Faith Steed Howarth

[Health Issues]

[The house on Blaine Avenue had a covered patio behind the garage and a fishpond very close to the patio. This is where the accident below took place, probably in the 1950's or 60's] That's where I fell in [the fish pond]. That's where I ruined my arm and clear across my back. That's what hurts me today. I have to go like this. Daddy was pretty helpless for so long. But, when he began to get better - which he did, he insisted we buy a lawnmower because, you know, we had a lot of lawn. He cut the lawns with that lawnmower. But, he was not well that day and I didn't want him to do it. I thought, my goodness, there's that lawnmower. I can do that. So, I went out there and I got the front lawns all done - there's that big slope and everything. But, I got through all that. But, when I came around - you know how the pool was -- that's why I mentioned it. Here was the deck and then here was the pool, you see, like that. I got coming towards the pool and I tried to turn it and I could not turn. I was not strong enough to turn that. I couldn't and I twisted with all my might. So, the lawnmower went over there and hit against the wall. I went into the pool right up to my head. I didn't get my face in. I was laughing so hard [laughs].

Pam came out and pulled me out -- she dragged me out of there. I was absolutely drenched. But, I didn't realize how badly I was hurt. I went to the doctor. There was nothing that they could do. It's been - several doctors have absolutely insisted on taking pictures of it. Right up there where I go now they've got those somewhere. But, they don't pay any attention to it. You see, that's what ruined this and made this very bad trouble.

I very nearly broke my back when I was twenty-six years old [1928]. I tried to lift a tub full of water up [laughs]. You know, a woman in those days had hard things to do. I had that little Wayne, a two year- old, and a baby. I was washing. They got tired of it and wanted to be fed. They both started to cry. I had a big quilt in a tub of water about right by where the drain was. Because, I could wash it in the washer, but I couldn't rinse it. See, we didn't have then the [ .... shower??] I ran over to it, took a hold of it this way and tried to put the water into the drain. I tried to lift it and, oh my gosh, did I - I've suffered all my life for that. I went to the doctors. I've been to doctors here. I've been to doctors in Los Angeles. No one could do anything for it. The only thing they could do was teach me what they call knee-chest. Lay down on the floor and bring knees to the chest.

Maybe you even remember this. We'd be traveling along in the car and daddy would have to stop the car and I would lay down on the dirt. I had to, I couldn't stand it any longer. Even now, I try to make my bed - my whole bed without having to do it. I very seldom can. Thank goodness for that chair [a lounger chair]. That just helped me more than any one thing the doctors have given me. It somehow when I get into that it's right. But you see, I had that. Then I got this [fall into the pool]. Well, it's a wonder that I'm still active. [laughs] It hurts all the time. It just so bad that I can - Well, like in church sometimes it's awfully hard for me to get through it. But, I'm used to it. You get used to things - you can stand them better.

They're just some of those things in my life where I think I've had really very great blessings because they could have crippled me, you see, but, they didn't. I was able to go on with my life and do it and I'm very grateful for that much. 'Cause I was a girl. It would have been awfully, awfully hard on me to be - I was active. I'm getting less and less so, but you do in your eighties.