topic Re: Do You Remember Polio? in Community Chat

Do You Remember Polio?

sunala — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 23:27:28 GMT

I'm reading the new Philip Roth book, and it takes place in Newark, New Jersey during the summer of 1944 when polio ran rampant.

In the mid 1950's I remember getting polio shots in school, which if I recall were quite painful. They were given in the auditorium in front of all the other children, and nobody wanted to cry but we all did anyway.

I wasn't allowed to go under the sprinklers in the park, nor did we go to the public pool, where it was thought that you could catch polio.

I never knew anyone who was in an iron lung, but I did have friends in school who had polio and ended up walking with limps. One friend used crutches. It was a very scary time.

Do you remember polio, and did it affect you in any way?

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

redhead65 — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 07:36:02 GMT

Polio is not a thing of the past, it is still around. Countries that don't get the vaccine still get it.

I remember it very well, but I got the little sugar cube at my school, no shot.

However, my only married Aunt contracted polio in high school while swimming in a local lake with her boyfriend and classmates. Thirty years later she gave birth to her only child by C-section. She couldn't feel the pregnancy or delivery. I never saw her walk "normal" . She could barely walk, dragging her paralyzed leg a bit behind her, always having to hold on to someone or something. she suffered, but was extremely brave and never complained once.

I admired her all of my life.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

Dell1 — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 07:59:21 GMT

I had a cousin who had polio. She was born in 1949 while I was born in 1951. I always wondered why she got polio and I did not. She spent many months each year away at Shriner's Hospitals and had multiple surgeries. She told me years later that she felt abused and abandoned by her parents. Not abuse like we think of now. But when she was taken to her room her parents were not allowed to go with her. She stated that there were rooms of cribs with small children and they were all crying for their parents. She is now deceased but dealt with Post Polio Syndrome.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

gloriajean — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 09:07:29 GMT

In 1949 I got Polio in my throat. It's called Balber Polio. I was in the oxygen tent five days - only getting vein feedings because I could not eat or drink, my throat was so filled with mucus, I had to have my bed slanted that my head was more down, and they used a tube to vacuum out the mucus. How I hated that! I was nine and remember all this very well. I was in a hospital that had only polio patients, and visiters could only visit through the window, but I was lucky. I was only in the hospital 5 weeks, missed a lot of school as I got it on labor day, and started school that year in January. My only after effect is my cough when I get a cold, It's hard for me to cough normally. My cousin at the same time got it in her leg and her leg was much skinnier than the other one, she was on crutches for a while, but later she just walked with a limp. My roommate at the hospital was paralized from her waste down. My sister postponed her wedding in September because I was supposed to be her junior bridesmaid, she set it for October 15th, and I got out of the hospital October 13 and I was her junior bridesmaid! I remember that too! The Wedding reception was at the farm and I had to take a nap, orders from the doctors to have a rest every afternoon which is why I couldn't go to school until January when that was lifted. I wasn't allowed to ride my bike either until months after. Ok - I said enough! There were no vaccines then. I have had no post polio stuff - I'm fine and I'm 75.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

I am still oxox — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 11:13:38 GMT

I am too young (60) to have it affect me directly, the Salk and Sabin vaccines came about in the late 50's early 60's and we were given them in elementary school.

Sunny what is the name of the book,it sound like a good "Summer book"

@sunala wrote:
I'm reading the new Philip Roth book, and it takes place in Newark, New Jersey during the summer of 1944 when polio ran rampant.
In the mid 1950's I remember getting polio shots in school, which if I recall were quite painful. They were given in the auditorium in front of all the other children, and nobody wanted to cry but we all did anyway.
I wasn't allowed to go under the sprinklers in the park, nor did we go to the public pool, where it was thought that you could catch polio.
I never knew anyone who was in an iron lung, but I did have friends in school who had polio and ended up walking with limps. One friend used crutches. It was a very scary time.
Do you remember polio, and did it affect you in any way?
Sunny

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

Judaline — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 11:54:24 GMT

@gloriajean wrote:
In 1949 I got Polio in my throat. It's called Balber Polio. I was in the oxygen tent five days - only getting vein feedings because I could not eat or drink, my throat was so filled with mucus, I had to have my bed slanted that my head was more down, and they used a tube to vacuum out the mucus. How I hated that! I was nine and remember all this very well. I was in a hospital that had only polio patients, and visiters could only visit through the window, but I was lucky. I was only in the hospital 5 weeks, missed a lot of school as I got it on labor day, and started school that year in January. My only after effect is my cough when I get a cold, It's hard for me to cough normally. My cousin at the same time got it in her leg and her leg was much skinnier than the other one, she was on crutches for a while, but later she just walked with a limp. My roommate at the hospital was paralized from her waste down. My sister postponed her wedding in September because I was supposed to be her junior bridesmaid, she set it for October 15th, and I got out of the hospital October 13 and I was her junior bridesmaid! I remember that too! The Wedding reception was at the farm and I had to take a nap, orders from the doctors to have a rest every afternoon which is why I couldn't go to school until January when that was lifted. I wasn't allowed to ride my bike either until months after. Ok - I said enough! There were no vaccines then. I have had no post polio stuff - I'm fine and I'm 75.

How awful! I remember my parents being afraid we might get it. Did they EVER find out what was causing it and if all of our precautions made sense? Like swimming in a public pool, etc?

I saw a documentary on PBS about a ballet dancer who contracted polio. All she ever wanted to do was dance-she was good, too. A very sad story but it has stuck with me. Her name is Tanaquil Le Clercq and I think the docu was, A Fallen Fawn or something like that.

Of course we all think of FDR. They say he was always in pain and gave speeches with hidden things that helped him stand, and would never let himself be helped until the crowd couldn't see. I guess he thought the people would be worried if they knew just how incapacitated he was.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

qualitygal — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:01:14 GMT

I do and we had to get all those shots. I'd rather the shots any day vs. the disease! Mostly remember sugar cube, but I think President Roosevelt had it.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

lovescats — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:07:39 GMT

I remember getting the polio shot and then later when the sugar cube came out our school had everyone get that too.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

violann — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:25:15 GMT

Very interesting thread. I never learned to swm because I was never allowed near public pools.
The connection with "swimmng" is not cause/effect, but the transmission of the virus as well as the intense exercise of swimming are related to the outbreaks in NJ in the 1940's.
The Victoria Foundation opened a hospital/sanitarium near wear I lived, and as a 3rd grade Brownie I was part of a group that was taken to sing for the patients.
We had to stand outside a window because this was JUST before the Salk vaccine was released for general use.
I THINK it was the Salk vaccine that was administered on the sugar cube, and was replaced by the Sabin vaccine, which was an innoculation.
Although the epidemic was intense in our area, I never actually knew anyone who had recovered from the disease.
It is rather amazing that the percentage of victms of the paralytic form was relatively low, but tragically, the most seriously damaged.
Bulbar Polio was considered VERY serious gloriajean. It is a Blessing to us that you are here!

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

tansy — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:28:13 GMT

I remember being in a school auditorium with my parents and being delighted to be given a little white cup with a pink-tinged sugar cube to eat. I would hear stories about kids a few years older than me having polio and maybe being in an iron lung.

What a horrid experience, gloriajean. I didn't realize polio could just affect the throat.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

June222 — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:35:55 GMT

Yes. I am 60 today. My father had polio in his 30's a few years before I was born. He was paralyzed for a year and told he would never walk again. My father never gave up and although he had weakness in his left side and had to wear a brace and had a bad limp, he fought back and lived his life fully. I as a child, never saw his limp until someone, a friend or such would ask what was wrong with my Dad.... I remember getting the liquid vaccine as a young child for polio. My father was first in line to vacinate the three of us. Today he is almost 90, has had some issues with the polio causing more weakness so he has to use a motorized chair.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

Vickiv — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:43:32 GMT

I remember back in the 40's in August they would shut down the swimming pools. Everyone was afraid of getting Polio. My mother kept me away from any type of swimming places.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

Stray — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:45:38 GMT

Yes, I remember it well. And polio is still pretty prevalent in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria...the CDC and WHO do a lot of work in those countries bringing vaccines to the people. I was pretty scared about the respirator and I remember Sr Kenny. The swimming itself probably helped because it is a virus and most likely it was the contact with large groups of people that spread the disease. It is highly contagious. I was in the health care profession but luckily did not have to deal with active polio but did come in contact with survivors with varying degrees of impairment, one woman confined to a respirator for life due to damaged respiratory muscles. As time went on respirators became smaller and portable but not in her time, a terrible existence but a very sweet lady. You are correct Sabin was OPV or oral polio vaccine and the Salk was IPV, injectable polio vaccine. Sabin has been discontinued but the injectable vaccine is still used.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

brii — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:47:55 GMT

No, I don't remember polio.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

Burnsite — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 14:14:59 GMT

My father was an old-fashioned doctor, a GP. M-F he had four daily hours of office calls (morning and afternoon) and two two-hour sessions of house calls (early AM and evening). As a preschooler, I often drove around with him during his morning house calls. Many of his patients had polio.

One of his patients was a student in my 3rd grade class but was confined to his home by polio. I don't know if he was in an iron lung, but he was dependent on a breathing apparatus.

We drove to the ocean for swimming, but were not allowed to swim in ponds, which were plentiful in my town. Fresh water was thought to be a factor in polio cases, especially in late summer when the bacteria count tends to be high.

Dr. Salk was his medical hero.

ETA: We never saw "Billy", but he was linked by intercom to our classroom and he often contributed. He was very, very smart. He is still alive and a bit of a celebrity in his profession, though still greatly impaired by the polio.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

cherry — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 13:32:42 GMT

There was a little girl at my elementary school that had it. I felt so sorry for her in her braces and crutches

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

Winifred — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 13:39:28 GMT

Yes I do. I grew up in NC where it was rampant. My sis and I were sent to grandparents for the summer of 1949. It was a horrible disease which felled so many. Iron lungs were common health needs then. Thank goodness for Dr. Salk who developed a vaccine for it - sure has saved lives and disabling impact. Vaccines are indeed miracle workers.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

JeanLouiseFinch — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 13:51:53 GMT

I vaguely remember it. I remember lining up and get our pink medicine filled sugar cube - an eery likeness to the followers of Jim Jones who lined up for the Koolaid.

From my childhood, I remember a lady in my neighborhood who had polio. She was confined to her bed. The house they lived in had a special staircase in front, to get her outside. My friends and I would sometimes see the lady laying outside in her wheeled bed, on a nice day, She had poor body/muscle control and couldn't keep her head still. That was a bit offputting to us kids. We were young and didn't understand at first.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

hckynutjohn — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 14:31:49 GMT

Hi sunny,

I remember it well. 2 kids that lived in the Public Housing Projects in which I lived were stricken with it. It was somthing both kids and their parents feared for sure.

Re: Do You Remember Polio?

hennypenny — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 14:38:47 GMT

As a chld I was rarely allowed in public pools.

My very best friend had had polio. She was in an iron lung. One of the hardest things for her was loosing her favorite teddy bear and doll.

Her father was a well known doctor and so she was able to be with him daily and had special access to her mother. Her leg was affected.

Her parents put in a pool so that she could have extensive exercise and mine did also, thinking that it would strengthen us. I remember when the news came over the radio about the vaccine my mother was driving. She pulled the car over and sobbed. My friend and I received the sugar cube version together. I still have the paper reciept.

-----ps. forgot to change font and color, hope everyone can read. It won't let me change what I have written.