Helen Carter has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, nearly her entire life. Her earliest years were spent in Asheboro, about an hour-and-a-half drive northeast of Charlotte. She doesn’t remember much about her time in Asheboro but recalls clearly the reason for the move. “When I was 3 years old, I caught a pretty bad case of polio. I was first …
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Orthotic Devices for Post-Polio Syndrome: An Orthotist’s Perspective
Alexander M. Miller, CPO, Evergreen Prosthetics & Orthotics, Denver, Colorado The field of orthotics is continually evolving to meet the needs of individuals experiencing upper and lower extremity weakness or deformities. In the post-polio syndrome (PPS) community, lower extremity weakness, often affecting one or both legs, is commonly addressed with orthotic devices such as Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFOs) or Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthoses …
Mindful Eating
Jann Hartman Mindful eating is my new goal. I just attended a weight loss seminar for seniors here at my retirement community. The first thing the speaker reminded us of was that the first step to losing weight is to stop gaining…MAINTENANCE. Look at the foods you need to stay healthy and eliminate or lessen those that provide little or …
How Polio and PPS Impact Our Character, Personality and Emotional Experiences
Highlights from PHI’s June 2024 Town Hall with Hal Goldberg: I want to talk about the grieving process, because it’s something that is definitely part of polio and post-polio syndrome. Grieving is the process by which we separate from a lost dream. In other words, removing it from the center of our life to focus more on the peripheral, on …
How the ADA Helped Change My Tune
Charlotte Young I regret that I was too late to participate in this year’s “We’re Still Here!” contest, but I am hoping that I might share my own story in hopes that it might inspire others to reengage in activities that once excited and energized them. When I was young, music was my escape, my joy and my way of …
The Impact of Aging on Driving and Resources Available to Assist with Planning
Peggy P. Barco, OTD, OTR/L, CDRS, FAOTA, Professor, Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Advancements in medical science have significantly improved the diagnosis and treatment of various health conditions, enabling many of us to live longer, healthier lives. As we age, maintaining our quality of life becomes increasingly important, and for many aging adults, …
A Valuable Resource for Polio Survivors: The National Paralysis Resource Center
At Post-Polio Health International, we are always on the lookout for high-quality resources that support our members in living informed, independent and empowered lives. One such resource is the National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC), operated by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. The NPRC is designed to provide practical, day-to-day support for individuals living with paralysis—no matter the cause—and their …
Moving Forward: Adapting to the Ottobock C-Brace
Yvonne Collery Both my mother and Linda contracted polio during the 1955 epidemic. Linda and her family lived in the apartment below us, and she and I grew up together. Linda was just 11 weeks old when she contracted polio and was left with paralysis in her right leg. Since learning to walk, she has relied on a rigid KAFO …
The Hidden Value of Peer Support Groups
For many polio survivors, living with the late effects of polio can sometimes feel like navigating uncharted territory. Doctors may not always be familiar with the long-term impact of polio, and friends and family, while supportive, may not fully understand what it means to manage fatigue, weakness, pain, or changing functional abilities decades after recovery. That’s why peer support can …
Beyond Polio: Resources for Aging Well with a Disability
For many polio survivors, the late effects of polio are only part of the picture. As the years go by, aging itself brings new considerations—joint pain, balance concerns, changes in stamina, or chronic health conditions that have nothing to do with polio. While it’s important to address post-polio issues specifically, polio survivors also benefit from tapping into broader resources designed …