Tag Archives: Dr. Ira Cole

I forgot to say anything about the leg cramps

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Today’s letter reminded me of when I was pregnant with my children. Hearing bits about my grandmother’s pregnancy experiences is rather fascinating. It was certainly something that we never talked about when she was alive. My grandmother did meet my future husband about six months before we were married but talk of babies was still in the very distant future. She eventually died a few years later before I had my firstborn.  In the last years of her life, she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia. I don’t think she was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s but it was certainly suspected.  I doubt she even knew who I was the last time we met.

When she was pregnant with my father, Gladys was 36, going on 37. My father was born about 6 weeks before the 37th birthday. I was a couple years older than that when I gave birth to my youngest.  Thirty six was fairly old in those days for having children, but not unheard of, especially with women who had larger families. My father-in-law who is slightly younger than my father was born when his mother was 42.  I did not enjoy being pregnant, either time, but I think the second time was harder due in part to my age. Both my children were very active in vitro which made me very uncomfortable most of the time. My youngest also liked to sit on a nerve that affected my left leg. I also remember waking up in the night with leg cramps. Boy, I don’t miss those.

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Letter transcription:

Wed.

Dear Mother,

Just read your two letters and also Ed’s. His was rather it interesting but not much about himself except that about the Yoll stove. I don’t know what happened to him at Chicago. I wanted him to go to the Arnett Crocket Clinic in the first place.

Yes it may or may not have been wrong to sign up for that flight school but there was a fellow transferred from here the other day who had been here about 10-11 months + too Dr. Rude the one that was coming here-was married and had a child 5 yrs. old and he was sent to sea. So there you are. You can’t figure anything out in the navy. In the first place why was I sent down here-

If I were you-instead of taking too much laxative I’d use small enema at least for the time being. I forgot to say anything about the leg cramps. That will happen in spite of everything, but you should take some vitamins. Say one unicap each day. Of course Dr. C[ole] may prescribe something different but you can’t beat those and they don’t have any taste to upset you.

No one has gotten any orders now

(page 2) for ten days. So maybe I did make a mistake by trying to get out of here.

I told Mr. Ferneau about the letter Dorothy sent. He just laughed, guess I told you that before but its so long before the letters get back that I forget what I have and have not written.

Seems as if that was all the new-all we did today was examine + shoot. Had 2084 men to shoot today. So the day wasn’t wasted I guess

Love Daddy

Amanuensis Monday – June 27, 1942

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Bonds build Ships. Buy More Bonds, 1943Artist: George Picken Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Bonds build Ships. Buy More Bonds, 1943
Artist: George Picken
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

The last week of letters has seen the arrival of my grandmother in Norfolk and her departure. We learned a few details from the time my grandmother was there. Some sea mines were released outside Virginia Beach and several boats were hit. The Kingston Ceylonite, a boat on loan from the British Navy, was sunk. My grandparents’ friend Dorothy Krull appears to have come along for the drive. A mouse was found in the closet of Mrs. Evans house, an alarm clock was set very early, one of my grandfather’s white suits was misplaced and Dr. Lentz borrowed my grandfather’s raincoat.

Most likely due to the success of the Battle of Midway in the Pacific, my grandfather was kept busy inoculating sailors and administering routine exams. A new level of anxiety seems to have been creeping into the letters. Several doctors received orders for shipping out, including ones who had arrived after my grandfather. Dr. Lentz received some phone calls and my grandfather was getting jittery whenever the phone rang. He expected to receive his new orders soon too. In one letter, he remarked that another doctor received orders to report to a new battleship in New Jersey. My grandfather thought that was a “pretty good” assignment.

Many of the letters contain details of just plain old, down and dirty, everyday life.  My grandfather’s adventures with laundry (which at times seem amusing to me) must have driven him crazy! I can’t imagine having to continuously buy new clothes because of a lack of clean ones. Updates on pay raises, allotments and money orders also grace this week in letters. There was also another mention of purchasing war bonds.

Today’s letter gives Dr. Cole his entrance into the story. Dr. Ira Cole was the attending physician during the birth of my father. I am intrigued by the obsession with my grandmother receiving enough vitamin B. While it is important today for pregnant women to receive sufficient B vitamins, I can’t help but wonder if my grandmother’s vitamin B regimen had something to do with the death of baby Michael in 1940.

We still have about three weeks more of letters before we hear my grandmother speak. I must tell you I am getting very impatient to hear her side of the story! It’s on my list of things to look forward to in 2013.

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Letter transcription:

Sat. P.M. (postmark June 27, 1942 8:30 PM)

Dear Mother,

Didn’t write early this A.M. because I wanted to see what your letters might contain but Lentz picked them up took them to the base and I missed him somehow so he still has my letters, he didn’t think that I was off this P.M. since I had the duty last night.

Had to get up once during the night a policeman dislocated his thum. Other than that the night was uneventful.

I was going to suggest that you take the money order you got the other day and apply it on a bond to keep the months record clean maybe you still can if you haven’t

(page 2) already this month. I would send some money home but I wait until after next Wed. – pay day, then send it all at once- I’m at the P.O. now. Came down town to pay the remainder on my clothing bill. I’m going on down town for a shopping tour to see if I can get some underware I’m supposed to get laundry today but I think I’ll just wait until Monday to be more sure.

Got a letter from Dr. Roberts yesterday he is still waiting, hasn’t heard for sure yet. He tells me that most of the fellows are gone or going around Watseka [Illinois].

(page 3) If you haven’t been to Dr. Cole yet you had better do so and I believe I’d stop getting shots from Dr. Math. He might feel rather hurt if you run up to to late and anyway Dr. Cole said he would come up if necessary. Get some unicaps from Art and take 2-3 each day. You should get enough Vit B. from those.

I realize this is rambling but there is lots of traffic thru here where I’m writing.

I’ll write in the A.M. again.

Love Daddy