Friday 20 January 2017
Sunday 1 January 2017
Dr Jose Poulose | Face to face with a deadly King Cobra | Childhood memories |
The villages of Karnataka are very scenic, full of lushes green trees and seasonal rains, especially in the regions of Malnad, the central agrarian belt of the state. I was born and raised in a tiny village called Kogally, which is a picturesque hamlet full of rain forest, belonging to Chickmaglur District. My parents had moved down there from the neighboring state of Kerala, also known as, 'God's own country'. Chickmaglur received international attention in 1978, when the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi used it as a launching pad for her historic come back after the humiliating defeat of 1977. I have many fond memories of my childhood which includes quiet walk through the jungles, finding bird nests, fishing expeditions, enjoyable times with Grandpa who was a famous hunter, and also of being in the audience of 5 people during one of Indira Gandhi's road side speeches at our village bus stop! As they say, " You can take a boy out of the village but you can never take the village out of the boy". Literally true in my case!
Our village was also famous for Cobra's, the deadly, poisonous snake. "Agumbe", which is world famous for King Cobras, is less than two hours drive from our village. Our house is located in the midst of a sizable area of land where snakes wandered through often. My father, a renowned social worker in the area, also had part time hobby- that of killing Cobras, every time he spotted one! It was a familiar scene back in the days of him chasing a deadly Cobra!
On the edge of our land, we had a tiny pump house, where a motor pump was set up, which was used to pump water for house hold needs. It only had one entrance door. Immediately after you enter, there was a wooden beam that ran across the tiny room, right beneath the roof. I was 5.10" and had to bend slightly while entering so that I would not hit my head against the beam. As kids, one of the big tasks my brother and I had to perform was to turn this pump on and off.
One day, during the first year of my medical school, I was home for vacation and on a certain evening, I entered the pump house to start the motor. After starting it, I immediately turned back to come out and to my horror, found a King Cobra hanging down from the beam. It had a furious look and had coiled itself around the beam. Story has it that Cobras take revenge when it's partner is killed and my father had recently taken down one in the area!
During the next couple of minutes that followed, I faced probably the scariest moment of my life! I realized that it was a King Cobra when I saw its hood. There was no way of getting out without passing under the beam on which the Cobra had positioned itself. When I made a small move to the left, the Cobra moved to the left, intensely gazing towards me while hanging down from the beam. Same if moved to the right! It only had one goal and that was to attack me with a deadly bite! I screamed and called out for my parents and my older brother but our house was far away from the pump house. We had people working in our farm, and they may have helped me to tackle the crisis but they had finished work a few minutes before I stepped into the pump house. There was not a single soul anywhere near who could come to my rescue!
For the first time my life, I concluded that I was going to die. Death was staring me in the face and the King Cobra had perfectly positioned itself for the ultimate strike! I said my prayers and thought of ways to get out. I realized that I had no choice than to make a swift move to get out. As I tried to sit down to position myself for an escape, the Cobra stuck its tongue out and got ready!
I have no idea to this day as to how I did it but in one of the fastest moves that I have ever made in my life, I squatted for a moment and leaped out of the pump house. I was almost 100% sure that the King Cobra would jump down on me during my way out. As I stepped out, I found a metallic pickaxe lying right outside the pump house within my reach and I immediately grabbed it. As I made a rapid turn towards the pump house, I saw the Cobra within striking distance, positioning itself for the mortal strike on me. I had no option but to kill it and in a rapid split second move, I struck its hood. The rule in killing Cobras is that you have to get it right during the first strike and I was right on target. It was all over within seconds and the King Cobra lay flat on the ground, after I crushed it repeatedly to make sure that it was dead. Feeling like a hero I picked it up to show it to my family. When I came home, everyone was amazed that I was able to take it down. My mom cried initially and said that she had spotted this particular Cobra lurking around in the area a few time before this! We thanked God almighty for His mercy. He is the creator of all beings, including the King Cobra! Although a section of the society still worships Cobra as a god, it is after all one of the deadliest creeping creatures you can find on the face of the earth! If you want to worship it, go for it! But remember that it can take you down at the most unexpected moments.
Little over 2000 years ago, on the Mountain of Calvary, Jesus crushed the head of the another serpent, the devil! The enemy of our soul, that ancient serpent has been defeated, thus fulfilling the ancient promise that God gave to Adam and Eve in that Garden of Eden after their disobedience.
“And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.””
Genesis 3:13-15 NKJV
I thank God almighty for preserving my life from that mortal attack. I thank my Lord Jesus, whose invisible hand of protection had been over my life, even during the moments I was unaware of it. During the final year of my medical school, I felt convicted of my sins one day and suddenly the fact that Jesus died on the cross for my sins became a reality! I confessed my sins to the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior! He left the glories of heaven and angelic worship to come down to the Cross to die the most miserable and painful death. He was forsaken of the Father and crushed for our sins. Do you know this amazing Savior? If not, come to the cross. There is still room there for you! With His arms open wide and nailed to that old rugged cross, Jesus is waiting for you! Do you feel that gentle knock at the door of your heart? Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 NKJV
May the Lord Jesus bless you and your family! May you know Him and the power of His resurrection! Amen.
Dr. Jose Poulose - Cardiologist in Williston Park, NY | HealthGrove
Dr. Jose Poulose Has Received Many Honors and Awards
Friday 23 December 2016
| Dr. Jose Poulose | Heart Surgery | Six Important Tips for Exercising After an Angioplasty | Jose Poulose |
After a heart attack, angioplasty or heart surgery, many peoples think they should ignore exercise to prevent putting too much stress on their heart. In reality, the opposite is true. Regular physical activity can help strength your heart muscles. It can also decrease your risk for heart disease and control problems that can cause heart disease problems, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity.
People with heart conditions who exercise daily and make heart healthy changes and live longer than those who do not. After a Heart Surgery or angioplasty, get moving very soon as your doctor says it is okay. These 6 tips can help you do it safely.
1. Start slow
If you are recovering from heart surgery, start slow. With time, as your health improves and increase your level of daily activity. For instance, start with walking at a step that is comfortable for you. Slowly increase the time and make distance each time you walk.
2. Aim for 2.4 hours of moderate intensity physical activity per week.
That is the American Heart Association recommended daily exercise. Examples of moderate-intensity activities include cycling, walking, rowing, and climbing stairs.
3. Follow a well rounded program.
In addition to aerobic exercises and add muscle-strengthening activities two-three days per week. This will help you build a stronger, comfortable, healthier body. Strengthening exercises include lifting hand weights or free weights, using a weight machine, and using elastic bands that provide resistance.
4. Sprinkle exercise throughout your day.
Growing your physical activity is about more than daily workout, It is about living a more active lifestyle. Look for many opportunities throughout your day to be more active. This may mean parking farther away from buildings, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and fitting in a 16-minute walk during your lunch break.
5. Find an activity you enjoy.
The best exercise is whatever kind you will do. You are more likely to stick with an exercise program if you enjoy doing it. Discuss with your personal doctor what is safe for you, then experiment with different activities until you find those you look forward to most.
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