From Henry’sDesk The Great Crippler, Then and Now · Please make all denomination cheques/checks payable to ‘Lincolnshire Post -Polio Network’ Post to Membership Sec, 78 Heron

© Copyright - Lincolnshire Post-Polio Network - Volume 4 Issue 11 of 12 - August 2004 1

The Lincolnshire Post-Polio Information NewsletterVolume 4 - Issue 11 - August 2004

WebSite - http://www.lincolnshirepostpolio.org.uk

Remember the opinions expressed are those of the individual writer(s) and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement orapproval by the Lincolnshire Post-Polio Network. Although it does not provide an endorsement,

it is provided as a service to those seeking such information.ALWAYS consult your doctor before trying anything recommended in this or any other publication.

Lincolnshire Post-Polio Network - UK Registered Charity No. 1064177

From Henry’s Desk:The Great Crippler,Then and Now

The poliovirus is a unique virus. Thisvirus only thrives in humans. It canenter your body by an oral pathway,cause a gastrointestinal illness andleave your body with no apparentresidual damage. More people hadpolio this way and probably neverknew it. The other extreme of this

virus was its success as the greatcrippler of children. It was also a killerof children. This virus could invade ahuman body and kill in a few days.Death resulted from respiratory failure

or from the overwhelming viral invasionof the entire central nervous systemleading to coma and death. Theo b s e r v e d a n d l a t e r w r i t t e nobservations and descriptions ofchildren dying from acute polio areemotionally draining to read. Most ofus who experienced polio did so inchildhood and many were left withresidual damage that set us apart fromour peers. The most commonly usedword to describe this damage was“crippled.” Many larger cities hadhospitals for crippled children“Crippled” is a painfully accurate word.The Merriam Webster Dictionary traces“cripple or crippled” to the fourteenthcentury. It means:

1 : to be deprived of the use of a limband especially a leg2 : to be deprived of capability forservice or of strength, efficiency, orwholeness

The crippled state of polio survivorscould cover a vast range of limitations.It could be something as minor as avisually undetectable weakness in oneankle to a near quadriplegia state

(Continued on page 4)


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Next LincPIN Newsletter - October 2004Articles for publication by 15.9.04 by post or - [email protected]

Founder & Chair - Hilary Hallam - [email protected] - Denise Carlyle - [email protected]

Secretary - Di Newman - [email protected] Secretary - Robin Butler - [email protected]

Mar-y-Mail - [email protected] - Pauline Butler, Mary Kinane, Sheila Dunnett

Phone Team - Leader Di Brennand - [email protected] Team - Pat Hollingworth, Margaret Edmonds, Pat ButlerLincolnshire Post-Polio Network WebSite Administration

Chris Salter - [email protected]

CONTENTS.

Page 1, 4 to 6 — From Henry’s Desk. The Great Crippler, Then and NowPage 3 - Editorial

Page 6, 23 and Back Page — Article about Derek Paice and his latest book.Page 7 to 12 — Dug Up from the Archives by Hilary Hallam

Page 12 and 13 — Surviving a Move with PPS by Ellen RiddlePage 14 — Some Humour

Pages 15 to 17 — This Morning Medical Mixtures and Health Fact SheetPage 18 — Neuro News from Di Newman.

Page 20 and 21 — AGM Info and Reply SlipPage 22 and 23 — Polio and Post Polio News.

PandPP-News—www.mt.lincolnshirepostpolio.org.ukPage 24—Info on Member Derek Paice’s new book.

DONATIONS.

$100 AnonymousOther donations since June will be in next issue.


Editorial by Hilary Hallam.

On the back page of this issue you willfind details of Member Derek Paice'snew book. Birds, Fools and Angels. It isan action/romance novel with significantautobiographical content, including histime in the RAF in Lincolnshire. Read anarticle about Derek starting on Page 6.

Last week we received an email from aPolio Survivor in Nottingham seekinginformat ion on the newspapernotification about the City IsolationHospital in Lincoln back in the 50's. SeePage 7 for how this looked. This led to atrip to the Library and extended thetheme of this issue.

The LincPIN is now produced andposted to you by a team of members.Barry and Olivia Branston pack and postit. Robin Butler gets it printed. Len VanZyl is going to set it up in a new formatnext issue. I do the Editorial and willprovide Len with the articles - and someof them come from members like EllenRiddle, our Texas One Arm Bandit.There are still more folks in this team.Can you guess who they are? YOU, thereader. If you have stories, articles, hintstips or bits, gripes, whatever, then postthem to our main address or email [email protected]

Phone Team - Firstly on behalf of youall I send healing thoughts to Pat'shusband who is in hospital. Secondly Iwould like to welcome Judy Barter to thePhone Team. She is 65 and had polioas a child which left her with one legshorter than the other. She is marriedwith two grown up sons, and twograndsons. She is now having problemswith PPS and has to wear a brace onher bad leg. She is great fun and isenjoying being on the phone line andhas spoken, she says, to some mostinteresting people!

AGM. Yes it's coming up to that time ofthe year again. The date is SaturdayOctober 16th 2004 from 10.00 a.m. to5.00 p.m. and the venue is TheMemorial Hall, North Hykeham, Lincoln.See pages 21 and 22 for moreinformation. Please, it would really helpus if you either emailed us theinformation - I cannot come/hope to beable to come/can come - or return theReply Slip.

Offers to help with any of the tasks thatare necessary will always be gratefullyreceived. If you think you could spare anhour or two a week/month then why notgive us a ring/email us.

Do you find doing more than one thingat once now difficult. Suggestedterminology by Len Van Zyl is that weused to multi-stream and now find weare only able to single stream. E.g. Ifyou are watching TV do you notice whensomeone starts talking in the roombefore they are half way through theirsentence. Can you switch from task totask as easily as you used to? Write andtell us your experiences—more info nextnewsletter.

IN MEMORIAM

Sylvia Dymondwho was a member for many years

passed away on Sunday 8th August 2004.

Marie, her carer for the last six yearsrang this week to let us know that

Sylvia after many years ofbeing cared for at home by visiting carers

decided to go into a Nursing Homeon July 20th.

Sylvia often spoke to Committee Mem-bers

on the phoneand was a lively contributorto late night radio programs

in the South of England.


requiring the use of a wheelchair or legbraces and crutches. Definition numberone above is fairly easy to understandand comprehend. Treating thecrippled state of an extremity was ofteneasier to accomplish. Many werefortunate to be able to regain all oralmost all of the use of a weakenedextremity because of physical therapyand exercise. Of course now we knowthat undamaged motor neurons werecapable of sprouting additionaldendrites to innervate more damagedmuscle groups and result in increasedfunction of these previously damagedmuscle groups. Even when thedamage was extensive a well fittedbrace would make it possible for acrippled leg to support weight andmake it possible for a crippled poliochild to get back on his/her feet andreturn to the world beyond the securityof home. Returning to school,socializing with able-bodied friends,going to church, movies, sodafountains, toy stores, and playgroundswere again possible. Many of us arefamiliar with this pilgrimage.

I am more intrigued by the second partof the definition above. The concept of“wholeness” or a sense of “wholeness”is an important aspect of anyone’sdevelopment. If that feeling ofwholeness is altered by the reality ofbeing crippled, then the developingchild and adolescent has to eitherwithdraw from the risks of socializationor find ways to cope and defendhimself/herself out in the world. I amconvinced that almost all of us chosethe second route; that is we engagedthe world around us despite theinterpersonal risks. The fruits of takingthis risk surround us as we read aboutthe accompl ishments of pol iosurvivors, know first hand about the

courage and perseverance of poliosurvivors from our own interaction withthem in support groups, and from whatthe able bodied have said about us.

Almost by necessity, most of uscompensated for our crippled state,denied the reality of our crippledappearance, and made every effort tobe normal in the normal world aroundus. If crippled in reality and feeling alack of wholeness, as adolescents howdid we cope with the challenges ofrelating to the opposite sex? Did wef e e l i n a d e q u a t e o r s i m p l yuncomfortable in the social undertakingof dating? By excelling in other areas,many of us compensated andsublimated successfully in an attemptto level the social playing field. Sincethe vast majority of us married andworked productively, we apparently didsucceed in our social and employmentstrivings.

Now as older adults we have had onceagain to face the second part of thedefinition above. Many of us arephysically weaker, less efficient andless capable of providing service.Some probably feel less whole, andthus we are “crippled” again by Post-Polio Syndrome, the second GreatCrippler. Most of us had never evenimagined such an intensified decline inour overall functional state, as PPShas forced so many of us to accept.Most of us knew that we would getolder, but thought that we would agemore like our older family members orpeople we knew in the seniorgeneration. For so many PPS hasaged us prematurely. Those of us whomay live alone now realize ourv u l n e r a b i l i t y t o l o s i n g o u rindependence and having to findassistance in areas that most of our

(Continued from page 1)



able bodied peers are not yet forced toface. Those of us who have able-bodied spouses are discovering thatwe depend on that spouse for some ofthe simple tasks of daily living. Ourspouses are no longer young and donot always have the energy to carrythe extra burden. In simple terms, all ofthis PPS stuff seems so unfair.

In our initial struggle with the GreatCrippler, we were determined,generally optimistic, youthful in spirit,and found our way in the race of life.With this second round with the GreatCrippler we are tired, not as optimistic,have to lower our expectations despiteour determination, and still find our wayat a slower pace in the race of life. Wehave all read the articles and listenedto the lectures by the growing numberof PPS experts, most of whom areyounger than we are. We are readingmore and more about the deaths of oldpolio survivors in our newsletters. Ournumbers will continue to shrink just asthe veterans of World War II; thesurvivors of the Holocaust andmembers of Tom Brokaw’s GreatestGeneration will diminish. Hopefullythere will be a day in this century whenpolio and photos of its crippled childrenwill only be recorded in history booksand historical medical texts.

We have not finished the race of life.But what is left for us to do? I think weshould tell our stories and share ourpilgrimage as a result of this disease. Ifyou cannot tell your story, write about itor if artistically inclined, illustrate it. Ifwe do not, future generations will neverknow. We probably would do well toestablish more oral history collectionswithin our respective support groups. Ihave often thought that we would dowell to have a national or even an

international magazine or journal thatwas personal and historical and notjust medical and scientific. The MultipleSclerosis Society has an excellentperiodical. For so many people withthe same disability, we are relativelyfragmented. There are countless PPSnewsletters and websites that oftenpublish some of the same articles. Tomy knowledge the only nationalpublication that serves us is Post-PolioHealth International (formerly PolioNetwork News or Gazette InternationalNetworking Institute or GINI). Thispublication is excellent, but is onlypublished quarterly and is limited insize. I believe that there are manyuntouched and undiscovered sourcesof polio witnesses in written form,personal memories, and even in oldnewspapers. This October I amscheduled to make a Grand Roundspresentation at the Medical College ofVirginia (now Virginia CommonwealthUniversity Medical School), themedical school from which I graduatedthirty-seven years ago. My topic willbe “Polio, MCV, and Me.” I will attemptto describe my early experience withpolio, the importance of MCV in my life,and a biopsychosocial overview of thedisease of polio from my own analysisand the witness of others who will helpme with this presentation.

The race is not over. Slow down andshare your story. If necessary, getsomeone else to help you share yourstory. People will listen or will read.Stories from polio survivors are notfiction. They are real. The Diary ofAnne Frank has done more to preservethe memory of the Holocaust thanperhaps any other single publication.This was a simple but brilliant diary bya teenage girl who told her story as ithappened. Time is growing short. Tell




your story of human suffering, of yoursplendor in the grass, and your faiththat looked past death. WilliamWordsworth wrote it much better thanme.

INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY FROMRECOLLECTIONS OF EARLY

CHILDHOOD

Then sing, ye Birds, sing a joyous song!And let the young Lambs bound

As to the tabor’s sound!We in thought will join your throng,

Ye that pipe and ye that play,Ye that through your hearts to-day

Feel the gladness of the May!What though the radiancewhich was once so bright

Be now for ever taken from my sight,Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass,of glory in the flower,

We will grieve not, rather findStrength in what remains behind;

In the primal sympathyWhich having been must ever be;

In the soothing thoughts that springOut of human suffering,

In the faith that looks through death,In years that bring the philosophic mind.

Henry Holland—[email protected]

Article about Derek Paicewritten by Rick Mendosa.

http://www.mendosa.com/index.html

All people with diabetes stand to gain fromthe Derek Paice's LOSS. A 71-year-oldresearch engineer who was diagnosed withdiabetes 11 years ago, Derek appliedengineering principles to determine howinputs--food--related to outputs--his bloodglucose levels.

The result was his Low Sugar Score(LOSS) Diet. This way of eating, neitherlow nor high carb, leads not only to lowerblood glucose levels but also helps toreduce weight, he says.

He did find that carbohydrates had a rapid

and major impact on his blood glucoselevels. Protein had a smaller and muchslower effect. In fact, carbohydratesincreased his blood glucose level from 3 to20 times faster than protein, depending onthe glycemic index of the carbohydrate. Fatdidn't seem to have any direct effect on hisblood glucose level. And fiber sloweddown the rate at which his blood glucoseincreased.

Derek's LOSS diet avoids thosecarbohydrates that are quickly brokendown in the intestine, causing rapidincreases in blood glucose levels. Thesecarbohydrates have a high glycemic index.

"I find that low glycemic index foods (suchas high fiber cereals and soy flour breadwith cheese) give me the best control,"Derek says. "I handle breakfast and lunchthat way every day, but I like to varydinner, and that's more of a challenge. Forme the best approach is simply to stayaway from substantial amounts of high GIfoods."

After hundreds of experiments on himselfand thousands of fingerstick tests over thepast six years, Derek developed anextension of the glycemic index that hecalls the "substance glycemic index." orSGI. You don't need to know thecomposition of the food, only how much itweighs.

He describes his results in a 51-pagebooklet, "Diabetes and Diet: A Type 2Patient's Successful Efforts at Control."The SGI provides a means to select foodsor meals having a defined effect on bloodglucose on a day-to-day basis. "That's howI control my type 2 diabetes," he says. Healso uses it to estimate his hemoglobin A1cmeasurements, which reflect long-termaverage blood glucose levels. "Using thetest results in my booklet, I reduce myhemoglobin A1c from 9.0% in October1993 to 5.4% in September 1997," he says.




Dug up from Archives

Our email info line brought in a requestfrom a Nottingham Polio Survivor looking for

newspaper cuttings regarding the people in theLincoln City Isolation Hospital back in the 50’s.

A search at the Library andother material we have filed follows.

CITY HOSPITALToday's report on patients inFever Wards; Ill, (relativesmay inquire by telephone);349, 262, 9, Making satis-factory progress: 268, 61,86, 97, 132, 137, 143, 146.All others convalescent.

DIGBY VILLAGELINCOLNSHIRE

Courtesy of theSleaford StandardThursday July 27th 2000page 15

PAINFULMEMORIES OF APOLIO EPIDEMIC

Some of you may be afraid ofneedles when you got to thedoctor to have your jabs, ormay find it a painful chore –some may even mistrustinoculations after hearing badstories about side effects. But itcan only be a minor irritationcompared to the horror andheartbreak which such diseasescould bring.

Half a century ago the villageof Digby was fatal proof whenit was hit by the worst disastersince the plague*. This summermarks the 50th anniversary ofthe village being stricken by apolio epidemic.

During the outbreak, 97 caseswere diagnosed and there were13 deaths, some adults butmostly children. Many whorecovered were crippled and atone point even the villagedoctor, Thomas Smallhorn of

Ruskington, contracted thedisease.

By the time the epidemicsubsided it had spread toSleaford.

Poliomyelitis, or infantileparalysis, is inflammation ofthe spinal cord and struck withdeadly speed in the days beforesystematic vaccination inschools.

So serious was the 1950outbreak that schools wereclosed, premises disinfectedwith ‘fog balls’* and an all outattack was made on the insectpopulation by sprayinginsecticide on ditches andrubbish.

Flies

No-one really knew where theepidemic had spread from butit went on for 11 weeks. Thesummer was hot and flies wereeverywhere, but it could havebeen carried in the water.

“It was almost like a plague,”said the Rev. Cyril Clarke ofDigby in an old newspapercutting. “Most of the youngchildren were affected. Manyof them were partly disabled.”

First fatality was littleFrederick Beddall, of the

Pinfold in Digby, and thenumber of cases rapidlysnowballed. Any aches andpains were suspected, but manypeople probably had a milddose and never realised it.

Villager Linda Burden hasbeen researching the village’shistory and discovered thatwhen the plague carried off aquarter of the vil lagepopulation in 1604 the victimswere said to have been buriedon The Pinfold (then known ascommon land). It is ironic then,that a concentration of poliocases should have affected thatnewly built 32 house councilestate on the same plotcenturies later.

On July 9, 1950, four year oldJoan Greetham, living atnumber nine in the Aireyhouses complained of “Feelingfunny”. Her mother put her tobed. On July 10, Mrs. Skelton,of number 15 noticed her fiveyear old son, Keith, wasfeverish and sweating. She puthim to bed and sent a messageto Dr. Smallhorn thinking itwas measles. Over thefollowing days older childrenon the estate “felt funny” andDr. Smallhorn officially andcalmly declared the outbreak ofpolio.



Painful memories

For those who survived andstill remain in the village, itstill holds painful memories.

One woman who escaped thedisease but remembers thedays when the village had tobe quarantined, preferred notto be named out of respect.

She said, “Every day youwondered who you wouldhear had gone down with itnext. Dr. Smallhorn was amarvellous man. We had aresidential nurse too wholived here and was notallowed to leave and onlytended to the polio victims,she luckily didn’t get it.”

She knew of case on ThePinfold estate and NorthStreet. The new cases heldmost of the young families,whereas the old part of thevillage housed the olderpeople – but the epidemicbrought solidarity as fathersand sons were going downwith the bug from the estate.There were two deaths inRowson within a week – afather and son – and it reachedKirkby Green too.

Provisions

Digby was voluntarilyisolated as a precaution andthe milk was delivered inwaxed packets rather thanglass bottles to avoid contactwith the 375 villagers andpossible spreading, all otherprovisions were left at theedge of the village or at agarden gate for collection too.Medical boffins had all

glasses and bottles checkedfor adequate disinfection anda system for screening thesewage from the concretecladded “Airey houses” onThe Pinfold was set up. It wasdiscovered that personalcontact was the main dangerof infection. When the waterwas suspected fresh supplieswere carried in from Sleaford.The fish and chip van andmobile cinema were asked notto come and two local busdrivers and a conductor livingin the village were given timeoff work.

Attacks

In a 20-mile ring around thevillage, swimming baths wereclosed, telephones werecleaned and every possiblehospital operation waspostponed, for polio oftenattacks people convalescing.

O u r v e t e r a n v i l l a g eremembers the first publicmeeting called by Dr.Smallhorn and fellow doctors.They stood around the villagecross in the open air to cutdown possible infection. Hewarned people of the diseaseand explained not to befrightened unduly.

The county’s top medicalexperts were drafted in andhad it in check by mid Augustusing the isolation methods.Villagers just carried onworking in the nearby fields –luckily the community waslargely self-contained.

“Everyone did what theycould to help the victims andthe ambulance were goingdaily taking people fortreatment in Harlow Wood

Hospital near Mansfield”remembers our villager.Isolation hospitals in Grimsbyand Lincoln were also usedand staff worked 24 hours aday on the Digby crisis.

Great relief.

She remembered AnnieHanson of Church Streetwou ld t rave l i n theambulances comforting thesufferers. “It went on formonths and months and it wasa great relief when it ended. Itwas a very frightening time.”

Some had to be in hospital forweeks and were leftwheelchair-bound or withaffected limbs, some needingwires on their boots andspecial slings for their arms toget about such as KenSkelton.

A Mrs. Gresswell of NorthStreet, who was 90-years-old,was never told of theepidemic as people didn’t feelthe need to bother her!

A newspaper reporter visitingafter the all clear asked ahousewife how they wouldcelebrate now they were outof danger.

“ T h e r e ’ s n o t h i n g t ocelebrate,” she said. “No timefor celebrating anyway. Got toget my husband’s supper.”

A television company is nowconsider ing making adocumentary on the subject.




Now we go back in time tothe papers of the 1950’s….

Sleaford Gazette

July 1950Paralysis cases inDigby Area

The following statement hasbeen made by the EastKesteven Medical Officer ofHealth, Dr. J. W. Scholey: Asmost people are aware, therehave been one or two cases of“Infantile Paralysis’ in theDigby area’ but the infectionappears to be under control.There is no cause for alarm.

‘A certain number of cases’invariably occur during thesummer months and parentsare advised to take thefollowing precautions Theyshould, as far as possible,avoid crowded places ofentertainment.

“Also they should preventtheir children from overexerting themselves andbecoming unduly fatigued. Ifthe child is off colour and runsa temperature, particularlywith an associated sore throator abdominal pains, then it isadvisable to call in theirdoctor for his advice.

“If these simple precautionsare taken there is everychance of the infection beingkept under control and thepatient making a fullrecovery with little or noresulting disability”.

August 195051 Paralysis Cases –Two in Sleaford.

Four deaths,. But somepatients cured already.

Dr. J. W. Scholey, MedicalOfficer of Heatlh for Sleafordand East Kesteven, in as t a t e m e n t y e s t e r d a y(Thursday) said:-

“Several more cases ofInfantile Paralysis (AcutePoliomyelitis) have occurredin East Kesteven during thepast week and there have,unfortunately, been moredeaths from this disease.

“ S i n c e t h e i n f e c t i o ncommenced in this area therehave been a total of 51notified cases although, ofcourse, many of these havemade full and completerecoveries.

“A week ago there appearedto be a definite tendency forthe infection to show signs ofsubsiding and the cases whichwere occurring appeared to beless severe, but unfortunatelyseveral recent cases have beenparticularly virulent.

“All steps are being taken tocombat the disease and thepublic are once again asked tocarry out he previous requestsregarding personal cleanlinessand hygiene. There are alsoavailable in the General PostOffice pamphlets which giveguidance on what preventativesteps the public may take.

“People living in areas wherec a s e s a r e o c c u r r i n g ,particularly if they have been

in contact with cases, arerequested not to travel intoother ‘clear’ areas except onjourneys which are reallynecessary.

“Similarly people in ‘clear’areas are advised not to visitinfected areas unless theirjourney is necessary.

“By doing this it is hoped tolimit the further spread of thedisease.

One week later

Schools to stay closed:Precaution.Fewer New Cases –But No Relaxation Yet

It was announced this weekby Kesteven EducationCommittee that some of theschools in the County are toremain closed beyondarranged dates for reopening,and it was added that theaction was taken purely as ‘Aprecautionary measure inview of the cases of infantileparalysis that have occurredduring the last few weeks.”

Now 57 Cases.

With six new cases during thepast week, the incidence ofpoliomyelitis in East Kestevenreached a total of 57 casesduring the present outbreak,although some of these havebeen discharged fromhospital.

In an official statementyesterday (Thursday) Dr. J.W. Scholey said: I am pleasedto be able to say the past week




has seen considerable decreasein the number of cases ofInfantile Paralysis notified andI understand there are also lesscases under observation.

“I can only hope that thegeneral situation will continueto improve but we cannotafford to relax at all yet.

“People are still asked toadhere to requests which havepreviously been made and theycan rest assured that as soon asmedical authorities are satisfiedthey will remove anyrestriction which are at presentbeing observed.

“As a precautionary measure ithas been decided afterconsultant with the Educationauthorities that local schoolswill not open on the appointedday.

“Notices will appear in thelocal press from time to timeand parents are asked to lookfor further announcementsregarding the opening date oftheir particular school”.

Sleaford S. Denys SundaySchool, it has been announced,is also to remain closed untilthe Sunday after schoolsrestart.

At Lincoln Isolation Hospital afive year old Cranwell girl wasadmitted during the weekendfor observation, and later in theweek was diagnosed assuffering from the disease.

Two teen age patients, onefrom Aisby – a girl – and theother from Scopwick – a boy –were found not to have thedisease and were discharged

and a girl from Metheringhamwas discharged during theweekend.

On Monday four observationcases were admitted at Lincoln,none of them from this district.The following day a Sleafordpatient and a four year old girlfrom Digby were among thosedischarged, having beensuffering from the disease,while a boy of two fromCranwell was admitted forobservation.

In cases where children live inthe affected areas but attendschools outside them, parentsare being asked not to sendthem back to school, untilfurther notice, which willappear in this paper.

Primary schools were due toopen next week and Carre’sand Kesteven and SleafordHigh School the followingweek. The decision was takenafter consultant with themedical authorities.

A week later…..Infantile Paralysis.Very MarkedImprovement.

“ A V E R Y m a r k e dimprovement” is reported bythe Medical Officer of Health,Dr. J. W. Scholey in theInfantile Paralysis outbreak.

In a statement yesterday(Thursday), he said:

“I am pleased to be able toreport a very markedimprovement in the number ofconfirmed and suspected casesof Infantile Paralysis in theEast Kesteven area.

“One or two sporadic cases asexpected are still occurring butfortunately they have beenrelative mild.

“It is expected that schoolsthroughout the area will re-open on September 18 but this,of course, will be open tofurther review in the case ofany fresh outbreak and furtherinformation regarding this willbe announced in the localpress.

Three cases reported this weekhave taken the toll to 60. Allthree cases were in EastKesteven and none in Sleaford.

Two other items of interestfrom 1952 were

Polio Girl’s ArcheryThrills Crowd.

Overnight from London to theLincolnshire individual archerychampionships at the Lindumground on Saturday came 22year old Betty Osborne.Friends may now call her Betty“Robin Hood” Osborne.

For along with other poliovictims of Grimsby she hadbeen exhibiting the techniqueof archery before thousands atthe South Bank as part of theFestival of Britain programme.

And Betty, while there, didthe Robin Hood feat ofsplitting an arrow in the gold.

“The crowd went wild overher”, said 24 year old MalcolmSmith, secretary of theGrimsby Polios Club.




Betty fired for the gold, hit itplumb in the centre. Then withher next arrow she split the endof her first. It stick therequivering and thousand ofspectators roared.

Then just to prove that she hadbeen trying Betty, who walkswith the aid of sticks, put fourmore arrows in the gold.

When the exhibition was over,the Polios started off on thenight journey home to get tothe Lindum Ground for morearchery.

L i n c o l n s h i r e b e a tNottinghamshire by 2,933points to 2,919 points.Individual champions ofLincolnshire decided onSaturday , were Mr. J. H. Archof Grantham and housewifeMrs. M. Gillott of Scunthorpe.

They were each presented witha Festival of Britain trophy aswell as the normal cup, by thedeputy Mayor, Councillor,Mrs. E. I Cowan.

…. Best Polio score. Mr. PLeadham.

….. with a 38m.p.h. crosswind, yesterday, the bowmanhad to aim off as much as twofeet.

Sport sign: There were morespectators for the archery thanfor the cricket match at thesame ground.

May 26th 1952The Lincolnshire Echo.

I.P. VICTIMS FORMFELLOWSHIP.

Two years ago the people ofLincolnshire were madeunpleasantly aware of theexistence of Infantile paralysis.On Saturday Lincoln’s firstInfantile Paralysis FellowshipGroup was formed at a meetingi n H a n n a h M e m o r i a lschoolroom.

Describing the formation of theI.P.F. in 1939. foundersecretary of the nationalorganisation, Mr. F. Morenosaid that he was most gratefulto the medical profession forthe way they had associatedwith the I.P.F. from the veryday of its foundation.

The medical profession he saidw e r e g e n e r a l l y v e r yconservative towards anythingnews. But their attitudetowards polio had not onlybeen one of deep understandingfrom the physical aspect, buthey had given much thought tothe mental problems that aroseas a result of the afflictedperson’s inability to travel andmeet people.

Whenever the fellowship hadsought help they had found it inabundance. But their primaryaim was to be as independentas possible. They wereessentially an organisation runby the disabled for thedisabled.

“Don’t Cut Them Off”

Mr. Morena, however, did notwish the able-bodied helpers toback out. In fact, heemphasised that the polio wasglad to have the opportunity ofmaking the ordinary humancontacts.

They did not want to be cut off

from the outside world,spending their lives tuckedaway in a corner of a room.And it was the aim of thefellowship to prevent this stateof affairs.

Mr. Morena went on to say thatthe greatest deterrent to thecause of the fellowship waspity. Polios did not want pity,in the worst sense of the word,or the incessant incantation of“You poor thing.”

Hated Word

“We hate the word “cripple,”he added. “We have a physicalhandicap but that handicapdoes not extend as far as ourfriends.”

Just as the British healthservice was envied by othernations, so the ParalysisFellowship would one day, beenvied, forecasted Mr. Morena.“The fellowship” was notfounded by a Governmentdepartment but had grown andstrengthened out of the effortsof enterprising groups of poliosufferers. The rate at which theorganisation had grown since itwas founded in 1939, he said,was indicative of its success inthe future.

Mayor as President.

Mr. Morena went on to speakof the services rendered to thepolio sufferers by the variousactivities organised by theI.P.F. People afflicted in adultlife were taught new trades andshown how to overcome theirdisabilities. He also in formedthe meeting of an hotel atWorthing, Sussex, wherepolios could spend holidays at




very low rates, or in somecases, free of charge. [Editorsnote—Sadly The Lantern Hotelis now to close later this year—information from the BritishPolio Fellowship Bulletin]

Proposing the inauguration ofthe group, and accepting thepresidency, the Mayor ofLincoln, Councillor J. W.Giles, said he was particularlygratified that his first duty asMayor had been to lend ahelping hand to the poliosufferers of Lincolnshire.

Chairman of the NationalFellowship, Alderman RenesonCouches, of London, describedpolios as being blessed, as aresult of their suffering, with

added qualities of mind andsoul. They had developed adetermined outlook and werewilling to go to all lengths tobecome useful citizens.

Sleaford Gazette,August 18th 1950

For the first time in thisCountry, a method known asTIFA was used in the fightagainst Infantile Paralysis atCranwell on Tuesday andDigby on Wednesday. TIFAstands for Todd InsecticidalFog Applicator.

The cinema at Cranwell wastreated in 12 minutes, beingfilled with hot fog at the rate of1;500 cubic feet per minute. By

a regulator on the machine it ispossible to select a differentsize of fog globule, appropriateto the task."

At Cranwell many local healthofficials gathered to watch thevillage pond being treated. OnWednesday, the machinevisited Ruskington and theCouncil refuse tip behind theLincolnshire Bacon Factorywas treated. The ancient Saxonchurch of Thomas-a-Beckettwas one of the buildingstreated in Digby, and otherswere the Chapel, the Schooland the Village Hall, while theBeck and sewers were alsotreated.


Surviving a Move with PPS

By the Texas One Armed BanditEllen Riddle

[email protected]

As I sit here to write this article it is threeweeks and two days since the move tookplace.

So much for moving gradually during themonth of July with the movers coming eitherthe last weekend of July or the first inAugust.

As usual life stepped in and the best plansget changed, tossed around and moved up.

So I’m now sitting back and tallying up howwell I did in terms of what I now know aboutPPS, pacing, stress and so on.

Here are the things that did work well forme:

1. Starting packing early. I actually gotstarted before we had even found our newhome. We were going to move sometime

between August and September. So bythe end of June I had already startedpacking up all those things that were totallynon-essential. Amazing how much can fallinto this category.

2. Sticking to packing only two (ok a fewdays I cheated and did 3 or 4 but they weresmall boxes <Grin>) boxes each day.

3. Leaving the boxes where I packed themand letting Lon move them to the ‘stackingareas’. It was so tempting to just push,shove them around but I did succeed inresisting this temptation.

4. Using packing tape and lots of it. Inyears past I would do the tuck the fourcorners of the top of box in when do-able to‘save’ on tape. Not once did I struggle withthis ‘old way’ of packing learned way backin my early work days in retail stocking.

5. As the move got closer and the closingdate kept being changed (ended up weclosed on Friday night and moved in onSunday! I already had scheduled the



movers!) I found that the added stress,excitement, etc were making it moredifficult to sleep so I upped my trazodoneby half and got my good 6 hours in eachnight. (Thanks are owed to a fellow pps-erwho shared this tip with me from herdoctor. Yep, it never once occurred to meto call mine and ask!)

6. Sticking to my high protein, low carb dietfor as long as possible. I managed to dothis until the week before the move andonly a few days after the ‘big move’.

7. Obtaining the keys to the house early tobe able to ‘clean’ while we all knew I hadLon load up the van with packed boxes andhad him distribute these to the closets ofthe rooms where the items would go andwe both unpacked the entire kitchen. Thismeant when we moved in the kitchen wasready to be used.

8. Did the same with the master bathroom.

9. Packed up a small suitcase with neededclothes to take care of the three to fivedays after the move. This way I could takemy time unpacking our clothes and gettingthem into the right drawers, neatly.

Now for the things where I did fall short andif I have to move again down the road(sincerely hope not!) I would have tochange.

1. Not taking enough small, mini breaks. Istarted out doing this along with my longermorning and afternoon rest but the weekand half before the move and the weekafter I allowed my type A-ness to win andskipped more mini breaks than I shouldhave.

2. Giving into carb/sweet cravings as westarted eating more meals out or broughtin. This was only for about five days... butit was three too many. I really felt sluggish,and felt the difference even though Imiraculously didn’t gain any weight.

3.Kept unpacking when I didn’t need to getit done as fast as I did.

4. Didn’t balance packing with laundry andcooking. Pushed the limits of my ‘savedenergy token account’ to the dangerouspoint before….

I hit payback time.

This was last week; the beginning of oursecond week here. I got up on Wednesdaymorning. I awoke feeling ill, fatigued, andunable to do anything. So from then untilMonday of this week that is precisely what Idid... next to nothing. It was payback timeand I think it goes in the plus column that Iaccepted it and let my body rest as long asit needed.

I’m still in ‘minor’ payback mode thisweek. I find I am just doing a few things inthe morning... with rest breaks. And evenfewer in the afternoon. You’ll find me in myrecliner watching TV from around 2onwards. Dinners are good ones, but theeasy make ones. Yesterday I made a large3 lb meatloaf which we will enjoy for the restof the week. Each evening we will enjoythis with a different frozen or cannedveggie… and an easy tossed salad. Thelatter is easy as it is a mix of Salad expressromaine... and baby spinach leaves... pre-washed and pre-cut... chop up one greenonion between us, a half a green pepperand toss on a few cherry tomatoes... lovelyon a nice plate... oh and sprinkle someherbs and pre-grated cheese on top.

Thanks to everyone who has shared tipsover the many years I’ve been on thevarious email lists and receiving the variousnewsletters and web site hopping… I knowleft to my own devices I would be a lotworse off.

Oh... and since this home is truly accessibleI’m enjoying running my wheels from oneend to the other! Now I don’t worry aboutpre-thinking what I need as I go to theoffice, the kitchen, family room and masterbedroom.

Gentle hugsEllen Riddle


Some Humour

A new inexperienced waitress said she wasconcerned about being able to carry theheavy trays and serve from them. A co-worker explained that there were tray standsplaced throughout the restaurant.

The nervous beginner served all her lunchessuccessfully and afterwards asked a table oftwo if everything had been all right, “It wasfine, love, but my friend and I have to leavenow. Could I please have my walker back?”

- o -

This particular disabled Wizard worked in amodern factory. Everything was satisfactoryexcept that certain miscreants tookadvantage of his good nature, and wouldsteal his parking spot!

This continued until he finally put up thefollowing effective sign.

This parking space belongs to the WizardViolators will be toad!

- o -

I walk with a decided limp. My husband andI were together at the Mall. We always holdhands. A stranger came up to us and tells myhusband he is so nice to be helping me. Hetells her he HAS to hold my hand otherwiseif he lets go, I shop!.

- o -

Two men are approaching each other on asidewalk. Both are dragging their right footas they walk. As they meet, one man looksat the other knowingly, points at his foot andsays, “Polio, 1950.”

The other hooks his thumb behind him andsays, “Dog Poop, 30 feet back.”

“Doctor, my leg hurts. What can I do?” andyour doctor says, “Limp!”

You tell your doctor,“Nobody here listens to me!”and the doctor says, “Next.”

Your doctor gets angry and says“You’re crazy!”

You shout back, “Oh, yeah?!Well, I want a second opinion.”

And he says, “Okay, you’re ugly too!”

Doctor, I have a ringing in my ears.”and his advice to you is,

“Don’t answer.”

You hear the nurse say,“Doctor, the man you just gave a

clean bill of health to dropped deadright as he was leaving the office!”

The doctor tells her,“Turn him around,

make it look like he was walking in.”

Courtesy of the Roosevelt Warm SpringsInstitute for Rehabilitation, Georgia, U.S.A.This is one of a number of cartoons done bytwo polio survivors many decades ago.Librarian Mike Shaddix has offered to dig upsome more interesting material from the pastfor future newsletters. Thanks Mike.


THIS MORNING FACT SHEETMedical Mixtures and Health

Transmitted on Granada Television’sThis Morning Programme—23rd June 2004.

Fact sheet from Adult Education Department,Granada Television,

17 Hatfield’s, London SE1 8DJ

Grapefruit juice, garlic and herbalremedies are all harmless, but when takenwith some prescribed medicines they canbe potentially dangerous. Dr Chris joinedus with medical mixtures that could bedoing you more harm than good.

Are you at risk?

1 in 20 people put themselves at risk bytaking potentially dangerous combinationsof complementary and alternativemedicines (CAMs) with prescriptionmedicines according to new research. Theresearch, carried out by the Department ofPharmacy at Kings College, London, foundthat the majority of those surveyed (62%)were taking one or more unreported CAMswhen they collected a prescription from apharmacy. The researchers found that evenwhen respondents were asked whatmedicines they were taking a staggering 41%.did not mention CAMs, as they did notcategorise them as medicines.

Of these, about 1 in 20 were takingpotentially dangerous combinations ofCAMs and prescription medicines. Themost common herb drug interaction in thestudy was St Johns Wort with SelectiveSerotonin re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s)(30%). St John's Wort is taken for mild tomoderate depression and should not betaken with prescribed antidepressants.

Key mixtures to watch out for-

1 - GRAPEFRUIT JUICE WITH DRUGSFOR BLOOD PRESSURE/CHOLESTEROL/AIDSTREATMENT/VALIUM/TRANQUILISERS.

Many people have been attracted tograpefruit juice because of its cholesterol-lowering abilities and its reported benefitsagainst cancer. However, what is notknown, is the possible interaction ofgrapefruit with many prescriptionmedications. Grapefruit interacts withmany cholesterol-lowering drugs,an t ih i s t amines and ps ych ia t r i cmedications. In some cases, the results arefatal.

The victims may suffer from severe,elevated reactions that are not normallyobserved when the drug is administered inprescribed doses. If you are taking any ofthe "statins" or cholesterol-loweringmedications, beta-blockers or calciumchannel blockers for blood pressure;grapefruit juice is off limits. Somehospitals have even eliminated grapefruitjuice as a beverage option to eliminate therisk.

The grapefruit juice can stop the breakdown of drugs, so for example if you aretaking tablets for blood pressure, grapefruitjuice can block the break down of drugs sothat higher levels of the drug end up goinginto the bloodstream and can result in adangerous increase in the side effects.

If you are taking any of the drugs for theconditions below then you should not drinkgrapefruit juice. Blood Pressure, Angina,Cholesterol lowering drugs, Transplantdrugs, Rheumatoid Arthritis drugs, Severepsoriasis and eczema, HIV/AIDS drugs,Tranquillisers/Valium, Epilepsy, Phobias,Insomnia, Depression, Pre-op drugs, HeartRhythm drugs, Viagra and Viagra me-toos.

This does not just apply to the juice but thegrapefruits themselves as well. AlsoSeville oranges. Other citrus fruits are fine.

2 - CRANBERRY JUICE WITH ANTI-COAGULANTS We’ve all heard thebenefits of cranberry juice for cystitis and



bacterial infections of the bladder butcranberry juice should not be used withanti-coagulants. It has been reported thatchemicals in cranberries may interfere withthe effects of the blood thinning drug,warfarin. In one case, the effects ofwarfarin were decreased, but in severalother instances, Warfarin’s effects wereincreased. One case resulted in death.Therefore, the use of supplementalcranberry products is not recommended forindividuals who take warfarin. Alsocranberries contain chemicals calledoxalates, which may contribute to theformation of kidney stones. Drinking largeamounts of cranberry juice (more thanabout a quarter per day) or takingconcentrated cranberry supplements mayincrease the risk of developing kidneystones. Therefore, individuals who have orwho ever have had kidney stones shouldnot consume very large amounts ofcranberries or use supplemental cranberryproducts.

3 - ST JOHNS WORT AND VARIOUSDRUGS St Johns Wort should not betaken with a selection of different drugsincluding the contraceptive pill (if takenwith it, it can make it ineffective), drugsused in transplants, anti-coagulants andanti-depressants- (St Johns Wort is oftenused for depression but should not be usedin conjunction with prescribed anti-depressants).

It appears that preparations of St John'sWort may be inducers of various drugmetabolising enzymes. This may result in areduction in the plasma concentrations andtherapeutic effects of medicinesmetabolised by these enzymes. There isstrong evidence to suggest that St John'sWort significantly reduces the plasmaconcentrations of medicines -Indinavir andCyclosporin. There are also reasonablegrounds for concern that St John's Wort

may reduce the efficacy of warfarin, andsome HIV drugs.

Oral Contraceptives ("the pill") may beaffected by the enzyme induction of StJohn's Wort. Some episodes ofbreakthrough bleeding reported overseashave been attributed to the interaction.Unintended pregnancy has not beenreported but, given the mechanisminvolved, there are grounds for concernthat the interaction might reduce thecontraceptive efficacy of some oestrogencontaining Oral Contraceptives.

Do not take with the following pills/conditions. The pill, Pregnancy. Anti-coagulants. Drugs used in transplants,SSRI's anti-depressants, HIV/AIDS,Diabetics, Heart drug. Suffer from fits.Migraine treatments , Asthma

4 – GINGKO BILOBA AND ASPIRINGinkgo leaf is known to increase the timeblood needs to clot. When it is taken withantiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs, theeffect of the drug may be increased,resulting in uncontrolled bleeding. Aspirincan also delay clotting, so ginkgo leafshould not be taken orally at the same timeas aspirin.

Some non-prescription products that areused to treat allergies or colds containingredients such as dexchlorpheniramineand pseudoephedrine, which may possiblymake seizures more likely to recur.Although the risk is thought to be slight,taking any ginkgo product may alsoincrease the possibility of seizures forindividuals who have had seizurespreviously. Therefore, taking ginkgo at thesame time as a non-prescriptionantihistamine or decongestant is notrecommended.

The Gingko leaf is broken down by certainenzymes in the liver and because of this it




may possibly interfere with the use ofprescription drugs that are processed by thesame enzymes. These include some allergydrugs, some antifungal drugs, some cancerdrugs, some drugs for high cholesterol andoral contraceptives. Ginkgo leaf maychange the ways that the body makes anduses natural insulin. Therefore, it may alsoalter the effects of injected insulin fordiabetes.

5 - GARLIC SUPPLEMENTS AFFECTANTI-COAGULANTS The garlicsupplements help to reduce the bloodpressure so can be potentially harmful withanti-coagulants. They can raise the level ofanti-coagulants in the blood and couldcause haemorrhaging.

6 - MILK AND ANTIBIOTICS. Theantibiotic tetracylines is commonly usedfor acne and other infections, especiallyskin and throat related infections. Theproblem with milk in combination withthis drug is it stops the drug beingabsorbed throughout the large intestine.

7 - GLUCOSAMINE AND DIABETESGlucosamine is often used to ease pain forpatients with arthritis. However diabeticsshould avoid it because it affects theirblood levels and also patients with ashellfish allergy because it is made up ofcrushed shellfish.

8 - ECHINACEA AND HEART DRUGS/TRANSPLANT PATIENTS Echinaceashould not be used with heart drugs ortransplant patients because it can causeliver damage.

Also a report last week claimed thatechincaea was useless in fighting off coldsand flu. In a study volunteers were giveneither echinacea or a placebo and thenexposed to the cold virus. Nine out of tensubjects in both groups came down withbad colds. Dr Steven Sperber who led theresearch in the US said 'The results clearly

show echinacea is useless. Althoughwidely used a number of well-designedstudies show it can not be effective inpreventing the common cold.' Butmanufacturers of the herbal remedy claimit has antibiotic and antiviral properties andfights infection by increasing the quantityof white blood cells.

9 - SURGERY Certain drinks and drugsshould be stopped before surgery. Theseare:-• Garlic supplements and even garlicseven days before an operation• Gingko Biloba to be stopped two daysbefore surgery• St Johns Wort stop five days beforesurgery.

DRUGS TO BE WARY OF Insummary if you are on any of the drugsbelow you should tell your doctor whatcomplementary medicines you are taking.

• The Pill• Anti-depressants & H IV tablets .• HRT tablets

• Anti-coagulants- these in particularhave a specific level that they should be atin the blood stream for them to work andthis level should not be highered orlowered even slightly. There is a very'narrow window' for that level.• If you are a diabetic you should also becareful of herbal remedies that you use.

For Further Informationwww.ukdipg.org.uk - www.rpsgb.org.ukwww .pharmacytimes.comwww.herbalinfo.net - www.napra.orgwww.edis.ifas.ufl.eduNHS Direct 0845 46 47

NW Medicine Info Service 01517948117

Email: [email protected] lines01280706251 Herbal Info Centre0906 802 0117 Herbal help line GP's



NEURO NEWSFrom DIANE NEWMAN

Regional Alliance Representativefor the Neurological Alliance.

<[email protected]>

The Neurological AllianceCo. Ltd by Guarantee No 2939840

Registered charity number 1039034Southbank HouseBlack Prince RoadLondon SE1 7SJ020 7463 2074

www.neural.org.uk

Would you like to set upa regional alliance?

We can use your skills and enthusiasm.E-mail [email protected]

Annual General Meeting4th November 2004.

The Rose Room at MSNational Centre, Cricklewood, NW2.

LincolnshireNeurological Alliance

Next meetingFriday 24th September 2004.

10.30 a.m. to 12.30 a.m.At St Barnabas Hospice Day

and Education CentreHawthorne Road

Lincolnwww.lincolnshire-neurological-alliance.org.uk

West BerkshireNeurological Alliance

Thursday 30th September at 7.30 pmAGM. Guest speaker:

the Neurological Alliance Chief Executive,Judith Kidd.

Thurs 21st April 2005,an all day Neurological Conference

at Newbury Racecourse.Keynote speakers Professor Ray Tallis and

8 other speakers.Education credits. £120 for professionals.

Concessions available.Contact John Holt on 01635 33582.

BuckinghamshireNeurological Alliance,

PO Box 499,AmershamHP6 5XR,

Tel: 01494 729373,email: [email protected].

Hosts the nextRegional Forums' meeting onThursday, 7th October, 2004

South East EssexNeurological Alliance

(SEENA) held its first AGM on10 June, with guest speaker,Judith Kidd, Chief Executive,The Neurological Alliance.

The newly formed Alliance'sChairman, Dr. Elizabeth Dowsett,

is a real driving force behind SEENA'swork.

Launch of theNeurological Alliance of Scotland.

A new alliance of 32 neurological charitieswas launched on Wednesday

26 May 2004.and was featured in the MS magazine,

MS Scotland.Speaking at the launch was Health Minister

Malcolm Chisholm who announced thatneurological patients in Scotland

are to benefit from a £3millionredesign in services.

Other AlliancesMorecambe Bay Neurological Alliance

Mersey Neurological AllianceSandwell Neurological AllianceCaithness and North Sutherland

Neurological GroupCambridgeshire Neurological Alliance

Leicestershire NeurologicalSpecial Interest Group

Glasgow Alliance of Neurological GroupsGreater Manchester Neurological Alliance

Lancashire and South CumbriaNeurological Alliance

Wales Neurological Alliance


ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING and SPEAKERS.

The Annual General Meeting is being held onSaturday October 16th 2004

at the Memorial Hall, Newark Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln.[A1434—100 yards west of traffic lights Newark Road / Whisby Road north—Mill Moor south]

The rooms will be open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.AGM will start at 10.30 a.m. prompt.

Followed by CoffeeWorkshop for Polio Survivors and another for Carers and FriendsDiscussing the issues that occur and ways of coping with them.

12.30ish Buffet Lunch and time to chat.

2.00 p.m. Afternoon Session.The afternoon will take the form of a talk on the Expert Patient program and aWorkshop on the problems being experienced by Polio Survivors when beingassessed. At this moment in time we do not have final confirmation ofspeakers due to circumstances beyond their control. We will have at least twohealth professionals join in the workshop sessions. This information will be tohand by the end of August and will be published on the Website and sent toeveryone who returns the reply slip—bottom half of this page.

Tea Break—Raffle 6 prizes—Table top Sale, bring items to help raise funds.Question Time ending at 4.45 p.m.

I/We ……………………………..…………………………………

Address …………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………… Post Code ……………….

Telephone Number …………………………………………..

Email - ………………………………………………………………….

WILL BE ATTENDING / HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND / WILL NOT BE ATTENDING.

I enclose a cheque in the sum of £ …………………………………………….

For Day Tickets No. ……………. Buffet Lunches No. ……………………..

Attendance at AGM only—FreeAttendance at the rest of the Days Events—£5.00 per person. Under 16’s free.

Buffet Lunch—£3.00

Dietary requirements ……………………………………………………………

I will be using a wheelchair/scooter YES / NO[This information is to help us set the room out before your arrival]

I will be staying over the weekend at the IBIS Hotel / Other venue ………………………..

[Bookings must be made direct to the IBIS Hotel mention the LincsPPN - 01522 698333]


ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The following 4 nominations have been received.

Chair—Mary KinaneTreasurer—Denise CarlyleSecretary—Hilary Hallam

Committee with responsibility for the Neuro Alliances—Diane NewmanCommittee Members ………………………………………..

[further nominations needed please]

The following members have agreed to continue with the stated tasksA BIG THANKYOU to:-

Net Administration—Chris SalterMembership and Newsletter Printing—Robin and Pauline Butler

Assistant Secretary—Sheila DunnettFinancial Advisor—Jenni PaulgerPhone Team Leader—Di Brennand

Phone Team—Pat Hollingworth, Margaret Edmonds, Judy BarterEmail info line—Mary Kinane

Newsletter Editor—Hilary HallamNewsletter Setting Up—Len Van Zyl

I have the following requirements not covered overleaf.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Question Time …………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

I would like to talk to a committee member about helping with the work. Phone Team / Info Line /Library Research / Online Research / ………………………….. Etc.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

RETURN TOSHEILA DUNNETT

Address removed from PDF edition..


Polio and Post Polio NewsA service from the

Lincolnshire Post Polio Network.

http://mt.lincolnshirepostpolio.org.uk/

Friday 20th August 2004Heavy rains 'pose bathing risk'. [271]

Summary: Heavy storms this summer havethreatened to pollute Britain's bathingbeaches, a watchdog has warned.

The Marine Conservation Society wantssigns put on beaches to warn swimmers thatthey could face health risks if they swimshortly after heavy rain.

Many UK beaches have sewer overflows onor near them, which divert untreated sewageinto the sea following storms.

But the Environment Agency said it was"not identified as a major problem" and thatbeaches were "cleaner than ever".

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS)warning came after sudden downpours thissummer wreaked havoc in different parts ofBritain.

As well as the flood which devastated theCornish village of Boscastle, and thelandslide in Scotland which trappedmotorists on a road below, a number ofrivers have burst their banks.

After one heavy downpour in London earlierthis month, 50,000 tonnes of raw sewageflowed into the Thames when sewers wereunable to cope.

"What we are talking about are not seriousproblems, but fairly short-lived illnessessuch as gastroenteritis and eye and earinfections," Thomas Bell of the MarineConservation Society told BBC NewsOnline.

"We are not saying people will get them,simply that the chances of getting them riseafter rainstorms.

"We would ask swimmers to avoid going inthe sea for a day or two after heavy rain."

The World Health Organisation saysevidence linking sewage pollution todiseases such as hepatitis A, enteric fever,polio and typhoid is inconclusive, but maybe proven after sufficient clinical research.

Polio vaccination in Europe: the shiftfrom OPV to IPV use. [263]

Opening paragraphs: The United Kingdom(UK) National Health Service recentlyannounced changes to the national childhoodimmunisation programme with a shift fromthe use of live oral polio vaccine (OPV) toinactivated polio vaccine (IPV) for routineinfant and childhood vaccination [1]. IPVhas been shown to be a safe and effectivevaccine, although more costly than OPV.

The UK thus joins a growing list ofEuropean countries that use IPV exclusivelyin their routine immunisation programme(currently 15 of the 30 European countries inthe Table)(EUVAC.NET. http://www.ssi.dk/euvac/). Some of these counties such asFrance and Sweden have had successfulroutine IPV programmes for many years,while others such as Ireland have movedonly very recently from routine OPV to IPVuse. Nine other countries, mainly in easternand southern Europe, continue to only useOPV, while six have mixed programmes:recommending IPV for the primary schedule(or part of it) and OPV for subsequentbooster doses.

August 08, 2004—Parent fury at newsuper vaccine for 8-week-olds. [231]

Summary: The government was last nightfacing a furious backlash from parents and



doctors over controversial plans to introducea new five-in-one vaccine for babies.

Campaigners warned that the new jab, whichis set to replace existing separate vaccines asearly as next month, faces an MMR-styleboycott from many parents fearful of theeffect it might have on their children.

Despite the lack of advance publicity orconsultation, stockpiles are already beingcreated of the new jab, which will be givenat two months to vaccinate againstdiphtheria, tetanus, hib, polio, and whoopingcough.

Ministers, who will formally announce theplan tomorrow, insist the quintuple jab issafe, and a positive development for parentsbecause it replaces the whooping coughvaccine, which contained mercury.

But while many parents, doctors andpoliticians last night welcomed the removalof the toxic metal, they expressed fearsabout the safety of combining so manyvaccines in one jab.

Opponents argue that even if the vaccineswhich make up the jabs are safeindividually, combining them could give riseto unforeseen reactions and risks.

The Scottish Executive last night refused tocomment on the news or even say whetherthere had been any prior consultation on theswitch to the new vaccine.

Although ministers are continuing to insistthat there was no evidence that the mercuryin the vaccine was harmful, they have saidthat it is good practice to avoid mercurywherever possible and therefore switch tothe new jab.

The other reason for the switch is that thecurrent ‘live’ polio vaccine will be replacedby a new ‘killed’ version, which is believed

to be safer.

Dr Andrew Wakefield, the scientist whoseresearch in 1998 raised the first fears that theMMR combined jab could be linked tochildren developing autism, welcomed thedecision to remove mercury from the jab asa victory for parents.

But he raised concerns about governmentplans to introduce the cost-saving five-in-one vaccine and said more research shouldbe done before it was offered.

David Davidson, the Scottish Tory healthspokesman, warned that ministers riskedalienating parents by insisting that vaccinesneeded to be taken in a single jab.

August 20th, 2004—Misconceptions aboutthe new combination vaccine. [265]

Summary: The publicity surrounding thenews of impending changes to the childhoodvaccination programme has once againhighlighted important misconceptions aboutcombination vaccines.

Although changes are being made tovaccines at three different ages, all theattention has focused on the new pentavalentvaccine (DTaP/Hib/IPV), being given ininfancy, with headlines of chaos and panic.

This is regrettable since the new vaccineoffers children protection against the samefive diseases as the previous regimen but ina slightly different, more acceptable,formulation.

This change is a natural progression in thelight of changes in the epidemiology of polioand advances in vaccine technology ---developments that were predictable someyears ago.

The use of inactivated polio vaccine ratherthan oral polio vaccine is now possible




His lowest level ever was 5.2% this pastFebruary. That level is well into the normalrange. Derek achieved it through diet alone.No pills. No insulin.

Exercise for him is difficult and infrequentbecause he got polio in 1949 and now walkswith a cane. Born in London, England, hewas a pilot in the Royal Air Force at the time.He immigrated to the U.S. in 1964 to workfor Westinghouse at its research anddevelopment center in Pittsburgh. When heretired from that company in 1993, he starteda power engineering consulting business inPalm Harbor, Florida, near Tampa. "ActuallyI am quite busy," he says. "I wrote oneengineering book that was published in 1995and I am just finishing up a second one. NowI am having fun. I am doing only what I wantto do."

But after maintaining excellent control of hisdiabetes for severe years, treatment for twoother conditions made it more difficult tocontrol his diabetes. Early this year henoticed increasingly several headaches andmuscle aches. "Over a period of about eightweeks I went downhill," he says. "By thetime I got to see a Rheumatologist I couldhardly lift my arms and was barely able to getout of bed. The diagnosis was polymyalgiarheumatica and temporal arteritis. Thediseases often come together and aredisabling. The good news is that there's asolution."

The solution is a powerful steroid calledprednisone. He expects to have to take it forabout a year. But the bad news is thatprednisone often raises blood glucose levelsand had that effect on Derek. He now has toinject substantial amounts of insulin. Hishaemoglobin A1c level shot up to 6.1%,which most people with diabetes would bedelighted to have, but was a large increase forDerek. Controlling his diabetes and balancingthe needs of his other conditions are a challengefor Derek. But thinking like the engineer he is, heis undoubtedly devising further experiments.


because of the near elimination of polioworldwide.

While wild polio remained a serious threat,the small risk of vaccine associated paralyticpolio was outweighed by the superiorcommunity protection afforded.

Oral polio vaccine is shed from the gut of animmunised individual, providing constantboosting to the community, whilst alsopreventing carriage of wild virus.

These properties are no longer necessarybecause of the worldwide decrease in casesof polio.

Many other European countries, as well asthe United States and Canada, have alreadymade this change. It has come later in theUnited Kingdom because the possibility ofimportation of polio from endemic areas hasbeen greater owing to different patterns ofmigration.

The second development is the use of aparticular acellular or component pertussisvaccine rather than the current whole cellvaccine.

An as yet unpublished study has shown thatthe new vaccine Pediacel has the samesafety and reactogenicity profile as thestandard pentavalent vaccine usedsuccessfully in Canada for the past sevenyears.

Friday 10th August—91-Year-YoungLucille Borgen Wins National Water SkiTitle. [235]Summary: Aug. 9, 2004 --- Lucille Borgenof Babson Park, Florida, amazed the crowdat the 62 Annual Water Ski NationalChampionships by winning the Women 10slalom and tricks event on her 91st birthday.She is the oldest competitor to ever ski atthe Nationals. The cancer and polio survivorwas the lone competitor in the age group



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From Henry’sDesk The Great Crippler, Then and Now · Please make all denomination cheques/checks payable to ‘Lincolnshire Post -Polio Network’ Post to Membership Sec, 78 Heron