I also am new to the group. It doesn't appear to have had many visitors as of late. I thought I had beat polio way back in the early 50's. Had a gosh awful headache that lasted 14 days and slipped into a coma. Remember waking up in pain and smelling my mom's fried chicken. The country dr came by to see me three times a wk...we lived in the country...rural it was. Was down about 3 months...re-learned how to balance myself, walk and move my hands and arms. In the late 80's, I had a sneaky visitor that reminded way too much of the old guy named Polio. When I asked drs if the many symptoms could be related to polio, I was patted on the hand and told that it was probably some type of auto-immune disease and "we" would treat it with cortisone and non-steroid anti-inflammatory. What if I told you the meds produced almost nil results. I stop going to drs and discussing the health problems except for cancer and heart attacks...I limped,sometimes drug my foot around, rested, tried to not lose my job and work like a turk to prove that I was "normal." Anyway that is another story. My cardiologist sent me to an endocrinologist for assistance with a tough cholesterol problem 8 wks ago. Had to fill out a pretty comprehensive history. ...He walked in the room smiling, shaking my hand and went through the history....stated that the problems with my hands and feet were due to the polio that had visited my home in 1953, as well as the overwhelming fatigue, hypoglycemia, months of limping or dropping things, especially after trying to exercise like crazy to make things work better which led to more fatigue and pain and aches...etc. He started working on the cholesterol problems with his magic mixer of this and that...then he stated there is not a medicine to stop post polio but he would address some of the other problems and he gave the name of several books and handed me a couple of papers to read.(Richard Bruno and Julie Silver's books and papers that related to post-polio research.) I am on nortripyline for the neuropathy in my hands and feet and they are feeling better. The reading led me to understand that almost everything I had been doing definitely had a negative impact. I will continue to listen to him because this magic concoction has my cholesterol looking better than they have in 15 yrs and he actually understands and knows what post polio is and it is alive and well. Next week I am to visit a physical therapist and design an exercise program that will not make exhausted beyon belief. The endocrinologist has give me more reference to read...have been in and out the local university as well as doing research on the internet.Interesting to learn that polio basically destroyed neurons...it certainly explains a lot. I am not excited about post polio but I am intrigued to learn so much about even at this late date...proves an old chickadee can still learn......
