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My dear friends and fellow classmates of the JCHS graduation class of 1969,
From the movie "Princess Bride" I borrow the following line about my bio: "Let me review. No, let me sum up." (See Princes Bride if you can. It's a hoot.)
Those high school years are for most of us a period of growth and preparation for future accomplishments - if you have your health.
I was coasting along in a family that was stressed to the max. You name the vice, we had it except street drugs. I don’t think Junction City had illegal drugs on campus or in the lower schools. If they had we would have tried them.
Our family problems were years in the development. Finally, my parents divorced so my father could marry his girlfriend. That did not last either. Nor his third marriage. My mother’s second marriage did not last very long.
A few years before my parents divorce, in Oct of 1967, overnight, I came down with CFS and bipolar mood disorder but did not get a diagnosis for either until 1976 and 1990 respectively. I went from being a struggling honor roll student to eventually hating school, not my classmates, because I was so overwhelmingly tired all the time. And, as with most CFS people, “I missed my mind the most.”
As I said, my family had been unraveling for years as my parents eventually divorced in 1968. We were living in a crummy trailer in Grandview Plaza after my father retired from the Army. I did not know what these two syndromes where at the time. I was miserable for many, many reasons..
Before that fateful day in October, I was able to read something twice and be ready to be tested. After that fateful day in October, I eventually learned to hate that which I once loved - school and learning. But, classmates like you made those difficult years bearable.
Left handed people think with their right brain hemispheres Right handed with their left. Since I am right handed, I am not in my right mind anyway. (This is where you are suppose to laugh.)
My father often told me, "You have vast ideas 50% of the time. In other words, you have half vast ideas. (You need to read or say that last line rather quickly to get his point.)
Dad stopped me from getting medical help. He thought I was faking an illness just to get his attention. He tried to pull me out of my senior year of high school a month and a half before graduation. (I was avoiding school and sleeping a lot.) He was told if I never came back to school, I would graduate with my class. Our vice principal, Mr. Vopat told Dad, “Your son has plenty of credits. If he never come back to school, he will graduate with the rest of his class. If we had more high school students like your son, we would not have any problems. (Thank you, Mr. Vopat for that comment to Dad. That was one of few bright spots in my dismal ill years. Mr. Vopat was the vice principle at the Fort Riley Junior High the three years I attended there. He transferred to JCHS in our senior year.)
As you can surmise, Dad and I were not friends. After graduation, I tried a semester at K-State. I had my first manic episode of 24 hours during that first semester and thought, "God has cured me. It's a miracle!" The following day it was over.
I use to wake up to either the depressive side or manic side of bipolar mood disorder. Yep, it would kick in overnight while I slept. My cycles are not regular, are of the depressive type, and are refractory - which means hard to treat.
I had good reason to dislike my Junior and Senior years at JCHS either on or off campus. I can imagine some of you had it worse that I did. But, my burdens were more than enough for me to barely handle.
Having difficulty in college, I thought I need a change of pace and location so I joined the USAF in Feb 1970 the day before Valentine’s Day. As I was flying from Kansas City, MO to Lackland AFB, TX my father was marring his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.
My brother, Larry Duch, and my sister, Lorinda Duch Sultzer, live in Wamego, KS with their families. They are well established there. My sister, Kerry Duch Pemberton, lives in Terrell, TX. Her husband passed away from cancer a few years ago.
Well, I took all my undiagnosed medical, emotional, and spiritual problems with me with me into the USAF.
Six months after I joined the Air Force, I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some know of it as the Mormon Church. That was a life changing and saving event.
Two years of active duty brought me to Beale AFB north of Marysville, CA. The first winter here, a native Californian complained of the cold, rainy winter. I ask if this was the coldest it got in the winter (about 40¡ F.) He said, “Yes.” And, he complained, “It is raining.” “This is your winter!?” I asked. That’s when I decided to stay in California. I do not mind visiting the snow, but I hated living in it as I did in Kansas for nine years.
I got an early out from the Air Force and spent 3 yeas in the USAF Reserves.
I eventually moved to Sacramento, CA. In 1975, I married Marilyn Werner. She has been a real blessing in my life. We’ve had 5 children together. (Marilyn says she has 6 children.)
Presently, I am enjoying grand fatherhood the second time. At 50, I feel more like my grandchildren’s father than grandfather.
After years of struggling at various jobs and junior college, I finally got diagnosed first with bipolar mood disorder in 1976 then Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1990. Eventually, I qualified for VA disability compensation. I spend my time raising my family, doing volunteer work, and serving at the Oakland Temple 90 miles to our south when I am healthy enough to do so.
Long before my parent passed away, we were on good terms. You must learn to forgive your parents their sins and weaknesses if you want any kind of relationship with them and other family members.
Presently, I am taking Lamotrigine to control the effects of both CFS and bipolar mood disorder. It is working better than anything I have tried thus far. (If you know of anyone suffering the effects of either CFS or bipolar (manic depression) tell them about Lamotrigine. It is also known as Lomactil.) These two syndromes encouraged me not to attend our past class reunions. I was tired and embarrassed. And I could not afford to get there as I had a family to raise on a limited budget.
The 3 F’s have saved me though I have had to walk through the valley of the shadow of death a few times. The 3 F’s are: Faith, Family, and Friends. I have been sustained by all three when it seemed better to punch out. I have also learned that your problems and challenges are not solely your own. In Heavenly Father’s grand plan He teaches: “When you are in the service of your fellow man, you are only in the service of your God.” And, “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.” We are to bear one another’s burdens to lighten the others load. Thus the giver and the recipient are both edified.
I tell you my story not for sympathy but hopefully, to help someone else who may be struggling with the same or similar problems.
That’s about it from me. Aren’t you glad I “summed up.” At this point, I am eager to attend our next class reunion and rub shoulders with one of the best senior classes of all time—the Junction City Senior High class of 1969.
Hey, email me if you can or want to. I know of some good websites that explain the uses of Lamotrigine and the treatment of other mental health problems. I’d love hearing from you. Oh, by the way. I am not contagious just odd. Well, as they say on mental ward, “I must be off.”
Your fellow 1969 JCHS classmate,
Stanley G. Duch, Jr.
I would love to hear from any of you. Write me at: 7708 20th Ave, Sacramento, CA 95820-3615. Phone: 916 452-8447. Email: smduch@earthlink.net
TTFN (Ta Ta For Now)
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