Hurray, The tests came out negative and this morning my ENT chap asked to get a CT Scan of my brain. After 4 hours of waiting I got my Brain Scanned. After another 2 Hours I got my report. And no Multiple Sclerosis!!! All parameters normal! Therefore now the question is is my sleep apnea, my vertigo and my paraesthesia and my headaches the doings of a Hypothyroid State or is it My Hypertension (I was detected to be a hypertensive)? Let us move to Phase two of my treatment and I'll keep my followers posted.
I went and saw a pulmonologist at the behest of my ENT Guy. His suggestion is immediate measures to reduce my 86 kgs of flab and to use a AutoPAP machine while going to sleep. This should oxygenate my brain enough to stop the headaches, he feels.
Ta ta for now.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Hypothyroidism or Multiple Scerosis?
For a few days now I've been feeling a sense of tingling and numbness all over my face and rest of my body with a couple of episodes of vertigo thrown in and once in a way Severe migraine like headache in the forehead which would not go away for about 3 days! I myself being medically qualified (MB,BS graduate)on further investigation the symptoms led me to suspect that these could be the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. I was devastated! But I nevertheless went to a good ENT Surgeon and told him about my complaint and also about my major snoring and sleep apnoea problem. He put the two and two together and asked me to undergo a sleep study. The study will measure he oxygen saturation of the body which should be about 98%. Mine was 91%. This will lead to fatigue of the brain and therefore the next-day-lethargy. He also has asked me to test my thyroid hormone levels (right now only TSH), my Blood Sugar levels and an ECG. The results are due tomorrow. If the culprit is Hypothyroidism (I'm hoping it would be!)then it will explain all my symptoms like Weight Gain, Dry Skin, Dry Hair, Loss of Hair, Puffiness of the Face, The tingling sensations, the vertigo and the lethargy. I am going for the results tomorrow. If it is Hypothyroidism induce obesity induced sleep apnoea, then I think I'll have to go in for a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine. This will do two things. It will make me stop snoring and it will make my wife a happy person!The next step will be to tackle Hypothyroidism. Also there is an option of a pharyngeal surgery. Hope It is just that and not Multiple Sclerosis.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Mahabalipuram: An experience
We had gone for our US Visa to Chennai from Mysore and thought that since we are going that far anyway we might as well spend some time in a resort in Mahabalipuram. So we had made bookings at the Radisson Temple Bay.
We utilised the services of a travel agent called Mr. Thyagarajan of Apporva Travels
(+ 91 44 24986389 Mob: +91 9040163702)who is a good travel agent with reasonable charges. It is a hour and a half drive to M'puram from Chennai. We saw an art village called Dakshin Chitra on the way to M'puram which is alive with actual weavers weaving the fabric and other artisans also doing their stuff. There are traditional houses built in the various traditions of South India.
Then we reached our GRT Temple Bay Resort. It is wonderful. Extremely Courteous Staff will make you feel like you've come to your mum's house! It has the longest Swimming pool in India and the second longest in Asia. (I've seen the longest one in Asia which is in Langkawi called the Asiania Resort). The resort itself was wonderful with a couple of restaurants and bars. Sipping on a Caipiroska and listening to the Sea waves perched on pool side chair in an otherwise silent place on a sultry humid afternoon not thinking of anything in particular is my ultimate idea of a good life! and I had it! Moksha achieved!
There are also some shacks on the beach-side which make the most delicious sea-food you've never had! The best on is called the Fisherman Restaurant owned by one Nagamuthu. Call him on 09677013104 and he'll tell you what is the freshest catch of the day. Since only he and is family form the staff of the restaurant it is advisable to call him and tell him how you'd want your pomfret or prawns cooked for dinner or lunch. He'll arrange for some chilled beer too, if need be.
If you don't know how to get there, call Raju on 09384622203 and he'll appear before you in his auto rickshaw and doesn't fleece!! He speaks fluent Hindi and Tamil. He'll also take you around the town to see the shore temple and other sight seeing places. It is better that you discuss the fare before you take the trip. Should not be more than a couple of hundred rupees!
If you are going to M'puram be advised that their season starts mid November and ends in April.
Happy Holidays.
We utilised the services of a travel agent called Mr. Thyagarajan of Apporva Travels
(+ 91 44 24986389 Mob: +91 9040163702)who is a good travel agent with reasonable charges. It is a hour and a half drive to M'puram from Chennai. We saw an art village called Dakshin Chitra on the way to M'puram which is alive with actual weavers weaving the fabric and other artisans also doing their stuff. There are traditional houses built in the various traditions of South India.
Then we reached our GRT Temple Bay Resort. It is wonderful. Extremely Courteous Staff will make you feel like you've come to your mum's house! It has the longest Swimming pool in India and the second longest in Asia. (I've seen the longest one in Asia which is in Langkawi called the Asiania Resort). The resort itself was wonderful with a couple of restaurants and bars. Sipping on a Caipiroska and listening to the Sea waves perched on pool side chair in an otherwise silent place on a sultry humid afternoon not thinking of anything in particular is my ultimate idea of a good life! and I had it! Moksha achieved!
There are also some shacks on the beach-side which make the most delicious sea-food you've never had! The best on is called the Fisherman Restaurant owned by one Nagamuthu. Call him on 09677013104 and he'll tell you what is the freshest catch of the day. Since only he and is family form the staff of the restaurant it is advisable to call him and tell him how you'd want your pomfret or prawns cooked for dinner or lunch. He'll arrange for some chilled beer too, if need be.
If you don't know how to get there, call Raju on 09384622203 and he'll appear before you in his auto rickshaw and doesn't fleece!! He speaks fluent Hindi and Tamil. He'll also take you around the town to see the shore temple and other sight seeing places. It is better that you discuss the fare before you take the trip. Should not be more than a couple of hundred rupees!
If you are going to M'puram be advised that their season starts mid November and ends in April.
Happy Holidays.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Application for Non-immigrant US Visa: Suggestions
Hi guys, I am one of the survivors of the US Consulate B1/B2 visa interviews. With all your friends and relatives narrating to you the horror stories of how Mrs.so and so's application got rejected and the ad-hoc behavior of the interviewing consul etc., I am putting an end to some of the myths regarding this procedure to ease your tensions a bit. My opinion is that the whole procedure is quite objective in nature.
First let me chart out the procedure for the use of the people at large.
1. Online application for a date for the interview: This includes all your personal details like Passport No, Date of Issue, Place of Issue, e-mail address, kind of work, work place address, phone no.s, education, Education Institute address, phone no.s, years spent in the institution (which year to which year), Marital Status, If applying alone or with family etc and a long list of questions which most normal people with sane backgrounds needn't get tensed about. Basically they need to know if you have any criminal history. I think a few deciding factors would be age of the applicant (the older the better unless you are too old) and the countries you have been to before applying for the US Visa. The online application must be completed in 20 minutes flat or you have to start over again. My sincere suggestion is to let a professional travel agent handle this while you sit by his/her side to prompt. A 50mmX50mm photograph has to be sent too.
2. Payment of visa application fee: This is done in HDFC bank into the consulate’s account mentioned in the application procedure who after payment of the fees will give you two copies of the fee payment acknowledgement receipts (one blue and one pink) and you will receive a confirmation from the US State Department on the e-mail with your photograph on it.
3. You have to choose a date and time of your interview within the frame of some 15 day window the consulate will provide you with.
4. Documentation: My opinion is that the onus is on you to prove to the consul that you are not a potential immigrant. We should remember that a large number of people from our country have been misusing this route to get into the US of A and then diappear in the country. Therefore we must appreciate the Consul's concern about such possibilities.
On the day of the interview you have to carry all supporting documents. Carry two transparent folders (as nothing else is allowed into the consulate property) one for the originals and one for the photocopies of the same originals. In addition to the documents you feel fit,what I would suggest one to carry is:
a. Your Passport: This must include your present passport and old ones if any.
b. Proof of Residence: your sale deed copy with tax paid receipt or proof of rent paid etc
c. Proof of Income: Your Salary Certificate, IT returns for the last three years (personal and of the firm or company that you may own), FD Certificates any other savings etc Most important is a 6 month bank statement of every bank account you hold signed and a seal of the bank stamped on it.
d. Proof of Education: School, College Certificates
e. Any other proof of your social standing.
5. At The Consulate: Go to the Consulate Entrance where there is booth in which there are people who on seeing your Passport, Confirmation of the consulate and the pink and the blue slips mentioned above will guide you to the gate of entry. Here you are frisked and let inside the consulate. Once inside your belongings are checked. Please do not carry any purses, wallets, mobile phones, pen drives, calculators, car keys with the remote controls or any metal objects or electronic gadgets inside. Even water carried for babies is checked by having both the mother and the baby drink that water. Here you are also scanned with a metal detector.
Then a courteous staff will guide you through the procedure. Now you’ll have to go to a pre-screening area where you are to give your passports the blue slip and are scanned for your fingerprints. Then you are led to an area where the actual interview takes place. Here too is a staff which very politely will ask you for your interview timings and will guide you to the interviewing window. Here comes the Interviewing consul who will ask you for your fingerprints again and will ask a few questions which differs from person to person and circumstance to circumstance of the application.
My opinion is that they do not want your seriousness as much as they want your sincerity in answering these questions. Putting on a grumpy face will not influence the results but a smiling face with sincerity is always welcome especially considering the fact that the interviewing consuls have to handle a few hundred people a day and it is not very enjoyable. So the least we could do is not to burden them with our grumpy looking face and not to argue with them. Answering their questions to the point rather than breaking into an elaborative rhetoric also helps, I think. They are testing your sincerity in you continuing to be a citizen of your own country and are not interested in testing your knowledge. This is not a quiz competition.
Hope this helps my sincere fellow countrymen.
First let me chart out the procedure for the use of the people at large.
1. Online application for a date for the interview: This includes all your personal details like Passport No, Date of Issue, Place of Issue, e-mail address, kind of work, work place address, phone no.s, education, Education Institute address, phone no.s, years spent in the institution (which year to which year), Marital Status, If applying alone or with family etc and a long list of questions which most normal people with sane backgrounds needn't get tensed about. Basically they need to know if you have any criminal history. I think a few deciding factors would be age of the applicant (the older the better unless you are too old) and the countries you have been to before applying for the US Visa. The online application must be completed in 20 minutes flat or you have to start over again. My sincere suggestion is to let a professional travel agent handle this while you sit by his/her side to prompt. A 50mmX50mm photograph has to be sent too.
2. Payment of visa application fee: This is done in HDFC bank into the consulate’s account mentioned in the application procedure who after payment of the fees will give you two copies of the fee payment acknowledgement receipts (one blue and one pink) and you will receive a confirmation from the US State Department on the e-mail with your photograph on it.
3. You have to choose a date and time of your interview within the frame of some 15 day window the consulate will provide you with.
4. Documentation: My opinion is that the onus is on you to prove to the consul that you are not a potential immigrant. We should remember that a large number of people from our country have been misusing this route to get into the US of A and then diappear in the country. Therefore we must appreciate the Consul's concern about such possibilities.
On the day of the interview you have to carry all supporting documents. Carry two transparent folders (as nothing else is allowed into the consulate property) one for the originals and one for the photocopies of the same originals. In addition to the documents you feel fit,what I would suggest one to carry is:
a. Your Passport: This must include your present passport and old ones if any.
b. Proof of Residence: your sale deed copy with tax paid receipt or proof of rent paid etc
c. Proof of Income: Your Salary Certificate, IT returns for the last three years (personal and of the firm or company that you may own), FD Certificates any other savings etc Most important is a 6 month bank statement of every bank account you hold signed and a seal of the bank stamped on it.
d. Proof of Education: School, College Certificates
e. Any other proof of your social standing.
5. At The Consulate: Go to the Consulate Entrance where there is booth in which there are people who on seeing your Passport, Confirmation of the consulate and the pink and the blue slips mentioned above will guide you to the gate of entry. Here you are frisked and let inside the consulate. Once inside your belongings are checked. Please do not carry any purses, wallets, mobile phones, pen drives, calculators, car keys with the remote controls or any metal objects or electronic gadgets inside. Even water carried for babies is checked by having both the mother and the baby drink that water. Here you are also scanned with a metal detector.
Then a courteous staff will guide you through the procedure. Now you’ll have to go to a pre-screening area where you are to give your passports the blue slip and are scanned for your fingerprints. Then you are led to an area where the actual interview takes place. Here too is a staff which very politely will ask you for your interview timings and will guide you to the interviewing window. Here comes the Interviewing consul who will ask you for your fingerprints again and will ask a few questions which differs from person to person and circumstance to circumstance of the application.
My opinion is that they do not want your seriousness as much as they want your sincerity in answering these questions. Putting on a grumpy face will not influence the results but a smiling face with sincerity is always welcome especially considering the fact that the interviewing consuls have to handle a few hundred people a day and it is not very enjoyable. So the least we could do is not to burden them with our grumpy looking face and not to argue with them. Answering their questions to the point rather than breaking into an elaborative rhetoric also helps, I think. They are testing your sincerity in you continuing to be a citizen of your own country and are not interested in testing your knowledge. This is not a quiz competition.
Hope this helps my sincere fellow countrymen.
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