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Due to modern lifestyle, it is not uncommon to learn that `so and so' has been advised bypass surgery or angioplasty by the famous cardiologists of famous hospitals. On one pretext or the other, the hospitals are encouraging people to get full body checkups at throw- away prices, basically to get some patients for the expensive surgery procedures.
People, who have medical insurance or for whom their company/organisation is paying for their medical problems, are more attracted for such offers and become their clients. Minor blockages in the heart arteries are amplified and the person is advised to undergo angioplasty or similar tests leading to `immediate bypass surgery or angioplasty with stents'.
My advice to `such people or likely victims for such traps' are to just go through my medical history appended below.
If you wish to remain healthy inspite of blockages in your heart arteries `follow the lifestyle changes adopted by me'. If you follow the similar lifestyle you may also achieve the desired results irrespective of your health status and age.
I was diagnosed `ECG abnormal' on 01.05.2000 at M H Secundrabad during Annual Medical Examination by the cardiologist Lt Col K R M Rao, when I was 51 years of age.
He advised me to get TMT (running ECG while doing some exercise) at Apollo Hosp, Secundrabad. This was done on 02.05.2000 by Dr Shiv Kumar, MD, DM and the result was `positive for exercise induced Ischemia (High Probability)'.
I was advised by Dr Rao to go through Angiography test at Apollo, Secundrabad. Angiography was done by Dr Rao himself at Apollo, Secundrabad on 10 Aug 2000.
Diagnosis: Coronary Artery Disease (old inferior infarct, triple vessel disease, normal
The following blockages in cardio vessels were shown in the report:
· LAD: Mid – 100% blocked almost 2 cms long.
· LCX: Distal – 95% stenosis, OM2 – proximal 90% stenosis.
· RCA: Dominant proximal - 70%.; Mid – 90% stenosis; PD - 100% blocked at origin.
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I was advised to undergo Triple Vessels Bypass Surgery (CABG) at the earliest, and continue on medicines to prevent further damage to the heart, which may lead to severe heart attack, which may be cause of sudden death.
I was advised by my close relatives to take other opinions from other specialists, before taking any final decision.
I showed my reports to Dr C H Umeshchandra, MD, DM famous cardiologist in Hydrabad. Based on the video of angiography and angio report, he also advised me to undergo surgery at the earliest.
I showed my reports to Dr (
I showed my reports to Dr A Shrivstava, consultant cardiologist at Malhotra Heart Institute, now Metro Heart Hosp, Lajpat Nagar,
I have shown my reports to Dr Bimal Chhajer, who, based on my reports, advised me to take medicines regularly and attend his three days camp with my spouse (costing about Rs 20000/- at that time). Meanwhile I should continue on medicines. He was against any angioplasty or bypass surgery. His advice was to improve lifestyle and remain healthy. Nowadays, you can have treatment (equivalent to bypass surgery or angioplasty through machines at Dr Bimal Chhajer's clinics, for more details visit www.saaol.com).
I took his advice seriously and decided not to undergo any bypass surgery. I also decided to improve my lifestyle, which was not that bad, and not to attend his camp.
Angioplasty was already ruled out in my case being triple vessel disease with lot of serious blockages.
I asked Dr Bimal Chhajer: how my heart is supplying blood and working normally as I was not having any angina pain, which is the major symptom of ischemia heart disease. He told me that God is not fool, he has provided us collateral arteries in the heart which become active when main arteries get blocked due to deposit of cholesterol etc. In my case these are active and meeting my blood requirement in spite of so many blockages, and therefore I am not having angina. (This fact is normally not told to you by any cardiologist or medial professionalist. Moreover, a fear is introduced to you or your family about the sudden death due to these blockages). He also advised me to keep the blood pressure, lipid profile within ideal limits and have no stress.
I took medicines advised by him and some homeopathy / Ayurvedic medicines for almost two years, till I retired from active service from the Army in end April 2002.
Before retirement one more Angiography was done on 09.07.2001 at RR Hosp, Delhi Cantt by the cardiologist.
Angiography report almost supported the readings of earlier angiography, with minor modifications:
· LAD: 100% Mid.
· LCX: 70% distal; OM2 – 70% at origin.
· RCA: 60% vertical segment.
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You can see some improvements. With these results I was again advised for bypass surgery. I again decided against the advice.
After retirement I stopped all medicines in phased manner.
Being an army officer I tried to implement the lessons taken in the army:
· If you want to win your enemy, know him well. Analyse his strengths and weaknesses (SWOT).
· Explore all possible routes to overcome the enemy and than take the best course possible.
· Know your strength and weaknesses.
· Attack the enemy with full strength to destroy him forever.
The first one was to know the enemy.
In my case: to know about the functioning of the heart and why we have heart diseases. As heart does not function in isolation we have to know complete cardiovascular system. This system that looks after our blood supply and purification (with the help of respiratory system) also does not function in isolation. So we have to know our body anatomy and physiology. Therefore, I started reading available material on the subject, starting with heart, which was my major concern at that time. I came to know: what are the risk factors for heart disease, which are the heart diseases – their symptoms, diagnosis and treatment and prevention.
I also got lot of material on the net and studied it seriously. This has changed my total outlook towards life.
To remain healthy physically and mentally we have to tackle following aspects:
· To control the inputs to your body: food, water, air, thoughts etc.
· To exercise your body and mind regularly.
· To remain stress free all the time.
· To improve your environment affecting your life.
· To improve your relationships with family members, friends and neighbors (emotional health).
· To remain independent in most of your daily needs – physical, mental, emotional, social and economical; this will reduce stress level.
· To cater for your future needs: to have security and therefore living tension free – physical, economical, emotional, social and spirituals.
You may add some more aspects.
· To meet the first requirement (control of input to the body), I have to know `what to eat/drink, how to breathe properly, how to think positively etc' and than implement the knowledge gained.
· To meet the second requirement (to exercise body and mind regularly), I have to again gain information about how to exercise, when to exercise, how much to exercise etc. and after gaining the info to do what is best for me.
· To meet the third requirement, I have to work in such a way that I am always stress-free. The main cause of stress is to do what you don't want. Again I have to study the causes of stress and how to overcome these. After gaining the knowledge, implement what is best for me.
· To meet the fourth requirement, I have to analyse the environment in which I have to live or work and if need be improve it so that it does not affect my health in any way. Environment may be physical, social, emotional etc.
· To meet the fifth requirement, I have to be friendly with all my friends, relatives or people I meet causally, so that they don't become cause of stress, which is a major cause of heart problem.
· To meet the sixth requirement, I should work in such a way that I have not to depend on any one for my daily needs, this gives lot of mental security and remove a major cause of stress.
· To cater for the last requirement, I have to plan my future economy needs so that I have sufficient resources to meet my requirements adequately and I have not to work for money, which again leads to stress. No job is without tension. So, I have decided not to work for money, if possible.
Now, I have achieved most of my objectives and living tension free, having adequate exercise, having control on body inputs. I have control on my eats/drinks, thoughts and have Yoga exercises / Pranayam, sleep etc.
I sleep at 11 pm and get up at 4 am daily without any holiday.
I do regular yoga in
I also teach yoga at National Institute of Financial Management,
All these have resulted better medical results: complete body tests were done in 2006 at R G Stone Hosp,
If you wish, you can also follow them or make your own strategy.
If you need my help, do write to me at harinag49@yahoo.co.in or harineel76@ymail.com
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