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Hospital Stays

When Susan was born, Ann spent less than 24 hours in the hospital. She had two girls and a husband at home and didn't want to "spend weeks recovering like some people do nowadays."

She remembered her mother came to help for one day only. Her mother tore up old sheets into diaper liners and then when they became soiled she tossed them into the coal-burning furnace -- she never washed them -- just straight from soiled diaper to furnace.

One day in 1963, Ann said she felt like an elephant had sat on her chest. She couldn't breathe. They called Dr. Hearn early in the morning. He said to come to his office immediately.

She went in and the doctor said to go to the hospital immediately. Instead, they went home first, got things in order, and then went to the hospital. They operated immediately and removed part of her thyroid. She was told it was cancerous. 

They expected a five-day stay but ended up spending 10 days in the hospital.

This was the only time her mother Ruby ever came to see her in the hospital. Her mother didn't like hospitals. While she was there, Ann's hand began to compress, contracting into a ball. She couldn't move it. As soon as her mother left, Ann called the nurse and they added some drug to her IV, solving the problem, but adding another day to her stay.

While she was in the hospital, Mrs. Hillabold (a friend from the Unitarian Fellowship) came to visit. She had a cold, and Ann caught it, adding more days to her hospital stay.

Finally, she got to go home. She had a sore throat and couldn't talk well. 

It was then that her daughter Betty (about age 8) had some disagreement with Ann and ran away from home. She got down to the gas station (about three miles away) and then called to have someone pick her up. Ann was still recovering and said "no". Ann thinks Gene must have gone to get Betty.

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Photo: Ann with baby Susan (4 weeks), Betty, and Barbara.

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