Part 9 (1/2)
CHAPTER 29
Carville was strange in many ways, not the least of which was the use of aliases No one, it seemed, used his or her real nauards, as well as nicknames by Link and his friends Link had called me Clark so often that ht it was my real name That was fine with me-a nickname that was the secret identity of a superhero who posed as a journalist Father Reynolds had taken a new name when he entered the Franciscan iven new Christian names when they made their vows to chastity and poverty
And the leprosy patients took on pseudonyms when they arrived Jie picked her name from the label of a jelly jar, and a Texas beauty queen chose Molly for her first nah ht Ella's name was Cella, she never did take an alias
”Didn't see no need to change,” she said ”Ella the nae your name?”
No, I told her, but I wouldn't mind a new Social Security number
Monikers at Carville were not restricted to individuals' names Leprosy had all sorts of aliases, too Most patients al thee,” or ”the gazeek” In fact, the patients had launched an international can to rename leprosy
In 1931, Sydney Levyson, a pharmacist from Texas, was shi+pped to Carville by railcar Sydney was a handsoin hand, he sat inside the locked car as the couriers talked about the ”leper” inside
Sydney, like most arrivals, took a new nah he had been diagnosed with a dreaded affliction, being called a ”leper”-and all that came with the word-didn't sit ith Stanley He decided to do so about it
He launched a publication entitled The Star The Star Its purpose: to eradicate the use of the words leprosy leprosy and and leper leper The stigrained in society, Stein argued, that nothing short of a narained in society, Stein argued, that nothing short of a nae could lift it Stein and crew at The Star The Star proian scientist who discovered the bacteria that caused leprosy The slogan on the cover of each edition of proian scientist who discovered the bacteria that caused leprosy The slogan on the cover of each edition of The Star The Star read: Radiating the Light of Truth on Hansen's Disease Theyhealth-care workers, victims of the disease, and their advocates, but they seriously underestiht of Truth on Hansen's Disease Theyhealth-care workers, victims of the disease, and their advocates, but they seriously underestinorance
In ma When uninformed citizens discovered that a Hansen's disease patient was afflicted with a disorder forma was transferred to the new term Their paranoia and suspicions were fueled by what they perceived to be a covert act-hiding the true identity of the ancient disease
CHAPTER 30
Doc had one close friend at Carville, Dan Duchaine Dan was in his late thirties His short spiky hair was beginning to gray at the temples He also had no body hair He shaved his entire body every couple of days Dan was a nationally recognized steroid and bodybuilding expert who knew as y as Doc Duchaine and Doc would sit for hours and discussreactions in type I and type II enetics and human endurance, caloric consumption and heat Dan, who for most of his career had promoted steroids and supplements, had an interest in Doc's heat pill, especially its potential for burning fat off bodybuilders
Dan was a superstar in the bodybuilding industry He started out as just another bodybuilder, but he didn't have the genetic makeup to compete on a national level What his body lacked, he made up for with brains In 1988, Dan instructedtesting He was so adept, authorities designed tests and regulations and programs with Dan in mind When he introduced a new supplement to the marketplace, the FDA wasn't far behind to prohibit its use Dan had written four books, including The Underground Steroid Handbook The Underground Steroid Handbook, which sold thousands of copies a bodybuilders
Dan was in thean audiotape of intervieith ”The Steroid Guru” on diet, supple, and exercise A friend recorded the interviehile Dan answered questions on the pay telephones inside the prison
One afternoon in the inmate courtyard, I asked Dan how they dealt with the recorded e that interrupted telephone conversations froe more”
Dan understood the value of inside infor world-at least the bodybuilders who used steroids-knew their guru was imprisoned But he couldn't be silenced Much like Doc, who spent hours each day reading the latest developood use He had dozens of ins They ate exactly what Dan told the his techniques They followed his instructions on when and how to exercise Then, for a fee, Dan reported the results of his studies over the prison phone lines Fro perspective, it was brilliant
Dan had suffered a stroke a few years ago, when he was in his mid-thirties That's why he'd been moved to Carville Except for stiffness in his left arht hesitation in his speech, the stroke hadn't done ht have contributed to his condition To me, he sounded defensive, but I wasn't the expert
On a Saturday afternoon when Dan and Doc took a break fro theories on the y consumption at a cellular level, I asked them if they knew about the attempts to rename leprosy
”Yeah, Hansen's disease,” Doc said
”It didn't catch on,” I said ”What should we call thenored the remark and pointed out that most of the patients didn't have an active bacterial infection So calling theested, for accuracy and political correctness, that we call them carbon-based units with residual effects of ancient bacterial infection carbon-based units with residual effects of ancient bacterial infection
”It's really a public relations issue,” I said I told Doc and Dan that I wanted to help Ella and Harry and Annie Ruth ”They're good people They don't deserve this”
Doc rolled his eyes He told Dan that I had fallen prey to their heart-wrenching heart-wrenching stories Doc looked over at Duchaine ”He believes them” stories Doc looked over at Duchaine ”He believes them”
Duchaine was never short on opinions or advice He was happy to share his thoughts on just about any topic ”They lost their childhoods,” he said, pausing for a moment to reflect ”It's not uncommon for them to create new histories, even new identities”
Doc raised an eyebrow ”See?”
I left the two of theht about whether Ella and Jimmy and Annie Ruth would really create histories for theht occurred to me that Doc and Dan had been in jail for years Maybe I should be questioning their stories
I walked until the sun started to set Then I went back to ainst the wall at the end of my bed, and picked up a book
Link, who had just finished an all-day game of spades, walked into the room
”What that book?” he asked
”A book my mother sent me”
”What it called?”
I closed the book and read the title aloud: ”Pleasing You Is Destroying Me”
Link threw his head back ”Man, you is so white!” Link had a point ”Why you white people read books to solve your problee your life”
”Where was that book when you was robbing them banks!?”
Doc, who rarely spoke to Link, added, ”Neil wants to save the world And help the patients”