Question: I am now age 89 and am plagued by extreme tiredness with sleepiness/drowsiness and terrible balance issues. My history includes a triple arthrodesis of the right ankle with a tendon transfer. My polio in 1947 was treated with the Sister Kenny Treatment—can still smell the hot, steamy wool blankets.
I try to do some mostly stretching exercises and wonder if I should challenge myself with more vigorous ones. I weigh 160 lbs. and have shrunk to 5’9” from 6’2”. I have had a lumbar laminectomy, discectomy, plus a cervical fusion. I just want to prevent further deterioration. Or do I accept these symptoms?
Answer: I am concerned to hear about your “extreme tiredness with sleepiness/drowsiness” symptoms because they are suggestive of pulmonary and/or cardiac function decline. Nocturnal breathing disorders (sleep apneas and/or nocturnal hypoventilation) are common in older polio survivors and perhaps you should seek evaluation of your breathing capacities. Another diagnostic possibility could be slowly developing heart failure that can lead to declining blood flow to the brain and associated drowsiness/tiredness. This is a common occurrence among “very old seniors (>age 85),” particularly those with any history of hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
I would encourage you to seek a good comprehensive medical evaluation at a good geriatric clinic. If you still reside in southeast Michigan, the Turner Geriatric Clinic is a good option. After such an evaluation, a physician could give you individual advice on how much and what types of exercise to pursue. Otherwise, all I can suggest is to remain as active as you can and to do it safely.
The fact that you are balance-challenged is not surprising and probably can’t be improved much. Making good adaptations for your balance impairments through optimal choices of “adaptive equipment” and type of activities to prioritize is your personal challenge. This is inevitably based on your individual preferences and priorities in life as well as your current safe functional capacities.
Post-Polio Health (Vol. 34, No. 4, Fall 2018)