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1674-34 Carl FisherCARL G. FISHER CORPORATION MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA U. S. A. August 13, 1938. Mrs. Margaret C. Fisher, C/o St. Moritz Hotel, 50 Central Park South, New York, N. Y. Dear Margaret: - I received your two telegrams, the last one of which came in today. I deferred wiring or answering your first telegram because I thought I would be able to give you more definite information about Carl's condition if I waited until after I had an opportunity to consult with the Doctors and also see how he reacted from the last tapping, which he had last Tuesday. I spent most of last evening with him - was at the house until about 11:45. It is my opinion that he has not reacted as strongly or as favorably from this last tapping operation as he has from previous ones. In fact, with but very few exceptions, he hasn't been out of bed since he returned from the hospital Tuesday. He seems more languid and more willing to remain at home and in bed. Of course, you will understand from the above that he hasn't made any attempt to come to the office - in fact, he called me on the phone today and said that he didn't feel well enough to come down. Heretofore, as you know, he has on occasions, on the day following his tapping, felt able and strong enough - at least, has had the inclination - to take a trip to Key Largo. Last night he told me that he didn't know whether he would be able to make the trip to Key Largo this coming Saturday. All of which indicates to me that his vitality isn't so strong as it has been heretofore. He has written you from time to time about what beautiful weather we were having here, but last night, even at his house, there was no outside breeze and it was very humid. Of course he gets some relief from having fans going in his room. However, I don't think the kind of weather we are having here and remaining in this climate all summer is good for him - it has a tendency, of course, to decrease his vitality. On the other hand, it would undoubtedly be unwise for him to make any attempt to leave here, because if anything should happen, he could not obtain the same quick medical attention and assistance that he is now getting; and he does not seem to have any par- ticular desire to leave here. i Now, as to what the Doctors say (and of course you will be careful, when writing or talking with Carl, not to mention that I am keeping close tab on his condition, because he dislikes my, or anybody else, taking any "paternal" interest in his condition): The Doctors tell me this (and, by the way, he nevi has another Doctor - a Doctor White who is taking Doctor Voris' place, because Doctor Voris is away on his vacation): that the thing which is holding Carl up is his heart. They say that he has an exceptionally strong heart, and that so long as it functions 1 firs. ::argaret C. Fisher -- 2. as it is now functioning, and there is no let -down in that respect, it is abso- lutely impossible to determine how long he may continue as he is. If his heart should start to go back on him and in any respect weaken, then it would hasten matters and his condition would then become more or less critical. In this last tapping operation they drained off 21 pounds of fluid. That brought his weight down from 199 to 178. That is pretty quick and rather a stren- uous reduction in weight. That means that all the muscles of his abdomen, and all of the organs which have been pressed out of shape and condition because of this accumulation of fluid, immediately try to return to their normal shape and condition.—_ __` I discussed with Dr. White the desirability of having these operations a little more frequent, rather than to allow his abdomen to become distended and his other organs compressed to the extent they are when so much fluid is permit- ted to accumulate. Dr. wlttte tells me thathe proposes from now on to have these.-dra nage operations a little-m�e frequent so as to correct that condition. YHe agrees that it is not so good to permit the £laid -to accmulate-to-such-an extent as has occurred in these last instances. On the other hand? I understand they have heretofore drained off as much fluid and he has been distended as much as he was on this last occasion. They have also measured him for a surgical belt - the idea being to re- lieve the pressure on the walls of his abdomen and so that the belt will carry some of the weight which heretofore has been carried in a natural way, and which has caused the abdomen to be distended to the extent that it has. There are one or two other reasons, which I cannot very well write about, which will be improved by the use of the surgical belt. •ta Now, I don't want you to get the impression from what I have written that there is any immediate danger of a break -down, or that conditions are much worse than they have been heretofore. Of course we all know that what is hap- pening cannot go on forever - in other words, that it must of necessity shorten . his life expectancy to some extent. I asked particularly if they could give me any idea as to what, if anything, might happen and when. Their answer is that there is no way to determine whether it will be one month, three months, six months, or a year. It can be any one of the periods. But I did gain the impression that if these.drainage operations were more frequent, it would re- duce the pressure - both outward and inward pressures - and cause him less discomfort, and that there was no added danger by shortening the intervals between drainage operations by two or three days; that if his heart continues as strong as it is now, there is no immediate danger and that he might easily continue to retain approximately."as is", provided his heart stood up. In other words, from what they tell me, it seems that we must consider that his heart is in reality the determining factor as to what happens. Of course, it is very definitely determined that there is no cure and that nothing, other than what is being done, can be done to help him. The only. thing for us to do is to do whatever we can to make things as easy for him as possible, ani trust that with his excellent physique, stamina, and ability to come back (which he has so many times exhibited), he will be with us for a long time yet. .irs. Margaret C. Fisher — 3. I have tried to give you a true picture of just what the conditions are, and I don't want you to get the impression that conditions are any worse than they really are, or that there is any immediate danger of anything happening. I have had occas w thin the last two or three days, to assist Clem— ents in getting some of ,fire loan matters straightened out, and have to secure from the Hay Shore Company a new deed to you for the property,and a corrected deed in connection with the 10 feet that you conveyed to Lee Aopleget. The Title Examiner does not like the description in the deed conveying the 10 feet to Lee Appleget and wants a "metes and bounds" description instead of having the 10 feet described as was deBcribed in the deed given to Lee. I am wiring you tonight, advising that I am writing you; which letter will go airmail tomorrow. Sorry I cannot get it out in tonight's mail, but everybody is just loaded with work, and it is now after 5 o'clock. I am sorry to learn that you are not feeling well and that you had to go to Dr. Edwards. Hope the treatments will prove very beneficial and that you will be able to go out to your Mother's home in Ohio on Monday, as planned. Sincerely, FRH;AVM F. R. Humpage.