Lori's Minute

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Happy Landings

After reading Dr. John's post when his family celebrated the bicentennial, it immediately brought me to what was going on in my family in 1976. The year is easy to remember because all of us ended up in the hospital at some point during the year. First my mother had gone in for exploratory surgery and it was the first time she was away from us. I was 10 and trying to make dinner for my father and brother and I burnt everything and they would not eat it.

Later, during the summer and because my father was a teacher at the college and had a couple weeks (months) off, we went on a vacation that was more than a few days. Normally, our family only went to visit relatives when we had time off, but this time it felt like a real vacation. It was still with relatives but the family rented a resort called 'Happy Landings"....what a hole in the wall place that was! It consisted of pink-faded, broken down wooden structures (supposed to be cabins) where none of the toilets worked and there were no doors, just curtains on the bedrooms where there were supposed to be doors. I distinctly remember the only light was a bulb hanging from a cord in the middle of the room.

But we all made light of it and the kids ran around and swam in the lake while the aunts and uncles drank and played cards. I sat on the dock wth my fishing pole and caught a bunch a fish while I watched all the other kids poles. The deal was if I caught any fish they would take them off the hook for me if I watched their poles while they ran around. I think I caught about 13 fish that day!

During this trip, I became seriously ill which was odd because I had just had my first physical (NEVER gonna forget that). They took me to a doctor who prescribed some medicine but I was not getting better. My family decided to cut the trip short and we headed home.

At some point during the week, I had to use the bathroom and was so weak, I could not pull up my jeans, they were too heavy. I had also coughed up some blood. I ended up in the hospital quarantined for a week before they figured out what was wrong with me. At first, they thought I had leukemia and did a bone marrow test. The hospital I was at was a teaching hospital so every nurse and doctor was there for the test while they stuck a needle in my hip. I did not make a noise and held on to the nurses hand because it did hurt. (Later, my mother told me she heard a girl screaming and she thought it was me, but it wasn't). The funny thing about this is they put a bandaid over the needle insert and it bled to a spot the size of a nickel. I was afraid to take the bandaid off because I thought the hole was that big! It finally came off in the shower and I cautiously looked at my hip and there was no mark at all....whew!)

Turns out I did not have leukemia but a rare form of anemia and the cure was taking steroids. I have fond memories of my dad coming to see me after visiting hours when he had been out of town to officiate a game and him watching the show 'Kojak' with me. (I always liked that show because Kojak sucked lollipops and he was bald like my father).

Two weeks after I got home from the hospital, my dad sliced his hand open and had to go to emergency for stitches.

I probably remember more about 1976 than any other year....when it rains, it pours.

Happy Landings!

11 Comments:

At 7:09 PM, Blogger Catch said...

wow Lori, that must have been scary for you and your parents! I bet you all had fun at the cabin no matter how it looked...I always loved getting to gether with my cousins

 
At 7:36 PM, Blogger Andrew McAllister said...

Teaching relationship management skills in school? That's brilliant! Thanks for the comment at my place. See you next time.

All the best,
Andrew

 
At 9:21 PM, Blogger Charlene Amsden said...

One year I had a half dozen tetnus shots -- seriously -- I was an orphan with a family (my mom died and my dad gave me to my maternal grandmother to raise). In winter I lived with my Gram, in summer my family shipped me from home to home (city to city).

The summer I was 10 I was particularly accident prone and nobody would believe me when I told them I'd already had a tetnus shot, especially when I started saying things like, "I've already had three this year!"

Now, before you feel aorry for me with all that shuffling -- they weren't shuffling me because they didn't want me, but because they DID. Every year there was a major conference with fights and everything about who was going to get to have me, when, and how long they got to keep me. And every year someone always failed to deliever me when they were supposed to and someone was else be screaming about being cheated. I was quite spoiled.

My favorite year was the beginning of fifth grade. My dad didn't return me to my grandmother on time and I missed the first week of school.

 
At 10:05 PM, Blogger Louisiana said...

what a yr full of medical emergencies. hope your mom's surgery showed nothing scary.

your dad's stitches? oh poor guy..

and you, my goodness..hon, you sounded sick. i'm glad that they figure out what was wrong and fixed it..

the summer cottage sounds amazing fun with all the family. you can catch fish girl..not only are you a catch but you can catch..:)

 
At 5:51 AM, Blogger B.R.L said...

I am sorry that 1976 wasa year of illness for your family.
The vacation sounds fun. It is not where you are but with whom .

 
At 6:06 AM, Blogger B.R.L said...

I am sorry that 1976 wasa year of illness for your family.
The vacation sounds fun. It is not where you are but with whom .

 
At 4:02 PM, Blogger kristi said...

1976 sounded like a rough year for you all. Bless your heart you must have been really sick

 
At 10:09 PM, Blogger Louisiana said...

very perceptive of you..have had a bit of the blues since coming back and i haven't been able to shake them off..other stuff, life, too..but this morning i felt a little more like my old self but not long after i woke up we got the news that early dawn my uncle, the husband of the aunt, the pharmacist who let me sell in her store as i pleased when i was little in Boaco, died of a massive heart attack...she is devastated. we almost lost her last yr because of her own heart problems..i'm glad i got to just see them, first time since i was 7 but i'm so afraid i won't see her again..she is suffering from the shock and sorrow..i want to just get on the next plane but i can't for so many reasons...

 
At 6:05 AM, Blogger Dr.John said...

Ask Pete if he remembers the duck I cooke when Betty was gone? But they ate it.
Wow that was a bad year. Could job you wern't a racer as you would have tested poitive for steroids.

 
At 10:49 AM, Blogger Charlene Amsden said...

Lori, i know you and your relatives have already voted for me. I hope that means you will understand and forgive me for this shameless bit of promotion, but I am trying to win a contest here -- two in fact! One for the best picture caption; one for the most shameless self-promotion (I am also hoping it is the most effective self promotion.)

Go to Belle of the Brawl and vote for Quilldancer! Don't even look at the other captions. Just trust me when I tell you mine is the best! But please, do say hello to Belle Sar while you're there - -and be sure to tell her Quilly sent you.

Thanks!

 
At 8:55 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Wow never herd that story. Maybe we should take you fishing with us sometime. Sounds like you have Alex's luck with the catching of fish. As long as I dont end up swimming with the fishes. lol Coughing up blood is a scary thing.

So of the most memberable vacations for me were at some of the dumpest places.

 

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