Clueless

(1992 ?November)

We kept appointment at hospital with young lady who ran a heart machine. I lay on a hard couch on a hard pillow while she ran her heart machine, which made a noise and showed the heart beating in a nearby movie. When the hour was over, I said, "How did I do?" And she said, "I have no idea. That is for the docor to say."

Wheelchair

(1992 March 7)

In spite of pill at 11, work up bright at 1:30. What to do? Add a note to you. I have my wheel chair, a cheerful red. It is to save my heart from walking to living room to see TV. MM is proud of it and likes me with her. I am in no pain but at times feel something is going on in heart regions.

Bedbound

(1992 March 7)

[After a false alarm about my heart] MM called Dr. Smith, who said I was to stay in bed (hell) - worse places.

More Christian resignation

(1965 August)

On the front page of weekly paper I saw Father Hamilton's announcement of his resignation effective in October. He will go back to Michigan whence he came. Such bad publicity for our church. Bad news travels fast.

A quiet call at the vicarage

(1965 January 13)

From there [beauty parlor] to vicarage to call on Hamiltons. Here I met Father coming from church to house. Inside, Joe Rucenski was doing carpentry work. Mrs. H. put my things on her bed and resumed knitting. We talked. Soon Father came in from the church again. He clung in the doorway between dining room and living room near front door, thumped his chest, complained of pain. Mrs. H. and I got him to sit down and he was very white. After a few minutes he thot he could make it to the bed off living room (I took my coat off the bed) and we each got on one side of him and started, and down he went, heart attack. She put his feet up on a chair and I called Joe, who straightened him out, loosed his belt, took off glasses. I got a cold wet cloth for forehead and Mrs. H. took his pulse. After about 5" he wanted to try for the bed again and Joe and Mrs. H. got him to bed. At first he would not allow the doctor to be called, then consented, and Mrs. H. called Dick Edwards [with office just around the corner]. About that time I decided I had better absent myself from the scene. I put on my things, welcomed and directed Dick, went for my purse, and here was a man from the freight office with 30 barrels of water to store in the basement for Civil Defense, as our church is a Shelter. Well, there was the priest with a heart attack, there was his wife hovering over him, there was the doctor. Upstairs was the carpenter pounding away. And in the basement the men were carting the drums of water. A quiet call, indeed. I found out later we should have kept him in the chair and got the doctor. Inertia is the watchword. I called today and he had more pain.

The medicine man

After Polly, at 88, complained of chest pains, her daughter Mary Margaret took her to consult a cardiologist at the local hospital.

So when we got in the hospital parking lot, I sat while she got a wheel chair. Then in elevator up to 3rd floor, where she was told the doctor would not be in till 12:30. So in wheel chair and off to Gables [restaurant] - easier to cope with than Country Kitchen [across the street]; no stairs. Got chicken salad sandwich and malts.

Was at 3rd floor promptly 12:30. Sat and waited 10 minues. What would this wise man look like? Old & bearded? Soon in came a zippy young man about 40 wearing a gray suit, jacket open and flapping, and had my resume - about 3" thick. "Ah" said he, "Carolyn Kay - which of you is? And does your mother live with you?" Correct answers. Behind my chair, pulled up my sweater and listened to my heart. "Hm - perfectly normal now. Go home and do what you feel you can do."

So ended the long looked for appointment. Yes, sometimes I do pant. Sometimes there is a tightness in the chest. MM said that. "Ah yes, yes." So we went home and got in the mail, including your postcard with a bottom corner chewed off. I may return it so you can take it to P.O. if you wish to complain of the service.