My memories of events before I had polio at age five are scanty, but I can very clearly remember the day I was diagnosed with polio. How strange to feel healthy and energetic, jumping up and down and telling my mother that I was OK and just a little tired. Then, the next moment, I could not move my legs, my arms were weakening and my neck hurt badly.
By the end of the day, I could move nothing but my eyes; talking and breathing were difficult. For the next two weeks, I remember being wrapped in hot, wet wool blankets. While I believe these helped, to this day I dislike the smell of wet wool!
Nearly a year went by before I came home. I was fortunate to have (and still do) a very loving family; was healthy before contracting polio; and was sent to the Hyde Home in Bath, Maine, where the caring atmosphere was conducive to recovery. Although I wore one leg brace for a year and had two operations, I was able to get around fairly normally. Sure, there were a few weak muscles here and I there, and I never jumped or ran as well as others, but that didn't stop me from trying.
I recovered enough muscle use so that I could walk under my own power and use my arms to play. I didn't think of myself as handicapped.
What's the point in asking, "why me?" when there is so much that one can still enjoy. For instance, my doctors doubted that I would be able to have children, but God proved otherwise. While I needed to stop after having two, I've been blessed.
In my late 20's, I wanted to go back to college, and with the encouragement of my husband and children, I completed undergraduate school and then received my MBA. Besides raising a family, I was working full time; going to college part time; growing a big garden to freeze and can produce, and participating in social activities. I look back at those years and wonder, where did I get the energy? Somehow, it was just there.
My career involved working with a broad spectrum of customers and partners, with the last 18 years at the Maine State Housing Authority. I loved the challenges of analyzing data, working together to resolve issues and finding solutions. These could be anything from designing a program to help individuals find affordable housing, to monitoring or restructuring multi-million dollar operations: I did not want to give up working, but I was rapidly losing physical strength and energy. The very long and demanding days were wearing me down faster and faster, and in 1999 I finally decided to take a new direction in my life.
At first, I felt all this extra time weighing heavily on me, but I tried to use my time productively, while less physically. "Striving to yield" became my new challenge. Luckily, my "retirement" came just in time to help in converting our post polio group into an independent, non-profit corporation. Also, now, if I want to lie down in the afternoon, I do. Yet, if I want to spend the day cooking, I do. I just try to balance my life and moderate my activities. Some-times I overdo, but I keep working on that moderation.
I'm always on the lookout for something new that might help retain physical abilities a bit longer. Right now, I wear leg bracing and use canes or a wheeled walker with seat. I've recently acquired some hand supports that really ease the strain of using my hands in day-today activities. I've also found a powdered nutritional supplement that seems to help my immune system and has given me extra energy; I'm now sleeping better and waking with less stiffness.
Oh sure, I get frustrated, even disappointed, at times. Then, I only need to think of others less fortunate than I to appreciate what I have. So, now, while my number of activities is more limited, I find that each is more valuable and rewarding. My cup is still at least half full with such wonderful things to appreciate and enjoy!   

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