Happy Vishu!

April 16, 2007 Kamala Amma's Grace

Dearest Friends and Family,

Yesterday was Vishu in Amritapuri. We heard Amma gave darshan in the big hall. We are grateful for each and every bit of news and story about Amma you may know. Vishu in Kerala is associated with beautiful yellow cascading flowers, not unlike the pink-purple wisteria in the US. Ususally, alot of these flowers are placed around Amma’s room.

Alot has happened. Last week we went to the Dr. that NIH recommended, and learned what is the best that modern scientific medicine in the USA can give us for Anni. Since “Unfortunately this is one of those cases where we don’t have a firm diagnosis” , Anni can be part of scientific experiments, called clinical protocols or studies, for new types of drugs. The first procedure the Dr. would do is remove her kidney and thereby get more samples of tissue. The Dr. recommended “opening a port” in her chest, through which drugs, blood samples and food could be had. Then, a week later, they would begin Chemo with new drugs, on new trials. The best of these trials have a 10% stabilization rate, which means that 10% of patients who are treated stabilize – or stop getting worse. It is not a cure.

Anni lost 7 pounds since the NIH experience, due to the drugs and narcotics, which prevented her from eating, overwhelmed her with nausea, and prevented the peristaltic action of her bowels. In reality, the pain medication alone was killing her very fast. After April 2, Anni took herself off the narcotics, and by the 10th of April said she felt that her head had finally cleared. The way pain is handled here seems strange to us – seperate from the cause…

We have learned a bit of the cancer statistics. I was not suprised to learn that 33% of all cancer patients in the USA die of malnutrtion, since the drugs have side effects like overwhelming nausea and impaired digestion. Of the 66% remainig, many die due to the treatment itself. Newspaper, magazines, and Health workers all acknowledge that there is a tie between the pharmaceutical companies and the US government, which prevents a lot of advancement in health care.

We have begun to approach the Gerson Therapy, started by Dr. Max Gerson. See www.gerson.org. This therapy has helped many people with all sorts of illnesses, including cancer and tuberculosis. It is a dietary therapy, with supplements and some injections, and enemas. It is based in giving the body intensive nutritional support via pure fruit and vegetable juices and detoxifying through coffee enemas. Even though we are not yet on the whole treatment, as we don’t have the potassium salts, liver and B.vitamin injections that are used, Anni ‘s nausea has stopped. Whenever we do a coffee enema, she has a big reduction in back pain. Yesterday, for the first time since we came to the US, she requested food: and ate 2 chappattis and a bowl of boiled vegetables, with a small cup of yogurt/water mix. We were so happy, we all sat watching her eat, my tears flowed.

In addition to all of this, one of our Ashram sister’s living out here, made Anni’s situation known to a circle of energetic healers. One of them, in Hawaii, called and spoke with Anni. To make an amazing story short, Anni’s back pain was relieved for 2 hours, during which she slept. At night, particularly after 3AM, Anni has excruciating and racking pain. She wants to be held, or have her hands or feet pressed hard. Sometimes we press her legs. Our ashram brother staying with us has been a soul of selflessness to Anni at night, waking up at her least murmer, whimper or moan ( we are all camped out in the living room ) and pressing her hands for hours or holding her head. Both Link and I have showed ourselves unfit in this regard. Link staggars around and falls asleep while pressing her legs or feet, and Anni does not allow me to do any services at night as she wants me to rest. Later that night, Anni again had a bout of pain free relief for 2 hours. In the morning we found out that our Ashram sister’s healing friends were working on Anni during the night. So that was very sweet. And God’s grace to her, to have a brief respite.

How Anni is learning to handle the terrible pain is amazing. When the pain became horrible again, our ashram brother suggested Anni call the energetic healers. She declined, saying, it was Amma who made them help in the first place. What they can give is only temporary, it is Amma who has to do the real work. I was inwardly glad that despite excruciating racking pain that the most courageous would shrink from, Anni recognizes the true source of healing. 2 days ago, she told me that she had learned to force herself to go to sleep, despite the pain. It takes a hand to go behind the mind willing to transcend the agony of the body. Yesterday she told me that she had to identify with her soul and not the body. This we see in the shining example of our Mama Janice in California who despite wretched and diseased physical condition, is ever cheerful, peppy, and lovingly bright to all She meets. She gives her whole heart, as she is completely identified with her own heart, and not her body….

When I hold Anni, I am reminded our our beloved sweet Satyabhama, a dear friend at Amritapuri, living with her sister, Hemavati. Thin and bony, Anni’s body has that same very fragile feel. Satyabhama is a great and unknown jewel in the Ashram. She is blessed with a pure and benevolent heart, thinks only and constantly of Amma, loves small children, and has a spotlessly pure mind. Many people have viewed her as retarded due to her physical deformities, but we never found her so. She may actually have a slight form of autism, I don’t know. We found her to be very astute, punctual , absolutely sincere, and without pretence in any way…we miss her dear and well intentioned heart…its always a relief to be around someone, who is simply their own self.

Today is very windy, in an unnatural way. Very strong winds. Yet, life in this suburban setting goes on, as though untouched by the natural system it is in. Its very strange. Its like the medicine here. Anyhow, we have to go….Anni has a vigorous schedule of juices to maintain, I can’t really speak what is in my heart today…I know that We want and need your prayers, urgently, heart slitting prayers, for Anni’s physical recovery, to be able to spend her life in Amma’s physical service.
-Aunty Kamala and Link