Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Post-polio syndrome

Last year fewer than 1600 people got polio and most of those were concentrated in India and Nigeria. There is hope that the disease will be completely eradicated in about 2 years, maybe 3.

Few people in the Western world remember the ravages of the disease except the victims of it, most of them in their sixties and older. Subsequent to the active disease, many decades later, the neuron-muscle synapses wear out leaving the victims fatigued and often unable to use limbs or their breathing diaphragms. This is called post-polio syndrome.

Warm Springs, Ga was discovered by President FDR as a therapy center with mineral waters and he subsequently purchased it with his own funds for therapy of other polio survivors. Not everyone survived the initial disease.

3 comments:

Piri said...

Perhaps using your whirlpool bathtub would help you. Maybe you can even get some handicap bars installed to help you get out.

Lynnis said...

remember the worms!!!! I will never have another jetted tub.

Piri said...

Well you have to clean it out with bleach. Willow was born in that tub.