difficult, especially when the hysterectomy is carried out during the childbearing years as Velma’s was. Her hormones changed which led to mood swings, hot flashes, temper tantrums, nervousness , and night sweats.
Velma worried that she was less feminine since she could no longer have children even though she and Thomas had not wanted more than two children. She did not want to be a replica of her worn out mother. Following the operation , she was also in a lot of pain especially in the lower back. One of the most common complaints after a hysterectomy is pain. The majority of women following the surgery are given prescription-strength painkillers to help lessen the discomfort and in a short period of time they can then take over-the-counter pain relievers, if needed. Velma found that the over-the-counter painkillers were not strong enough.
With the change in his wife, Thomas began to spend more time out of the house. He joined the United States Junior Chamber more commonly known as the Jaycees. The Jaycees is a private organization that was established in the 1920s to provide opportunities for young men to develop personal and leadership skills through service to others.
Velma resented these meetings as she was left alone in the evenings with the children , and when Thomas began going for drinks with the other men after the meetings finished Velma was furious. Velma was a teetotaler and saw alcohol as the devil’s drink.
When he returned home, noisy arguments would occur and tensions in the house were taut. When Thomas had a car accident in 1965 and suffered a concussion, Velma was convinced it was due to driving after drinking. Thomas vehemently denied the accusation and said he had fallen asleep at the wheel because of tiredness. Unfortunately, as a result of the concussion, he suffered from severe headaches from then on. This caused Thomas to drink more to ease the pain. The tension in the house increased leading to Velma being hospitalized from stress. In the hospital, she was treated with valium. With her already suffering from addiction to painkillers, she also became addicted to valium.
When Velma returned home, she signed up with a few different doctors to collect her prescription drugs. None of the doctors were aware she was seeing other doctors , and so Velma began taking a variety of medications that were not meant to be mixed with each other.
In 1967, Thomas was arrested for drunk driving which led to him losing his driver’s license and, therefore, his job as a delivery driver for Pepsi-Cola. Velma was livid, and Thomas was devastated. He felt ashamed and depressed which had the effect of making him drink more. The children, Ronnie and Kim, no longer felt comfortable inviting their friends to the house because of their father’s drinking and their parents’ arguments. Thomas eventually secured another job at a nearby mill and would get a lift to work with a neighbor.
Not only were the children worried about their father’s drinking but they , as well as Thomas, were concerned about Velma’s pill taking. Sometimes, she would be exceedingly groggy, and her words were slurred as if she was drunk.
In April of 1969, while Velma and the children were out and Thomas was comatose in a chair, the house caught fire. The fire brigade arrived and took Thomas to hospital where he died of smoke inhalation. On learning of her husband’s death, Velma collapsed. Just a few months later, the house burned down again and was destroyed. This time, the house was insured, and Velma and the children moved in with her parents, Murphy and Lillie, while they waited for the insurance check.
Just a few months later , Velma sat intensely proud at her son, Ronnie’s, graduation ceremony. He, having achieved the honor of being the salutatorian, delivered the opening speech of the ceremony. A salutatorian is an American honor given to a graduating student with the second highest academic rank. For his speech, Ronnie gave
Velma worried that she was less feminine since she could no longer have children even though she and Thomas had not wanted more than two children. She did not want to be a replica of her worn out mother. Following the operation , she was also in a lot of pain especially in the lower back. One of the most common complaints after a hysterectomy is pain. The majority of women following the surgery are given prescription-strength painkillers to help lessen the discomfort and in a short period of time they can then take over-the-counter pain relievers, if needed. Velma found that the over-the-counter painkillers were not strong enough.
With the change in his wife, Thomas began to spend more time out of the house. He joined the United States Junior Chamber more commonly known as the Jaycees. The Jaycees is a private organization that was established in the 1920s to provide opportunities for young men to develop personal and leadership skills through service to others.
Velma resented these meetings as she was left alone in the evenings with the children , and when Thomas began going for drinks with the other men after the meetings finished Velma was furious. Velma was a teetotaler and saw alcohol as the devil’s drink.
When he returned home, noisy arguments would occur and tensions in the house were taut. When Thomas had a car accident in 1965 and suffered a concussion, Velma was convinced it was due to driving after drinking. Thomas vehemently denied the accusation and said he had fallen asleep at the wheel because of tiredness. Unfortunately, as a result of the concussion, he suffered from severe headaches from then on. This caused Thomas to drink more to ease the pain. The tension in the house increased leading to Velma being hospitalized from stress. In the hospital, she was treated with valium. With her already suffering from addiction to painkillers, she also became addicted to valium.
When Velma returned home, she signed up with a few different doctors to collect her prescription drugs. None of the doctors were aware she was seeing other doctors , and so Velma began taking a variety of medications that were not meant to be mixed with each other.
In 1967, Thomas was arrested for drunk driving which led to him losing his driver’s license and, therefore, his job as a delivery driver for Pepsi-Cola. Velma was livid, and Thomas was devastated. He felt ashamed and depressed which had the effect of making him drink more. The children, Ronnie and Kim, no longer felt comfortable inviting their friends to the house because of their father’s drinking and their parents’ arguments. Thomas eventually secured another job at a nearby mill and would get a lift to work with a neighbor.
Not only were the children worried about their father’s drinking but they , as well as Thomas, were concerned about Velma’s pill taking. Sometimes, she would be exceedingly groggy, and her words were slurred as if she was drunk.
In April of 1969, while Velma and the children were out and Thomas was comatose in a chair, the house caught fire. The fire brigade arrived and took Thomas to hospital where he died of smoke inhalation. On learning of her husband’s death, Velma collapsed. Just a few months later, the house burned down again and was destroyed. This time, the house was insured, and Velma and the children moved in with her parents, Murphy and Lillie, while they waited for the insurance check.
Just a few months later , Velma sat intensely proud at her son, Ronnie’s, graduation ceremony. He, having achieved the honor of being the salutatorian, delivered the opening speech of the ceremony. A salutatorian is an American honor given to a graduating student with the second highest academic rank. For his speech, Ronnie gave
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