Book Entry 112: 1973 Chasing the Gopher

It was my job to do the yard work unless we were undertaking a big project.  The lawns, the flowers, dog poop patrol, and the weeding were my responsibility.  Sometimes I would let the lawn mowing go longer than I should.  This story is about such a time.  It was September.  I was about four months pregnant with Robin at the time.  

It was a Saturday morning.  I was mowing the lawn while Heidi was napping.  A gopher had been digging his way through the grass leaving mounds everywhere.  I found the shovel and began to dig.    I dug for about an hour setting traps and recovering the holes.  I was tired when I finished and went inside to rest and watch Heidi play for a while.

Later that afternoon I noticed I had a problem!  I was spotting!  When I told Larry he took me to the doctor right away.  Dr. Bigelow was out of the office so we saw the doctor covering for him.  I didn’t care for the doctor when we met him.  He only spent a few minutes with me before giving me his opinion and then I liked him even less! 

The doctor told me I was going to miscarry.  He said I should go home, resign myself to what was inevitably going to happen and go to the hospital when I felt contractions. 

Saturday night was horrible.  I had a tummy ache all night.   Sunday was no better.  We stayed home from church, puttered around the house, and watched Heidi.  After church Alpha and Del came over bringing us lunch.

           While they were visiting Alpha made the comment, “If you are going to lose this baby I hope you do it now and you don’t carry it longer like the twins.”  I loved Alpha and she loved me.  She loved our unborn baby and I know she made that statement in love.  I agreed with her.  I didn’t want to go through such a loss again.  I prayed without ceasing all day I would not lose my baby. 

Sunday passed, my tummy ache did not get better but it did not get worse.  Monday morning at 9:00 we were in Dr. Bigelow’s office.  After sharing with him all the events of the weekend he gave me a quick exam.  He gave me some liquid medication called Belladonna and an admonishment not to shovel after any more gophers!  I had to mix the medicine with water and drink it twice a day for several days.  The ache subsided and the pregnancy continued.  Larry spent the next few days feverishly trapping gophers and making our backyard look great!