DIY History | Transcribe | Iowa Women’s Lives: Letters and Diaries | Eve Drewelowe's journals, volumes II-III, 1950s

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Eve Drewelowe's journals, volumes II-III, 1950s

Page 158

duodenum, pylons and stomach within a jar takes on a different appearance from a physiology or anatomy book in diagram. Having been properly impressed, I went over to the other group of elevators and took the next lift to North eleven to see Dr Rivers. To him I announced, "I just saw my stomach and duodenum in the laboratory. If that is half of my stomach, my stomach must have been awfully, awfully big." My bright remark went by without comment.
After Dr Sharpe and the nurse had dressed the incision for the last time I demanded to know, "When will I know what we have got?" Three months, six months, a year; fourteen months had already been the answers to my patient question. Again it was the same - an indefinite period, and evasion. I can very well understand why the interval necessary cannot be a sharply defined one, because of individual differences. The physiological readjustments must vary greatly from person to person. But I did want to know the approximate time required for these and about what I could expect to be in for.
"Don't I get any instructions before I leave?"
"You know all about diet - of course- but don't try to note anything you can't. Any twelve year old boy won't eat anything a second time that disagrees with him. Just follow his example."
"Oh he won't, won't he? It isn't all as simple as all that! If it were, it would be very easy, but even your specialists have got nowhere with foods with me after weeks of trying to isolate idiosyncrasies." Then,
"Don't I get to see Dr Gray before I leave?'
"You won't be able to see him until tomorrow afternoon in any case. He may be through at the Colonial Hospital at about three, but if you want to see him, shall we say about five and he will be sure to be in his office at that time?"
"He is up at South three, isn't he?"
"Yes, that is right."

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duodenum, pylons and stomach within a jar takes on a different appearance from a physiology or anatomy book in diagram. Having been properly impressed, I went over to the other group of elevators and took the next lift to North eleven to see Dr Rivers. To him I announced, "I just saw my stomach and duodenum in the laboratory. If that is half of my stomach, my stomach must have been awfully, awfully big." My bright remark went by without comment. After Dr Sharpe and the nurse had dressed the incision for the last time I demanded to know, "When will I know what we have got?" Three months, six months, a year; fourteen months had already been the answers to my patient question. Again it was the same - an indefinite period, and evasion. I can very well understand why the interval necessary cannot be a sharply defined one, because of individual differences. The physiological readjustments must vary greatly from person to person. But I did want to know the approximate time required for these and about what I could expect to be in for. "Don't I get any instructions before I leave?" "You know all about diet - of course- but don't try to note anything you can't. Any twelve year old boy won't eat anything a second time that disagrees with him. Just follow his example." "Oh he won't, won't he? It isn't all as simple as all that! If it were, it would be very easy, but even your specialists have got nowhere with foods with me after weeks of trying to isolate idiosyncrasies." Then, "Don't I get to see Dr Gray before I leave?' "You won't be able to see him until tomorrow afternoon in any case. He may be through at the Colonial Hospital at about three, but if you want to see him, shall we say about five and he will be sure to be in his office at that time?" "He is up at South three, isn't he?" "Yes, that is right."