Kathmandu:

I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (Grade IIIa) — a type of blood cancer — in April 2006. Before this I was envied for my health. I practiced yoga, went on treks in addition to my daily walks. I preferred health foods to the level of being a freak.

When I left for the US, I was apparently in perfect health — no problems like obesity, blood pressure, sugar. But the day we (my wife and I) landed there, I developed severe back ache. I was unable to move the next morning and even high doses of the strongest painkillers like morphine did not help. It was a pathological fracture in the T-12 vertebra of my spinal column caused by the degeneration of bones due to Multiple Myeloma.

The reason for this cancer is not known and modern science describes it as “treatable not curable”. Remission, a state of minimum presence or absence of cancer cells in the body, is the “near cure” that modern medicine tries to achieve for it. Longer the remission, luckier the patient.

Depending on the availability, affordability and my response to the treatment, nobody knew how short or long my life would be.

Then I got admitted in a Bangkok hospital. Till last August, I had taken 12 cycles of chemotherapy, and a year ago I underwent an autologous stem-cell transplant — extraction of my blood cells to be transplanted back into my body after bringing me to remission by high doses of chemotherapy. I have been in remission since.

Prior to remission, in addition to modern allopathic treatment, I was introduced to several alternative healing practices each of which claim a fair share, if not all, for my improvement.

The first were the astrologers, who identified the cause of my illness as the bad influence of Shani (Saturn). The remedy was prayer to Shani 93,000 times. My wife organised that here while I was undergoing chemotherapy in Bangkok.

My driver Shyam claimed I suffered from the curse of Naag. He took me to a famous tantric (occultist) in Kirtipur Bagh Bhairab.

At the first sight the tantric said, “Don’t ever trust the doctors; when they can’t cure the patient, they always say it’s cancer. Your problem is not cancer, it’s the Naag and prets (evil spirits), and I will take of them.”

He performed his rituals by mumbling mantras and blowing over me while dusting the prets off my body with a broom. After each ritual, he would ask me

to drink few sips of holy water tinged with cow dung and urine. I refused. I had already rejected the idea of drinking my own urine, which some had described as a panacea for all diseases.

My wife and friends are devotees of Satya Sai Baba and believe in Baba’s miraculous blessings and cures. I visited Sai Baba’s ashram in Puttavarthi and attended bhajan sessions. I also visited Sanjaya Baba in Kathmandu, who devotees believe to be the Nepali incarnation of Satya Sai Baba. He blessed me with bivhuti, the ash that materialised from his bare fingers.

Photo-poet Kumar Aale told me about a complicated case of a child, who was beyond the means of allopathic treatment and the Vellore Hospital, but was cured at Bhaktapur’s Homeopathic Clinic.

Artist and restoration expert Rabindra Puri arranged for my consultation with well-known Dutch cancer specialist homeopath Dr Tinus Smits. He prescribed two globules of CCC 200 K per week for general improvement, and suggested I avoid sugar and ensure a good intake of good fats, organic food, antioxidants such as cod liver oil, selenium, Vitamin E, green tea and 10 grams of Vitamin C per day.

I consulted Dr Madhu Ghimire about this and he said an overdose of Vitamin C causes imbalance of iron absorption in blood.

I have also received a lot of blessings from the readers of my antimemoir Antarman Ko Yatra. A number of them suggested faith in the Almighty and the power of prayer. Almost everyone recommended their own deity or guru whose blessings cou-ld miraculously heal. I have received blessings and pra-sad from many holy places, gurus, temples and incarnations of Nepal, India and China. All these opened my eyes as to how many people really believe in the Almighty, miraculous cures and blessings, and the power of prayer.

Pramila Upreti, who is a teacher of yoga promoted by Swami Ram Dev, advised me to do more Pranayams than I was doing and take some herbs and herbal medicines to improve my immunity.

My major back pain was cured after three months of treatment in Bangkok, but some discomfort and general weakness continued. Then I was introduced to Kiran Purush Dhakal, who runs his Traditional Acupressure Healing Centre at Kupondole. He assured me he would cure my illness with his special acupressure techniques. He claims that blockage in one’s body is the main reason for any illness and his acupressure therapy opens it up and can cure ‘any’ disease. His visitors’ book testifies the positive experience of some well-known people.

I have been his client for the last six months and have found my back and joint pains have significantly reduced, in fact nearly cured.

Last September, I had a thorough test in Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital and I was found to be in full remission. My bone density has improved, which means my bones are becoming stro-nger. I do not have the back pain that I used to have before visiting Dhakal’s clinic.

I have accepted most of what my well wishers suggested that did not conflict with the mainstream modern treatment. When I look back, I don’t know what is providing me the positive energy that I have now compared to a year ago, since when I have not had the chemotherapy.

Perhaps all the right things that have happened to me; modern medication, alternative medication, prayers and blessings have positively worked on me. My wife and friends think that in addition to modern medical procedures, it is the prayers and blessings of my well wishers, and above all the blessings of the Almighty that have brought about such positive results in my health.

(Dr Ghimire is the recipient of 2065 Madan Puraskar for Antarmanko Yatra)