March 20, 1947 - From Jo

March 20, 1947

Dear Doc,

Anne mentioned that you were having your tonsils "removed" today so I find this a good time to write you to let you know that we are both thinking of you in your deep miseryaa!  I'm confident that everything went along as should, but I am deeply sorry we couldn't have been nearer to bring you bushel baskets of pretzels, potatoes chips or anything relative there of... (I am around Anne entirely too much, can't you see that I am getting just as "ratty" (your term) as she always was!)

Anne enjoys your letters so much and I might add so do I! I cannot understand why you keep insisting that your letters are dull - etc.-  Perhaps you do not truly believe that, but you do say so in order to fill up the page - regardless your letters are quite interesting and now and then we have cause to believe that you are doing some deep thinking which is damn good!

Spring vacations, gad, I've been so busy I just recently realized that the month of February had already passed!  No doubt you'll be busy every minute of your so-called "vacation" considering the schedule you mentioned in Anne's letter!  Have fun.

This happens to be my day off and "off" is as appropriate of a word that could be found in the dictionary.  It is a beautiful bright summery day out - and I feel quite happy about the whole thing except that Anne is preparing to have this day and tomorrow off at which time she'll be with my sister in Valparaiso, who mentioned quite casually that her refrigerator was stacked with thick steaks and that Carl, my brother-in-law) has the mixings for a barrel of martinis available!  The big gripe is that our Sup't of Nurses very sweetly refused to permit me to have the day off - due to the shortage of nurses which exists in our building particularly, as "Little ol' Florence Nightingale" will be at grind tomorrow again.  It seems damn funny at times to remember how I detested to conform to anything - and for the past six months that is all that I've been doing, which is an interesting fact to the extent that it proves how individuals can adapt themselves  to their immediate surrounding conditions.  Now if we had the time we might discuss just the "whys" of this business of conforming.

Anne is definitely "alerted" at the present, finding more about the human activity cycles.  Don't be too surprised if you happen to receive a barrage of information regarding this topic. We do have the references here - "at our fingertips"!

You asked about Doctor Pyterak in your last letter, here is what we know of him: It has been an extremely long time since I have seen him and had a good long heart-to-heart talk with him, and to be quite truthful having him to talk with these past months would have made many things a little easier.  The Pytereks have purchased a new home in San Antonio, an act which was compulsory due to their enlarged family, and Doctor has opened a clinic in the San Pedro section with the help of a few other doctors of course, other than that I understand that he looks wonderful in civilian clothes, simply adores his little girl, Pam, and is working like a "dog"!

It makes us both very satisfied  whenever you mention "the doctor" or say any of the fine things about him.  I always felt very pleased when I have the opportunity of having my friends meet him and his family.  He has all the good qualities that I admire in any man, honesty, generosity, kindliness, and an educated background.

It is needless to say how much he means to us and I feel indebted and grateful to him for everything he has done for us and the priceless wisdom he has passed on to us!

It would upset me terribly to hear Doctor's wife was not fully appreciative of him at times, but as you mentioned why letters were good, I too can say anything to you because no one would be hurt by it, and  since it has no effect on you one way or the other, I'll say what ever I like which is quite a treat) but I guess most families go through the very same thing, but now that they have the home, a new child, more work in general, possibly the will forget themselves and be happy "regardless"!  Families are such damn complicated affairs.  I doubt very much if they really are here to stay.  I will mention that you spoke of him in my very next letter.  Doctor Petered is one of the better and happier things I remember of San Antonio.

For the past two weeks i have been assigned to our insulin treatment room.  I had one patient, a young lad of 17 a student at the U. of Wis. with an I.Q. of 140!!, emotionally unstable, with a deep dislike for his parents.  I remember when he was first admitted, he was very shy (at times) called his doctor "an utter idiot" etc.  It was a bit trying but that was his way of getting attention!  He was finally transferred to another building - but then he came back to us here at Colonial Hall.

It was a fine experience for me but one of the more serious treatments they give here, and it is very different compared to the others I have seen.

There is an entirely different atmosphere in the treatment room itself.  Everyone makes a greater effort in being more pleasant and cheerful, patients as well as nurses.  I particularly liked this phase of my work here because one can do so much more for a patient, and one also develops a closer relationship with the doctors, which is just wonderful as far as I'm concerned but dammit they are all married!

There was a very definite closeness that I felt towards Bill and if I may be vain for a moment, I should say without being mistaken that the feeling was mutual, but then that's quite natural.  The nurses are with their patients constantly, due to the fact that an insulin pt. can go into shock at anytime if they are not properly fed, but that was quite the easiest part of the treatment, in fact Bill had very few trousers in which he could get into when he left.  He had a tremendous appetite, consequently he gained a great amount of weight.

His dad called for him last Sat. in the evening and I am sorry to say I did not have an opportunity to say good-bye to him, I was off duty.

Anyway, the pt. did show much improvement, talkative, polite and quite a gentleman.  I had many "little" arguments with other nurses who are always so eager to pull a pt. down.  It all came out fine though, no one pulled hair or anything like that. On one of my days off another very old nurse took care of him - and she returned with the most startling reports "He wouldn't drink his solutions,"  "growled rather than spoke to them and so on and so forth far into the night. I appreciated how good he was after hearing the reports.

I am out of stationery and you must be exhausted.

Write if you aren't too busy.

Sincerely 

Jo

Have you read "Peace of Mind" by Rabbi Liebman

Wasteland - Jo Sinclair

How about Thomas Wolf - anything at all.  You have some fine reading and much beauty in store for you.