"I was suffering from bronchiectasis and had to go into hospital to have part of my left lung removed. It was a very major operation.
People with chest complaints and problems were treated at Barrowmore. It was also a sanatorium - I remember there were a lot of TB patients in the same ward as me. I always remember there were lots of little huts where the long-standing TB patients spent the day.
In those days you used to stay in bed so much longer. I was in a month just preparing for the operation. For three days before. I was painted with different liquids - I think it was to disinfect the skin. I can't really remember for how long I was in afterwards, but it was a very long time. When I was well enough I got up for two hours at first, and had to work up to six hours until I was able to move around.
Barrowmore was a long way out so I didn't have many visitors. My little girl was 18 months old - I didn't see her at all. She stayed with my mother.
I was under Mr Morrison. Dr Foody was the house doctor - he came every day to drain off the fluid after the operation. It wasn't very nice but it made it easier to breathe. I remember there was Sister Deakin - she was such a poppet. I had a bit of a run-in with Nurse Winfield. I think she thought I was hard-faced. I was trying to be hard - but really I was terrified. The day before the operation she caught me crying and, well, we were best friends after that."