Thoughts From Bob

Excitement on May 16

You never know when you wake up in the morning what are all the potential surprises in store for you as the day unfolds.

From the perspective that I enjoy the picture and plan of our lives is in the hands of the creator.  We only think we are in charge. 

This morning was not particularly unusual.  My wife, Janice was very pregnant in fact the Doctor’s Last exam had assured her that things were normal and they predicted the birthday would be sometime next week.

We lived very near the new Clinic we had built and it was located on a small farm on the East Edge of Brighton, Colorado.  May was one of the busiest months in our practice because we were trying to get all the calves vaccinated, dehorned if they needed it and we would castrate the bull calves.  In 1957 a large part of that sort of animal husbandry was done by the veterinarian.  We wanted to get most of that done before the flies and maggots would be a challenge.

The new hay would soon be ready to cut and spring was in the air.

Except that morning it was snowing.  It was going to change some of our appointments perhaps so I headed to the office.  My first job would be to turn the dogs out to the small exercise run we had and clean the cages. Yes, back in those days in a new small animal clinic we did the work ourselves. For some reason we didn’t have many farm calls that morning so I was back at the clinic at about 10:00AM

Janice called the clinic and asked if we were busy and I told her that not at the moment we were not.

She said she wasn’t sure but maybe we should head to the hospital this afternoon.

Dr. Bill Waddell was not only our doctor but had become a dear friend.  He began his practice in 1951 the same year I went to work with Dr. John Thimmig as new vet graduate.

There was no hospital in Brighton so most of the babies in Dr. Waddell’s practice were born in Denver at the Presbyterian Hospital about 22 miles from our house.

The doctors were trying to encourage the new mothers to go to the hospital, My two brothers were born at our home about 3 miles South of Brighton and it was a normal thing then to have the doctor make house calls and the baby would be born at home.

I went home right away and as I waked in the door Janice let out a yell and was doubled over in what she said was a real labor pain.

We had been through this twice before so I knew that there was time for us to get to Denver. Janice called Dr. Waddell and he said go to the hospital and I will be there soon.

Our first baby was delivered at 9 months and died at birth.  That was a traumatic experience.  It also was the sort of problem we both knew could happen again so that thought was in my mind anyway as we hurried a bit to take a few things as headed out the door. 

We had to drop our son, Robert Glenn Scott III, at my mom’s house on the way to Denver so his things also were a part of the baggage.

There was no such thing as a car seat for babies in those days so I suppose we put him on the seat between us. 

By that time I suppose it was maybe 11:00.

She had another pain as we drove in the yard at Mom’s house so we left in a hurry.

I am sure I exceeded the speed limit and Janice told me to slow down because we needed to get to Denver instead of being killed in a car wreck.  Ladies sometimes have a better grasp on the real importance of life’s problems.

When she gasped at Henderson, and again two or three times before we got to Denver I am sure I asked her some dumb questions and got more and more nervous

The main road from Greeley Colorado to Denver was highway 85.  As you enter the Northern city limits of Denver the highway turns West and will head toward the Downtown area past the Wazee Market and then lead to the main train Depot.

Shortly after it turns West we needed to turn South on York Street.

I don’t remember all the exact conversation but there was a groan as we turned onto York Street.  Then just about a mile south there was a railroad crossing and a little bump as we crossed the RR tracks.

At this point she demanded in a LOUD voice for me to stop the car and help her.

My great wisdom came to the surface and I told her there was no place to park.

Then in about a half block I saw the front of the Coca Cola Bottling plant and there was a place in front of that Plant where I could get off the road so I stopped and got around the car, opened the passenger door so she could turn and lie down on the car seat.  It was 12:00 AM

She had just turned and lay down when she said the baby is coming!

At this point I need to stop and thank God it had stopped snowing on our way to Denver.

I had delivered all sorts of babies by that time so had at least enough experience and confidence in my ability to know things were normal.  Actually Pigs and humans have a similar posture of the infant in a normal birth.

When we heard Leslie cry we knew she had a good set of lungs and we both experienced a great emotion of joy and excitement.

We checked her over and Janice said, “let’s turn around and go home”! 

My answer was remember, we have called Dr. Waddell and he is sure to be there soon, so I think we are obligated and besides that I would be more comfortable if he would check the baby.

Well when we got to the hospital we were treated like a second class citizen.

Janice was carrying the baby and I think whatever she had wrapped her in was bloody and the nurse virtually shouted you have a DIRTY baby. That is the title given to babies who are not born in the sterile conditions of the hospital.

We were led to different exam room and were asked who was the doctor.

They let us know he was not there and I don’t remember all the details but we had an extra charge in addition to the delivery room even though we did not use the delivery room. 

When Dr, Bill Waddell finally arrived he told us that we would have to leave Janice and the baby in the hospital and Janice did not like that at all. I am confident she would have been OK to go back home but hospital rules still force the patient to comply. 

Now 50 years later I still think of May 16, 1957 as a great Day!

We knew her name was to be Leslie and she got no middle name because we hoped she would someday be married and then her middle name would be Scott.

We were blessed because she did find a wonderful husband and she has been Leslie Scott Rose since July 27 of 1985.

She has been a joy to my life every day of her life and I AM VERY HAPPY

Her dad

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