Question: I am 69 and had polio in my right foot when I was 20 months old. I have had tendon transplants, heel cord lengthening surgery, and some toes fused. I wore a short leg brace following
surgeries when I was eight years old at Warm Springs in Georgia. I had five children and have always been active, e.g., marched in the band, rode horseback, biked, skated and swam, and
usually did it better and faster than the others. (I was still “different” though.)
I have had rheumatoid arthritis since age 30 and now have osteoarthritis. I noticed at age 40 that I was getting much
weaker and more unstable on my feet. My right calf is much smaller than my left one. All the tricks I used to hide my limp failed me. Since a total hip replacement, I tire much more easily and walk
with a cane. (I have a 1-7/16 inch difference in leg length.) I also go to a pain clinic for spinal stenosis. Should I walk as much as possible (30 minutes or so a day) or “save my strength,” and pray
tell, save it for what?
Answer: Thank you for sharing your story. It illustrates the challenges faced by people with moderately severe polio-related residual weakness who have led surprisingly active lives. You, as
have many others, faced declining strength already in middle age. You next confronted age-related and, possibly, overuse-related complications, such as hip arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis
and spinal stenosis would be considered unrelated medical conditions (also known as “co-morbid medical conditions”) that complicate and compound your post-polio condition. I would advise you stay as active as you can while not aggravating your pain problems. You may wish to consider water exercise workouts to maintain fitness and vitality, rather than walk “as much as possible.”
I identify with your rhetorical question of “save my strength, and pray tell, for what?” You should use what strength you still have to fulfill your life’s priorities requiring motor function as best
you can. You should not obsess about saving your energy for unknown future needs. Please, just don’t push yourself to such a degree that you hasten the day when you can’t even walk at all or do transfers by yourself. Post-polio life requires constant rebalancing,
like walking a tightrope!
Post-Polio Health (Vol. 25, No. 2, Winter 2009)