Meeting Dr. Raju – Susan

Each day the patients either line up or have an appointed time to meet with Dr. Raju for a consultation.  A consultation is brief and the most important part is that the doctor listens to your pulse at your wrist and asks you how you are feeling.  He then notes what treatment will be given that day based on those inputs.

Alan and I queued up on Friday morning with the other patients for our first consultation.  There is one row with a few metal seats to wait inside first door of the building and few more outside.  The two Vedic Pundits (monks) are once again chanting blessings for the guests in a small, separate room off the waiting room.  There is an altar of flowers and many color images with so many other things in their small room.

Alan and I are shown in for our time with Dr. Raju together.  The doctor sits in a small, office behind a large wooden desk. The desk and office is overflowing with paperwork in no apparent order.  I think my pal, Kathleen Peterson, a professional organizer, would be beside herself and get right to work!  There is something about the doctor that reminds me of a younger and certainly darker version of Eric Lefton.

Dr. Raju has a welcoming presence; he seems to be the kind of person that delights in other people.  He smiles warmly and we sit next to him on the side of the desk.  He is happy to see Alan again and meet me.  We have completed paperwork, which describes in detail why we have come.  However, he starts with the pulse without looking at the detail.

I am up first.  In less than a minute of listening to my pulse, he says, “You have you a strong constitution.  Hmm, it’s your hormones”.   I nod in agreement.  Then he continues, “And your thyroid is causing disturbances throughout your entire system.”  I am moved by his ability; and tears come to my eyes.  I am not upset, but rather pleased that he gets me and so quickly.  I will start the treatments that afternoon.  The specific treatment for thyroid will be later in the week and maybe another treatment for female hormones after that, known as the “banana treatment”.

We change seats and he moves onto Alan.  After listening to his pulse, he smiles with a twinkle in his eyes and says, “You are so much better!”  Alan gives him a brief overview of his medical journey since he left the clinic last March (2011) including the radiation to his brain.  I happen to have the Ipad with me with photos of that treatment and open it up to show Dr. Raju.  His eyes open wide when he sees the shots of Alan going through the process and $5 million Gamma Knife machine.  Alan also shares a recent scan of the lesion on his brain on our laptop.  Alan leaves him with the CD.

Again I am struck by the wide contrast between the wonders of western medicine and the fact that we have travelled across the world to be treated by this world renowned doctor of an ancient medicine; and we have the good fortune to be sitting quietly in his office.   A few more notes on the contrast. We can hear the pundits chanting (click here ===>Pundits Chanting ) blessings over the wall.  Dr. Raju has a current iPhone sitting on his messy desk, which rings often from the treatment center asking for directions. I get a kick out the fact that he has the same ring tone on his phone that I do!

Dr. Raju confirms how long we plan to stay at the clinic.  I am scheduled for the four weeks he has suggested.  Alan has planned to stay only for three weeks due to his vacation time from work.  Dr. Raju says he should prepare himself that may ask him to stay an additional week.  Also he will be consulting an oncologist regarding Alan.  Alan quietly nods.

After the visit we are each given a basket of herbs, we are to take at various times throughout the day.  The process of healing has begun.