FROM BARBARA

Well, summer is over and we are finally coming into some cooler weather. This has been one of the hottest summers I remember – as a teenager I relished the hot summers and being able to go to the beach (Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, NY for those that don’t know where I’m from) and soak up the sun, swim in the ocean, and just enjoy the summer with my friends. Now, if I go to the beach, but only when my kids and grandkids are here, I now drive on to the beach, which is something that still is not allowed on the beach I grew up on, take out my beach chair and sit down to watch the kids play in the sand and/or go into the water. However, since my “walking” on the sand is now impossible, we go only if the parents are here too – very frustrating for someone who walked on the sand constantly as a teenager and young mother. In fact, my parents moved to Brighton Beach because the polio doctors back then (late 1930’s) believed that the ocean water and hot sand was beneficial to us --- boy, have times changed, now they say that we shouldn’t go into water unless it’s about 93 degrees. Oh, well – one good thing about being on the beach every day in my late teens was meeting my husband…. We met on a July 4th and he used to tell people “that’s when I lost my indepen-dence”, and that he came down to the beach to get a burn and “boy, did I get burned” – By the way, my husband also had polio – his right arm and hand, since he passed away in 1983, we never knew if he would have had post-polio problems.

For those interested in my “trips”, the next one is scheduled for Thanksgiving week – 11 days on Holland America’s Noordam, going to the Southern Caribbean. Coming back and then leaving a week later for a 7 day cruise on Carnival’s Dream to the Western Caribbean. Who knows, may decide that instead of an assisted living facility I may just start doing back-to-back-to-back cruises!!! After all, they feed you 3 (or more) meals a day – will even break it to your cabin, they clean your cabin, you have your entertainment, and you’re constantly meeting new people. What more can you ask for. As usual, will report on both cruises in the next newsletter.

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Reprinted from Daytona Beach News Journal, September 23, 2011.

Spinal stenosis common

cause of back pain

By Dr. Paul Donohue

Q. I am 84 years old, and I have spinal stenosis, which is causing me pain. I would like to know more about it. Will you furnish more information?

A. Spinal stenosis is a common back problem of older people. It’s said that 20 percent of those older than 60 have it.

The spinal cord is an offshoot of the brain, and it travels from the brain to the lower back. It’s about the width of your little finger and is extremely delicate.

That’s why nature encased it in backbones – vertebrae. Running through the backbones is a tunnel, the spinal canal that serves t protect the cord.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the tunnel. It happens mostly in the neck and lower-back. Thickened ligaments surrounding the spinal cord or arthritic changes of the backbones impinge on the spinal cord or the nerves that spring from it.

When the process occurs in the back, pain is felt there and often in the buttocks or thighs. The pain worsens if a person stands for too long.

People can ease the pain by bending forward at the waist or by sitting down. Bending opens the tunnel to give the spinal cord some breathing room.

The amount of bend that works is the amount of bend a person assumes when pushing a shopping cart.

Have you tried Tylenol (acetamino-phen) for pain? It’s safe when used as directed on the label. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) also are help-ful.

They can cause stomach upset and stomach bleeding, so follow directions given for their use. Hot packs or cold packs might work. Try both, and see if either gets the job done.

At night, lying on your side in bed with a pillow between your knees lessens pain. A program of physical therapy might help you turn the corner.

Ask your doctor for a referral. And finally, the opinion of a back surgeon will let you know if any surgical technique can bring relief.

FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- Many polio survivors have spinal stenosis. This article, I think, gives a good general under-standing of exactly what spinal stenosis is. Please check with your doctor if you are having spinal stenosis problems.

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Reprinted from Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial Well Aware, Winter 2008

What is Heartburn and Gerd?

Heartburn, or acid reflux, occurs when small amounts of stomach acid rise up into the esophagus, the “swallowing” tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Heartburn that occurs more than twice a week may be considered gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can eventually lead to more serious health problems.

The esophagus, unlike the stomach, does not have a protective lining, so it can become inflamed and painful when exposed to the acid. In addition, tissue damage – scarring on the esophagus – can narrow the esophagus and make swallowing difficult.

“Properly treating acid reflux is important to your health,” says Wallace Combs, MD, a gastroenterologist at Florida Hospital, Flagler. “It can lead to precancerous conditions like Barrett’s esophagus, cause permanent scarring of the esophagus, or create serious throat and lung conditions.”

The main symptoms of GERD are persistent heartburn, regurgitation of food, and unknown chronic throat or lung problems.

“While acid reflux is common, there are many lifestyle changes and medications that can address the condition successfully,” says Vishal Gupta, MD, a gastroenterologist at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial. “The best course of action for those concerning symptoms is a thoughtful evaluation by a qualified specialist.”

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When you’re feeling the burn –

If you’re among the 20 percent of American adults who experience heartburn at least twice a week, it’s time to see your doctor. Meantime, check what you know about this condition.

What is heartburn? Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest or throat. This is caused by acid reflux, when digestive juices and food flow backward into the esophagus from the stomach through a valve that doesn’t close properly or opens spontaneously.

When heartburn occurs more than twice a week, it is considered gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD. It can affect people of all ages.

What causes GERD? The condition is more common during pregnancy, in smokers and in people who are over-weight. Dietary triggers may include fatty foods, chocolate, peppermint, coffee, tea, alcohol and carbonated beverages. Eating a large meal and lying down shortly afterward can also cause reflux.

What are symptoms of GERD? Heart-burn is the main symptom. Other signs are a dry cough; asthma symptoms, such as wheezing and a feeling of tightness in the chest; hoarseness; a burning sensation in the throat; and trouble swallowing.

How is GERD treated? Doctors often recommend lifestyle and dietary changes. If these changes don’t help, your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter or prescription medicine. Also, some people may be helped by surgery.

When GERD symptoms are frequent, severe or not controlled by treatment, your doctor may recommend testing for more serious conditions, such as inflammation of the esophagus from reflux, which can cause bleeding or ulcers, and damaged tissue that makes swallowing difficult.

Some people with GERD develop abnormal cells – a condition called Barrett’s esophagus.

American College of Gastroenterology; National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

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Reprinted from Raritan Valley PPSG’s Newsline, Vol. 24, No. 4, September 2011

(EVERYDAY ADVOCACY)

MEDICAL ACCESS:

New Guidelines

By Michael Collins

Q. I’ve been battling with a nearby medical clinic that refuses to install a wheelchair-accessible scale and exam tables. It’s a new, multidisciplinary clinic that cost more than $50 million to build, and I’m sure they spent millions more equipping it with diagnostic devices and machines. Since I have coronary artery disease, I went to the old facility and now the new one, and I asked for these things before the new building was completed and have asked multiple times since then.

Whenever a nondisabled person goes to a cardiologist or even their general practi-tioner, they get weighed. But not me, even though my condition warrants it. When you can’t find a scale that’

S usable, you can gain a lot of pounds and not know it. Tenor 20 pounds can make a significant difference in blood pressure and stress on the heart, as well as kidneys and other organs.

Now that there are new ADA regulations that cover medical equipment, as well as doctors’ offices, is it possible to force these changes to be made? If they continue to refuse, what are my rights?

- Chad

A. Chad, it continues to amaze me that there are still inaccessible medical offices despite a requirement that they were to become accessible in 1992, when the ADA went into effect. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act required that same level of accessibility prior to the passage of the ADA, for any medical practitioner that received federal assistance (including Medicare or Medicaid payments). At first some medical providers protested that accessible medical equipment was not available, yet other hospitals and doctors’ offices managed to procure such equipment. Because of those requirements, ADA lawsuits have been filed against some medical offices and hospitals, which has resulted in remodeling and establishment of policies that improved access to medical care.

The United States Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) developed specific guide-lines for these facilities that went into effect March 15, 2011. They also reaffirmed the requirement that medical providers must provide accessible medical equipment, such as examination tables and scales. The new Access Board regulations do not change the initial requirements that medical practitioners be accessible, as first stated in the Rehab Act or the ADA, so any person who feels they have been discriminated against while trying to receive health care could thus still file a complaint or a lawsuit under the original laws.

If you choose to take preliminary steps to gain access to the new medical clinic, I would recommend a couple of simple actions. The Department of Justice recently published a new booklet, Access To Medical Care For Individuals With Mobility Disabilities, which can be printed from the DOJ website or ordered by phone (*see “Resource” below). A copy could be printed out and personally handed to the

management staff of the clinic or hospital where you prefer to receive medical treatment. Following that up with another copy of the booklet attached to a letter, perhaps with a copy to an attorney, should make it clear that there are no excuses for inaccessible medical treatment or facilities and that immediate changes should occur.

I would recommend that anyone with a mobility impairment obtain a copy of this publication. It contains multiple diagrams that detain how best to create accessibility in existing examination rooms, as well as where to locate accessible exam tables, lifts and wheelchair scales. The booklet also clarifies that it is up to the provider to transfer individuals who need to receive treatment on an exam table, if they cannot transfer themselves. Some larger facilities may need to have multiple accessible examination rooms and exam tables, in order to accommodate the needs of those they serve.

Finally, know that you are not alone. As a power wheelchair user, I have not found anyone to determine my accurate weight in almost 22 years, and I have never been on an accessible exam table. My own physician will be receiving a copy of the DOJ booklet during my next visit. I hope you have great success in advocat-ing for your needs, and that providing the clinic with the updated information will get you the access you require and are entitled to.

Michael Collins is the former executive director of the National Council on Disability and of the California State Independent Living Council. Set questions to tgilmer@newmobility.com.

RESOURCE: DOJ booklet on medical access requirements: 800/514-0301; www.ADA.gov.

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The following is reprinted from the Polio Network of New Jersey Newsletter, Fall 2011, Vol. 21, No. 1 and fits in very nicely with the above article about Medical Access.

Revised ADA

Rules in Effect

Revised regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect March 15, 2011. The revised rules are the Justice Department’s first major revision of its guidance on accessibility in 20 years.

The regulations apply to the activities of more than 80,000 units of state and local government and more than seven million places of public accommodation, including stores, restaurants, shopping malls, libraries, museums, sporting arenas, movie theaters, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, hotels, jails and prisons, polling places and emergency preparedness shelters.

New areas accessible

“The new rules usher in a new day for the more than 50 million individuals with disabilities in this country,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “The rules will expand accessibility in a number of areas and, for the first time, provide detailed guidance on how to make recreation facilities, including parks and swimming pools, accessible.”

The new ADA rules adopt the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which have been retooled to be more user-friendly for building code officials, builders, and architects, and have been harmonized with state and local accessibility codes. The 2010 standards on making swimming pools, parks, golf courses, boating facilities, exercise clubs and other recreation facilities accessible for individuals with disabilities. Entities covered by the ADA have until March 15, 2012, to comply with the 2010 standards.

New nondiscrimination rules

In addition to adopting the new ADA 2010 Standards, the amended regulations contain many new or expanded provisions on general nondiscrimination policies, including the use of service animals, the use of wheelchairs and other power-driven mobility devices, selling tickets for wheelchair-accessible seating at sports and performance venues, reserving and guaranteeing accessible rooms at hotels, providing interpreter services through video conferencing, and the effect of the new regulations on existing facilities. The compliance date for all the new non-discrimination provisions, except for those on hotel reservations, was March 15, 2011. Compliance with the hotel reservation provisions is not required un March 15, 2012.

For more information about the ADA, call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at

800-514-0301, or check the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.

Source: White House Press Release, March 15, 2011.

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Reprinted from Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial Well Aware, Winter 2008

Some simple truths about colds and flu…

You may have heard it from your grandma: “Feed a cold, starve a fever.”

Or “Chicken soup for colds and flu.”

Appealing as those ideas are, they have more to do with folklore than reality.

According to the American Lung Association, the truth of the matter is this: Whether you have a cold or flu, you need to get plenty of fluids (water and juice), eat enough food to satisfy our appetite, and drink hot fluids to east your cough and sore throat.

Chicken soup can be one of those hot fluids, but it won’t cure the flu or a cold. Other common myths about colds and flu include:

MYTH: If you catch a cold from someone, it can turn into the flu.

FACT: Only a person infected with the influenza virus can transmit the flu.

MYTH: Herbal remedies are good cold remedies.

FACT: Claims have been made that zinc lozenges, Echinacea and other herbs can cure colds quickly. To date, none of these claims are solidly supported by scientific studies.

MYTH: Large doses of vitamin C can keep you from catching the flu or a cold, or will quickly cure them.

FACT: These claims have not been proven. Still, it’s important to your health to consume the minimum daily require-ment if vitamin C.

MYTH: If you don’t catch the flu by December, you won’t get it, because the flu season is over.

FACT: The flu season often peaks a late as February. Getting vaccinated before the end of the calendar year is the best way to prevent the flu, but the vaccine can still be effective if you get the shot in January.

MYTH: “Stomach flu” is one kind of flu.

FACT: About one in three people with the flu may have an upset stomach. But other viruses, along with bacteria and food poisoning, are more common causes of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

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Reprinted from Post-Polio Health (formerly called Polio Network News) with permission of Post-Polio Health International (www.post-polio.org). Any further reproduction must have permission from copyright holder.

ASK DR. MAYNARD

Question: I am aware that as polio survivors recovered from the initial bout with polio, we went through a process called denervation. Does this process of losing anterior horn cells (AHCs) and establishing new nerve pathways continue with post-polio syndrome?

Answer: Denervation is actually not a process but a condition of muscle that has lost its connection to a motor nerve cell body (AHC). Death of an AHC results in a process of Wallerian degeneration of nerve axons (fibers), and results in atrophied denervated muscle fibers. Partially denervated muscles are weak, whereas completely denervated muscles are paralyzed.

When nerve fibers from AHCs that survived the poliovirus infection grow new sprouts, which reconnect to muscle fibers without a nerve supply, reinervation is said to have occurred.

In most polio-weakened muscles there is a lifetime process of continuing new muscle fiber denervation and new reinervation. In post-polio syndrome, the rate of denervation exceeds the rate of reinervation, and new weakening is experienced.

Both normal aging and any ill health can slow down the process of reinervation, which results in more denervated weakened muscle fibers. Post polio syndrome may also result from something triggering a sudden speeding up of denervation, including new dying of AHCs.

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The following “Ask Dr. Maynard” is reprinted from another edition of Post-Polio Health, Summer 2011, Vol.27, No. 3.

Any further reproduction must have permission from the copyright holder.

Question: My physiatrist says that paraplegics have a lot more diabetes, so I started wondering how post-polio and spinal cord injury compare with regard to the disease.

A: You are right that people with chronic spinal cord injury paralysis do develop glucose metabolism abnormalities and diabetes (by criteria) more often than their age cohorts. I attended a 90-minute course on this topic and obesity among people with spinal cord injury at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The new information reminded physicians how important muscle is to insulin utilization and, therefore, to serum glucose levels.

During the lecture, I was thinking about people who had polio, with their extensive muscle atrophy, because I expect the same issues exist for them. Not only are people with extensive muscle paralysis (paraparesis and quadriparesis, independent of causation) predisposed to obesity because they cannot move and exercise as much to burn up calories, they also are predisposed to store fat because the relative lack of muscle mass (as a proportion of the body) leaves high circulating levels of insulin which combines with serum glucose to store fat.

A recent study of body composition among polio survivors in Taiwan found a higher proportion of fat, independent of body weight as considered from the standard of Body Mass Index (BMI). Normally a BMI (calculated from height and weight) of 25 to 27 is considered “overweight” and over 30 as “obese.” Almost all polio survivors studied, even those not overweight/obese by BMI, had an increased proportion of fat by body composition measurements, a proportion that would typically be expected only in overweight/obese individuals.

I would expect there is a correlation between glucose metabolism abnor-malities and increased fat proportion of body composition.

Question: My father-in-law is 88 years old and has post-polio syndrome. He has had trouble sleeping for the past several years, and he claims that it “takes more medication for people with post-polio syn-drome.” My wife is his caregiver and controls his medications so he will not overdose. What is your professional opinion?

A: Your father-in-law is mistaken about need for higher medication doses for post-polio people. Generally, they are more sensitive to medications and require lower doses because their bodies distribute medications differently through body tissues and fluids due to reduced muscle mass. I would be very careful with sleeping medication doses, in particular, because of their potential to affect breathing during sleep (suppression) and the likelihood of creating dizziness/balance problems on awakening (leading to greater falls risk) – both greater problems among polio survivors than the general population.

Encourage him to keep talking to his doctor about what is and is not helping and to try several different types of medications or other techniques to attain “good sleep” without just dangerously taking higher doses of prescribed sleeping pills.

Question: I have a severe rotator cuff tear and an orthopedic surgeon has recom-mended a shoulder replacement because of the severity of the tear and the presence of significant arthritis. I had polio in my right leg and use my left leg to lift/stabilize myself on crutches. Apparently the increased dependency has weakened my arms and, perhaps, injured them. The surgery may help or may create complications. Can you share any knowledge to help me make an informed decision?

A: You raise several important issues related to the pros and cons of shoulder replacement in polio survivors. First of all, if you never had any significant residual weakness in your shoulder muscles as part of your original polio, then it is unlikely that your shoulder problems are, anatomically at least, related to polio. You may have worn them out and/or injured them as you suggested, and the shoulder problem can be surgically treated like anyone else’s.

Definitely get a second opinion about whether the best treatment is arthroplasty (replacement). In addition to a second opinion from a shoulder surgeon specialist, I recommend a second opinion from a non-surgeon, such as a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist in post-polio. That person cannot only advise about non-surgical alternatives for the shoulder problem, but also advise you on preparations for the post-operative period, if you do elect to have the shoulder replacement.

Certainly, you should at least practice transferring and walking and caring for yourself with only one arm, since you will not have much use of the arm after surgery for at least three months. You are facing a difficult and important decision. Don’t make a hasty one, especially if you are not suffering severely. Take all steps possible to inform yourself about the pros and cons.

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Sorry – found this in a file, already typed, so I don’t know (or remember) where it came from ---

Stress Management

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. "If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

"In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. "

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home.

You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can."

"Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

* Never buy a car you can't push.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull! Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

"A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. :)

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today. . .. . . . I did.

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This has come to me several times over the past few years – in fact, I think I put it into a newsletter a few years ago…. Anyhow, here it is again.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!

Please be careful. This person has found her way into my house and could also get into yours.

A very weird thing has happened. A strange old lady has moved into my house. I have no idea who she is, where she came from, or how she got in. I certainly did not invite her. All I know is that one day she wasn't there, and the next day she was.

She is a clever old lady and manages to keep out of sight for the most part, but whenever I pass a mirror I catch a glimpse of her. And, whenever I look in the mirror to check my appearance, there she is hogging the whole thing, completely, obliterating my gorgeous face and body. This is very rude! I have tried screaming at her, but she just screams back. The least she could do is offer to pay part of the rent, but no.

Every once in a while, I find a dollar bill stuck in a coat pocket, or some loose change under a sofa cushion, but it is not nearly enough. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think she is stealing money from me. I go to the ATM and withdraw $100, and a few days later, it's all gone!

I certainly don't spend money THAT fast, so I can only conclude the old lady is pilfering from me. You'd think she would spent some of that money to buy wrinkle cream.

And money isn't the only thing I think she is stealing. Food seems to disappear at an alarming rate-especially the good stuff like ice cream, cookies and candy. She must have a real sweet tooth, but she'd better watch it, because she is really packing on the pounds.

I suspect she realizes this, and to make herself feel better, she is tampering with my scale to make me think I am putting on weight too.

For an old lady, she is quite childish. She likes to play nasty games, like going into my closets when I'm not home and altering my clothes so they don't fit.

And she messes with files and papers so I can't find anything. This is particularly annoying since I am extremely neat and organized.

She has found other imaginative ways to annoy me. She gets into my mail, newspapers and magazines before I do and blurs the print so I can't read it.

And she has done something really sinister to the volume controls on my TV, radio and telephone. Now, all I hear are mumbles and whispers.

She has done other things - like make my stairs steeper, my vacuum heavier and all the knobs and faucets harder to turn. She even made my bed higher so that getting into and out of it is a real challenge.

Lately, she has been fooling with my groceries before I put them away, applying glue to the lids, making it almost impossible for me to open the jars.

She has taken the fun out of shopping for clothes. When I try something on, she stands in front of the dressing room mirror and monopolizes it. She looks totally ridiculous in some of those outfits, plus she keeps me from seeing how great they look on me.

Just when I thought she couldn't get any meaner, she proved me wrong. She came along when I went to get my picture taken for my driver's license and just as the camera shutter clicked, she jumped in front of me.

I hope she never finds out where you live.

I really do!

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Gee, I’m so glad I have so many good e-mail friends – they send such interesting items for me to include in our newsletter. Here’s another one sent by several.

LIFE ISN’T FAIR…

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written." My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more----

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick... Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it…

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you, really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie… Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone, everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

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This e-mail came from one of our members, Sylvia Bartholomew several months ago – much Thanks, Sylvia. I’ve put the whole e-mail in even though it refers towards the end about sending it to someone else – some one you think is a “keeper”…. I think you are all “keepers”, so, either forward it or just “keep” it for yourself. HOWEVER, the meaning of this is quite true – don’t forget to tell the people who mean the most to you exactly how much they mean. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute."

Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you." So while we have it, its best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage......And old cars….And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special… And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way... Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are "keepers" in your life, including the person who sent it, if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking... I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do. And just in case I'm gone tomorrow.

I LOVE YA!!!

Live today because tomorrow is not promised…

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Reprinted from PPASS News, BC, March 2008.

THE ROLE OF THE

FLUSH TOILET IN THE

SPREAD OF POLIO

At a recent wedding reception I attended in Raleigh, North Carolina, I sat next to a lovely lady who was a long time friend of the bride; they both had worked in Public Health before their retirements. Pam (not her real name) volunteered that her husband was suffering from post polio syndrome which is a re-occurrence of many of the problems of polio even though the person may have been free of problems for many years. As she finished up her story about her husband, she asked the ladies at our table if anyone knew what was the cause of the polio epidemics of the 40s and 50s? No one at the table had a clue so she supplied the answer. She said, “It was the widespread use of the flush toilet.”

I lost a teenage friend to polio in the mid 40s; her death left an indelible mark on my young life. The scourge of polio kept us from congregating in large groups, going to the movies or swimming in public pools. While I was intimately aware of polio, I did not know the flush toilet was the culprit behind the epidemics.

When I returned home after the wedding, I researched the connection between polio and the flush toilet. While ironic, it is true, improved sanitation was the root of the dreaded epidemics.

Poliomyelitis is said to have first occurred nearly 6,000 years ago in the time of the Ancient Egyptians. The evidence for this is in the withered and deformed limbs of certain Egyptian mummies. (SEE POLIOMYELITIS – A GUIDE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; INCLUDING APPLIANCES AND REHABILITATION by Ronald L. Huckstep; Published by Churchill Livingstone.)

From Wikipedia I learned that before the 20th century, there were cases of polio, but they were few and no major outbreaks occurred. The question then is how did polio emerge from centuries of obscurity to becoming a killer in just a few decades? The answer lies in a major change in sanitation practices. Before the advent of modern indoor plumbing and sewage systems, many cities had open sewers that were no more than gutters with outhouses in the backyard. Almost everyone had, at one time or another, been exposed to polio, and with open sewers and outhouses the norm – there was ample opportunity to contract polio. Polio-viruses infected generations of babies, who were protected in part by antibodies passed on to them by their mothers. When a child became infected with the polio-virus the results were flu-like or cold-like symptoms. The diagnosis of polio was rare because the symptoms were often indistinguishable from other childhood diseases.

Cases of paralytic polio began to rise once changes in public sanitation and other health measures came about, such changes as purification of the water supply and milk pasteurization. Better hygiene meant that babies and young were not receiving some immunization from their mothers. When the disease struck older children or adults, it was more likely to take the paralytic form. In northern Europe and the United States, epidemics of paralytic polio began to appear in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, though small. Polio's full impact wasn't felt in the United States until the summer of 1916, when an outbreak resulted in 27,000 people paralyzed, and 6,000 deaths. The 1916 epidemic caused widespread panic and thousands fled the city to nearby mountain resorts. Movie theatres were closed, meetings were canceled, and the public gatherings were almost nonexistent. Children were warned not to drink from water fountains; and children were told to avoid amusement parks, pools, and beaches. From 1916 onward, a polio epidemic appeared each summer in at least one part of the country, with the most serious occurring in the 1940s and 1950s. In the United States, it would be the 1952 polio epidemic that marked the worst outbreak in the nation's history. Of the nearly 58,000 cases reported that year; 3,145 died and 21,269 were left with mild to disabling paralysis. Statistically, more children died of polio in 1952 than of any other infectious disease. For more details visit Bulbar Polio, and Polio. Also see: Polio and Clean Water by John H. Lienhard. The Crippling History of the Poliomyelitis Virus by Dr. Patrick Treacy. (About midway down the page.) An extensive collection of articles on Polio from the Health heritage Research Services of Canada.

Source: Courtesy of Toiletology 101 – http//www.toiletology.com/Polio-toilet.shtml

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Reprinted from USA Weekend’s HealthSmart Column, October 5-7, 2007

It’s Flu Season

By Dr. Tedd Mitchell

Don’t let myths keep you from getting the vaccination.

This time, every year, I talk to my patients about the cold and influenza season – and the need for a flu shot. With most patients, the discussion is short. I remind them that flu season is just around the corner and that having the vaccination improves the odds of staying healthy.

But for others, more explanation is needed to put them at ease about getting immunized. Occasionally, their reluctance is based on adverse experiences with the vaccination in the past. That’s under-standable. However, some people who resist getting immunized make up their minds based on myths about the flu and the flu shot. It is important to separate fact from fiction.

Flu Facts

1. Each year 30,000 to 35,000 Americans die from the flu and its complications.

2. Because the flu is caused by a virus, anyone can get it.

3. Kids under 5, adults over 50 and people with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis or heart disease, are at high risk for complications.

4. Being immunized by a flu shot or the inhaled FluMist (FDA-approved only for healthy people ages 5 to 49) significantly reduces the risk of getting the flu.

5. Most folks who get the flu shot have no reaction. Up to 25% may have some redness and slight swelling at the site. A small percentage may experience a slight fever, chills and headache within 24 hours. These symptoms end within a few days.

6. The flu virus mutates from year to year, so a vaccination from last season is ineffective against this year’s strains.

Flu Fiction

1. Flu is just a bad cold. Hardly, although it’s considered a respiratory infection, it affects the entire body, causing high fever (up to 104F) that’s accompanied by body aches, headaches, nausea and dehydration. Even after the infection is gone (it can last up to two weeks), people can be weak for several more days.

2. You can get the flu from the flu shot.

No, you can’t. The vaccine is not made from a live virus.

3. You can get the flu from wet hair or cold weather. No, you get the flu by coming into contact with someone who is infected. In the cold of winter, when people cluster indoors, exposure to the flu virus is more likely, but cold weather itself doesn’t cause the flu.

4. The flu shot is only for high-risk people. False. People at high risk definitely need the vaccination, but those at low risk also should get the shot to help keep the flu from spreading.

5. If I haven’t had the flu by December, I’m in the clear. Flu season can extend through May. Although it’s never too late in the season to get the shot, the ideal period for immunization is from mid-October to mid-November.

Contributing Editor Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is president and medical director of the renowned Cooper Clinic in Dallas. He writes Health Smart every week.

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Wishing all our friends a most Happy and Healthy of Holiday Seasons.

Barbara

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FLORIDA EAST COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT GROUP

12 Eclipse Trail / Ormond Beach, FL 32174

386-676-2435 / e-mail address: bgold@iag.net

DATE: Sunday, November 13th, 2011

TIME: 1:00 – 4:00 PM

PLACE: Red Lobster Restaurant

International Speedway Boulevard

Right off I-95 – Exit 261– Daytona Beach, FL

(head EAST for about 1/4 mile)

SPEAKER: One of our favorite guest speakers – Dr. Armand Zilioli

will be showing a video about FDR and Warm Springs.

Should be most interesting.

Cost of the Luncheon is $13.00 all inclusive. As usual we will have a choice of

several different menu items.

Please send in your reservation tear sheet and check

no later than November 10th, 2011.

Any questions, call Barbara at 386-676-2435.

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R E S E R V A T I O N F O R M

November 13th, 2011 Luncheon Meeting

Name: _______________________________ Phone No.: _________________

Number of People Coming: _________ Number in Wheelchair(s): ___________

Amount of Check Enclosed: ________________ @ $13.00 per person

Make check payable to and mail same to:

FLORIDA EAST COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT GROUP

12 Eclipse Trail -- Ormond Beach, FL 32174

11/2011

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DUES FOR 2011- Please take a look at your mailing label - on it you’ll see the month and year we received your 2010 dues, i.e., 01/2010 means it was received in January 2010, so your 2011 dues is due in January 2011. If your mailing label has the year first and then the month, i.e., 2010/01 it means that you indicated to us in January 2010 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 (25) 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 400 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 England, France, Germany, Israel, Panama, Portugal, Lebanon, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and Wales.

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WHEN YOU MOVE PLEASE be sure to send us your new address. 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.

===================================================

2011 DUES/MAILING LIST

____ Dues Enclosed ____Keep me on mailing list

____ Will take from website

If sending dues, please make Check ($5.00) Payable to and Mail to:-

FLORIDA EAST COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT GROUP

12 Eclipse Trail, Ormond Beach, FL 32174-4936

NAME:- __________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:- _______________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS:-__________________________ FAX #:- _______________

TELEPHONE NO:- Home _______________________ Office ________________

Date of Birth:-_________________ Wedding Anniversary:- ________________

Name and Date of Birth of Spouse:-_____________________________________

Support Group I belong to:- ____________________________________________

11/2011

FLORIDA EAST COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT GROUP - Vol. 18 #2

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

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

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011

WISHING ALL OUR FRIENDS

MEETING NOTICE

Support Group I belong to:- ____________________________________________