June 2, 2013

news from America

 Denizens of Esperaza's etrange community will remember Larry and Barbara... Barbara freaked me out recently by reporting that she had taken a tumble, broken her glasses and got badly bruised - and here the story develops;



When I finally told daughter Barb (the nurse) about my fall back on the 13th, and the continuing headache and a little whooziness, she told me to call my doctor at once. So I did and he at once arranged for a CT scan, yesterday morning. So off we went, rather casually, ate an early sandwich in case it took too long, were coming home to finish lunch afterward. But the doctor, a dear friend, came out without a smile and told us there was a sub dural hematoma, bleeding between brain and the dura, just inside the skull...and he had arranged for us to go directly to the emergency room where a private room awaited us and the specialty doctors would find us there. We were shocked, about speechless. But off we went and thus began our worriesome adventure, which , I hasten to say, has turned out well.  The first doctor examined me and said he did not think I needed critical care, too strong. Just a regular hopsital room. Later the neurosurgeon said he thought the bleeding could be dealt with with medication rather than surgery but I had to spend the night, have another CT scan in the morning, start medication at once- and he gave me a pain killer that would not be a bloood thinner. It was nice, rather soon, to be relieved of the headache. I had not used aspirin or such, aware that a blood thinner is dangerous around brains. One bit of common sense.
I sent Larry hone to sleep in his own bed, eat the remainders of our abandoned lunch. Today, The usual waiting around, hours of it. But finally another CT scan which showed no new bleeding, hurrah and I could go home ...after hours of paperwork and arranging for another scan next month , etc.
My main restriction is Not to have another blow to the head.

Came home about supper time t find a telephone message that a friend was giving a little birthday cake and ice cream party for a wonderful 95 year old retired teacher, so we dashed off to the birthday party, just in time.Proper supper could wait.
Eugenia is the great granddaughter and granddaughter of  slaves. on the Moore's plantation, just outside Greenwood He father was the child of the second union . He was a farmer, on land given to him by the white family at some point.
His first wife had several children before her death. He later married Eugenia's mother, a widow and Eugenia was thus the child of older parents. The siblings had left hom,e and all but one went North to Chicago and Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Her mother was determined Eugenia would have an education. Had to ship her to friends in Greenwood for High school. In her last year another Cokesbury friend got hold of a car, so five of them could drive to Greenwood to the "colored" high school. She then worked her way through  three year school for teachers, then spent summers finishing a bachelors, then a masters. Black schools only held classes for six months in those days and their teachers were paid less than half the pay of whote teachers.
It is a great story. I have written some of it down. Should send it to you? Eugenia and I met doing volunteer work, after she retired, and became fast friends.


It is really another world out there- thanks for all this, Barbara and do send more stories.

My Canadian friends have gone just now and the sun is back. I'm delighted that there was a little overlap and the two vide greniers, at Couisa and Fa, got decent attention.  

You can see from the pic that the sun was out but also how cold it was....



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