Traditionally it is believed to have birth-stone as a ring helps radiate positive energy, at least I know that is the case in India. Even the ‘Rishi’/Yogi’s used to wear the ‘Rudraksha’ – I think to some degree these are proven to at least keep aside the negative energy/light so that it does good to you.

Then it was an era of bangles/bracelets imported from China and other countries which apparently helps control Hyper Tension. I do not know the authenticity of this but I know for sure a lot of people definitely have bought this.

So coming to the my story I bought a stone worth 1 Lakh Indian Rupees (for non-Indian’s, understand that it is really a huge some of amount). For example, I bought a house worth 36 lakhs, so you can do the math! The only difference is that I bought this from a hospital, it is a gallstone measuring 1.4 CM calculus which was showing me the extent of “pain of death”.

Usual procedure, laparoscopy was done and discharged from the hospital in a day, a week’s rest put me back to speed and had my first Chicken Biriyani exactly on the 7th day

Well, the moral of the story is you can have Oily Chicken Biriyani even after you get your gallbladder removed – you’ll survive since the liver produces over a liter of bile a day, enough to help process and I live to tell this

The place I live in Bangalore is Kaggadasapura, and the 2 hospitals near-by are CMH Hospital and Manipal Hospital. People first go to CMH (since it is mission hospital, err?) and then to Manipal since your problem will be taken care for sure but so do they of your money as well. I suffered this severe pain and I attributed it to severe gastritis. The best thing is, the pain comes exactly at mid-night, pretty much paralyzing you from options. So I suffered this for 2 weeks and when the pain goes out of control, I rushed to near by 24/7 type clinic to get a pain shot. Then it came, even with the shot the pain wouldn’t drop. After a whole night pain I went to CMH hospital with one of my neighbor, they admitted me and said it is probably something pancreatic. Did the Ultrasound scan and they said everything is good except that my Spleen and Lever is a little bigger (usually caused by infection in less severe cases as I was diagnosed). I asked the radiologist specifically for gallstones since I know that I have one from a body checkup done an year back. But he said, there is nothing and I’m good to go. I was diagnosed as ‘Hepatosplenomegaly’ – sounds cool isn’t it and was given some medicine’s. I was asked to get admitted there since seems that on Sunday’s no discharge happens in the afternoon – Yeah…

Exactly after a week, the bloody pain started again and kept me up the whole night, so I called up one of my colleague and went to ER @ Manipal, they moved me to gastro dept. I underwent an endoscopy, X-ray and Ultrasound, in that order where they found the culprit is the gallbladder. The Doc explained the situation to me and asked me if I’d like to get it operated. Well, before the tests were done, I was going through the worst pain in my life I ever had, even with Tramacal (seems this is like Morphine) i was still struggling, pulling out my hair! So thinking of that I was quick to agree to an operation. They put me on PCA (Patient Controlled Anesthesia, pretty cool stuff, I could increase the dosage when I want with a switch). After the surgery, this is my first one in my life, I saw the stone and couldn’t believe my eyes. How the hell can a radiologist and a doctor at CMH miss something of this size man, it is just pathetic. The doc at Manipal told me that the gallbladder was infected more than he thought.

So it cost me a Lakh, of course my insurance paid it though.