I’ll Start…
This little travel scooter goes everywhere…
spinlife.com Spinlife is a great place to buy travel scooters and lots of other medical equipment. I purchased my Go-Go Elite travelscooter from them and it was delivered right to my door. Been using it ever since! The people on the phone are efficient, courteous, helpful and scooters are well-priced.
- post-polio.org Post-Polio Health International (PHI) fosters education, advocacy, research, and networking regarding all post-polio topics.
- polio place Polio Place is a website library collection created by PHI to showcase the past and present stories of polio survivors around the world. It is fascinating.
- polio australia Polio Australia is fun to read! There are all kinds of post-polio things going on down under!
- ncphd The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) is positioned to affect change in health promotion/obesity management among people with disabilities through its existing 15-year history of providing advocacy, services and programs to numerous organizations and people throughout the USA. This website has all kinds of useful information for those of us who are living with polio on how to stay active and healthy.
Amazon.com is such an efficient bunch for us. I discovered that I can purchase Travel Johns there. These are nifty go-anywhere disposable urinals that can be used on long road trips, camping trips, inaccessible bathrooms, or discreetly on airplanes. Check them out: Travel Johns
- Amigo Mobility Amigo Mobility International, Inc. The scooter I use all day every day at home and when I’m out and about is my mid-size Amigo. Al Thieme was a young man working as a plumbing and heating contractor in Bridgeport, Mich. when a family member began to lose her mobility due to multiple sclerosis. Witnessing this loss of independence, he worked in the evenings, after his day job, to create an innovative form of mobility. Thieme went on to invent the first ever power operated vehicle/scooter – the Amigo. The rest is history. There are Amigo dealers all over the world.
…And I do mean everywhere!
Now it’s your turn…
- The Michigan Polio Network offers great support to polio survivors everywhere. President, Bruce Sachs invites us all to check out their website…
Click on this logo and link to MPN website.
The Pennsylvania Polio Survivor Network has a new website: http://www.papolionetwork.org/ Check it out! It’s comprehensive and easy to navigate.
Good Morning, I am happy to find this site. This past summer watched the TV show Broadwalk Empire (not for weak) starring Kevin Beaty. The episodes about the stars, President and spouse, dealing with their daughter being suddenly struck with polio really hit home for me. Stories of my third birthday in 1944, included my Mom putting me safely to bed. Sometime during the night I awoke with high fever and totally paralyzed. What followed is sporadic memories and stories from Mom and family.
My nine years at St Agnes Hospital for Children and Special Surgery Hospital in NY, included several surgeries, including one of the first to stop growth of my less affected side so the differences in leg length was controlled and intensive and extensive therapy, that included daily workouts in a large kidney shaped stainless steel pool, followed by my being wheeled into a room covered with a sheet and special glasses to undergo some untraviolet treatment, then back to the iron lung (for about two years). The good nuns taught me to read, write and math but no formal schooling. Actually, learned to read via the many books of the life of the Saints and bible stories.
When I returned home to a tenement flat in NYC, I was fortunate to make friends easily but never – through one year of grammar, four years of high school and several attempts at a number of colleges really adjusted to the classroom environment.
My personality, above average IQ and drive guided me to several successful careers including secretary (where my ‘truancy’ behavior continued); cost accountant (hired as clerical and promoted to cost accountant in six months); legal secretary (where the two attorneys and accountant sent me (and paid for) to Queens College where I earned a paralegal certificate. I had previously attended (truancy again) Berkeley College in NYC in secretarial studies after graduating high school with honors in selected studies and a full scholarship to McGill U which I did not accept.
While working at the law offices, in 1969 my third pregnancy (three sons) changed my life. The docs were very concerned during my first pregnancy at age 19. Their concerns were unfounded with the exception of daily, for nine months, sickness and too much weight gain. I was always a high energy and active person. Also, found a special skill in community, church and other volunteer activities. These activities opened a new, challenging and exciting career, that of not-for-profit manager for several agencies and a children’s hospital in the Bayside, NY area. Turned out while I didn’t mind the 60 plus hours of work including program planning and development, writing grants, etc, I just didn’t like daily traveling.
Turns out, I am a true development manager with skills to take an idea or need and get it off the ground. Did this successfully for the Tourette Syndrome Association, Saint Mary’s Hospital for Children, Working Organization for Retarded Children and Adults, and American Cancer Society (Queens) the Association for Blind and Retarded and New York Child Learning Institute (for children with autism).
During those years, I volunteered in many capacities with Bayside Boys Club, Geraldo Rivera’s Educational Foundation, NYS Assemblyman Vincent Nicolosi’s committee for special education and Queens District Attorney John Santucci’s Second Chance Program (for first time youthful misdemeanor offenders).
My active life ended in 1990 when on my way to a meeting, I slipped on paper clips on a hard floor with narrow walkway. Xrays revealed no damages but was immediately unable to walk without aid of initially crutches, then canadian crutches, and now cane and walker, and, as needed wheelchair and power chair. The fatigue increased to the extent that I was suddenly forced to retire in 1995, after not missing even one day from work following the fall, (oh, we type “A” personalities).
I did manage some consulting work and a couple of years as a volunteer Tax Aide Counselor three months a year, two four hour days a week, for AARP.
Today, I spend my days enjoying good friends while we play Mah Jong, card games, cruises, dining out and much laughing at each other and ourselves. And, of course, daily naps.
While I have no real purpose in life these days, I live each day without regret and have successfully learned or done something new each year. Last year it was bridge so yes, I am a bit crazy.
My youngest son who also lives in Naples, FL has made himself in charge of my ‘bucket’ list, including a motorhome trip in 2013 to NC to visit his son, my grandson and then to my Jersey shore home.
I just returned from my grandson’s wedding on their homestead in NC. I rented a sturdy large wheeled power chair in order to ensure I would not overtire during the two day, Irish/Scot ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’ themed wedding. It was beyond any event I ever planned or attended. Next on son, Jason’s, bucket list agenda is an evening of Christmas entertainment with John Tesh at the Naples Ritz Carlton.
Prior to my husband of 46 years death, my three sons were treated to Bill sharing bit’s of Tesh’s Intelligence for your Life tidbits by saying “John Tesh said…”.
I purposely saved the best for last because everything I shared would not have been possible without the love of my life and perhaps the kindest, strongest and ‘most patient’ person I ever met, my husband Bill. He was truly the ‘Wind Beneath My Wings” as we enjoyed each other, our three sons and seven grandchildren.
Our life and love together was almost a story in itself. Not sure if anyone else can share this memory but because we knew Bill’s eminent death was soon, I hold dear the memory of our last dance, ironically to “Unchained Melody”.
Our son was “Summer Place” and because of Bill, my life was and is a summer place, filled with beautiful skies, warmth, sunshine and joy.
Wow!
Hello, I am glad to have found this site. I am 62, had polio in ’52…less than a year old…used full leg brace and crutches until 10 years ago when my rotator cuffs blew out…married with four wonderful grandchildren, but I do feel so very alone with this post-polio struggle. My husband is very accommodating but still, it’s an alone struggle against an ever-increasing path. Susie
You are not alone anymore!
thanks for the TRAVEL JOHN resource…I can relate! (and that’s not only because my name is John and I like to travel)
I had heard of this in passing at some point, but now I have the facts and will soon place an order.
spot on.
thanks a 10 to the sixth power!
This is such an informative site! I am happy to share this valuable resource with others.
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