Gray Matters by Stuart Carlson and Jerry Resler for September 14, 2024

Yeah. They used ether on me.

I was only 4 when they took out my tonsils. Back then in 1964 parents weren’t allowed to stay overnight. I was so scared, the little girl who was around 9 comforted me throughout the night. I’ll never forget her.

I still have mine…

It’s not fair! My brother got his out, and I didn’t!

I use to get strep throat at least once or twice a year until mine were removed when I was 21. Haven’t gotten that since then.

Same here

All I got was beef broth and orange “hospital jello”.

It was a horrible experience for me. But, at least back in 1964, I got to keep extracted tonsils in a tiny jar with formaldehyde. Not sure what ever became of them….

Not fun. Had mine out with my adenoids at about 6. Then the adenoids again a year later. (they grow back in my family). I was sick so often back then that the pediatrician used to joke he was just going to let me move in there. Now we know a lot of it was the 4 packs of cigarettes a day that my parents smoked.

Still have mine, had strep a few times during my youth in the 60’s – parents went with a shot of penicillin in the tush was better than surgery. Guess (being) a pain in the asp was better than a pain in the neck.

Older boomer sisters had theirs out and I never did despite plenty of strep throat episodes. There was a shift in thinking I guess.

I was given ether on a cotton pad. I was told to blow it away. I was 4. I panicked and kicked out. I heard a very satisfactory “oof” when I hit someone’s stomach.