684 5/9/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Wednesday, May 09, 1951

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Elmer and I just came home from the hospital and Davy is so much better and looks and acts like his old self. He held his rattle and he drinks a lot of water and he even talked to us. Stella and I sure put in a tough night last night. First the hospital called about eight in the evening and said they thought it would be a good idea if Elmer and I came down so we went right away but there wasn’t much we could do so we stayed a couple of hours and then came home. Elmer went to bed and Stella and I put the coffee on and we were sitting at the dining room table talking when the phone rang and the nurse said we should hurry right down and Davy would be going at any time. We told Elmer we were going and we hurried down there. Stella and I sat right by the crib and knew God was Davy’s life and God fills all space. The tension got pretty bad and pretty soon the nurse ran in with her stethoscope to hear Davy’s heart and the other nurse ran in with he log book to write down the exact time of passing and the nurse said, “this is it” and Davy took a deep hard breath and we could see the blanket go up with the breath and it stayed up and then it came down again when he let his breath out. Stella and I just stood there saying God is his life. Then we realized that we couldn’t think clearly with all that going on so we left and went down to the main floor and sat in the lobby and kept thinking those same things. We stayed there an hour and then Stella ran upstairs and they met her with smiles and told her Davy’s temperature had gone way down and he was sleeping normally. We stayed there until eight o’clock this morning and Davy was doing so fine we came home and I slept. Stella couldn’t go to sleep so she straightened up things around here and got in a nap this afternoon while I went back to the hospital. Davy still has the tube down his nose but that is just taking gas off from his stomach and I don’t think it is too uncomfortable. He also has a needle in his leg as he is getting these intravenous feedings. Last night he also had a tube up his rectum which sent in cool water but they took that out when his temperature dropped. Oh, I will be so thankful when I get him home. Then we will go to work on the other business and I know that will turn out perfectly too. According to the doctors he has about seven months to live at the longest since they say he has no ducts but I’m not worried and Elmer too said to get to work on my Christian Science so Davy will live. I want Elmer to sell the house and move out there where we will be around all the right thoughts and Elmer wants to go too. If we can afford to leave this town I’m sure we will but Elmer says if we sell the house we just have to keep enough to buy another house and we will now be up to our necks in doctor and hospital bills but I should think we could pay on them out there just as well as we could here. Tell Gladys I got her letter the other day. She wanted to know if I had Mrs. Bruff stop her treatments when I called Miss Auld and I did. I asked Mrs. Bruff to send me the amount I owe her but she hasn’t done it so I will call her tomorrow and talk to her and straighten everything out. I’m so glad, mother, you happened to mention Grace Auld the other day on the telephone, otherwise I wouldn’t have thought of asking for help from a practitioner so far away. I will certainly make up for all the telephone calls you are going to have on your bill. You will have an awful bill. I’m so glad Stella is here. She is the one I needed last night at the hospital instead of Elmer. I was so glad she was with me. Stella did get to have one golf game so far. I think it was Tuesday morning she went out with a neighbor and they played nine holes. Stella said she played just a terrible game and here she had hoped to be a little good in front of this other girl but I’m sure she will have better luck next time. She enjoyed it anyway. How is Gary coming along. He is probably all over the mumps by now. Sandy and Jim and Mary are having lots of fun and they get along just swell. Sandy is such a nice little girl. Stella called up our school principal to see if they would take Sandy in school while she is here but the rooms are so overcrowded they just had to turn her down. Jimmy brings home his arithmetic and speller, though, so Stella tried to give Sandy some lessons. Our weather has been very nice but it did turn a little cooler tonight so Elmer had to turn the oil burner back on. How are you Pop? I sure hope we will move out there so I can see all of you often. Well, I had better stop for now Folks but I really appreciate everything you’re doing for Davy. All the help and all the telephone calls and now I can write Grace Auld a letter and tell her how wonderful things are coming along. With Love, Helen