NYC Session 1

Columbus Circle, view from Time Warner Building

Quite a change...from Hakkikat Nagar, Delhi to Columbus Circle, Manhattan, from Jatin to Jason. Jason's in his early forties and has a ready smile. The best part is that he's a tennis afficionado like myself. So the second I tell him what I really want to rehab for is to get back on the tennis courts, his interest is peaked and he guarantees me that I'm in the best hands possible for this endeavor. Of course, I don't tell him anything about a possible regeneration on my ACL. Simply, that Dr. Schell in NYC as well as Dr. Jatin in Delhi feel that I should give 6 weeks of rehab a chance before taking stock of my option for reconstructive surgery.

The therapy center is located in the back of Equinox, a high end gym in NYC. It's probably a nationwide chain. Wouldn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that "high end" for a gym still only gets you basement real estate. Of course, the location is prime--Columbus Circle, with the Trump Hotel right across the street and the Mandarin Oriental hotel adjacent. The reason I'm there, other than the fact that the therapy center takes my insurance card, is the easy commute home after I'm done.

I get a new set of exercises to do at home, similar though different. I do them at the PT center as well. My MCL is still problematic and it turns out that my leg isn't quite as straightened as it should be when straight. Ergo, says Jason, the limping walk. So now I really have to concentrate on striking my heel firmly in the ground before continuing with the rest of my stepping procedure. Even without surgery, it's a long road to rehab. But Jason's confident that he might be able to get me back to playing tennis without surgery.

Let's see. He wants me to step out on the court in about a month's time. By then, I'll know one way or another what the situation is--If am am mobile and don't need immediate surgery, or if I am shaky and need surgery by the end of June.

Session 20 - the verdict

A view of Dr. Jatin Chaudhry's Clinic, SHARNAM HEALING

I decided not to take a second MRI today. Told the doctor so. He seemed disappointed. I told him I'd take it in 6 weeks from now, in the US, when the ACL should have become healed and functional. This according to his timeline, of course. He said that's a good idea, send me the results so I can look at them.

Then, the doctor advised me to forego the last needle session! You can imagine that he didn't have to tell me twice. According to him, the body would naturally accomplish in 4 days what the needles would have accomplished in thirty minutes. I'm not going to argue with the calculus, I'm kind of relieved that Dr. JC believes so strongly in the fact that the ligament is doing its healing job now.

So what's the verdict here? The verdict, according to Dr. Chaudhary, is that the healing has accomplished the needful, that the ACL has begun regenerating itself on the femoral joint, and that in six weeks of care and exercise, I should be able to return to sports.

That's a pretty fantastic verdict!

The question is how do I really feel right now? I feel that today is my best day so far, in terms of stability and strength. There is still swelling around the knee, but that has been there unchanged for the last few days. Do I feel sanguine that by six weeks I'll fully functional/recovered? At this point in time, I'm willing to believe. Let's see what happens six weeks from now.

I'll definitely be getting another MRI done at that time, to confirm what exactly is going on in my knee. Of course, by then I'll also have a pretty good feeling as to my walking, running, and sports playing capabilities.

I'm going to update this blog, not daily but frequently, up until that 6 week period is over. By the way, I've added some pics here and in some of the other blogs, so feel free to treasure-hunt, as it were, for some interesting visuals.

I've got to say that I've truly enjoyed working with Dr. Jatin Chaudhry and his amazing staff. Thanks Doc, and thanks Manoj, Lochan, Sashant, Anwar, Urvashi, and Sumit.

Session 19

Arjun Atwal, PGA Professional, got some Sharnam Healing

So one down, one to go. Or, to be more precise, 19 down, one to go.

Today was needles, as was yesterday and as will be tomorrow. Today, I managed to download a program called Osirix on my Mac. This allowed me to view the MRI scans on it. I took my laptop to show the doctor and get his opinion. He was pretty certain that there was practically no ligament attachment on the femur in the first MRI. Hence the "high grade to complete tear." So, in his opinion, the news is good...I've got 40 percent regenerated, and he assures me that by tomorrow, it will be close to 70-80 percent regenerated.

I hope he's right. So I'm going in for yet another MRI, expense be damned, to see if his prediction bears fruit. If it does, that means that surgery should be definitely be avoidable. So let's just say that I'm excited for the second MRI. I just hope that the MRI machine is an open machine...not a tunnel thingy. I'll find out tomorrow.

Well, it's been quite an adventure. Thanks for sticking around! Check in tomorrow for the final verdict on the Delhi treatment.

Session 5

February 26, 2011

This time my appointment is in the morning, since the weekend schedule is abbreviated. I get there at 10:45 am, and it is packed!!! No doctor in sight, but seeing the number of people waiting around, I am pretty confident he will be coming in. When the magnet machine is ready, I get on it for the requisite 10 minutes. Then the routine follows, with the electromagnet for my knee, then the strengthening exercises.

When I get to see the doctor, he just adds a one kilogram weight for my leg exercises, and tells me that's it. No needles today? No, he says, that's for tomorrow. He asks me how I'm feeling. I tell him the swelling is down somewhat and that the leg is feeling stronger. I also tell him that I'm giving it as much rest as possible, so I don't really know if it's healing yet.

Then I want to ask him if he thinks I'm progressing, if he thinks my ACL has started healing, but he looks like he's preoccupied. Perhaps just busy with so many patients to see today. I guess I'll try to get some sign of what he thinks is going on when I come back for my needles tomorrow. I wonder where they're going to be applied. Another finger? In the legs, perhaps? I've a feeling it's fingers and more fingers.

I can't wait to be back for Sunday.

Session 4 - the more rest the better

February 25, 2011

Okay, today went off smoothly and as expected. The doctor was in and that means welcome acutorture needles! I did my magnet disks, the electromagnet on the knees, and the simple exercises to strengthen the knees. Then, with a certain sense of trepidation (who can blame me) I went to see the doctor.

He took one second looking at my file (which really is just a piece of letter sized paper on which he''s scribbling his notes), nodded and uttered the dreaded word: "needles."

Is it in the hand again? Yes. Will it hurt the same? yes. Does the hand hurt more than the leg when pierced with needles? Of course.

So this time, it was the middle finger that was up for torture. He stabbed 7, and just like last time, a couple really, really hurt. I relaxed, and said wow! that was pretty much like last time, thanks. We're not done, he said. Then he put at least 7 more needles in pretty much the same spot! I'm like, how many needles can you put in on one target, dude?!

Anyway, then I lay down in the dark for 30 minutes. This time when an assistant named Anwar removed the needles, some of them actually hurt a little on the way out. Wassupwithat?!? Then I got my finger wrapped up in fenugreek seeds as previously, and was sent home.

But just before leaving I peeked in on the doctor and asked him if it is okay for me to walk. Less exercise the better, he said. The more the rest the better, I asked. Yes. Try to do as little as possible except for your exercise routine twice a day.

All right then. I'm glad I'm at my folks house, being looked after for food and the such. I guess I'm looking forward to 10 days of absolute self-indulgence in terms of avoiding movement at all costs.

From stillness springs wellbeing.

Session 3 - Is there a doctor in the house?

February 24, 2011

I show up, early as usual. This time the lights are on, the electricity is running, and there are only two people waiting. Two! That's it! Nice, I say to myself.

Knowing the routine, I head to the back corner of the reception room to get my hands on those electric drum like devices. I find out later that they are called "magnet machines." I don't know if that's an official moniker or what. But magnet machine it is.

While I'm magnetizing my palms, then, I overhear one of the assistants mention that the doctor won't be in today. What?! what about my acutorture session? What about the magical healing? This totally sucks. I ask across the room, no doctor? No, he says, but finish your magnet machine and then head for electromagnet on your knees and your exercise.

Sheep as I am, I shrug inwardly, do as I'm told. While I'm busy with my stuff, Manoj calls the doctor. He must have given him instructions, for when I head over for the next step, I am treated to a acupressure massage with an electric device, on the small of my neck and proximal vertebrae. This feels nice, so I can't complain.

Then Lochan applies those laser-thingamajiggies to three points on my legs. The white, electric razor like devices glow red, vibrate somewhat, and apparently have a laser effect somewhere in them.

This is all tranquil and peaceful. I am relaxed because there's going to be no acupuncture and its surprisingly painful prick-pains. But, I wonder, what about my healing?

Patience and trust, that's what it's all about.