Doctors All

Prakash Motwani

Amid all the fun and games in the Club, there are times when we would appear as a bunch of hypochondriacs. Diabetes, BP, backache, viral fever, joints problem, etc. have now become regular buzzwords. We talk of Prakash Motwani who does not know whether it’s his ears or lungs (or both) that’s bothering him (nor do his doctors!) for a year. We also sympathise with Ramila Mistry’s knees. We discuss Hari Naraiyani whose tabiyat is always 'naram'. Today Sunita Jajodia informed that Shekhawat too is unwell in his village in Rajasthan and that his wife’s condition is even worse.

'Doctors' in a huddle?

True, advancing age has a debilitating effect on the body. But there are many like Srichand Arora, Harbans Kaur and Ruksana Khan who are known to stoically grin and bear their pain, no matter how severe it might be. The upshot of this is we have all become repositories of medical knowledge by default which would put many qualified doctors to shame. So the moment someone is struck by an affliction, there would be an avalanche of unsolicited advice from members, each eager to help: Take this tablet, chew on garlic or ginger, apply fomentation, try warm milk with turmeric and gargle, drink three pegs of whiskey neat and don’t feel guilty...

Sunita Jajodia

Some like Jagmohan Papneja would have the names of all specialist doctors on their fingertips. Harish Wadhwa knows the names of medicines and even their spellings. Talk of a cholesterol or heart problem and your best bet should be Sunita. A diabetes or orthopedic issue? Consult Arun Patil. Want to straighten an unscrupulous doctor? Arora has the solution. He is capable of bribing a hospital to extract a ‘fitness certificate’ for someone on a wheelchair with both legs suspended!
This morning, Santosh Tyagi was to come up with the ‘joke of the day’ – though in absentia. Some time back, she created a huge scare when a cursory check-up in the Garden revealed that her BP had shot to an alarming level. Back home, she underwent a battery of tests, including ECG and 2D Echo and with timely medication, she has come out fine and is now back to normal. But Santosh is disappointed. She obviously expected something ‘dramatic’ to emerge from the tests. “What is the point of spending so much money when nothing has come out?” Sunita Jajodia quoted Santosh as saying!
Jagmohan Papneja:
Aging is a biological process and beyond our control. While this puts us at greater risk on health issues, many older adults can be victims of claims that certain supplements can solve their age-related problems.