Adhantari

I came across this poem yesterday. I compiled the pictures from my computer and tried to relate them to the poem. I hope I have done justice.

I couldn't help thinking about a journey similar to that explained by the poet. A journey that can be related by many.

Medicine Ke Side Effects!!!

I am sure you have heard of something called “Restless Leg Syndrome”. It’s a condition of restless legs. All my life, I had never thought of it as a medical condition. I mean seriously. How does someone ever come up with something like this? Someone somewhere was sitting comfortably on a chair shaking his/ her leg. And that’s when it occurred to them!! What about Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)? I read the symptoms of that and I can relate to every single one of them. But I am not a hypochondriac and neither do I have ADD (I don’t think anything like that exists)

Who comes up with such diseases? And to my surprise (or probably not), there are medicines for these things as well. Seriously, if the name of the disease doesn’t scare you off, then the medicines should.

Mirapex is a well known drug for RLS. Here are some of the side effects of the medicine and keep in mind that some of the symptoms are hilarious (highlighted). Picked from the following website “http://restless-legs-syndrome.emedtv.com/”

• Low blood pressure when suddenly standing or sitting up
• Involuntary body movements, such as tics
• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Weakness
• Abnormal dreams
• Headaches
• Hallucinations
• Falling asleep during the day, sometimes without warning
• Feelings of internal restless or jitteriness
• Strong, uncontrollable muscle contractions
• Any abnormal muscle movements
• Severe dizziness or fainting
• Muscle pain
• Any vision changes
• Difficult or painful breathing
• Problems with impulse control, such as gambling, hypersexuality, or binge eating
• An unexplained rash
• Hives
• Itching
• Swelling of the mouth or throat
• Wheezing
• Difficulty breathing
• Memory loss
• Loss of appetite
• Arthritis
• Bursitis, a painful joint condition
• Confusion
• Constipation
• Decreased libido (sex drive)
• Weight loss
• Dry mouth
• Fever
• Water weight gain (fluid retention)
• Impotence (erectile dysfunction or ED)
• The flu
• Nasal congestion
• Pneumonia
• A runny or stuffy nose
• Frequent urination
• Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence)
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as a bladder infection

So to get rid of restless legs, you have to risk the laundry list of side effects. Take a look at the commercial below. This is for another famous sleep aid medicine. This is a 60 sec. commercial with 35 sec. of side effects.

So next time you are accused of gambling or forgetting something, you know what to blame it on.

Happy Rakhi!!!

Rakhi is a popular Hindu festival which gets its name from the sacred thread that sisters tie on their brothers wrist. The festival marks the brother-sister relationship like no other and no place anywhere.

For years, Rakhi has been a symbol of trust and protection between siblings. The Nobel winning poet Rabindranath Tagore used the occasion of the Rakhi as a community festival to spread the nationalist spirit among people from different ethnic backgrounds. Rakhi also has several stories that include mythological and historical characters like
- King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi
- Lord Krishna and Draupathi
- Alexander The Great and King Puru
- Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun

Thus for centuries the word 'Rakhi' was recognized as a pledge towards a amicable and harmonious society and as a symbol that involves a bond of life-time practice of moral, cultural and spiritual values.

Until, this happened.....

Happy Rakhi!!!