I was born in a trunk down at Union station….oh that is a Judy Garland song. Oh I loved her so much! I was born in a hospital on July 12, 1948.
I am a cesarean baby. I was a little under-weight and was born with many challenges. My lungs were not totally developed . From as long as I can remember I had asthma.
My dad would go to Walgreens and buy me an inhaler called medi haler iso. I was only supposed to use it a few times a day but before you knew it I ran out of this medicine …and my parents did not buy me another until a few weeks later. I would have to go into the kitchen and put black pepper in my nostrils so I can sneeze and breathe better. I have never looked at black pepper the same again.
Many nights I slept under an open umbrella with a sheet on top and a vaporizer. My mom would come in and rub my head and sing to me. I was scared of falling asleep because I thought I may die. Writing this makes me breathe a little heavier.
Any time I would go to the eye ear nose and throat doctor. He would give me shots. One time I heard him whisper the word Tuberculosis. It was also called white death. In the next room was an iron lung. A metal and glass cylinder that you lie in to help you breathe . Thank the lord I never had to get in there.
Now I have to talk about the P word…. pimples. My face was covered with them. You could take a pencil and connect the dots. Shirley bought me a tube of Clearasil. It was a creme in a tube. Before you knew it, it had dried. Once you began talking, all of it cracked. I would look like a mummy.
My left leg was fine…but my right leg was a little funky. My hip did not align with my knee ankle or foot. Both of my feet were pronated. So instead of walking I waddled like a penguin…..to be continued….
Love,
Richard
