Ray Stannard Baker to Cary T. Grayson

Title

Ray Stannard Baker to Cary T. Grayson

Creator

Baker, Ray Stannard, 1870-1946

Identifier

WWP16628

Date

1929 June 15

Source

Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia

Language

English

Text

My dear Grayson

I had yours of the 12th on my return from New York. You can do something for me. There is no other man in this world whose judgment in the matter which now concerns me so deeply I would rather have than your own. I want to tell you a little something about the problem I am having to meet, and I hope you will give me any suggestions that may occur to you, as to the general situation.

I have never before had an illness which was at all threatening, and I don’t know quite how to take it, and I certainly do not wish to go wrong.

A year ago this spring, after a kind of grippe, I had a sinus infection which pulled me down considerably. I got pretty good treatment, and thought I had entirely recovered from it. This last spring, I had another attack of grippe, and a much more serious recurrence of the sinus difficulty. I have always more or less disregarded such things as mere colds, and have gone on with my work, though both last spring and this spring I had what I thought was a nervous strain that interfered with the full pressure of my writing.

I went to as good specialists as I could find in New York, Dr. Cooke, Dr. Spain and Dr. Harper, and they found the sinuses, both antra, both sphenoids, and the right frontal, badly infected. They began at once the usual treatment of irrigation except on the frontal, which has fortunately cleared up. I have been spending most of the time during the last three weeks in New York, and must go down again next week. It seems to be an obstinate case, although they seem now to be making progress. They have made a culture, but I have not been well enough yet to have it used. I have had what they say are the usual symptoms, chilliness, lassitude, and, of course, depression. The doctors have rather disturbed me by warning me that I must be extremely careful in the future to avoid any infection, and they have suggested that I get away from New England at least during the winter.

You can imagine that I am much disturbed by these conditions, both the present distress, and what it may mean in the future, since it so nearly effects the work I have in hand which, as I am sure you know, means more to me than almost anything else in the world.

What I am anxious to know is this. How serious is an attack of this sort, and how much of a revision in my scheme of life have I got to make? The doctors I am going to are high class specialists, and I am always a little suspicious of over-emphasis of matters that come within their own particular field. They have, of course, had great experience with these cases, and there was in our own family connection a case in which a trouble of this sort, not properly taken care of, resulted in two very serious operations, the last of which caused death.

Now I should appreciate having your advice as a old friend who will look at the situation broadly. I am naturally of an extremely vigorous constitution, and in all other ways, sound as a dollar, for I have had a life extension institute examination each year for a number of years. I think I have, perhaps, been driving too hard during the last few years, for a man who is in his sixtieth year, although I have not begun to work as hard as I did eight or ten years ago, or earlier.

If I can find out just how serious the situation is, and exactly what I have to do, I can go ahead with restored confidence. If you can give me any suggestions, I can’t tell you how I should prize them.

I am going down to New York again tomorrow, and shall be there at the Algonquin Hotel for a number of days. If you could write me there I should be glad, a letter here to Amherst will always reach me

Cordially yours,

Ray Stannard Baker

Original Format

Letter

To

Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/D04060.pdf

Citation

Baker, Ray Stannard, 1870-1946, “Ray Stannard Baker to Cary T. Grayson,” 1929 June 15, WWP16628, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.