Laity Day Service

One day Rev. Carl Clary, our minister at this time at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, asked me to speak in church October 13, 1975, Laity Sunday, on the subject: JESUS – LORD OVER MY CONVALESCENCE. I had never spoken in front of the whole congregation before and I knew I would be petrified! But I thought to myself I just could not miss this opportunity to thank all the friends who had been so kind to us during my long illness, and most of all I wanted to thank the Lord for making me well. So I told Carl I would be afraid, but I would try…

Swimming

It was so good to be home again! I was bald-headed, of course, and certainly nothing to look at , so thin with a big horse-shoe shaped scar on top of my head… but I was no longer depressed! My slowness and constant tiredness were gone. I was beginning to feel normal again… oriented and alert.

Dr. Paysinger had released me from the hospital with no limitation on activities, so, with Larry and Barbara Bly’s invitation to come, I was swimming with them in their pool just twelve days after I got home. It felt so good to begin being active again after months of being “out of it” and sickly. I jumped into the cool, refreshing water and to my dismay when I came up, there, on top of that cool, refreshing water floated one of my “falsies” from out of my bathing suit. I was horrified! I was thin, but I didn’t realize I was that thin! It didn’t take me long to snatch it up… put it back in… and act as though it had never happened.

The summer sun seemed unusually hot this year… maybe because of my lack of hair. I was determined to get back into playing tennis again, in spite of the scorching hot days. If I needed an excuse for poor playing I could truthfully tell the others that I had a hot plate in my head.

My hair began growing back nicely… real short, but cute I thought. I was feeling like a new person.

Strange!

I was released from the hospital the next Friday, June 7, after just eight days. Jack came up to drive me home to Orangeburg, but…

Before we left Columbia, Jack bought me two pleated turbans, one pink and one white, to wear on my bald head. They were soft like the little stocking cap I was given at the hospital after the dressing was removed. I found the turban much more comfortable to wear than my wig which tended to be scratchy against the raw incision.

When we arrived at home in Orangeburg, something very strange happened. When I opened my closet door, none of the clothes hanging in the closet looked familiar! It looked to me as if all my clothes had been removed and replaced with some clothes I had never seen before. Then shortly I was able to remember them.

Strange!

And later, when I was told I had made those red burlap flowers as part of my therapy while having the shock treatments at the Baptist Hospital, I could hardly believe my eyes. As I scrutinized the flowers I had absolutely no recollection, at all, of having seen them… much less having made them.

Strange!

It was a disturbing feeling, knowing that I hadn’t known, for this long period of time, what was going on… or what I had done or said. I reckon it’s the way a drunk feels when he’s told the many things he said and did while he was drunk.

Eleanor’s Wedding – Polly’s Letter

Eleanor was married Saturday night June 1, 1974 as planned after having to make the decision whether to go on with the wedding or not. I would have hated to interfere with her getting married and if I hadn’t made it through the surgery on Thursday she could have just made it into a combination wedding-funeral… while the church was all pretty.

Needless to say, the mother-of-the-bride didn’t make it to the wedding. Or get to wear her green mother-of-the-bride gown with shoes dyed to match. But Eleanor sent me her bouquet, and there were many pictures and letters describing everything…

June 3, 1974

Dearest Ashlyn,

How we rejoice with thanksgiving for your successful surgery. We’ve heard such good reports…

You all had a beautiful, happy wedding! It was the most meaningful and religious wedding I think I’ve ever attended. Eleanor was radiant and beautiful. She is a fantastic young lady and I know how proud you must be of her.

There was a real good crowd – we were pouring punch like mad there were so many people. We had added a punch table on the patio area between the wings – we used Charlotte F’s flambeaus and it looked lovely. The food was delicious… the cake was beautiful…

I’ve never seen a bride and groom “stick around” so long! They were thoroughly enjoying it all…

The church just looked perfect. The tall cathedral candles on the pews made it look regal.

The best looking man there was John! He is so good looking and did an excellent job of ushering smiling all the time.

Julie and Sally looked so pretty and had so much poise! I just can’t wait for you to see the pictures.

Martha S tried so hard to take movie film but…

I did fine during the ceremony until Jack came out loud and clear with his answer to Carl when giving Eleanor away with “her mother and I”.

You have some wonderful friends. How can one say enough about Gerry P and Nancy A? They have been terrific.

I understand you’ve been walking and progressing beautifully. Keep up the good work and hurry home.

Love you,

Polly