Mom had multiple health issues throughout much of her life. Following an early menarche at age eleven, as already noted she had long standing problems with her reproductive organs, initially losing one of her ovaries to surgical extirpation, about 1920, while still in high school.
Then, came her childbearing years: I was born in 1932, Drew was born in 1936, and Suzanne and Diane were born in 1941. She had one miscarriage between Drew and me, and two more between Drew and the twins. Moreover, the twins had to be induced three weeks early, because she was suffering severe toxemia. 88 Indeed, thereafter, she experienced significant hypertension for the remainder of her life.
As one example of this, in 1956, at the height of their financial problems, she wrote to me in Germany about getting a physical examination from Dr. A. O. Skankey, Barbara’s father, while in the process of qualifying to do substitute teaching:
He nearly flipped his lid because my BP was higher than the last time. He said, ‘Nance, you’ve just got to take things easy. You need a long rest and vacation.’ I nearly laughed in his face. He said he didn’t dare put down my right pressure… or they’d never hire me, so he lowered them both 10 points. 89
On 20 March 1948, she underwent a partial thyroid excision, which showed multiple involutionary nodules and chronic thyroiditis. 90 Then, according to Diane’s recollections, about 1952, she had her remaining ovary removed secondary to another benign tumor, eventually followed by a total abdominal hysterectomy, about 1953. All during this time, she suffered from periodic hot flashes and vaginal bleeding. 91
Thus, from a current-day medical point of view, perhaps not fully appreciated at the time, during the early 1950’s, it appears that Mom was most likely experiencing prolonged and significant symptoms of menopause. Accordingly, many of her behavior patterns exhibited at the time, including mood swings, sudden tears, irritability, feeling ill at ease, bloating, flatulence, and indigestion might well have been exacerbated by this life-altering condition. 92
Moreover, other serious health issues developed later in her life, which will be discussed hereafter.
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