For example, let me tell you about our family doctor when I was a kid and what all he did. He had an office in the town about 8 or 10 miles from our home. If I got sick, my parents didn't have to take me in to his office and my Dad didn't need to miss work to take me in to see the doctor, he made house calls. I suppose most of you who are a lot younger than I am have no idea what house calls were. The doc would come to our house and I wouldn't have to get out of bed. He would administer any medication, pills or shots, that he thought that I needed. Yep, no need to go to a drug store back then. The doc had a big black bag that he carried everything that was needed.
That very same doctor did minor surgery in his office. Yep, I had my tonsils and adenoids removed in his office. The only bad thing about it was that he used raw ether to put me under. He put a wire mesh thing that had some kind of fiber on it over my nose and mouth and poured ether on it. Dang, I didn't like that one bit. It didn't smell that bad, but I started to get a buzz in my head which continued to get louder and louder until I was ready to scream that I had enough and couldn't stand it anymore. . . then I woke up. If you have never had raw ether, I sure do not recommend it, take my word for it. I have been put under later in life with sodium pentothal, and that is the way to go, if you have to put to sleep for some kind of operation or procedure.
I guess that I am giving my age away when I said the doctor made house calls and that I had my tonsils out in his office. Back in the day, going to a hospital was a last resort, as it still should be. Now, you all have a great day, you hear?
I remember the doctor's house calls back then as well and home delivery of milk and eggs in a horse drawn milk truck. Great memories.
ReplyDeleteYep, we also had milk delivered to our door, but not eggs. Since back then, we lived in Pennsylvania, I remember the milk freezing and pushing the cap off, if we didn't get it inside fast enough.
DeleteI remember our doctor coming to our house, too, but my parents didn't call the doctor very often. Probably not a bad idea to have the doctor come out if the patient has something contagious.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe it is a good idea. Just try to convince a doctor that it is.
DeleteEven here in Houston, our doctor still made house calls. Grumpy old man, but who could blame him!
ReplyDeleteI like grumpy old men. Do you think that is because I am a grumpy old man?
DeleteMy father was in the Air Force. We received free care from military doctors and it wasn't always pleasant. I sometimes think every child born in the 50's is missing their tonsils. The children were put in a ward with beds all in a row. I remember seeing a ladder outside my window and thinking about getting the window open and making my escape.
ReplyDeleteI was born in the early 40's, but think I still fit into that group.
DeleteI remember dad crawling on the floor at 2am moaning. The doc got out of his bed and came to our house, stepped in the back door to see dad, and said "He's having a gall bladder attack" and left.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I knew what was happening to me 40 years later as I crawled on the same floor he did.
Going to the hospital back then was a scary process and, DO YOU REMEMBER THE GLASS STRAWS???
Never had a gall bladder attack but did have kidney stones that put me on my knees. Yep, I remember glass straws. They were reusable, and thus in the long run, cheaper.
DeleteI didn't crawl on the floor or have any gall bladder attack symptoms when my gall bladder was taken out. It was done at the same time as my hysterectomy because I had Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the doctor wanted to buy a new horse. Needless to say, patients started to complain so he wasn't a doctor much longer.
ReplyDeleteThat was one doctor who should have changed!
Happy Tails and Trail;s, Penny