Is Alternative medicine Still an option?My personal story
By: Durga Jha
Tags: Daughters, Mothers, Health, Storytelling, Médical

Photo by Alexandru Zdrobău on Unsplash

It was last year in the month of June, my 6-year-old got infected with a stye called Chalazion. These are red or pink bumps that occur on the lower or upper eyelid. My daughter had it in her lower eyelid of the left eye. These bumps appear due to blocked gland. They usually do not hurt but are very itchy and can be painful, nevertheless, it’s a significant cosmetic problem. My daughter was more troubled with how it looked on her eye, a popped-up pimple on her lower eyelid.

Between June to September, it was visible as a tiny bump occasionally itchy and bothersome. For two months, we waited for it to go on its own, as suggested by doctors and our research on the internet.

However, between September to October, this bump had become more visible prominent due to constant itching and rubbing that any six-year-old would do. Naturally, the Chalazion did not accept this behavior from the little kid and decided to punish my little and innocent daughter. The bump kept getting bigger and bigger.

At this point, we decided to seek medical help and approached numerous eye doctors and specialists within our reach. Everyone came with the same solution, dab it with some warm water and wait for six months and it should go away.

Well, nothing productive happened with all our dedicated efforts of torturing my little kid with dabbing her eye with warm cloth 2–3 times a day! Finally, she got frustrated, and we approached an Optometrist in Toronto, working in a well-established medical institution, private practitioner with exceptional service. However, this service comes with a membership fee, which is not cheap, but worth spending for what is offered.

In Canada, we have a publicly funded universal health care system which is a blessing, but there is a big waitlist for the specialists, which goes through a referral system, and a referral from a family doctor’s office is a must.

Anyway, to cut it short, we did see an optometrist at this institution, by the name of “Medcan” located in Toronto. She recommended doing the same thing that four doctors before her had suggested. However, seeing our worried look, she decided to provide a referral for an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) at Sick Kids of Toronto.It was a relief to get a specialist’s referral, but the posibility of “minor incision or surgery” got us really scared and worried. The doctor had quickly conveyed the next steps, putting the onus on us to proceed, but the very thought of anything even remotely close to surgery gave me jitters. thinking of an incision on those big and beautiful eyes. At this point, as much as I was relieved that the stye would be gone, I was just scared of this procedure, but the experts expressed it as the only treatment available through the traditional medicine. Anyway, I gathered a lot of strength and controlled my urge to ask several questions I had from the specialist. We got back home, sad and nervous.

We knew that due to the waitlists in Canada, we have some time to review this “Recommendation” and look for other options.

All this time that we were debating and discussing other alternatives, my beautiful daughter had the same question” Can this be fixed, or do I need a surgery. Not getting any answer from a “Google Mom” was making her more anxious.

That brings me to the crux of this long story, I had to find a solution and we sought alternative medicine. For years, in India “Homeopathy” is used as a non-conventional way to treat medical issues, especially for people who have 1.Faith in Homeopathy and Alternative medicines. 2. People, who, for some reasons, cannot use conventional medical treatment due to allergies, problems of taking medicines, ingredients used, chemicals, etc.

I, myself in childhood, was given homeopathy medicines for minor problems such as upset stomach, cough and cold, diarrhea, etc. In India, a place where I grew up, before migrating to Canada, Homeopathy is the third popular method of medical treatment after Allopathy and Ayurveda. There are over 250,000 registered Homeopathic doctors currently in India, and more and more gets added every year. Many family members in India had advised the same for my daughter too.

There were two issues, although I grew up on Homeopathy medicines in India, I was not very convinced with the science behind it and the effectiveness of its outcomes.

Well! Being a mother with a resolve to fight this out, I started my research, and trust me, I have been complimented on my research skills an infinite number of times (Just being modest!)

I took a month researching homeopathy medicines, the problems that can be best treated, and the most difficult part, “finding the best and trustworthy homeopathy practitioner”, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Going through the Google search results and reviews, we shortlisted a few. We finally went with the one we perceived to be the best for us, Mr. Harmeet Suri, and clearly, we went through a lot of factors such as Google reviews, proximity to our house, and the fee. He is slightly expensive compared to an average practitioner, but don’t we all pay a premium for the best things in our lives? We did the same, and this comes very organically to us, for example for last few years we have shifted to eating everything organic. Comes at a premium but hopefully is helpful in the longer run.

We met the practitioner; I keep using this phrase as they are not allowed to call themselves “ Doctors. “ However, they make a massive difference in the lives of people seeking alternate medicines, people wishing to avoid medical interventions for little things, just like me.

Though it was tough to get my daughter to see a practitioner in a non-medical setting, she did get excited knowing that this would save her from the “incision” in her eyes.

He examined her eyes and shortlisted two medicines based on medical history, family background, personality, and the “cure” suggested by the book of homeopathy, the book with the origin of homeopathy in Germany, and the types made on characteristics of the problem.

We came back with the medicines, not knowing for sure if it can do the magic! We started in December 2019, and by May 2020, her stye had become smaller over time, and the cosmetic concern slowly faded. By June end, her stye had vanished! The magic had happened, and my daughter’s beautiful eyes were sparkling and shinning again, what a relief for a mother!!

Amidst all the pain and suffering that Covid19 has inflicted on us, this came as the best news. Hopefully, my story can spread some positivity amidst so much of negativity surrounding us. We all can bring change individually or collectively, but by being patient, positive, and practicing goodness.

It has been my mantra, and I hope you relate to it.

We all need to pause; the world is moving too fast, old age sayings, and practices still work, we need to instill faith in ourselves.

Key resources on this alternative treatment!

Homeopathy

wikipedia