Joey's Illness


"Joey had been sick 2-3 days out of each week. At the naval hospital they told us his coughing and vomiting, which had started when he was 5, was due to bacterial asthma. We hoped a drier climate than Washington's might help him. We spent Christmas 1946 in Cinti. with Mother and Dad. On January 1, 1947 we left for Tucson, Arizona, leaving Mary and Ann at Sacred Heart Convent."

"Soon after Joe had started to work with Dr. Clayton at Harris Hospital, he found out that Dr. Clayton's daughter had the same condition as Joey and had been successfully treated by Dr. Patterson in Dallas. We took Joey to him, at fIrst, every week, then less frequently he had, as we knew a cardia spasm of the esophagus, a condition common in old people, but uncommon in children. We had been told a cure would involve major surgery. Dr. Patterson had him swallow a boogie and under fluoroscope dilated the muscle between the stomach and the aesophogus. Joey soon learned to do this as easily as a sword swallower. In a few weeks time he had gained many pounds as, for the fIrst time in years, he retained all of his food. We were very thankful the Lord had sent us to Texas, for altho Dr. Patterson had been using this method of treatment successfully for many years, he had not published anything on it."*


*from Adele Colvin's 'Story'

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