November Book of the Month - From a Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections #1) by Tamera Alexander

[Marion]

We never answered #9, did we? The nurse in me was so curious to find out what her exact ailment was and the medicine. I audibly gasped when it turned out to be morphine! My first thought was "That's a respiratory depressant!!!" which makes sense why it helped her breathe, but yowza, the side effects. Then I calmed down and told myself their knowledge of medicine was different back then than now. Not necessarily bad but just different with the facts they had.

To sort of answer the last part of the question, I haven't had addictions in this sense but I have a family member who does. It affects all of our lives negatively and is so frustrating the person won't admit the addiction or obviously seek help for it.

[Loraine]

I figured she had asthma most likely Marion as I suffer from it. I agree that their knowledge of medicine back then was much more limited than what we know now. I have been sick since a child and was told I had bronchitis. I missed so much school in elementary as I was sick all the time. I have been allergy tested over and over and it always showed I had no allergies. When we moved here to Colorado a friend at church recommended her allergy & immunology doctor. He tested for allergies and of course no allergies. But then he tested for immune problems. Turned out I have 2 strands that have to do with respiratory problems and both of them had low numbers. He started treating me for asthma and I am now almost 2 years free of problems. When I asked him why wasn't I tested as a child for immune problems, he said there was no testing available until the last 5 to 10 years. I am sure as a nurse you have seen major changes in medicine.