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 …
Shared peer advice from polio survivors about what works for them.
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The Weight of Caring when the Carer Can’t
Frances Henke, Hastings, Australia Writing about the physical impact of caring for, then loss of, a spouse as a polio survivor may seem self-serving, but in this case, having talked to others, I realized there were valuable shared experiences worth passing on. When daily routines that match our abilities are suddenly added to, life can become debilitating. The person we …
Gardening
WAY TO GROW: THE ACCESSIBLE GARDEN Designing a garden, planting, tending and then enjoying the results leads to a sense of peace, serenity and fulfillment. An accomplishment all our own, restoring our self-esteem, with results we can share with others. Is there anyone who doesn’t find pleasure working with the earth? And yet gardening is often the first activity people …
Reading
TALKING BOOKS LIBRARY I think that reading a good book while reclining is one of the great pleasures in life. But having to hold the book can detract from the experience, especially if the book is hardcover. So how about listening to the book instead? There are two ways to enjoy audio books inexpensively. You can drive to the library, …
Life-course Perspective
The life-course framework for studying disability emphasizes the importance of developmental stages and tasks within an historical and medical context. It finds that decisions about current disability-related issues are influenced by broader concerns about identity and the fulfillment of personal and cultural expectations (Scheer & Luborsky, 1991). Early life experiences with disability are often found to still be important in …
And Away We Go! Traveling with Mobility Aids
Travel overseas – or anywhere – can be enjoyable, enriching, enlightening, or a complete disaster if your equipment ends up mutilated or at the wrong destination. You should have the adventures, not your wheelchair. I have flown with a power scooter and a manual wheelchair, and have accompanied others who traveled with power wheelchairs. Air travel affords you less control …
Past and Future
Grace Young When I had polio at age 9, I was happy to have a wheelchair – any wheelchair – that would allow me the freedom to leave my bedroom. The only model available at that time was all wood with a cane back and wooden wheels. Undoubtedly it’s featured in the Smithsonian now. Large, heavy, clunky – forget taking …
Living in Two Worlds – Physically and Spiritually
Vera Trout Moore While nurses and doctors did a remarkable job of preparing me for life after polio, my life could not have been as rewarding without my spiritual life. When I was a young mother, elder ladies of the church invited me to join them at a morning coffee time when items were crafted for the annual bazaar. This …
Feelings of Sadness
From the series, Polio Survivors Ask, by Nancy Baldwin Carter, B.A, M.Ed.Psych, from Omaha, Nebraska, is a polio survivor, a writer, and is founder and former director of Nebraska Polio Survivors Association. Q: Every now and then I get a feeling of sadness over losses that I associate with my aging with polio. I was never taught to acknowledge my polio emotions, and …
Home Sweet Home?
Nancy Baldwin Carter, BA, M Ed Psych, Omaha, Nebraska, is a polio survivor, a writer, and is founder and former director of Nebraska Polio Survivors Association. FACT: 90% of Americans polled said they definitely do not want to live in a nursing facility. FACT: 80% of Americans polled want to continue living in their own homes until the end. With the total of …