Life History of Marcel F. Lauper
[Written July 2, 1978]
President Spencer W. Kimball's book reveals, among other ailments, bow he suffered severely from boils, even having a boil in his nose. M.F.L. had no major boil in the nose, but in many other places, so we will here discuss BOILS. As a young boy they started on me as a pre-teenager and continued through years and years that followed. I had them on my neck --huge ones, on my seat, and quite a number on my back, and sometimes at my belt line. These are easy to remember and so very hard to forget. I drank sage and alfalfa tea by the bucketful. This was to clear my blood. Of course, I believe the remedy was taken from a book called "Old Wives Remedies'. In the mission field I experienced by last really sore affliction with boils. I have had one now and then since that time but not in multiple numbers nor with such agonizing effects as I knew there in Denmark. In looks and actions, for a period of time, these boils aged me by ten or fifteen years. It was pitiful! I visited a Danish M.D., the best I could learn about. He gazed at me with pity if not compassion and ordered the following: "You must immediately cut down or eliminate the use of tobacco, liquor, and life with the women." In my mind I think he should have told me to cut down on so much meat and fat, as is commonly served there, and to eat, at any cost, more fruit and salads. That probably should have been prescribed in my earlier years also; but on the farm, we ate whatever there was to eat and felt lucky to have it. Some companion Elders, or someone in the mission field, suggested the vacuum bottle method to drain a boil infection. I tried it and will pass this on to you as a cruel, unusual and inhuman treatment.
On the subject of Quinsy. This is a severe inflammation of the throat or adjacent parts with swelling and fever, which attacked me five or six of my teenage years --perhaps even earlier. I do recall vividly the pain of those lumps in my throat at Christmas Time! Ironically, this affliction appeared regularly at Santa time. It was at this time we had the special treat of hardtack Christmas candies; and sore throat or not, I did my best to put away my share. That hard rough candy going down my throat would rupture those lumps; and as a result the bitter, bitter gall-like pus would then ooze and trickle down my throat. Albeit, the extremely nasty taste had its bright side, for then as the lumps were broken, the pain subsided, and my throat would commence to heal, and soon I would be as good as new again.
Then there was our case of Measles. Five of us children had it at one time; Alice, Marcel, Viola, Dennis, and even little Ralph (and our Mother developed a miserable case of pink eye at the same time). We all slept in one bed--the five of us, so why shouldn't we share? Our dear mother suffered along with us, hard indeed. She experienced so many difficult times and this was certainly one of them. We complained and demanded a great deal, white she had not much to give other than an over-abundance of love and sympathy. My eyes hurt. They hurt badly; and as of ten as I cried, mother brought me a cool wet rag --and it was like a balm of Gilead to me.
This same group of five all had Whooping Cough together; and I whooped and coughed in a professional way. Finally we whooped and coughed it away.
In some other chapter, I have told of youthful, growing pains --arthritis or rheumatism. This began in Sugarville, reached a crescendo at Camarillo, and plagued me horrendously in Herning, Denmark.
Also, while in Camarillo, while chopping up a tree, my axe went through the limb, through my shoe, and laid open the white tendons of the main cord above my right toe. The spot did not remain white for any period of time, but thanks to Dennis who was nearby, he ripped off his white shirt to bandage up my injured foot. That was the extent of the main doctoring service, and there remains a good hard scar to this day as a memory of that incident.
While based in Camarillo, age 18 or 19, I underwent a tonsillectomy, at County expense. The anesthetic was ether.
Some years later, in San Leandro, while bathing one day, I noticed two protrusions in the lower abdominal wall. I nearly passed out at the sight of it. Not long after, Dr. Emery Ranker performed a double hernia operation, but within a month I was good as ever. Also in San Leandro, a chronic back ailment surfaced and climaxed. This pain became totally and completely unbearable. At times there were beads of perspiration rolling down my cheeks from sheer pain and agony from this backache of the lower extremities. I had noticed this weakness and soreness many years before, at an early age while residing in Ventura. Now at this time, because of my more advanced age, I feared this ailment would accompany me for the balance of my days. I saw three Doctors; Kaiser Hospital, Dr. Nelson and a masseuse/chiropractor --receiving some help -from each, but only very temporary. Then, one day, a customer who was in San Leandro's Recreation Dept. prescribed that I immediately get down --right there in my store, and in excruciating pain I followed her directions of "knee to chest, knee to chest, first one leg and then the other". She instructed me to follow these exercises religiously; and I have for five to fifteen minutes daily ever since and have gained relief, To this date, if I feel a tinge of backache, I step up my exercise along with added movements of alternate instructions as she gave them. I am able to lift my end of a heavy roll of carpet or sofa. I AM SO GRATEFUL!
Previously, when this backache was at its worst, I have taken the better part of two hours to get in and out of the bathroom to care for myself, but this woman's prescription made a new titan of me, and four years later, I can truthfully say I have never had a severe backache. This good woman's name is Midge Evans. I often think of what I would have missed had I passed up her advice --the same as many pass up the news of the Gospel. I often use this parallel in my missionary work. Her advice became very very vital to me; and similarly, the Gospel is vital to us all. And that women gave me those directions Free of Charge , where I would have been willing to pay thousands of dollars for what she did for me. The Gospel too is FREE, and I surely think of these things often as I rejoice in my well being. My back is reasonably strong --perhaps not as strong as that of my father, but a good back for me.
When I returned from my mission I developed a knee infection and Dr. Melvin Hart gave me a free lancing job, and that half-inch long scar reminds me of that generous service tendered me at that time. I also had a thumb infection, which put me out of work several days and I likewise have a scar on my right thumb to remind me of that lancing and infection.
I also had a little accident at one time on the job and although it was not diagnosed as broken bones, I know my thumb was broken, but I kept working.
I think I was about age 42 when I took on eye glasses, but that was considerable time to be reading script as small as bible print without aid; but I have been wearing eye glasses since; and now on the eve of my 67th birthday and I have never broken a pair, which is somewhat of a lucky record. I did not wear bifocals for at least ten years past my initial glasses.
At one time during my early twenties I used a syringe to wash out my ear and broke an ear drum. It was very painful; something unequaled to date. but it gradually healed over -replacing the puncture. Then during my 64th or 65th year, I went to the Kaiser Hospital to have wax removed from my ears, when a careless doctor put me in the hands of an inexperienced nurse's aid who knew little of what she was doing. She squirted cold water from the tap, asking, “Is that too warm?". I could see she was confused so I felt to warn her that my left ear drum had been perforated some twenty years before and that it was tender and needed caution. She proceeded in her less than professional manner and managed to break the left drum all over again. I experienced a stab of pain, and it was a horrible experience. I loathe that horse-doctor outfit and what they did at that hospital. I sued and received a few hundred dollars; but I since regret that I did not sue for $50,000. Such neglect and poor practice!
I am now on the thresh hold of turning 67 years of age; which is an age my own father never did attain. At this age, my wife's father was resting quietly in his grave. At this age, my wife’s mother had finished her earth's existence. Only my own mother lived ten years longer than I have at the present time. I do remember words spoken by President Heber J. Grant many years ago, and which I have read many times since; and which I have committed to memory: 'Age is a quality of mind. If your hopes you've left behind, If dreams are cold. If you no longer look ahead; and if your fires and ambitions are dead ---then, you are old. But, if in life you take the best, and if in life you keep the zest, no matter how the years roll by, no matter how the birthdays fly, You Are Not Old."
Now to my Son and Daughters, Grandchildren, and loved ones; I do not know what my lot will be in the future; but at this time and place I am in very excellent health. I can still run, I can still do twenty push-ups; and best of all, I have no aches nor pains, whereas many people who are many years my junior have pains and aches; and they talk about them. My father said when one can eat a good hearty meal; and I do. I eat the things I want and I am healthy as he said. Since I married my wife, Frances, we have had lots and lots of good meals. I enjoy memories of food during my boyhood days; but during our married life we have enjoyed a house of abundance, and the things we like and want, and are deprived of nothing.
My poor father, while yet a young man in the old country, was impaled with a fence post; and by all odds should have died then and there. This post entered the rectum and out thru abdominal walls. He was ripped up; but within two months he walked away from the hospital, albeit he looked more like a ghost than a living man. His sister coming toward him, thought he was a ghost. Father had lots of difficulty in his life. When I commented to brother Dennis how good I feel and that our father was gone at this age, Dennis commented, "But you've had an easy life in comparison". And this is true. Dad worked out in the cold and wet. and took lots of abuse, and endured sustained hard, hard work, and without good nutritional foods at times.
But here I am enjoying this; and I'm grateful. I thank Heavenly Father every single day for HEALTH, and for Goals, Objectives, Good Outlets. I think my mind is mainly occupied by you, my children; but your Mother now means much more to me than when we were first wed. We are now pals. We still have Janelle at home, and dread to think of when she will leave the nest. It's a hard and long week when she goes to Girls Camp.
We grow much closer all of the time. We really have the kind of life that the 0smonds talk about; and I only hope theirs is truly as good as ours. As I conclude this story, at this framework and time, I wish to mention how very fortunate and blessed I feel. Right at this moment, of my immediate family, the special prayers that I offer are for ~ little grandson Marc John Ellison, whose blood is yet far from normal and prayers for Margaret and Diane who are both expecting, and parents are always filled with apprehensions when these events are anticipated. We are joyful about it; yet humble and prayerful about it all the way.
I also remember in my prayers my widowed sisters and their need for happiness, as well as their children.
These are my priorities at this time. God bless you all!