My Journey as a Blogger!

When my son said, ‘Mom, you are such a good storyteller. You should start writing these stories down,’ I brushed it off, saying it was impossible. I did not have any writing skills. Storytelling is different from writing. At that moment, I had no idea that my son would eventually turn me into a blogger.

He kept insisting that I write. He explained that I should simply begin by writing a few lines and revisit them whenever I felt inspired. I was hesitant to write about my journey of becoming a licensed physician in the USA. In my opinion, everyone works hard and has their own story, so what was so special about mine? But my son continued to encourage me. He believed that my journey was unique and could inspire mothers who wanted to pursue their careers while raising children. Finally, I agreed to give writing a try.

One weekend, I decided to write a few lines in my native language, Marathi. I was curious to see how much I could write. It was difficult at first, The first few lines are always the hardest. But once I started writing about my journey, I could not stop. Before I knew it, I had completed the entire article in just three hours. I became so immersed in reliving those memories that I did not realize I had written the whole story in one sitting.

My husband and children do not read or write Marathi, so they could not give me feedback. My son helped me use Blogspot to publish and share the article. And so, on July 13, 2019, my very first article was published: माझी अमेरिकेतील वैद्यकीय कारकिर्दीची कथा 

My family, friends, and readers showered me with comments, compliments, and encouragement, motivating me to continue writing in Marathi. I revisited memorable patient stories from more than 25 years ago when I practiced in India and penned them down. Soon, non-Marathi readers requested English versions of those stories, and I happily obliged. One by one, I began publishing my articles in both Marathi and English. While writing about my parents, I became deeply emotional and overwhelmed by childhood memories. I am so grateful that I documented their stories so others could know what wonderful people they were (मातृ देवोभव-पितृ देवोभव!)

On our 25th wedding anniversary, December 25, 2019, my son surprised me with the domain name DrSavitra.com. It was an unexpected and wonderful gift. My son and daughter helped design the website and taught me how to manage it.

Then, in March 2020, COVID-19 entered our lives. Everyone was worried and searching for reliable information. In mid-March, I wrote a simple article in Marathi explaining the basics of COVID-19. It went viral, receiving more than 12,000 page views within just a few days of publication. अरे बाबा कोरोना, आलास तसा जाशील ना? It was incredibly gratifying to know that my small effort had helped thousands of people. It became my humble contribution to society during the pandemic.

At readers’ request, I went on to write about COVID precautions, coronavirus variants, and vaccines. During that time, I realized the power of writing. A single article could reach tens of thousands of people. As a physician, I have the privilege of helping hundreds of patients each month. Through writing, I could educate and reach thousands more around the world. It is not that one is more valuable than the other; rather, writing allowed me to extend my impact far beyond the walls of my clinic.

As I recognized that my blog could serve as a platform for health education, I began writing articles on healthy sleep habits, adequate water intake, screen time, nutrition, physical activity, mental health, the benefits of omega-3 fish oil, the importance of screening tests, vitamins and minerals, immunity, diabetes, cholesterol, and many other health-related topics.

Initially, I wrote these articles in English. Later, I translated them into Marathi for my readers. Writing in Marathi required much more effort because I often had to search for appropriate Marathi terms for medical terminology. Translating medical information is far more complex than simply replacing English words with Marathi equivalents. Doing so without careful thought can easily alter the meaning and nuance.

The feedback I received from Marathi readers made it clear that there was a significant lack of quality medical information available in their language. Just because we all have access to the internet does not mean we all have access to the same quality of information. The languages we speak and understand make a tremendous difference.

Beyond medicine, I also wrote about time management, inferiority complex, being alone versus feeling lonely, emotional intelligence, Super Brain Yoga, inspirational quotes, and even a collection of jokes in Marathi.

Since Marathi is my first language, I can express my emotions more naturally in it. I wrote about my siblings, nephews and nieces, and many memorable life events. I have a large extended family, and I invited them to pose for the cover photos of several of my articles. Now, whenever I browse my website, I enjoy seeing my wonderful family being part of something that I have worked so hard to build.

As a child neurologist, I care for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), migraines, concussion, febrile seizures, and epilepsy. I wrote about these conditions to spread awareness and help children receive timely diagnosis and treatment, leading to better outcomes. These articles have also become valuable resources for my patients and their families.

As I approached my 100th article, my children asked me to write down my recipes for them. They wanted to be able to cook my dishes after they moved out. So, in January 2022, I created a new section on my website called “Savi’s Kitchen.”

As I cook, I take photographs of the ingredients and each step of the process, then write the recipe whenever I have time. I also began sharing one recipe every week on social media using the hashtag #weekendrecipe.

Cooking is one of the ways I connect with my family and my Indian heritage. I wanted to introduce others to the food I grew up with while also learning recipes from people across India. Through my readers, I continue to discover fascinating regional variations, unique ingredients, and practical cooking tips. It has deepened my appreciation for how our everyday dishes are shaped by our culture and the places where we grow up.

My blogging journey began in July 2019. Since then, I have learned much more about medicine, life, and myself. Along the way, I also learned to use new technology, software, and apps effectively.

Some of my relatives living in different parts of India can speak Marathi but cannot read or write it. To make my articles accessible to them, I created audio versions of my Marathi articles. I also started a YouTube channel and uploaded several videos. We even began celebrating our annual “blog anniversary.” ☺

Over the years, I have received tremendous love and encouragement from my readers. Through my blog, I have been able to connect with so many wonderful people. There is no greater satisfaction than receiving comments such as:

“If you want to activate your brain cells and stay updated, visit DrSavitra’s blog.”

“Your articles helped me improve my health during the pandemic.”

“I had been looking for information on diabetes, and this is the best article in simple language that I have found.”

“Thank you for caring about us and taking the time to prepare these articles.”

“You explained a complicated topic in very simple language and shared so much important information.”

“You have the talent of making any topic simple and easy to understand.”

Comments like these remind me why I continue to write.

Today, my blog includes more than 270 articles and has received over 200,000 page views. All the credit goes to you, my readers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 🙏 None of this would have been possible without your support.

Finally, I want to thank my family 💖 for standing by me throughout this journey. My heartfelt thanks to my son, my daughter, and my coworker for proofreading some of my English articles, and to my school friends for proofreading several of my Marathi articles.

And above all, thank you to my son, my greatest encourager, whom I proudly consider my guru. Without him, this journey would never have been possible. 💗