484 4/27/1943 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 401 Alexander, Monroe, Louisiana Tuesday, April 27, 1943

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Jimmie’s ordeal is over with now and I sure am glad and I certainly won’t let such a thing happen again if I ever have another boy. I can’t help but feel it was our fault in letting this happen to Jimmie because maybe if both Elmer and I had tried harder every day to push that skin back he wouldn’t have had any trouble. We took him down to the doctor about eight this morning and as soon as I walked in the operating room with Jimmie he knew something was up because he started to cry. One nurse had to hold him down while another nurse gave him the ether. I went out then and stood out in the hall but Elmer watched and he said when the doctor started cutting the pus just ran out. They called me in then to show me how to take care of him and the doctor was still sewing him up and there was blood all over. We had to stay there about half an hour later until Jimmie came out of the ether and he cried all the way home and for quite a while after getting home. I told Elmer to go to work and then I got Jimmie to sleep and read for him. When he woke up, which was in a few minutes, I gave him his breakfast and his appetite wasn’t spoiled the least bit. He has felt fine ever since but is just a little fussy so I hold him all the time and walk around outside with him and he has been sleeping a lot. All I have to do when I change him is to wash him off a little and put a clean piece of gauze with Vaseline on him. The stitches will fall out in a few days and I’m so glad I don’t have to take him back to have them taken out. The doctor said he wouldn’t be able to keep his food down at first but I’ve given Jimmie his regular meals and crackers in between and he didn’t lose anything. I couldn’t have gone through with all this if I hadn’t known Mrs. Herring was working for him. I called her this morning and told her to keep on working for him today. She seems to be a very good practitioner and I really think Elmer is glad she is working for Jim too. I had a letter from you today with several of Jim’s enclosed. I think he is going to like being in Los Angeles and I hope he will get good grades. Jimmie woke up so I had to stop but will write some more and then I’m going to bed. Both Elmer and I are worn out tonight from all the excitement this morning. Jimmie felt just swell this afternoon and played outside all afternoon. I’ll be glad when the stitches come out because they look so awful. Annie called this morning and said if I needed her she would leave the lady she was working for and come right over. I thought it was nice of her. The way Jimmie recovered today was really remarkable. The doctor said he wouldn’t feel like playing for a day or two but he was certainly wrong. Well this winds up all my affairs with doctors. I’m never going to look at one again. I’m going to bed now folks and will write more later. Love, Helen