Greetings, All!!
More recollections! 
Ahhh.. Pranks, Sunday Visits and Hot Wool!!  Remember it well! 
I spent 6+ Months in the Haynes Memorial Hospital for Infectious Diseases
in the Boston area (Brighton, i think - Attached to Boston College..)
back in the late 40's.. My mother became the Boston Area March of Dimes
Coordinator, on Radio shows (with Marjorie Mills and Bill Cunningham)
talking up Polio fundraising, etc. For that reason, perhaps, (and the
fact that she would bring in tons of embarrassing 8MM Movies of my
younger years in Scituate and on the proverbial bear rugs!) to show
everyone in the Ward, she was allowed almost daily access.. As an Art
Teacher, she also created activities for us all, and wept with us when
one of our "family" in the Ward would die.. She sorta became the Momma
of the Ward - And the TB Ward down the hall.. Quite a gal - Now in an
early-Alzheimer's care center in Ft. Lauderdale at 84..
I remember the night of the Spinal Tap, and the Pain of the needle in
my Back.. I cried a lot (I was only 9 or 10).. - I remember telling the
Doctors that I was "Going to be a Dr. when i grew up", hoping they
would be more easy on me with that 6-foot needle! I remember dropping my
favorite toy in the Isolation room and having it spirited away, never to
see it again.. I remember looking in the mirror above my head in the
Iron lung, and to this day, I cannot STAND anything around my neck; even
my Wife's arm in a playful stranglehold.. I strike out in anger and
almost desparation if someone even playfully puts hands around my neck.
Weird, huh.. Can't even wear a tie mildly tight, or a turtleneck shirt!
In fact, I tend toward Naturism.. (neo-nudist term! )
I actually welcomed the hot-packs - they made me feel SO good and
relaxed, and i instantly slept when they were applied. I still love a
nice Electric Blanket, even here in Florida!!   (NOT Wool!! )
After graduating from the Iron Pop-slub-pop-slub'er, i spent a lot of
bed-time dreaming up pranks to pull on the Nurses.. Only one's I
remember were the "phony respiratory-failure" one and the "Incredible
Flipping Wheelchair" (where I would get that chair up to about 10 MPH,
and then flip if over forward right in front of the Nurses Station,
going on a belly-slide down the corridor, causing all those pretty
nurses to rush over and fawn over me. (And, of course, give me candy!))
And, yes, we did the Forest of straw-wrappers on the ceiling bit, too -
Good respiratory exercise, they said! 
Mostly I remember what may seem to be an odd event. At one point, i was
getting pretty bad, losing muscle strength and heading back to the Iron
lung, apparently.. Generally deteriorating.. My Grandfather (who had
promised me a new Schwinn 2-Wheeler if I got well..) called an old
family friend and Priest from New York (Father O'Brien, i think), and
he drove up and gave me a special Blessing with a Relic of some sort.
(My most attention was paid not to him that day, but to the Box of
Chocolates that he had brought me New York and was now sitting on the
Radiator by the Window, and MELTING!!!) Be that as it may, Melted
Chocolates and all, the VERY next day I turned around and 2 days later
was in a Walker, Running and actually lifting my feet up and coasting
in the Walker!! Go Figger!!  - And, Yes, I got and RODE the Schwinn!
'nuff fer now..  - G'bless..
Tom..
(tom.mckeever@mit.com)
SPACECON BBS (1:374/22)
(407) 459-0969 452-8969 (1200-19200 Baud)
(Home of UUCPlog, OTVIEW, & POST_POLIO and CARDIAC Echoes!!)
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