I SPENT ₹0 ON HOSPITALS FOR 74 YEARS — HERE’S HOW

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APPNNA TELLS HIS STORY

They say you need a doctor for every sneeze today.

I’m 74 years old.

I’ve never owned a hospital file.

Never taken a hospital bed.

Never swallowed a single prescription medicine in my life.

I was born in a two-room house in Bidar town, in 1951.

My mother squatted on the floor and brought me out into the world —

without injections, without scissors, without a clock ticking in fear.

Only the women of the family, warm oil, clean hands, and prayers whispered to the walls.

I grew up barefoot.

I walked to school 5 kilometers and back, every day.

Rain, sun, mist — my skin knew them all.

We drank from copper pots.

We bathed under open skies.

Our playgrounds were the fields and the dusty bylanes behind the fort.

If I cut my hand, my mother washed it with neem water, tied a cloth, and sent me to play again.

If fever struck, she fasted me.

No rice. No heavy food. Just tulsi water and forehead wipes with cold cloth.

No fever ever dared to stay more than two days.

We learned to listen to our body, not terrorize it.

When the body spoke, we listened.

When the body healed, we thanked it.

When I married Lakshmamma, she brought her own treasure chest —

A hundred remedies passed from grandmother to granddaughter.

When she birthed our son, it was in our own room, with the help of an elder neighbor and the strength of her thighs.

No monitors beeped. Only the breath of life.

We taught our son Gopi the same way.

No biscuits, no Bournvita, no TV babysitter.

He ran, he fell, he bruised, he bled, he laughed, he healed.

When our neighbors started buying motorbikes, we still walked.

When others spent lakhs on health insurance, we spent nothing —

Only attention.

Every evening, even today, I oil my legs with warm sesame oil and sit under our old neem tree.

The air smells of jasmine and cattle.

The lungs fill themselves for free.

Some say — "Appanna, you were lucky. You had good genes."

Maybe.

But luck favors the honest body.

We didn't cheat our bodies with Coca-Cola and 2-minute noodles.

We didn't sit for hours frozen in chairs.

We didn't panic every time the body coughed or shook.

When Revathi married into our house, she embraced our way.

She chose to birth both our grandchildren at a natural birthing center in Hyderabad.

No cuts. No chemicals. No hurry.

Both children cried their first cry under human hands, not machines.

Our home is not ancient. It’s a modest urban house now.

We have a fridge — but it's mostly empty.

We have mobile phones — but we leave them aside at sunset.

We live in Bidar town — right next to a medical store!

But we pass it like we pass a sweet shop:

Without craving.

Do problems happen?

Of course.

We fall sick.

We get tired.

But we trust.

And we repair.

We don't rush for numbers:

Not BP readings every week.

Not blood tests for every fatigue.

Not scans for every ache.

We observe, we fast, we walk, we laugh, we listen to our hunger, thirst, and sleep.

And when we really need help, we ask Nature, not man.

You ask me today —

"Appanna, what’s your health secret?"

I say:

Squat to shit.

Sleep when the birds sleep.

Eat when you’re truly hungry, not bored.

Bathe in sweat daily.

Fear not your body — fear your ignorance of it.

I’m 74.

My knees walk.

My lungs breathe deep.

My bowels are regular.

My mind is alert.

My laughter is unforced.

And my hospital bill?

Still ₹0.

Zero.

Pure zero.

Because health, my dear boy,

is not purchased.

It is protected.

Like a small lamp in a storm.

With quietness.

And love.

Every single day.

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Short Summary Quote:

"In a world rushing to hospital beds, the man who listens to his feet, his hunger, and his breath will remain the last free man."

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AND HERE IS A LIST OF MOST COMMON PRACTICES OF THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY

INTRODUCTION

In the heart of Bidar town, where modern hospitals, diagnostic centers, and pharmacies crowd the streets,

lives an unusual family of six —

a family that, despite being urban, educated, and fully aware of all medical conveniences,

has never set foot in a hospital across three generations.

They live not in a hut, but a modest urban home:

Built simply with natural stone tiles (not granite-marble flashiness)

Open windows for sun and air (no centralized AC)

Small rooftop vegetable garden

Copper and clay utensils in the kitchen

A courtyard where the children play barefoot every evening

The family belief is simple:

"The body is designed to heal, not to be feared."

"Nature provides everything we need, if only we have the patience and love to listen."

Every minor fever, wound, digestion issue, emotional stress, pregnancy, and even childbirth —

was managed through traditional wisdom, simple living, active lifestyle, and profound faith in nature’s intelligence.

They didn’t shun science.

They simply chose a deeper science — the science of self-repair, simplicity, and ancient sense.

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FAMILY MEMBERS

1. Appanna (Thatha) – 74 years old

Retired school teacher.

Wakes up at 4 AM every day.

Practices Surya Namaskar since age 14.

Believes “health is made in the feet and belly.”

2. Lakshmamma (Ajji) – 68 years old

Ran a tailoring service from home for decades.

Midwife-trained informally by her mother.

Knows over 50 traditional home remedies by heart.

3. Gopi (Son) – 42 years old

School science teacher in Bidar.

Also tends to their kitchen garden.

Bicycles to school every day, 5 km each way.

4. Revathi (Daughter-in-law) – 38 years old

Runs a small organic food business from home.

Delivered both children naturally at a birthing center in Hyderabad.

Cooks daily, tending toward millet-based, traditional meals.

5. Chinnu (Granddaughter) – 10 years old

Never missed a day of school due to illness.

Barefoot runner and homegrown storyteller.

Eats jaggery snacks, climbs trees daily.

6. Puttu (Grandson) – 6 years old

Born with no hospital intervention.

Plays outdoors for 5 hours daily.

Favorite food: mud-stained mangoes straight from courtyard trees.

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Despite being fully urban — living near Bidar Fort, shopping at local markets, interacting with the modern world —

this family is living proof that simplicity, nature, and ancestral wisdom can still thrive even in a concrete town.

They are not rebels.

They are reminders —

That health is not bought. It is built.

Patiently, daily, silently.

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SECTION A: BIRTH & INFANCY (15 examples)

1. Pregnancy Care

Most take multivitamins and hospital checkups.

They used fresh drumstick leaves, coconut water, and warm sesame oil massages.

Result: Healthy weight, peaceful pregnancy.

2. Home Birth (Grandparents)

Born at home with village dai (midwife), no interventions.

Used tulsi-water wash, neem smoke, and chanting.

Outcome: Natural rhythm, no trauma.

3. Home Birth (Parents)

Same tradition followed, using warm compress, squatting, and elder midwives.

No C-section risk, no ICU fear.

4. Birth at Natural Birthing Centre (Grandchildren)

Delivered at a Hyderabad centre run by midwives.

No IVs, no cutting cords early.

Outcome: Peaceful, alert babies.

5. Umbilical Cord Care

Instead of powders or ointments, applied turmeric-ghee mix.

Dried naturally without infection.

6. Colic Relief

No gripe water.

Used hing paste on belly and warm mustard oil rub.

Baby slept deeply.

7. Diaper Rash

No creams.

Used fresh aloe vera gel and breastmilk drops.

Healed in hours.

8. Teething Trouble

No gels or allopathy.

Gave cold guava leaves and clean turmeric stick to gnaw.

Calm baby, no infection.

9. Immunity Boost

No vaccines.

Regular sunlight, raw honey drops, and early exposure to soil.

Result: Strong immunity.

10. Cold in Baby

No syrups.

Ajwain potli on chest, mild mustard oil and garlic massage.

Recovery in a day.

11. Feeding Issues

No lactation powders.

Fenugreek, ajwain water, and rest for the mother.

Baby thrived.

12. Baby Massage

Not with branded oils.

Used homemade castor + sesame + camphor blend.

Result: Strong bones, deep sleep.

13. Cradle Cap / Scalp Itch

No anti-fungal lotions.

Used coconut oil and gentle combing.

Gone in 2 days.

14. Skin Dryness

No baby lotions.

Raw milk, turmeric, and chana flour paste.

Soft glowing skin.

15. Milestones Delayed?

Didn’t panic or consult doctors.

Let the child crawl and walk on mud.

Normal growth followed.

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SECTION B: CHILDHOOD HEALTH (20 examples)

16. Fever

No paracetamol.

Used tulsi decoction, wet cloth on forehead, fasting.

Fever broke naturally.

17. Worms

No deworming tablets.

Used roasted pumpkin seeds and papaya seeds.

Stools cleared within 3 days.

18. Minor Cuts

No antiseptics.

Washed with neem water, applied haldi + honey.

Healed without pus.

19. Diarrhea

No ORS packs.

Used rice kanji with salt and lemon.

Rehydrated fast.

20. Constipation

No syrups.

Used soaked raisins, cow ghee, and warm lemon water.

Cured within hours.

21. Stomachache

No tablets.

Ajwain + jaggery paste and hot water bag.

Pain vanished.

22. Toothache

No painkillers.

Clove oil + salt rub and guava leaf chewing.

Swelling reduced.

23. Ear Pain

No antibiotics.

Garlic oil drops, gentle warm compress.

Cured in one night.

24. Eye Irritation

No drops.

Triphala wash and rose water.

Clarity restored.

25. Nosebleeds

No panic.

Put cold wet cloth on head, applied ghee inside nostrils.

Stopped in minutes.

26. Insect Bites

No creams.

Applied tulsi paste + coconut oil.

No itching or swelling.

27. Skin Allergy

No antihistamines.

Neem bath, green clay pack.

Rashes cleared.

28. Tonsils or Sore Throat

No antibiotics.

Gargled with salt + turmeric, drank pepper rasam.

Healed in 2 days.

29. Headache

No Crocin.

Lemon-pepper paste on temples, ginger tea.

Relaxed.

30. Cough

No syrups.

Desi cow ghee with pepper and dry ginger.

Cough reduced naturally.

31. Measles/Chickenpox

No hospitalisation.

Neem leaves on bedding, sabudana kanji, and rest.

Healed without complication.

32. School Stress

No psychiatrist.

Daily barefoot walk, pet care, and storytelling.

Stable mind.

33. Motion Sickness

No Avomine.

Ginger slice under tongue and lemon smell.

No vomiting.

34. Sleep Issues

No melatonin.

Massaged with camphor ghee, story time, early dinner.

Deep sleep.

35. Speech Delay

No therapist.

Family sang, chanted, talked richly.

Natural speech development.

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SECTION C: TEEN & ADULT WELLNESS (25 examples)

36. Acne

No dermatologist.

Used vetiver wash, neem-turmeric paste.

Skin cleared.

37. Irregular Periods

No pills.

Aloe vera juice, castor oil packs, reduced sugar.

Cycle regulated.

38. White Discharge

No allopathy.

Fenugreek decoction, ashoka bark powder.

Relief in days.

39. Headache from Screen Time

No painkiller.

Washed face with cold water, walked barefoot, napped.

Gone in 15 min.

40. Eye Strain

Used triphala drops, warm water pad, sun gazing.

Vision restored.

41. Anxiety Attacks

No therapist.

Slow breathing, gardening, petting cow.

Calmness restored.

42. Mild Depression

Sang bhajans, slept early, reduced sugar.

Mood lifted.

43. Weight Gain

No gym.

Daily mud work, millets, no sugar.

Weight normalized.

44. Body Odor

No deodorants.

Bath with neem-turmeric water.

Freshness lasted.

45. Excessive Hair Fall

Brahmi oil, soaked fenugreek mask, no shampoo.

Hair regrew.

46. Low Stamina

Used ragi malt, jaggery water, Surya namaskar.

Energy restored.

47. Piles

No surgery.

Aloe pulp, buttermilk, kutaja bark powder.

Cured in 2 weeks.

48. Back Pain

Not MRI.

Oil massage, warm castor leaves, and floor sleeping.

Healed.

49. PCOD Symptoms

No metformin.

Millet diet, early dinner, seed cycling.

Period regular.

50. Frequent UTIs

Coriander seed water, cranberry, and sunlight exposure.

Infections reduced.

51. Low Hemoglobin

No injections.

Dry dates, jaggery, garden spinach.

Levels increased.

52. Gas/Acidity

Fennel water, jeera-ajwain decoction, early dinner.

No bloating.

53. High BP Signs

No pills.

Banana stem juice, long walks, banana flower sabzi.

Pressure controlled.

54. Mild Diabetes Symptoms

Neem juice, methi water, no rice at night.

Sugars reversed.

55. Joint Pain

Castor oil massage, warm turmeric milk.

Pain gone.

56. Spondylitis

Sleeping on floor, regular yoga, oil therapy.

No spine pain.

57. Low Immunity in Teen

No supplements.

Groundnut jaggery chikki, turmeric milk, sports.

No cold for 2 years.

58. Sunburn

Aloe vera and cucumber pulp pack.

Cool skin.

59. Chronic Cold

Avoided milk, used dry ginger, honey, basil.

No recurrence.

60. Addiction Craving

Replaced with gardening, satsang, long baths.

Detoxed fully.

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SECTION D: ELDER HEALTH (20 examples)

61. Knee Pain

Regular warm sesame oil massage, turmeric-laced diet.

No surgery needed.

62. Cataract Prevention

Triphala eye wash, cow ghee diet.

Vision still sharp.

63. Memory Decline

Brahmi, almonds, storytelling games with grandchildren.

Improved recall.

64. Constipation in Elders

Raisins, soaked figs, and morning squat toilet.

Smooth motion.

65. Urine Leakage

Pelvic floor yoga, coriander water.

Controlled well.

66. Dry Skin

No lotion.

Coconut oil, ghee diet, raw milk bath.

Skin supple.

67. Loss of Appetite

Jeera hing water before meals.

Hunger restored.

68. Frequent Falls

No walker.

Barefoot walking, balance asanas, floor sitting.

Strength regained.

69. Vertigo

Sitali pranayama, Brahmi tea.

No dizziness.

70. Tinnitus

Sesame oil drops in ears.

Sound reduced.

71. Tremors in Hand

Ashwagandha, stress-free work.

Shaking reduced.

72. Prostate Swelling

Pumpkin seed, sabja seed water.

Urination normalized.

73. Swollen Legs

Foot soak in warm salt water + leg elevation.

Gone in a day.

74. Low Mood

Satsang, storytelling to kids, bajra roti.

Mood uplifted.

75. Sleeplessness

Foot massage with ghee.

Deep sleep returned.

76. Cough in Elder

Ghee + pepper + raw sugar.

Soothed throat.

77. Excess Sweating

Vetiver water bath and cotton clothes.

Sweating normalized.

78. Ankle Pain

Soaked fenugreek paste wrap.

Pain reduced.

79. Tooth Loss

Neem datun, jaggery with til, and raw salads.

Gums strong.

80. Bed Sores (prevented)

Kept elder on cotton floor mat, cleaned with neem.

No sores.

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SECTION E: PREVENTIVE LIFESTYLE (20 examples)

81. Walking Daily

Each member barefoot walks for 1 hour.

Blood circulation improved.

82. Cooking in Earthen Pots

Food retained prana.

No acidity.

83. No Fridge

Used sun drying, daily cooking.

Food always fresh.

84. No Sugar

Used jaggery, dates, and palm candy.

No sugar-related issues.

85. Eating by Season

No bananas in winter, no mango in monsoon.

Body in sync.

86. Squatting Toilets

Strengthens pelvic floor.

No piles or prolapse.

87. Early Sleeping

All asleep by 9 PM.

Hormones balanced.

88. No Packaged Snacks

Made murukku, roasted seeds, ragi ladoo.

No gastric issues.

89. Minimal Screen Time

Kids play with cows, mud, trees.

Eyes healthy.

90. Sitting on Floor

Promotes digestion, posture.

No chair back pain.

91. Sunlight Exposure

1 hour daily on terrace.

Vitamin D intact.

92. Rain Baths

Encouraged.

Skin clear, kids immune.

93. Gardening Together

Handled soil, bugs, manure.

Immunity boosted.

94. No Supplements

All nutrition from local food, cow milk, ghee.

No deficiencies.

95. Hand Grinding

Used ammi kal and floor mill.

Arms and digestion strong.

96. Clay Water Pots

Cool, alkaline water.

No kidney issues.

97. Seasonal Fasting

Upavaas for Ekadashi, Sankranti.

Detoxed body.

98. Cow Dung Floor

Microbial ecosystem supported.

No infections.

99. Simple Cotton Clothes

Skin breathable, sweat normal.

No fungal infections.

100. Strong Family Bond

No mental illness, isolation, or resentment.

Love kept all healed.

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“NEVER BEEN TO HOSPITAL”

A healing dialogue between a skeptical visitor and a self-reliant family in Bidar

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CHARACTERS:

Ravi – The Stranger, early 30s, Bengaluru-based software engineer, tired and full of health issues despite modern care.

Thatha (Appanna) – 74-year-old grandfather, lean, alert, always smiling.

Ajji (Lakshmamma) – 68-year-old grandmother, full of wisdom, unshaken confidence in nature.

Gopi – Their son, 42, farmer and teacher, active and content.

Revathi – His wife, 38, runs home and garden, birthed both her children naturally.

Chinnu & Puttu – Their 10-year-old and 6-year-old kids, barefoot, happy, and healthy.

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SCENE: Under a neem tree beside a mud house. Cows grazing nearby.

Ravi:

I’m sorry if this sounds rude… but is it really true? Six of you. And none of you… ever went to a hospital?

Thatha (grins):

Truth doesn’t need hospital bills, ayya. It lives in the eyes, the legs, and the toilet.

Ajji (laughs):

And in the sleep! We sleep like a stone on riverbank. No doctor can give that.

Ravi:

But… what if something serious happens? Like fever? Infection? Cuts? What if a child falls sick at midnight?

Revathi:

It happens. They fall sick.

But the body also rises.

Ravi:

What does that mean?

Gopi:

It means...

We allow the body to speak.

We don’t silence it with a pill the moment it whispers.

Ravi:

But... my child had fever last month. 102 degrees. We rushed to hospital. They gave antibiotics.

Ajji:

That’s not curing. That’s silencing.

And every time you silence the body, it shouts louder next time.

Ravi:

Still… how do you know what to do? You don’t have a thermometer. No test reports. No diagnosis.

Thatha:

I have time.

I have ears.

I have trust in the body’s memory.

Ravi:

But… how can turmeric and pepper compete with modern medicine?

Gopi (smiling):

Why do you assume it must compete?

The pepper doesn’t compete. It supports.

The turmeric doesn’t dominate. It remembers.

Ravi:

But nature is slow! Medicine is fast!

Ajji:

True. But death is also fast.

Speed isn’t healing.

Speed is panic.

Revathi:

When my second child had loose motions, I didn’t panic.

I fed him rice kanji.

Let him rest.

Next day, he was running around.

Ravi (sighs):

I wish I had this trust. But how do you know you’re not taking a risk? What if you’re wrong?

Thatha:

We do take risks. But not blind ones.

We watch the body like farmers watch clouds.

If there’s danger, we act.

But we don’t mistake every drizzle for a cyclone.

Ravi:

But you don’t even get regular checkups?

Gopi:

We check every day.

How fresh is the morning urine?

How much mucus in the nose?

How soft is the stool?

Is the mind joyful or dull?

Revathi:

Our checkup is not a machine.

It is observation. Slowness. Sensitivity.

Ravi:

Hmm. My body is always stiff. My sleep is broken. I take 3 medicines already. I’m only 34.

Do you think I can come out of this?

Ajji:

Of course.

But you must stop punishing your body with fear.

Let it learn to repair itself again.

Ravi:

But I don’t know how! Where do I start?

Thatha:

Sit in the soil.

Watch a cow chew.

Bathe in sunlight.

Sweat without shame.

Eat what your grandmother can name.

And sleep when the trees go dark.

Ravi (softly):

But that’s… too simple.

Gopi:

Yes. That’s why it’s so hard for you.

Ravi:

I spent 3 lakh rupees last year on health. Still, I’m tired, my child falls sick, and my wife is angry.

You’ve spent nothing?

Revathi:

We spend time.

We spend attention.

We spend trust.

It gives us health for free.

Chinnu (running barefoot):

Amma! I found a caterpillar! Look! It’s dancing!

Ravi (smiling for the first time):

Your kids… they glow. My daughter has dark circles and tablet wrappers.

Ajji:

Don’t blame yourself. You were trained to fear the body.

Start slowly. Sit with your own breath.

Ravi:

I think I want this.

But what if something happens? What if… something big?

Thatha:

Then we die peacefully.

Not attached to tubes, machines, and hospital bills.

Ravi (shaken):

That’s scary.

But maybe… also beautiful.

Gopi:

Want to stay for a week?

We won’t give you anything.

But we will take away your fear.

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FADE OUT: Ravi decides to stay. Leaves his phone with Gopi. Learns to rise with the sun. Learns to fall asleep with stars. Learns that a body loved by nature rarely screams.

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