,

On my dad's death he even carried his body on shifting, remember this was in the seventies in Mylapore!

There was a rowdy milkman known to drink in the evenings and make a fuss, he was like a pup when he saw my Dad who used to tell him sternly to stop his vile habits.

On my father's death as a ten-year-old, I remember him weeping like a child after garlanding his body telling him he had lost someone who cared and loved him.

I really wish my dad was around

All reactions:

32Parameswari Subramanian, Govind Raj and 30 others

Hinduism

 Long post on Sanatana dharma 

The only good that Udhayanidhi Stalin has done because of his vituperous genocidal hate filled outpouring on a community he knows he is safe to do anything with is the intrest on the word Sanatana Dharma and its meaning by people .

Strangely many Hindus itself still  learn about Sanatanam as Hinduism  has no structured learning of its deep principles like other religions do ,

Its all voluntary in Hinduism from praying to knowing  there are no compulsions .

Naturally those who defame it will tie casteism an aberration which happened in a later form of this oldest religion .

Such aberrations and abominations are seen in every religion and Udhayanidhi knows it too !

In fact there is plenty to talk and change in other religions which no one dares to mention for fear of life or limb ,can anyone deny this !

For seven decades politicians like this family nurtured otherwise useless urchin  have been beating on this dead cow caste and trying to abuse Hindus divide them and reverse discriminate them most unfairly .

Yes caste is still rearing its head in some places but instead of nullifying or banning it politicians nurture it by more selective reservations strengthening it .

Sanatana dharma is beyond caste or aeons before caste 

So stop polluting it as caste based and mixing the two becuae you are ignorant on what it is .

Sanathana dharma is  an eternal principle of living in Hinduism the oldest religion still practiced in the world .

Nowhere does caste come in it .

In fact caste exists in Christianity and Islam as different types of Christians and muslims thier infighting and cult status prove it .

In Kerala marriage between different practioners of christian groups is still frowned upon .

Converted Christians from Hinduism demand thier reservations based on caste to continue 

So stop being superior on being castless !

No one can claim that 

Islam may not have castes but have several sects like Shias Sunnis Ahmediyas who hate each other and are at loggerheads 

So no one needs to lecture Hindu castes 

At least Hondus suffer for thier ancestors practicing caste by reservations based on castes what about others 

So am not at all defensive on caste 

But please don't belittle my Sanatana by mixing caste conveniently 

So having stated all this 

 let me try to explain what it is .

SANATANA DHARMA is an eternal principle of living and foundation of Hinduism .

 It believes life and living things are manifestations  of the primordial almighty called BRAHMAN ( not Brahma ) ,please don't read it as Brahmin and start accusing it as caste intonating .

It's got nothing to do with it .

It's a sanskrit term trying to describe the Almighty a formless powerful all encompassing spiritual reality who cannot be seen but can be felt by his actions ( can we see energy ,electricity but we know it's there ) 

This divine being or Paramaatma ( atmas are souls paramatma is from where souls form and merge ) 

The Brahman exists in a state beyond time and space its creator destroyer and protector of all things living and non living .

Hindus are accused of worshipping thousands of God's, they are ridiculed for praying to animal faced God's, They are abused on rituals rules and orthodoxies by people who dare not open thier mouths on the incongruencies of thier own beliefs .

On the cruel consequences of thier rules on the ill treatment meted out on women and unfair male chauvinism existing .

Hindus have many God's, idols ,prayers slokas rituals only  as symbols  visual aural or psychological references to thier one Supreme being BRAHMAN or ESWARA .

As that thought is very abstract and difficult for every person to understand our ancestors used  symbols to mirror the the one superior being in it .

Hindu temples too are not just constructed without any sense no the principles that go behind a temple is to make it an energy source to those who come to pray there .

Every temple is shaped like a human being prostate on ground and from feet the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum the head there is meaning to everything 

Every syphonated Vedic mantra has its powerful meanings its accent and throw  of sanskrit is meant to create vibration so are its pujas humans etc 

To just portray everything as superstions and myths is done by the ignorant who don't even know thier religion and are so shallow that they can never fathom Sanatana dharma .

They are low beings bent on falsified and setmonising lies to get cheap benifits of power and money .

Hinduism had always faced  such abuses on it over the ages by fanatics who killed and plundered Hindus destroyed temples and it still continues in a different manner but now  with hatred and lies .

Perfection always has envies .

Sanatanam believes all beings and non beings  are made  of five elements 

pancha Mahabhutaas

Earth or Prithvi 

Water or Jala 

Fire or Tejas 

Vayu or wind 

Space or Akasha 

Earth being grossest and Akasa the rarest .

Every living thing is a figment of energy of paramaatma and takes a form of life born in that being  lives its life and goes back to formless only to be reborn based on its karma 

This is called Maya or the unknown for no one knows why this happens .

The ultimate aim of every jeeva is to be free of rebirth and attain moksha or nirvana or merge with God head which happens when there is no more karma to go through in its account .

This jeevatma paramatma karma bhala 

punar janma are the main principles Sanatana dharma espoused and Hindus believe in .

Obviously to attain that one needs a sinless life of love to attain God .

In Human life Sanatana dharma describes four stages

Bramacharyam ..youth before getting married is one of learning devotion to teachers and service to parents 

Grihastam or Housrholder  after marriage as a family person to  get married beget children take care of family and parents and work for society and nation 

Vaanaprastham...during senior life one is supposed to wander in forests trying to leave matireal needs and try to turn to God and good deeds 

Sanyaasam ..last stage in life when all vestiges of self are dropped live only to attain moksha and being selfless and advising society as a learned person .

Sanatana dharma believes in primordial sound Om or AUM and its symbol as ultimate in reality .

So this in short is my understanding of Sanatana dharma a way of life for Hindus .

To abuse and accuse this harmless tolerant community is the worst sin any hypocrite politician can and will do .

In the bargain matireal benifits may come to those who do that but the upholders of this  dharma the Hindus  can only stop supporting such elements which by itself is its greatest weapon .

I would recommend all to read on Sanatana dharmam