FLORIDA  EAST  COAST  POST-POLIO  SUPPORT  GROUP - Vol. 8  #6

             12 Eclipse Trail  /  Ormond  Beach,  FL  32174  /  386  676-2435

                E-Mail:-  bgold@iag.net   -  Web Site:-  iag.net/~bgold/polio.htm

                            MAY / JUNE  2001

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WE  WISH  ALL  OUR  FRIENDS

 

A  JOYFUL  MOTHER’S  DAY

A  WEATHERPROOF  MEMORIAL  WEEKEND

-and-

A   HUG  FILLED  FATHER’S  DAY

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MEETING  NOTICE

May  20th  --  Managing Pain - Dr. Malik will be giving a slide presentation on the newest in pain management

September  16th  --

November  18th  --

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HOME  AT  LAST!!!

 

It was so good to get home and sleep in my own bed again ---  now, sorry the newsletter is so late, but I had a family emergency…..  Had to go up to Long Island mid-March and was up there until second week in May.  When I got back had all that mail to go through – going through almost two months worth of mail is no easy job….  In addition to regular mail there was over 60 newsletters and other polio related items.  Also, even though I sent e-mails to everyone who normally e-mails me NOT to send me any messages as I was going off-line and would let them know when I was back on-line, there were 756 e-mails waiting for me when I checked my internet upon returning home.  Do you know how long it takes to go through 756 e-mails????????  I’m glad to have so many friends, but 756 e-mails…….  Oh, me, oh, my……..  

I also drove to Atlanta on May 10th, for my daughter’s May 11th, graduation from Georgia State University’s Law School – wouldn’t miss that for the world.

Oh, yes – also had a good part of my home painted and had three sun tunnels installed……

Soooooo. This will be a shorter newsletter than usual – I promise to go back to our regular newsletter for the July/August one.

 

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CONFERENCE   VIDEO

 

The video tapes of our December 2000 conference – Late Effects of Polio – Overview 2000 --  are, unfortunately, delayed.  I apologize to all that have already ordered the video.  My being away for so long put a stop to the editing – and since one of the local high schools was using this as their Community Service, and the school is closing on May 22nd for the summer, we are looking for somewhere to fill in so we can complete the editing and get it out to those of you who have already ordered our December 2000 Conference Video.

If you would like to order the video, the order form can be found at the back of this newsletter.  Again, please remember the video was done as a Community Service Project by one of our local Daytona Beach high schools.  It is not a professional job but covers the whole conference.

 

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POST-POLIO  RESEARCH  STUDY

         

A two-year research project, funded by the Department of the Army and the Department of Education, is about to begin at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, in Philadelphia, PA.  This project has inter-related studies that will be looking at arm and leg function, exercise, and quality of life.  The project was developed as a result of the findings from previous research conducted at the research institute that studied muscle overuse.

          The previous research revealed that many persons who have weakness in one or more muscle groups experience symptoms associated with muscle overuse in some of their joints and muscles.  One of the goals of this project is to learn more about how arm and leg function and quality of life are related.  The primary project will study about 250 people with a history of polio and 250 people over the age of 60 who do not have a history of polio.  Participation involves one visit to the research clinic in Philadelphia.

          Each person who participates in the study will be asked to complete a variety of questionnaires that ask about medical history and quality of life issues.  An examination of arm and leg function, range of motion in some of their joints and muscle strength will be done.  Endurance and mobility will also be assessed.

          Based on the assessment findings, participants may qualify for the treatment portion of the research project.  One of the goals of the treatment studies is to try to learn if different treatment programs that involve exercise or stress manage-ment techniques can reduce specific joint and muscle symptoms.

          The treatment program will run over a period of 16-weeks and will involve one-on-one evaluations with a trained clinician who will develop an individualized program based on the overall assessment findings.  The clinician will monitor appropriateness and tolerance of the program by phone and in person.  Follow-up of evaluations will also be performed on a routine basis.  Participants who do not qualify for the treatment studies will be referred to the post-polio clinic if they would like additional follow-up.

          Some participants in the treatment studies will have the option of having their chair rise performance evaluated in the Gait and Motion Analysis Lab at Moss Rehab.  This testing will be performed twice; once before the treatment program is started and once after it has been completed.

          Mary Klein, Ph.D., is the principal investigator for the project.  The co-directors of the Post-Polio Management Program at Albert Einstein Medical Center, Mary Ann Keenan, MD and Alberto Esquenazi, MD, are co-investigators.  IF you are interested in learning more about the research project, please feel free to call the Post-Polio Research Clinic at 215-456-4993.  IF you would like to contact the project in writing, the address is:-  Post-Polio Research, Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Korman Building - Suite 216, 1200 West

Tabor Road, Philadelphia, PA  19128.

Editor’s Note:-  I, myself, will be part of this study when I go up for my annual check-up this October.

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DUES FOR 2001:- 

 

         Please take a look at your mailing label  -  on it you’ll see the month and year we received your 2000 dues, i.e., 01/2000 means it was received in January 2000, so your 2001dues was due in January 2001 If your mailing label has the year first and then the month, i.e., 2000/01 it means that you indicated to us in January 2000 that you wanted to receive the newsletter but paid no dues.  That’s OK as we still believe that anyone who wants information should receive it – but we do need you to return the tear sheet with either the “Dues” box checked or the “Keep me on the Mailing List” box checked.

          Your dues covers the supplies we need to send out the information packets to all inquiring about Post-Polio Syndrome, any other correspondence we do, and postage for publicity and for the out-of-country (33) newsletters that we send out.  We’re fortunate in that the “Free Matter for the Blind and Physically Handicapped” status takes care of the postage for the over 450 newsletters sent out within the United States.  We network with approximately 60 other support groups throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – some 40 of these reciprocate by sending us their newsletters.  We receive as many dues checks from our out-of-state members as we do from our Florida members.  So, please check your mailing label and return the tear sheet if your date is due.  We really need your support now more than ever.  Just to keep you advised, in addition to the previously mentioned countries, our newsletter goes to Brazil, England, France, Israel, Lebanon, Sweden, Taiwan and Wales.

 

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WHEN  YOU  MOVE:-

 

PLEASE be sure to send us your new address – both e-mail and snail mail.  Sometimes the post-office will return the newsletter to us with a “forwarding period expired” notice on the front with your new address but most of the time they are just returned to us with “address unknown” on it.  SO, if you want to continue receiving the newsletter it is UP TO YOU to make sure we have your new address.

 

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CONDOLENCES

Two more of our members have “moved on” -  Our sincere condolences go out to the family of CLIFFORD SEAVER of Ormond Beach, FL, and the family of DR. WALTER “Pete” DRAKE, of Tucson, AZ.  May both families know only good times from now on.

 

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Reprinted from Elder Care, April 2001

MedicAlert offers national service

         

The nonprofit MedicAlert Foundation now operates a national program to store advance directives for medical care.  It will transmit instructions regarding care and treatment to doctors and other health personnel for enrolled individuals who become too disabled to express their preferences.

          Advance directives usually include a living will that details a person’s choice for end-of-life treatment and a durable power of attorney for health care that names a “proxy,” or agent, to make medical decisions if the individual is unable to do so.

          Other documents to be stored might express one’s wishes concerning resuscitation, organ and tissue donations and autopsies.

          A person’s proxy and doctors are notified when the directives are filed with MedicAlert.  The enrolled individual also receives a MedicAlert card (or, for an additional cost, special bracelets or neck pendants) with instructions to contact the Foundation should he or she have incapacitating medical problems.

          MedicAlert charges $20 annually to store advance directives securely and will transmit needed information 24 hours every day.

          To learn more or to get an application, call toll free (888) 755-1448.  Or write the MedicAlert Foundation, 2323 Colorado Ave., Turlock, CA  95382.

 

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This came to us over the Internet – sorry I forgot who sent it --- but much THANKS…..

~~ SPECIAL ~~

 

Did anyone ever tell you

Just how special you are

The light that you emit

Might even light a star.

Did anyone ever tell you

How important you make others feel

Somebody out there is smiling

About love that is so real

Did anyone ever tell you

Many times, when they were sad

Your E-mail made them smile a bit

In fact it made them glad

For the time you spend sending things

And sharing whatever you find

There are no words to thank you

But somebody, thinks you’re fine

Did anyone ever tell you

Just how much they love you

Well, my dearest “Online” friend

Today I am telling you.

Editor’s Note:-  Although this came to us through an “E-mail”, it could just as well be someone telling you these same things with a telephone call, with a special card, or (believe it or not) in person – face-to-face.  Just remember – each and everyone of us is SPECIAL in our own way.

 

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That’s the newsletter for now –   Thanks for understanding the delay in getting this to you.

                                                                                                          BARBARA

 

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FLORIDA  EAST  COAST  POST-POLIO  SUPPORT  GROUP

12  ECLIPSE  TRAIL   /   ORMOND  BEACH,  FL   32174

386-676-2435   /   fax: 386-671-2838

e-mail: bgold@iag.net   / web site: www.iag.net/~bgold/polio.htm

May   2001

TO  ALL  OUR  FRIENDS:-

 

Video tapes  of our December 2000 Conference   -   "The Late Effects of Polio  -   Overview 2000"  will be available shortly.  There  are two (2)  tapes  of the  complete  conference.

 

To  order  a  set  of  Conference  Tapes,  please  complete  the  tear  sheet  below  and  enclose  $25.00  ($27.00  outside  of  the  U.S.A.)  for  each  set  of  tapes  that  you  want  -  this  covers  the  cost  of  the tapes  ($22.00)  as  well  as  the  shipping  and  handling  charges  (between  $3.00 -$5.00).   Please  note  that  our  support  group  will  not  be  making  any  profit  from  these  tapes.  

 

Please remember that these tapes were done as a community service project by the Audio/Visual Department of one of our local high schools.  It not a professional job.

 

If  you  have  any  questions,  don't  hesitate  to  contact  us.

                                               Barbara Goldstein

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VIDEO  ORDER  FORM

DECEMBER  2000  POST-POLIO  CONFERENCE

"THE  LATE  EFFECTS  OF  POLIO   -   OVERVIEW  2000"

 

NAME:-  _________________________________________________________

                                                                                                                       

ADDRESS:-_______________________________________________________                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                     

TELEPHONE  NO.:-  Home                                        Work _____________

                                   

E-Mail_________________________________   Fax______________

 

NUMBER  OF  SETS  ORDERED:- ___________

AMOUNT  OF  CHECK:-  $                            Please  make  Check  Payable  to:-

 

FLORIDA  EAST  COAST  POST-POLIO  SUPPORT  GROUP

Mail  Check  and  Video  Order  Form  to:-

FLORIDA  EAST  COAST  POST-POLIO  SUPPORT  GROUP

12  ECLIPSE  TRAIL

ORMOND  BEACH,  FL   32174-4936