EDITOR
MARK KAHN
NORTH
Dear Mr. Kahn:
Five months ago, Becky, my wife of 47 years surprised me by saying “ I confused not complaining with having a high threshold for pain.”
In 1951, at twelve years of age, Becky contracted Polio. She
had initial great pain throughout her body, ultimately resulting in complete
paralysis in her legs. She was taken to the hospital.
The medical treatment consisted of Sister Kenny treatments – being wrapped in scalding hot woolen blankets all wrapped around with a rubber sheet.
She was treated just like the millions of other kids with
The therapist wheeled Becky into the Physical Therapy room and dumped her on the floor and ordered “ Get back into the wheelchair”, “I can’t”, “Get back into the wheelchair!” “I can’t” “There are no such words as ‘I can’t’ get back into the wheelchair!”. Becky ultimately recovered her ability to walk, though her left side was much weaker than her right.The statement :”There are no such words as ‘I can’t’” resonated throughout her life, as it did for all other Polio survivors.
Dr. Richard L. Bruno, in his book The Polio Paradox states that the survivors of Polio are Type “A” personalities. Dr. Bruno states “Polio survivors who were told they would never go to college or get a job became the country’s best and brightest.”
When Becky contracted Polio, she was already in “Major Work”
in the 7th grade, she has a genius IQ, she
would have graduated at 17 years of age. Polio did not stop her (nor her fellow
survivors) Becky
pushed herself academically, she graduated only 6 months later
than she otherwise would have. She was a member of the National Honor Society, she
received University Scholarships, she was admitted to
She also engaged in many other demanding activities:such as waitressing,
flying 2 ½ days from
Socially, she belonged to Job’s Daughters, taught English to our 27 adult Japanese students (my off-duty hours) ’58 through ’59, raised our two sons: YMCA Gray Y’s, Little League, Boy Scouts, a max involved MOM and now a grandma . Member ofVariety Club, RB Chorale, Lions Club, member of Auxiliary Harmony Grove/Elfin Forest Fire Department.
Then about 17 years ago she had experiences which challenged
her reality and also affected our relationship. It started very innocuously but
ominously, first with a confusion about which leg to
use when ascending stairs, then stumbling when getting onto a Tour Bus at the
Becky’s statement “I confused not complaining with having a high threshold for pain” coupled with Dr. Bruno’s statement in The Polio Paradox “One of the first things polio survivors told us back in 1982 was that they were exquititely sensitive to pain” really opened my eyes. When Becky started demonstrating the insidious post-polio symptoms 17 years ago, our relationship suffered. I thought it was me, then I thought, no, it is her, then I thought it was us. Instead it was post-polio syndrome.
Now, I have nothing but the utmost and greatest love and respect for Becky. My goodness, talk about exquisite pain”, both our sons were caesarean!.
The contacts for the Post-Polio Network in our area are: Mary Clare Schlesinger email: postpolio@cox.net and Mary Timmons email: LaRosa1234@aol.com .
Yours very truly,
Anthony Abbott
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