Meditation

[garry]

Hi everbody,
everybody of us suffers from emotional problems. But thats not particular to us. able bodied world also suffers a lot from emotional issues. we think , if we had been in their place, we could do that, we could be very happy, we would have climbed mountains. but see, this happens to everybody. majority of the world is not satisfied with god's gifts.we always look at the empty part of glass. painkillers and drugs heal ur body but not ur ailing psychology. i have discovered meditation as one source of healthy mind. i am not a religious person, but very spiritual. meditation doesnt mean formally doing yoga or having a ticket to himalaya. meditation means experiencing the GOD. searching him in every little thing. ant moves, plants grow, children play, it rains, ...........everything presents a beautiful picture of god. and spiritual well being heals unexpected wounds for which doctors say its not possible. i use music for meditation. i became a trance addict within past 2 years and its very very relaxing. i live outside my body. its only when i face mirror, that i realise how crippled i am. otherwise meditation doesnt let me feel so. i suggest every depressed person over here to try meditation. of course we are deprived of yoga as many of its positions are impossible for us . i listen to trance but i dont suggest trance to everybody. its a psy music, to be listened with responsibility. it prompts u to take drugs. but i dont. also it can make u psychic unsocial person. please share ur experiences of meditation. one more thing, meditation makes u fearless. otherwise most of us are always conquered with fears of medical complications.

[Gymp]

Hi Garry,I used to meditate some in my younger years,Ive even experimented with astral projection for a while.The astral projection really scared me once when I found myself looking down upon myself as I lay in bed.Perhaps I wasn't mature enough to understand the full implications of it at the time.

Gymp

[sean]

G'day Gary, also in my younger days, although I think I meditate subconsciously these days, when I'm watering the garden or when I'm being creative (wood carving) in moments of monotony, my mind slips into a joyous mode. It's a great gift to recognise.
My work as a Rune Maker is all meditation.
Also not a religious person, but know my spirit to be strong and has raised me up many times when all else fails.
Unfortunately for me (an exception) perhaps a little like Gymp, I actively practised meditation and yoga, but I think because of my level of depression it turned on me, I was not going to a good place, got a bit frightening. And perhaps like Gymp it may have had to do with the time and place I was in.
I started Yoga in my early teens, I learnt so much, greatest lesson was/is breathing consciously. A social life saver, maintaining calm through breath.
Trance! here in OZ it's party drug stuff too, hey what ever floats your boat. I can see.
I wonder if some gentle more ambient music might take you there, play it loud???
Spiritual awareness I think is the greatest gift to yourself.
Garry, from Chadigarh (to me that's exciting) I was wondering if you could add to the world organisations of SB project, some info' about what there is in the way of organisations and support for folk with SB in India. thanks sean.

[eng188]

Hi, all. I am not into the yoga/new age/hippie scene, but I guess you can say I meditate informally at times. If I am going down the expressway, and forgot to take my ditropan and thus NEED TO PEE YESTERDAY!!!!!, then yes I will try relaxation techniques. I'll concentrate on my breathing or maybe focus on a few notes of a song I like, repeating it in my head in some sort of loop (only works with instrumental stuff, like Orbital).

It's a good stress reducer.

[garry]

G'day Gary, also in my younger days, although I think I meditate subconsciously these days, when I'm watering the garden or when I'm being creative (wood carving) in moments of monotony, my mind slips into a joyous mode. It's a great gift to recognise.
My work as a Rune Maker is all meditation.
Also not a religious person, but know my spirit to be strong and has raised me up many times when all else fails.
Unfortunately for me (an exception) perhaps a little like Gymp, I actively practised meditation and yoga, but I think because of my level of depression it turned on me, I was not going to a good place, got a bit frightening. And perhaps like Gymp it may have had to do with the time and place I was in.
I started Yoga in my early teens, I learnt so much, greatest lesson was/is breathing consciously. A social life saver, maintaining calm through breath.
Trance! here in OZ it's party drug stuff too, hey what ever floats your boat. I can see.
I wonder if some gentle more ambient music might take you there, play it loud???
Spiritual awareness I think is the greatest gift to yourself.
Garry, from Chadigarh (to me that's exciting) I was wondering if you could add to the world organisations of SB project, some info' about what there is in the way of organisations and support for folk with SB in India. thanks sean.

hello sean,
u know about chandigarh? u asked me about the SB scenario in india. actually there is no SB organisation in india. until now i lived in ignorance about other SB people. Its only when i discovered this site, i felt great that its not happening with me only. India is very poor in medical care systems. Good medical care is available but at unaffordable cost to an average person.
Govt hospitals are overcrowded with attention being given to wailing people only. U land in emergency deptt and they wont attend u until u bleed profusely or u are choking. Life is very hard for me in India. I have to work hard to collect money for private medical care.I have to ignore my pains. I work like a robot, thinking all is justice until i dont die. this is the way india runs. india maybe projected a cool country, ya its cool, but only for fit people. poor and ailing people live a ridiculous life. There is no pension , caregiver etc provided by govt. for the crippled people. The theory of charles darwin "survival of the fittest" plays here.

[nolda]

Yes, meditation is a very good mode to calm oneself. That will even helps one to be cool at times of crisis and to take right decisions. You all r talking about the sprituality it helps truly to a great extent to control ectremities of emotions. I agree totally with u all as I am also a mother of a sb child. The emotion swing is more, true; but it is not only with u. As Garry said it do happen with normal people and also with the care takers of u like guys. But I have also observed u r all blessed with special unknown strength than the normal people. In India emotions have no place. Possibly because of the large population, this factor has got least importance. A handicaped person can't dream of having healthy emotions. Forget about sbs condition. Harldy I have read 3 articles about sb in 27yrs of period that also in newspaper. This site has given me more information. In India there is an association named Indian Spina Bifida Association were they have accepted my registration only after that no action is taken and I know nothing, whether it is still existing or has dissolved. India has very Good medical fecilities but lacks execution, straight forwardness. Govt. is busy in many matters but negligent about these.

[sean]

G'day Garry and Nolda, Thankyou both for sharing this with us, heartbreaking and mind boggling, you must be true masters of survival. I feel a little lost for words, I think the majority of people on this site, I don't know, maybe we choose isolation and aloneness with our SB, because all we have to do is reach out, support can be found, we take choice for granted. More power to you both.
There is an international organisation http://www.ifglobal.org I have not checked it out unless it's the same as ifsbh mentioned in the SB organisations thread here.
I imagine your experiences, your story would open the eyes, hearts and souls of many, please keep sharing.
Garry, not a very Indian name. Garry is a common name here in OZ, generally known as Gaz or Gazza, some years back voted as the best OZ name for males.
I don't know Chandigarh or the Punjab but I do have perhaps a typical westeners experience of India. 1979 myself and partner backpacking around several countries, India a major highlight, expecting to spend at least six months, lasted one (fantastic) month before I became so ill gastro/dehydration, two days on the floor of a hall way of the Madras Hospital delerious, robbed of everything as my partner seached for help.
Amazingly an Australian doctor appeared, anti-biotics, airport, Sri Lanka, Colombo Hospital, IV fluids ect. I was young and foolish only imagining the 'cool' India, now I just feel guilt for being an ignorant "tourist". My fascination with India is now less ignorant.
I recently heard the population count has stopped at 1.6 billion people, they??? can't keep track beyond that. I know it's easy for me to 'choose' the glass half full, but I still mostly think of India as an explosion of life, colour, spirituality, art, history, beauty, beautiful people, strength, mystery, wonderment. You guys are awsome.

[angel]

I would also like to say thank you for sharing with us about how life is there. The only other country I have ever been to is canada which doesn't seem much different than the U.S. Well I take that back the people in canada seem to be a lot nicer than most here (just my observation). My husband and I do have plans to travel after the kids are grown there are so many parts of the world we want to see.
I did know a lady from India when i was a little girl. Her name was Santosh (i am sure i didn't spell that correctly) and she worked at our local health dept. I was very small and I just remember her being so beautiful and very nice. I loved to hear her talk because she had such a deep accent. I don't know where she went from there but I will never forget her.
I didn't know anyone with SB other than the other kids you would see at SB clinic when we would go there for appointments. I never got to know any of them as I only went to SB clinic once a year. I was almost a teenager when I met someone else with it that was close by. She was only 3 years old but her mother arranged a meeting with my mother. It didn't turn out well but that is another story for another time.
You truly do have a very difficult situation. I am glad you joined us. I think we all learn more from eachother than anyone else. Doctors know how to treat SB but they don't know anything about how to live with it.

Angel

[nolda]

Thanks sean, that's very nice of u and thanks for being empathetic. We had taken Michelle recently to a neurologist as she was complaining about ringing ears. we were worried about the shunt. We had taken the appointment in advance still we had no place to sit ,(she was on the wheel chair) waited an hour for our turn, no apology for the delay, nothing. The more funniest part was Dr. without listening to us completely, the moment he heard she is a meningmyelocele he said nothing is possible it is too late. (which we too were aware) My daughter felt so depressed to hear his words. Such r some of the Drs' over here.:arrgh:

[sean]

I feel your frustration, where I live there is only one Urologist, strictly private 160 cash to walk in the door then the meter starts. Otherwise you wait for a visiting Uro 2 months apart or travel to a major city. I can't travel beyond bying groceries. At the moment I am over dosed with anti biotics and pain killers waiting for an appointment in oct'.
I have been to the private Uro, typically a creepy old man, some idea of plumming but either afraid or offended by SB or/and welfare recipients. As usual I get the info I need from the (scared of him) nurse. I recently, in the middle of the night went to the emergency dept' of the local hos' blinding pain expecting kidney stones again. I think because I walked in I was treated with suspision, SB means wheelchair???? (I think they thought I was an addict looking for a fix) apart from the third degree with questions I was ignored in agony until I showed them my scares, my bag and thick milky wee, then I got IV fluids and pain relief.
No one seemed to have a clue about SB, LOL the attending doc insisting my urodome was called a conveen (brand name) I had no voice they did not listen. I am affraid of them all. As much as it felt like kidney stones it's just my hydronefrosis attacked by a wicked UTI, it was horrendous I thought it was the end. I have not taken (prescribed) painkillers before, feeling jolly!.

[Gymp]

(I think they thought I was an addict looking for a fix) apart from the third degree with questions I was ignored in agony

I've had this experience in the Emergency Dept of our hospital too.
I had tripped over my wife's big feet fell and landed side first into a mahogany coffee table.My side was really hurting badly so to the Emerg.I went,after waiting for a long while I was seen my the attending doc,he asked a series of questions then asked what medications I'm prescribed I told him I get tylenol #3 for my back as I've got a broken harrington rod.After I told him of the tylenol #3 his attitude towards me went down hill really fast.He said we don't give out narcotics here,I replied I don't want any I have my meds at home I'm here because I fell into a coffee table and my side was killing me,I had thought I injured the only kidney I had.After we argued some and me saying I'm not here to get meds til I was blue in the face he finally x-rayed my side.It turned out I had cracked 3 ribs.Phew I thought,at least it wasn't my only kidney.The doctor then appologised then asked if I had enough meds at home to which I replied yes,we shook hands and I left and took a taxi home.It was one of the most demeaning experiences I've ever encountered in a hospital in all my life.

In all fairness this had happened on a friday night,when all the crazies are out in the bars picking fights and causing mayhem then ending up in the emergency.That doctor must see a heck of a lot of crap and I can only assume he thought I was one of the crazies he'd see on a friday night.

My ribs did heal up eventually,but man cracked ribs hurt!I've since kept an eye on where my wifes big feet are so i'd never have a repeat performance again.She's sitting beside me right now reading this as I write with a huge smile on her face....

Gymp