[savvy_as_98]

I dont know about the wheat, the Americans eat a lot of wheat too yet their incidence of vitiligo is less than ours. I think it is processed wheat which is actually worse for your overall health. I have felt so much better after I gave up refined wheat, sugar and white rice. I love my fruits so that helps my sweet cravings without the sugar. I do cheat once in 2 weeks or so with stuff like panipuri or alu paratha on occasion but try not to do it too often. Have found I have so much more energy since I did that.

My vit has not been better ( actually am about 80% depigged now naturally) but I just feel better since I have cut down on processed foods.

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

How many of you guys are vegetarian BTW ? I am mostly vegetarian but do eat chicken, fish and seafood on occasion !!!

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

Hey Neesha,

I am relatively new to this board but feel like I know through all the posts I have read. This is just to say hi and congrats ! It must feel wonderful !!

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

Hey van and all you guys,

Plenty of panipuri here – feel free to drop in !! Mi casa su casa (My home is your home)!

savvy

PS Your mango tree has flowers too – what kind of flowers do they have ? And all year round – OMG how fabulous !!!!
PPS Love Malaysian food too – do you ???? Their flaky rotis, Roti Canai, Nasi Minyak hmmmmm !
PPPS I sound like a big fat gourmand dont I ? lol – thats probably becos I am one

[savvy_as_98]

Hi all,

Hope everyone in london is OK !!!!

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

Dear rasmi,

Parineeta is really very good – sweet and old fashioned (to be politically incorrect – a perfect chick flick !). Has Sarkar been released yet ? Have always been a bit of a Bachchan fan – that voice is enough to make me go weak in the knees !!!!

I hear Paheli is very good too !! Have not seen it yet though – sweet music !

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

Dear Juhi,

I echo van’ s thoughts – you really are an exceptional child – with a very wise head for such young shoulders !!! Your mom must be so proud of you !!

I think moments of happiness are few and far in between and you need to savor them whenever you are lucky to have them. Your partner sounds like he is a nice man caught in the horns of a very difficult dilemma. As for the future, I think ( no wait a minute, I must rephrase that I absolutely know) that no matter which way it goes, the future is going to be very very bright for you.

savvy

PS – forgive me this indulgence but I found this marvelous poem which I must share with you

ADVERSITY
by: nameless

The pulsing drumbeat of life’s adversity
throbs loudly in my mind resonating a screaming vocal
surrender
surrender
surrender
I muffle its taunting cacophony with music that I prefer

But it is always present…pulsing…waiting…
lying in the bush like a leopard awaiting an opportunity to spring
upon its prey
Waiting patiently for the chance to raid the village of my mind
like greed driven hordes appearing from the desert
stirring up misery’s dust…

But I have weapons with which to fight…
I… Am not prey waiting to be devoured…
I… Am adversity’s formidable foe…
I… Am not alone in this fight…
I… Have war companions

Adversity does not depend upon me for its survival
But the DESIRE to surrender to it does
The desire to surrender is a child in the womb of my heart
waiting to be born as “surrender”.
It needs the nourishment that I alone must provide if it is
to grow

I must continue to deny it nourishment…
I must!

Adversity……
Prepare for a long battle
There is famine in the place
where this child
lives.

[savvy_as_98]

Hi Van,

Believe me van, I have been where swinzle is and I think you have made a wise decision ( to stay in malaysia that is) – I think India is fabulous and is always home to me – but I do know how difficult it can be – took me a long time to get rid of some of the baggage I gathered as a child. As for sisters, nothing quite like a sibling really – I have been pushing both my sisters to have more kids becos I think I would not have made it this far without my family. Well as for sisters, you are not supposed to let them know how much you care becos that is so against the rules ( just kidding !!!!)

Thank you for the invite – that is so gracious of you – but you need to be careful when you invite people like me to your house – I am likely to strip that mango tree bare in my first visit and then you really will regret me coming there ha ha !

I loved Parineeta – Vidya balan is gorgeous in a simple unpretentious way. Vidhu Vinod Chopra has done such a great job with this remake. And the music is absolutely great too ! that all I have been hearing of late. Rashmi has been talking about Sarkar in another post – I think I would really enjoy that movie – I love watching Bachchan these days – a far cry from some of the junk he acted in in his younger days !!

Savvy (thats short for savita van!!! )

PS On a more serious note, if you are in the area please let me know – it would be a pleasure to meet you !!

PPS I love the way you have coined swinzle – that is so original !!

[savvy_as_98]

OMG,

You guys are going to make kachumber of my diet – speaking of all these fabulous foods is making me sooooo hungry – unfortunately I have no chaat, no samosas close by ( at least not the asli stuff!!) – and i am trying so hard to be good !!! As it is, july comes around and I miss the bhuta from the roadside in Bombay, bhel and panipuri (golgappas to all you delhiites), aamras, malai kulfi from Kailash Parbat and ohhh all that marvelous food back home !! Van do you really have a mango tree in your house ? – that sounds soooooo scrumplicious ! I would become morbidly obese if I could afford to buy all the mangoes I craved here !!!!

Now it sounds like I will have to make a round of Delhi too (and probably will need to charter a special plane to get back here specially built to hold my weight by then lol!!!) Thats it – I am going to make myself some panipuri at home tomorrow ! Will let you guys know how it turns out !!!

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

Hey J

I hope you are ok !!! How was the fourth July – trust you had a great weekend !!!!

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

Hi van,

Thanks for that ! Yeah – life is cool ! I think one should make the best of whatever life has to offer you and I try to live my life that way. While I would not wish a lot of the things I have gone thru on anybody else, life is not and will never be fair – I am just happy to have what i have today – and try to live life to the fullest.

As for bombay, I think my ideal life would be 3 months there (yeah have my parents and a sister and a lot of family there !!) 3 months travelling the world and 6 months working. Now if wishes were horses beggars (aka moi!) would ride. ha ha !!!! Needless to say for now this is a fantasy only !

The herbal stuff – I really dont know – and I am only making an educated guess becos it was reversed in about a year and has never bothered me since then. I was taking oral and topical psoralens in one form or another – but to be honest, I really dont know what I was receiving then – most of the ayurvedic guys did not really explain much then.

I tend to like people and now work at feeling comfortable wherever I go but yes I loved the vit conference – was very interesting to see the various coping mechanisms people have developed. I met some incredibly strong people there who have never let their vitiligo mess up their self-esteem – I admire people like that ! Has taken me a long time to even feel confortable talking about it !!

What about you ? How do you cope with all the issues associated with having a daughter with vit ? Anyone in the family with it ? What about your other daughter – does she deal with it ok ? My sister and I always had a lot of sibling issues when we were younger now she is one of my best buds (I dont want her to find that out though- she would only get a swollen head lol!!).

BTW do you get mangoes in malaysia – I am sure you do – I do miss my Alphonsos from Bombay – but we have the Kent Mangoes here which are pretty good. Am enjoying one as I am writing to you !! Saw a really nice Indian movie recently – Parineeta – have you seen it ?

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

Hey van ,

Hi ! I am divorced – nope no kids – but I have 2 nieces and 2 nephews – for whom I claim full bragging rights lol – they are fabulous and that is an unbiased opinion ha ha !! I live in north carolina – this has been home for seven years now – I was in NYC for 5 years and was born and brought up in Mumbai (sighhhhh – still miss it !!!!).

Adamantly ( and thankfully for the guys!) single now ! Yeah I know too well the feeling of going thru all those myriad treatments – the good, bad and ugly – and will never forget the hope in my mom’s eyes everytime somebody came up with something new. To make it brief – when I was 21 I developed a reaction ( I think !) to one of the herbal meds I was taking and my body stopped producing blood (aka bone marrow failure – they predicted that I had six months to live without a bone marrow transplant!) – came here to the US – was taken off all meds – nope no transplant was needed – and lo presto and I am still here alive and kicking many many moons later. My blood count recovered and I did just fine. Nothing like a situation like that to give you perspective – I learnt to pretty much live with my vit since then.

Yeah California was great – could relate to a lot of the emotions there and the ones on this site. Had a blast – broke some age-old taboos and went ahead with the short sleeves (despite my spotty arms) and skirts. Felt wonderful !

savvy

PS Read about your daughters accomplishments in another post – wow !!!! Please congratulate her – pretty (I saw the pics!) and bright – what a deadly combo ! congrats to you too !

[savvy_as_98]

hi van,

Thanks for the welcome ! I see this small group is a really cohesive one – and I do admire you for your role in this process. I do think that parents of kids with vit have a really tough time – I know that I have definitiely contributed to some of my mothers gray hair while she tried to help me with my vit – now I feel guilty about the stress I gave her as a teen ( I have had vitiligo since I was eight !) My only defense is that I guess i could not really see her point of view then. Needless to say I do see it now ! She is a wonderful woman and has always been incredibly supportive despite it all !

I am still in 2 minds about using anything to depig – I wonder if I shld just let nature have its course. I have used so many treatments since I was a child ( allopathy, homeopathy, pilgrimages, psoralens, sunlight etc etc etc ) and I am pretty disinclined to any meds now – but I must admit it would be nice at some point to be able to go on the beach without being self-conscious !!! I am otherwise pretty healthy (touch wood !). I have visited the depigmentation board and have actually met Lorraine at the California conference – pretty incredible event !!!! Had a wonderful time and met some great people!

savvy

[savvy_as_98]

Dearest Juhi,

I am disturbed by the situation – and my prayers and support are with you at a particularly difficult and seemingly helpless period in your life. I do think you sound like somebody who is a very strong person who will come out a better person for all this. The people who are narrowminded enough to give him BAD advice like this are to be pitied – unfortunately I know that does not help you at this juncture. Hang in there dear, i hope and pray everything will go well for you.

I think any man who gets somebody as bright and obviously intelligent as you should go down on his hands and knees and thank the almighty. As for your reaction to your partner, I would just play the waiting game, he has all the facts for him to make a decision – show the man some compassion – he is obviously in the throes of a difficult decision – whichever this pans out – understand and remember that this is probably one of the hardest decisions he has faced where both options are fraught with unhappiness to someone very dear to him.

Savvy

PS : let me commend you on your extremely mature attitude (at least in your letter ) for somebody as young as you ! God bless and good luck – I will keep my fingers and everything else crossed for you !!!!

[savvy_as_98]

BRAVO Juhi – My sentiments entirely – could not have said that better myself !!!!!

Savvy

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