Grandma Jo & TB in 1948 days

It all started in the Fall of 1947, I suppose, at least the beginning of discovery. Russ and I had decided to be married on February 14th, 1948. I had many bouts of tonsil problems for some time so I decided to get my tonsils removed along with having dental work brought up to date(wanted to get married with a clean slate) Tonsils were removed that Fall and I came home hoping for a rapid recovery. It was slow and one day I began to hemorrhage from the throat. A mad dash to the doctor ensued where he finally was able to stop the bleeding after heavy blood loss. It happened again within a few days. Once again the doctor managed to stop it with great pressure at the site, deep in my throat. In retrospect, one can conclude that my was not in A-1 condition if my healing capabilities were so inadequate. I was not healing as one would expect after the tonsillectomy. In general I was run down, as I remember I was tired and couldn’t back to my (?? For ite) . Further testing ie: sputum tests, chest xrays, blood tests, etc., I had gained enough strength so I went to order the wedding invitations, or at least got the info I needed. When I got back home, a phone call from the doctor revealed the bad news. The sputum was positive for tuberculosis (TB). I think the Xray also indicated lesions in my lungs. TB being a communicable disease, I had to be isolated. There were no medications available to fight the disease. So I needed to go to a TB Sanatorium. There was one at Stevens Point, about 30-40 miles from my home town. There weren’t any beds available until late January 1948. It was now November 1947. So I stayed in bed at home – my mother’s home. We needed to keep my dishes away from the others, try to keep away from close contact with others, and no contact at all with children. Bed rest was the only absolute thing that could be prescribed, plus a nutritional diet. Russ Thorson, my husband to be, was there for me always. He was living with his family, at home in Scandinavia, WI about 7 mines from Waupaca, WI. We would be moving to a farm belonging to his father after we married. For now, he came to see me almost daily. Since I never have liked milk (and never drank it) but it was food rich in calcium and calcium is very necessary for the calcification of the tubercle bacillus. Chocolate malted milkshakes seemed a good way to get calcium into my body. So I asked for Chocolate Malted Milkshakes made with chocolate ice cream, chocolate syrup and chocolate milk. EXTREME!! But diluted it generously with milk and was able to keep it down. Russ brought me many “triple chocolate malts” for a few months. It was late June, 1948 ( about the 28th, I think) when Russ and my mother drove me to the River Pines Sanatorium at Steven’s Point, WI. That was to be my place of residence for nearly 3 years at this time. Later that day, or the next morning, I was taken by wheelchair to the lab for bloodwork and xrays. The xrays revealed a fairly large lesion on the left side and numerous small ones on the right side. Dr. Anderson said it would take at least a year to heal when I asked “how long”. (Little did I know that he knew differently and was being kind to this novice. But in my own mind I said, “I’ll make it 9 months” my routine was to be complete bed rest, no bathroom privileges (used a pan only) bed baths , meals on a tray at the tray table. After breakfast there were bed bathes (twice a week) and then “rest time” for 1 ½ to 2 hours. That meant no reading just rest!!! After lunch time we were again “ down” for rest time for about 3 hours. Then dinner around 5:30p I suppose and lights out at 9p. Hardly an exhilarating day. I believe RPS was one of, if not the first, Sanatorium built in Wisconsin. Located on the Wisconsin River in the woods with lots of pine trees. Really a lovely setting. There were 4 buildings- East, West , South and the Club House. We slept on porches There were 2 private porches, each with entry into a sitting room The sitting room had a sink with running water, 2 closets and 2 dressers. One for each patient. The porches had screened in windows on two sides with storm windows attached in the fall through winter. There were wall sized slat blinds that could be raised or lowered depending on the weather in summer. In winters (there was no heat on the porches and they were fairly drafty) There were several layers of bedding to keep us warm. You see in the early history of curing TB (called ‘taking the cure’) there was a theory that very good temperatures and plenty of fresh air helped defeat the living tubercle baculus. I think by the time I was “curing TB” that theory had been proved otherwise except perhaps for the need of fresh air- but the buildings were what they were. Wisconsin winters usually are pretty cold (and proved by this past winter 2007-2008) so the sisters came up with very ingenious methods to keep the patients cozy and warm. They took lightweight blankets – 2of them- laid one out flat and layered some newspaper out over the blanket and then covered that with the second blanket and held them together with stitching. The newspaper being a pretty good insulator. That was over usat night plus additional, heavier quilt. Added to this we had a heat lamp (crude by today’s standard) it was what I call a 10# syrup can. In those days you could buy syrup these cans. A hole was punched through the bottom so an electric cord could be fed through. Then a socket for a lightbulb would be attached and stabilized inside the can. The can was also insulated with asbestos on the outside. When that was plugged in and placed at the foot of the bed, under the covers, facing the head of the bed and turned on, it gave forth generously with gratifying heat. They were not aware of the dangers of (hereth were??) of asbestos at that time! And I slept very warm and cozy. However – and thankfully- the electric blanket was just a new product on the market and mother gave me one for my birthday but in February. She was able to come up to see me a week or 2 later- so I shed the ‘tin can heather” for the modern convenience. I mentioned “the sisters” who cared for us. I will explain. All the sanitoriums were state financed (free care to the patients) in Wisconsin. Perhaps elsewhere also. River Pines was privately owned and operated by the Catholic Order of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Their Convent was in Steven’s Point where they also had a school. They had a residence at the Sanitorium also. There was a residence on the property for the doctor. Dr. Kerry (or Kenny?) Anderson was there for my stay and many years more, I think until the Pines closed as a sanitorium. When we were awake and not “resting” many of the patients who were able to be up and about, for degrees of time, would come in and visit from time to time. There was always someone popping in and out of our rooms. But we were also advised to be calm and relaxed. My progress was slow (by my own opinion). Strict bed rest as I mentioned earlier was my routine for the first 9 months (so much for my “beating it” in 9 months as I felt when entering the San) About the end of that I was able to be up for 20mins after breakfast for bathroom privileges. I think about 6-7 months later an additional 20mins of “up” time was added in the evening. I was making progress- but by now was at RPS 15 or 16 months. The next step came some months later – and that meant my noon mean would be served on a try at the table in the inner room so I could sit on a real chair!! And enjoy. Conversation easier with the lady in the other bedroom (porch) off the inner room. Perhaps I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You asked “how I felt etc” I never felt sick. There was no pain – and there was plenty opf time to read, knit, listen to the ball game on the radio, etc. I learned there is no nerves in the lungs so there is pain from the diseases. Visiting hours were from 10:30am until noon and maybe 2:30- 4:30p. Twice a week – like Tues & Thurs. Sunday I think the pm hours were an hour longer. Russ came almost every Sun- often thought my mother, aunt, Her folks “sisters” there family’s were always frequent visitors. Children under 12 not allowed in the buildings. Sisters always planned special things for the holidays. Picnics in the woods for “up” patients etc. Christmas was always exciting. Russ or my roommate’s family could bring a Christmas Tree we had fun decorating. Trying many different things to put on the tree. I remember we used nail polish ( 2 pages missing ) In November 1951 because he felt the lesions (I suppose the large one in particular) wasn’t as reassuring as he would have liked but he said he had no reason to keep me longer. My sputum was negative, nothing looming on the horizon. Re: xrays – It proved to be to my benefit. The combination of medicine gave me, an immeasurable boost in the battle. By the time I went for surgery at Wisconsin General Hospital in Madison, WI, the TB had been nearly arrested. If not so, xrays were looking good, very good. I went to Madison thinking the surgery would remove that portion of the lung that had the large lesion. When I came to after that surgery I was told they determined they had to the repair work on lung in better condition. They knew the lunch with the large lesion could actually demand the total lung be removed due to the amount of disease so by doing the needed work on the better lung first, was only reseasonable at least would be there in the whole left lung had to come out. Very disappointing. But logic prevailed. Six months later, or so, I went back for the 2nd surgery and luckily they only had to take half of the left lung. The upper lobe, and luckily, also, the remaining portion of the lung expanded to fill the void left after the upper lobe had been removed. If it hadn’t I would have had to have a plastic piece or plastic back put in to fill that void. Sounds barbaric, doesn’t it? A couple of my friends did have the plastic put in. With the advent of 3 medicaitons (and I’m there many more now) the TB of that era was nearly, in not totally eradicated. But by now as you no doubt aware, we face fighting serious TB that is antibiotic resistant – and very hard to cure. All the TB sanitoriums closed or used for other purposes. Just some after thoughts, I really didn’t plan for this to go on and on and on but as I write so many things came back to my mind. Some pertinent some maybe not so much. Anyways it certainly brought back many memories. A reason for strict bed rest was so critical is because one needed to keep the lungs quiet as possible so they could heal – every time you draw a breath, the lungs expands and deflates- hard to heal. As in cutting your finger at the knuckle. It is very hard to heal if you keep bending it. There were 2 people at the San (one was from my home town- her oldest daughter was a few years younger than m) who had been in the San for 10 year before I got there. Both had surgery performed at some time earlier on, and their posture and shape suffered that “barbaric” type of surgery. Thank God I didn’t have go through that. The patient was having surgery while their disease was highly active and infectious. They were cut into and parts of several ribs were take out so the chest caved in on the lungs and so the lungs couldn’t function well. Therefore, perhaps there was a chance of some healing. Also with all the infection floating around in an open wound during surgery only gave great opportunity for further infection. During those years there was very little recovery. Sanatorium seemed only like a place to go to die ----! Ann and Art, the other 10 year patient back lined to benefit from the new medication and additional surgery after heavy antibiotics treatment such as I had, and both were discharged. Neither could do a lot work wise. But at leas they could be at home with their loved ones. We only had shampoo every 3rd week. Hot, Sticky Wisconsin Summers – no air conditioning, made for some stinky hair. My hair got pretty long and I had a really long, heavy ponytail, about the color of a palamino’s tail!!! I was really proud of it. Itchy though. A barber from Steven’s Point came out periodically and gave the men haircuts. So one time he came out and I showed him a picture of a short style and asked if he could cut my hair like that. It was real short- was such a relief to not have all that hair. You remember Uncle Mike & Aunt Jeanette from being in Wisconsin don’t you? They both have passed on now – but Jeanetter used to come up the San with a home permanent kit and she would give me a perm. That was after I’d been there for quiet a while, so I could sneak out of the bed to the sink in the inner room for the rinsing, etc. When mom came up to visit, she always had a generous flipply(??) of groceries for me. A bag of apples, and/or oranges. Cleaned carrot sticks & celery. Chocolate syrup for the milk that one my tray 3 times a day, plus whatever she thought the room would enjoy – bless her heart! What I burden I posed for her. I didn’t see Russ as often after he went to Alaska, of course. But he would surprise me once in while. One time when were was at a stand still for him for a few weeks or whatever- he and a couple of other men decided to drive from Alaska to Wisconsin – About 4000 miles (they drove straight through/ changed off driving and sleep from Fairbanks). As I sat in bed one day, I looked up and he was in the doorway. I had no idea he was coming, He drove out 2 or 3 other times also but it was always planned. Another interesting note We were 5 high school students all seniors at the same time – all went to sanatorium for a period of time. I never thought anything of it for years – realized one day we all had been around each other for a long time. Joy? Boy ? and I had been elace froide??? For years -for other girls we were less close but we certainly had contact and boy less association with them TB was certainly much more prevalent during that time But still I find quite surprising that 5 of us from the same classes had TB. Wonder where or who was the carrier? With all the sanatoriums in the state and all full at that time you know it was certainly communicable. Though not like chicken pox or measels. Now this all this is all. If you have questions – ask- maybe I can answer.