eNewsletter

Balabhadra’s Health Report

04/15/2011

Our last e-newsletter sent out on April 6th explained how after Balabhadra was diagnosed with Gullian-barre Syndrome he was treated and sent to a rehab facility. You might remember in previous ISCOWP updates that I explained that Gullian-barre Syndome is a disease that causes the immune system to attack the central nervous system and destroy the sheaths of the nerves. It causes paralysis of the limbs, face and often the respiratory system causing death. Balabhadra experienced paralysis of the legs, arms and hands and was then diagnosed and treated.

After being treated, he was in the rehab center for 2 weeks and has been home since April 22.  Because Balabhadra can’t do very much for himself, I have been kept very busy being his caregiver. I help him with the most basic hygiene, daily tasks of life and continual assigned exercises to build and maintain his muscles strength. Balabhadra has written more about his health situation in the following article.

Everyday I think I will have some time to thank you all individually for your financial as well as spiritual and emotional support, but the time never seems to be available.  As Balabhadra gets better and eventually  makes a complete recovery, as is the case with victims of Gulllian-barre, I will have more time. So please forgive us for our tardy service to you and please know that we are ever grateful for your help.

As we are both unable to do our usual services we are hiring people to do what we can not do on the farm. Please read the following articles about what is going on at the farm now. So, whatever you can donate to help us get through this difficult time will be used to maintain the general operation of the farm until Balabhada can once again walk amongst the cows.

If you would like to help follow this LINK.

Thank you and we pray this letter finds you well.

Your servant,

Chayadevi
(Irene M. Dove)
ISCOWP Co-Managing Director

Balabhadra’s Health Report

Balabhadra in wheelchair.
Balabhadra resting in his wheelchair

Here is the latest news on my material body’s health. I have been out of the hospital since April 22, 2011. It is so good to be home with the cows and devotees. I am somewhat better in some areas. I can get in and out of bed by myself and walking is becoming better and better each day. My legs are much stronger than my arms and hands.

I have been receiving physical therapy 5 days a week by two different physical therapy nurses. Because I am classified as” home bound”, they come out to the house. At this point in time the physical therapy is of paramount importance so the muscles can start to rehabilitate. As the nerves heal, the muscles will be strong enough to receive the signals from the nerves and once again work.

Actually, my physical therapist says I am making good progress in the leg department. However, the arms and hands are still very weak and need allot more help now. So, starting around May 23rd I will be classified as an “Out-patient” and they will stop coming to the house. They are making all the arrangements for me to go to a physical therapy program that specializes in hands and arms. This will be for 3 hours a day and between 3 and 5 days a week. I am still 80% useless in my hands and the arms are very weak.

I still cannot dress or undress myself and Chayadevi still needs to assist me in personal hygiene. Lakshmi has been a big help also.

My heart medicine has finally become regulated with the correct dosages and we are quite happy with that. Blood pressure is stabilized.

All the Doctors that we speak with say to be patient and allow 9 months to a year for the recovery time and there is a chance of 100% mobility again. My main goals are to be able to hand milk cows again, chant on my japa beads again and to be able to take care of my own personal hygiene. there are other goals but these are top of the list and require the hands and arms to recover.

I can type on the computer with my index fingers.

My spiritual health is alright and I’m just trying to understand Krishna’s message in all of these activities.

Thank you all for your help, concern and prayers. I greatly appreciate your thinking of me and it helps to motivate me to get better.

Balabhadra

Joyous Spring Pasturing

Cows go out to spring pasture
The first rotation from pasture to pasture in spring. The gates have been opened onto our side of the farm and the cows are summoned by making the sound of a counchshell…………they come with great happiness knowing that new pasture and sweet grasses await them.
Cows enjoying the spring grass at ISCOWP
Krishna, Priya and Yamuna enjoying the tall delicious grass.
Madhava the Brown Swiss ox in search of grass
Madhava nearly ran me (Chayadevi) over in his enthusiasm to find the tastiest grass.

Spring is in full motion now and the cows are very happy to be on pasture again after a long hard winter. This winter seemed to just keep going and going and April turned out to be the wettest April in recorded history in our area of West Virginia. Even these first two weeks of May have been very wet. The pastures are doing very good and we have already moved the cows from Lakshmi’s side of the farm to our side of the farm. The grass is growing and growing and the cows are feasting each day. The cows are all in good health and happy to have fresh grass and spring weather.

Chaitanya Bhagwat has been volunteering with checking fence lines before the cows go from pasture to pasture. He has also spent a lot of time brushing the cows/oxen. We also hired Mike and Josh to rebuild 2 small sections of fence which is now finished.

To view more pictures of the ISCOWP cows on pasture visit our facebook page and view this album. Or, you can view a short video of the cows going out to pasture narrated by Lakshmi on our facebook page here.

Beginning the Garden

ISCOWP greenhouse filled with sprouts
Lots of seedlings in the greenhouse. Balabhadra trying standing up for awhile.
Planting leafy greens at ISCOWP
Tom, Chaitanya Bhagavat and Maitreya planting lettuce and Swiss Chard in April.

Maitreya has been planting seeds in the green house since late March. Many different flower seedlings are waiting to go to the garden. Along with the flower seedlings there are several types of tomatoes, 2 types of peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, zucchini, 2 types of cucumbers, Bitter Melon, some herbs and 2 types of cabbage. Carrots, Swiss Chard and lettuce are already doing well in the garden. Maitreya has moved the Comfrey to a new location and moved the thorn less blackberries and other berry bushes to a new “Berry Patch” location.

The fruit trees have been pruned and we planted 2 new peach trees, 2 cherry trees and 2 Persimmon trees.

Our historical frost dates are October 15 and May 15, although one year we had a hard frost on May 21 which killed 100 of our tomato plants. There is no frost in the 10 day forecast so as soon as the garden dries out we will be planting out all of the seedlings and doing direct seeding of other crops.

A Birthday Wish for ISCOWP

Hello, and thanks for checking out my Birthday Wish!

For my birthday on May 20th, I’m asking my friends and family for a special gift: help me raise $250 for The International Society for Cow Protection. It’s a great cause that protects cows and allows them to live out their natural lives.

I chose The International Society for Cow Protection because cows are very dear and special to me.

Please consider giving to my Birthday Wish, and together we can make the world a less violent and more compassionate place. If you can’t give now, I’d really appreciate if you’d share this page with everyone.

Thank you!

♥ Christie

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