My name is Sudhanshu Agrawal, and I’m an operations manager at Policybazaar. I live in Delhi with my mother, brother, wife, and a two-year-old child. My story with pancreatitis began in 2014. I had a sudden, intense stomach pain, unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I was sweating profusely, unable to move. I was somehow taken to the hospital, where they gave me painkillers. After a few hours, I felt some relief. Diagnostic tests, including a CT scan, revealed swelling on the tip of my pancreas. At that time, I wasn’t too worried.

About three years later, the pain returned. Before this, the doctor had told me to take precautions, especially since I was working night shifts. He told me to avoid them, but I didn’t take it seriously enough. When the pain started again, the same process followed: hospital, CT scan, and the same swelling. This time, the doctor asked me directly about my alcohol consumption. I was honest and told him I drank occasionally. He even asked me to define “occasionally.” I told him the truth, and he said that the amount I drank was unlikely to cause this condition. Nevertheless, he instructed me to stop drinking alcohol completely, in any form, and to quit smoking, which I also did occasionally. I probably wasn’t serious enough then either, because after three days in the hospital, I went back to my normal routine.

Then, in 2019, around December, I had what I consider one of the biggest attacks. The pain was so severe, and it was a cold December night, that I was sweating profusely. I couldn’t even take a step. I was on the road in a market area, and I just stood there. My wife asked some people nearby to help me get to a hospital. Two young men put me on a bike and took me to the nearest one. There, they told me it was another pancreatitis attack, recurrent pancreatitis. That day, I was really scared. I felt like I wasn’t going to survive. Even in the hospital, the painkillers weren’t working. After two or three hours, they said they couldn’t give me any more painkillers. They told me I’d have to endure the pain. Then, they mentioned a patch, a last resort, they said. It was a narcotic patch. They applied it, but it didn’t work either. Eventually, after some time, I started to feel a little relief, perhaps mentally, I don’t know.

That attack was a real eye-opener. They asked me again about alcohol, and I told them the truth. From that day on, I quit drinking completely. I also quit smoking, which I barely did anyway. I also stopped doing night shifts. I was told to eat smaller, lighter meals, which I also started doing. Things were okay for a while, until 2020, when I had another attack. I was terrified. Each hospitalization cost a lot of money – two to three lakhs each time. Thankfully, I hadn’t needed surgery yet, which helped me manage financially.

In 2020, I had another attack. My family was very worried. I was following all the precautions – no alcohol, no smoking. I even considered myself a non-drinker, even though I might have had a small amount very occasionally. I blamed myself for those small lapses. But in 2020, there was nothing I could blame. I was admitted to the hospital for about ten days. I tried to improve my routine even more, trying to live like a monk. Then, in 2021, I had another attack. From 2019 onwards, I was having attacks every year. Each attack was more painful than the last. This time, I was in the hospital for fifteen days, not ten. Along with the pain, I had a fever for a week and a half. Every day, I was given IV medications, but the fever would return in the evening. It took two weeks for the fever to go away.

After that, the attacks started happening every two months. From 2021 to 2022, I was in the hospital every two months, on average, for at least fifteen days each time. I lost all hope. I felt like I wouldn’t survive, that these were the consequences of some past sins. I was constantly worried that the next attack would be the one that killed me. My family was very distressed. My wife cried a lot. We even stopped thinking about family planning.

In 2022, I had the worst attack of my life. It was during Holi. The pain started in the morning, and I went to the hospital. At first, I could still handle it, but I knew it was getting worse. I was discharged after a couple of days, but then, after breakfast in the hospital, I had the most terrible attack I’d ever experienced. I called my wife and brother, telling them I didn’t think I would survive. The pain was indescribable. My wife rushed to the hospital. Even when she arrived, the pain hadn’t subsided. I was rolling on the floor, trying to find a comfortable position. They gave me more painkillers, and then the patch again, but nothing worked. It took six or seven hours for the pain to lessen. I spent twenty-one days in the hospital. I was so weak, I had stopped eating for fifteen days. I had lost fifteen kilos.

During this hospitalization, I was constantly thinking about my term insurance. I would lie there and look at it, worrying about what would happen to my family after I was gone. I had applied for term insurance multiple times, but I was always rejected because of my medical history. I felt completely helpless. I called everyone I knew, asking for advice. I spoke to a very well-known doctor in Meerut, a family acquaintance. I asked him for his honest opinion. He told me that allopathy wouldn’t cure me and that I should go to Padaav. He said that if Padaav couldn’t help me, no one could.

I had heard of Padaav before. I had seen testimonials, but I was skeptical. I couldn’t believe Ayurveda could treat such a severe condition. But after the doctor’s recommendation, I decided to go. I was discharged on the 23rd and met with Vaidya Shikha on the 28th. She immediately noticed how weak I was. I told her about my fears. She smiled and said my condition wasn’t as bad as I thought. That gave me a glimmer of hope. She recommended a 21-day stay at their center in Rudrapur.

At Padaav, I saw other patients in even worse condition than me, and they were so positive. It gave me hope. I was worried about the treatment, thinking it would involve yoga and bitter medicines. But it wasn’t like that at all. The focus was on rest, a simple diet, and their unique metal-based medications. The main medication, Amar, was initially given with malai. It took a couple of days to adjust. The food was simple and tasty. I was even given paneer daily, which I thought was forbidden. The medications were mostly in capsule form. My experience at Padaav was surprisingly good.

It’s been two years since my stay at Padaav, and I haven’t had a single attack. I’m living a normal life, eating normally (including onions and tomatoes!), and enjoying time with my family. My friend Vikas, who I met there, has also been symptom-free for three years.

My biggest lesson is not to underestimate Ayurveda. If you’re suffering from a chronic illness, explore all options. Padaav gave me a new life, and I’m incredibly grateful. I urge anyone struggling with pancreatitis to give Padaav a chance.