Name/Title
AU Smith, John Alan - 1988-03-13 letter to Richard Lambert HarrisEntry/Object ID
1989.1.87Context
3-13-88 Dear Richard: It was great to have had that fascinating letter from you recently and we have it from the grape vine that you also turned out an epistle for Ed Burtner and for Glenn Grabill! How good of you! We were also grateful for the opportunity of a voice visit while you were still in the Rhodes Hall sub—division of the massive (compared to when I was a student there!) University Hospital. We are not pleased with the circumstances that caused you to be admitted there but we are glad that you did not have to face the option of ByPass Surgery and we are crossing our fingers in the hopes that the medical management of your heart and its oxygen and circulatory requirements proves do be totally adequate and successful. Don't get me wrong about ByPass Surgery. It does great things. But it is as they say invasive and if it is not necessary, who could do other than cheer for the choice you have been encouraged to take. I think there may have been some uncertainty on your part as to whether or not we would still be in Wisconsin. The answer of course is Yes, we are right here and here we stay until things get rough! When that might happen is anyone's guess. So far, very good. No real distresses, good eating and sleeping aside from extra requirements for rest, a very tolerable Feeling State. Naturally we want this to prevail a long, long way in to the future.
Just to stay realistic, we must tell you that the cat scan (# 3!) done two weeks ago showed that growth has continued. The Chemo which I was taking for a couple of months was suppose to stop the growth. Since it wasn't doing that (we were told before starting the Chemo that it worked in 55% of the
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cases, didn't work in 45% of the cases!) the Oncologist who has been my Quarterback for signal calling in nearby Madison, suggested that unless I was insistent, he would be willing for the Chemo to be stopped. That suited me right down to the ground. The Week required for the Chemo (daily 3 hour long injections for 5 days) has to be racked up as days of total loss. No benefits can be attributed to that "zonked state" — unless of course it led to pulling the emergency brake lever hooked up to the tumor.
Your series of reminisces opened the flood gates. There are so many on file. I remember when I was mowing for Ollie Jones and you were mowing in your back yard, you came over to see whose mower bearings had heated up the most. Fred Norris says that the low gear for the Buick we drove was in the right proximal corner — it was not a standard shift. You told me as we were starting out for goodness only knows where, "Nice Shifting of the local gears!" That was heard as a commendatory comment! When we turned in the Buick (one of whose features was the running boards on both sides) the Olds we bought from Mr Keyes had a synchronized gear shift and it was SUPPOSED to be impossible to grate the gears when shifting. It was almost true. I remember when you were getting ready to take an exam to be given by Mary Belle Clary you decided to do it by going thru the Index. I thot that was most mature, wise, innovative, cause for admiration! (You were always giving us causes for Admiration!) What ever happened to that Grandfather Clock whose finishing was so expertly done — another cause for admiration from my side of the street! I couldn't imagine when you would have had time to make such a smooth and polished finish! Well, we must keep at least notes going back and forth. Keep us posted as to the effectiveness of your new medical regimen, and we will issue an occasional bulletin about the health scene here. We send the choicest of greetings.
With deep & abiding appreciation!
J&V
{John & Virginia}
