I woke up today at 5:30 AM. Faisalabad mornings have their own charm. The air is still a bit cool, you can hear birds chirping outside, and the light coming from the window is soft and golden. I didn't want to get up from my blanket, but I knew it was going to be a busy day at the clinic.
I got up, offered Fajr, and went for a walk. After coming back I went straight to my kitchen. I have been trying to eat healthy for the past few months. No more paratha with chai every morning. I have shifted to a high protein breakfast.
So today my breakfast was a bowl I made myself. I took fresh yogurt, the thick one we get from our local dairy shop, and mixed it with one boiled egg cut into small pieces, one leftover chicken shami kabab that I had fried lightly, one spoon of flax seeds and one spoon of pumpkin seeds. I know it sounds like a weird combination ... yogurt with egg and shami kabab, but trust me, it tastes amazing. The cold, sour yogurt with the salty shami kabab and the crunch of flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. It's filling, it's healthy and it keeps me full till 2 PM. I ate it slowly while scrolling my phone, checking Hive notifications.
After breakfast I got ready for my clinic. I wore my white coat over my light blue scrubs. I left hostel around 10:15 AM. The road to the clinic was smooth. Just 5 min walk.
I reached my clinic at 10:22 AM. My assistant had already opened it, cleaned it and arranged the beds. The first patient was already waiting.
Today I had two major cases that really tested my knowledge and my patience.
The first case was a 27-year-old female. He came with severe neck pain and stiffness. He couldn't turn his neck to the right side. He said he woke up 3 days ago with a stiff neck and it got worse. When I took his history, he said he works in an office, 9 hours on a laptop, with very bad posture. He sleeps with a very high pillow, two pillows stacked.
On examination, I found his neck muscles were in severe spasm. His trapezius and sternocleidomastoid were tight like rocks. His X-ray showed loss of cervical lordosis, which is the natural C-shaped curve of our neck. When muscles go into spasm for a long time, they pull the spine straight. So it was Cervical Lordosis due to Muscular Spasm. Not a bone problem, but a muscular problem.
I explained it to her very calmly. I told him, "Your curve is not gone permanently, your muscles are just pulling it straight because they are tired and angry." I started with heat therapy, then gentle myofascial release, then IFC and then very gentle stretching. I also taught her chin tucks and scapular retraction exercises. I told het to change his pillow, to use only one thin pillow and to take breaks every 45 minutes from her laptop. She was so relieved when after the session she could turn her neck 30% more than before. SHe said, "Doctor, I thought I will have this for lifetime.....! I smiled and said, No, you just need to respect your neck.
That one smile from a patient who gets relief .....!
that is why I love my job.
The second major case was a 23year old girl who came with her mother. She had mild lumbar scoliosis. Her mother noticed that one shoulder looks slightly higher than the other and her school uniform doesn't sit straight. On examination, I found a mild C-shaped curve in her lumbar spine. It was not very severe, it was mild, around maybe 15-18 degrees. But at 16, this is the age where it can progress if we ignore it.
I was very careful with her because she was very conscious and shy. Young girls are very sensitive about their body. I didn't make it a big issue. I did Adam's forward bending test, checked her leg length, checked her pelvic alignment. I explained to her mother that this is common, it happens due to bad sitting posture in school, heavy bag on one shoulder, weak core muscles.
I started her treatment plan with core strengthening, side plank, Schroth method breathing exercises, and postural correction. I also told her to avoid sleeping on her stomach and to carry her bag on both shoulders. I gave her mother a home exercise chart with pictures.
Two major cases, both spine related, both needed not just treatment but counseling. I finished both cases by 2:30 PM. My back was aching from standing, but my heart was satisfied.
I came home around 3:30 PM. I was tired and hungry. I rested for 30 minutes, changed my clothes, and then I thought, "What should I cook today?"Since morning I was craving biryani. Not just any biryani, but proper home style chicken biryani with lots of potatoes, fried onions and that aroma that fills the whole house.
So I went to the kitchen. I had chicken in the freezer, I had rice soaked. I started cooking. First I fried onions till golden brown. I kept half aside for garnish. Then I made the masala - yogurt, ginger garlic paste, biryani masala, tomatoes, green chilies. I added chicken and bhunaoed it properly. Then I added boiled potatoes that I had fried lightly - because biryani without aloo is not biryani for me.
On the other side I boiled rice with whole spices .. bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise. The smell was amazing.Then came the layering. Rice, then chicken masala, then fried onions, then mint, then again rice. I put it on dum for 20 minutes on very low flame. I put a tawa under the pot so it doesn't burn.
In those 20 minutes, the whole hostel was filled with biryani khushboo. My sister came from her room and said, ...waooo....Aaj to biryani hai...!
When I opened the lid, the steam came out and it looked perfect. The rice was khila khila, the chicken was soft, the color was that perfect orange yellow.I ate one plate myself. It was delicious, if I say so myself. But then I thought of my best friend. She was having a rough week, she had exams. I thought she would love this.
So I packed a small box, full of biryani with extra chicken and raita, and I sent it to her through a rider. I wrote a small note: Made with love, eat hot.
After 1 hour, she sent me a picture. She was eating biryani in her pajamas, with a big smile, and the plate was almost empty. She wrote, "This is the best biryani ever, you made my day!"
And you know what? That one picture made MY whole day.
In the morning I helped two strangers with their pain, and in the evening I made someone I love happy with my food. What more can you ask from a day?
I went to sleep at 11 PM, feeling tired but so content. My feet were aching, but my heart was full.
This is what life is - small breakfasts, big cases at clinic, and biryani shared with love. Alhamdulillah for today.