IPPSO NEWS MAGAZINE
 Vol 2 No. 21 September 2009                                Editors: Mike and Yvonne Isaacson
 
It is ability that counts - not disability
Disclaimer
The views of those who contribute to this publication are not necessarily in agreement with those held either by IPPSO or by the editors of this publication.
 
From the Editors Desk
Alternative Medicine - Good or Bad?
Some time ago, someone suggested to me that we should have a section on alternative medicine in our magazine, but based on my own experiences, I was very much against the idea. What were "my own experiences" that led me to this conclusion? Well, when I contracted polio in 1940 I was living in a very small town called Bulawayo, in a country called Rhodesia - now known as Zimbabwe. Nobody knew much about polio in those days other than the fact that it caused a paralysis and that there was no preventative or cure. My Doctor tried everything under the sun, but to no avail of course.
1940 was a time when many of Hitler's refugees who had fled Germany, settled in Bulawayo. A lot of them were Doctors, eminent medical men of that time but since their German university degrees were not recognised in Rhodesia, they were not allowed to practice medicine in that country; nevertheless, at the request of my parents, they all came to examine me but of course, they couldn't cure me. One of them had come across an article written by a certain Dr. C. Contat that had been published in the Schweitzer Medizinische Wochenschrift in which Potassium Chlorate was advocated as a cure for polio and he suggested that my parents should cure my polio by this method. The Doctor made this suggestion in all seriousness and with the best possible intentions, so we looked for, and managed to get hold of a copy of  the Swiss Medical Journal in which Dr. Contat's paper had been published, but fortunately, we also managed to get hold of a copy of another paper on the same subject, written by two Doctors in Montreal, Canada. I reproduce part of that paper hereunder.... 

Potassium Chlorate-A New Cure for Poliomyelitis

We are familiar with the situation when a clinical man, often of reputable position, gets an idea which he thinks is promising; he proceeds to test it, using controls, but without due consideration of all the attending circumstances; he becomes obsessed with his subject and comes to conclusions that are erroneous or at best over-optimistic. If the subject of his studies has some public interest the lay press seizes upon it and puts forth claims that are entirely misleading. Such is the history of a new cure for poliomyelitis-potassium chlorate.

Accepting that potassium chlorate is a specific for this dread disease, it is a well-known substance, cheap, and can be obtained at any drug store,so why not cure yourself? The danger attending such publicity is obvious.

Dr. C. Contat, writing in the Schweitzer Medizinische Wochenschrift, noted that when he had used potassium chlorate for the relief of a sore throat occurring in a case of acute poliomyelitis the progress of the case was favourably influenced. Starting from this somewhat nebulous premise, he, with certain associates, instituted a number of experiments on monkeys which seemed to give striking confirmation of his clinical impression. Then came the publicity.

The matter was of such great importance (remember that this was written years before the vaccine was developed..... Ed.) that it was deemed well to repeat Contat's work,using his technique so far as this was possible. Accordingly, Drs. Jean Saucier and Oscar W. Stewart, working at the Montreal Neurological Institute, took up the study and their work is  detailed in this issue of the Journal (see p. 19). Their results contradict those of Contat and his associates, and they conclude that potassium chlorate is of no value in controlling the development or course of experimental poliomyelitis in monkeys. In view of the likeness of this disease in monkeys to the same disease in mankind, it seems a reasonable conclusion also that potassium chlorate is of no value in the treatment of the human subject. It should be remembered, too, that potassium chlorate is not by any means innocuous.

We would call attention here to an article in this issue of the Journal which reports a fatal case of etc. etc. (.....and the article continued, reporting the death of a polio "survivor" - which could quite easily have been me!    .....Ed.)

So, having very nearly fallen victim through it, you can now appreciate why I am totally opposed to "alternative" medical treatment. But.......... on the other side of the coin, I remember my Grandmother feeding me a spoonful of honey mixed with lemon juice to soothe my hacking cough. It worked admirably, as does a local South African remedy, a concoction known as "Duiwel's Drek"** - "Devil's Rubbish" in English. So I ask myself "Am I correct in refusing to entertain the suggestion of including a section on Alternative Medicine in our Magazine?"

What do you think? Should I include it or not? I need your input, so please email me at myisaacson@plugg.co.za and let me know what you think of the idea. Yes, or No?                                                                           Mike Isaacson

** a [useless] preparation marketed for stress relief but mostly used to protect children from evil spirits. The main ingredient is asafoetida, which does absolutely nothing to ward off anything like stress, or an evil spirit!

Hehehe Corner

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

 Arlene Zlotnick - Polio Survivor, Wins Her Final Battle - Posthumously

From Micki Minner
 
As many of you know, over a year and a half ago, I met with some ADA specialists, and hired an ADA attorney to file some accessibility lawsuits within the city of Tucson.
The most important one of all, was the one I filed with the Doubletree Hotel in Tucson.  Arlene Zlotnick, friend and fellow polio survivor was a leading advocate in "making noises", and not sitting back and allowing injustice of any kind.  My friend Arlene, once got stuck in the public restroom of the Doubletree Hotel.  I swore to myself that I would file this lawsuit in her memory.
WE WON !!!!!!!!!
I received the settlement TODAY!  The hotel agreed to ADA changes, with a timeline, open inspection of the work to be done, paid all attorney fees (which were minimal), and agreed to future lawsuits if they reneged on the changes.
Examples:
All public restrooms will have room, correct handles, correct signage, correct buttons to open the door, corrected toilet paper dispensers, proper grab bars, proper coat hooks, proper insulation of exposed pipes, sinks, soap dispensers, and towel dispensers moved to correct heights. Creating 10 additional and proper sized ADA parking spots, Complete renovation of 7 of their rooms to be handicapped rooms. (currently they have none - only one that is accessible, but not by much) out of 295 guest rooms.
They agreed to remove the steps to the pool, fitness rooms, tennis courts, and to all public access areas of the hotel. (including the restaurants), and completely renovate the gift shop to make it accessible.
There is more, but that is the main part of it.
 
For those of you that knew Arlene and loved her, this is HER victory. Hip Hip Hooray.....maybe there is hope for ADA accessibility for ALL of us.
 
Health Benefits of Honey and Cinnamon

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey
A mixture of Honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Ayurvedic as well as Yunani medicine have been using honey as a vital medicine for centuries. Scientists of today also accept honey as a very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients.

Try these remedies and see for yourself.......

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, chapatti, or other bread, instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack.  Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heartbeat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as age the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalizes the arteries and veins.

INSECT BITES: Take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder, make a paste and massage it on the itching part of the body slowly. The pain recedes within a minute or two.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured.
In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, when doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week out of the 200 people so treated practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain and within a month, mostly all the patients who couldn't walk or move because of arthritis started walking without pain.

HAIR LOSS: Those suffering from hair loss or baldness may apply a paste of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder keeping it for approx. 15 min. and then wash the hair.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

TOOTHACHE: Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. Apply 3 times a day till the tooth stops aching.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10% within 2 hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken 3 times a day, any Chronic cholesterol is cured. 

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomachache and also clears stomach ulcers.

GAS: According to the studies done in India & Japan, honey taken with cinnamon powder relieves gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food, relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ingredient, which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly arrests the ravages of old age. Take 4 spoons of honey, 1 spoon of cinnamon powder and 3 cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, 3 to 4 times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of Honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month 3 times a day.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon power in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. A Doctor has found that a half tablespoon honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken in the morning and afternoon when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America, first thing in the morning gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water. So their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder taken in equal parts restores hearing.

*NOTE:The honey used must be REAL RAW UNPASTEURIZED HONEY. If it says PURE honey it is most likely pasteurized. It is best to only buy honey that says RAW or UNPASTEURIZED on the label. The difference is that the enzymes are all heated out of the pasteurized honey.

Hehehe Corner

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Braniac? Polio Brain?

The human brain has amazed and baffled people throughout the ages. Some scientists and doctors have devoted their entire lives to learning how the brain works. It is no wonder that people enjoy learning facts about this incredible organ in the human body. Here are some interesting facts about the brain including how it works, how it develops, what it controls, how it affects sleep, dreams, and memory, and more, which may be helpful. 

Physical Attributes

These facts will teach you interesting bits of information about the physical make-up of the human brain.

1.    Weight. The weight of the human brain is about 3 lbs.

2.     Cerebrum. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and makes up 85% of the brain’s weight.

3.     Skin. Your skin weighs twice as much as your brain.

4.     Gray matter. The brain’s gray matter is made up of neurons, which gather and transmit signals.

5.     White matter. The white matter is made up of dendrites and axons, which create the network by which neurons send their signals.

6.     Gray and white. Your brain is 60% white matter and 40% gray matter.

7.     Water. The brain is made up of about 75% water.

8.     Neurons. Your brain consists of about 100 billion neurons.

9.     Synapses. There are anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 synapses for each neuron.

10. No pain. There are no pain receptors in the brain, so the brain can feel no pain.

11. Largest brain. While an elephant’s brain is physically larger than a human brain, the human brain is 2% of total body weight (compared to 0.15% of an elephant's brain, meaning humans have the largest brain to body size.

12. Blood vessels. There are 100 miles of blood vessels in the brain.

13. Fat. The human brain is the fattest organ in the body and may consists of at least 60% fat.

The Developing Brain

Starting from within the womb, fetal brain development begins the amazing journey that leads to a well-developed brain at birth that continues to grow for 18 more years.

  1. Neurons. Neurons develop at the rate of 250,000 neurons per minute during early pregnancy.
  2. Size at birth. At birth, your brain was almost the same size as an adult brain and contained most of the brain cells for your whole life.
  3. Newborn’s growth. A newborn baby’s brain grows about three times its size in the first year.
  4. Stopped growing. Your brain stopped growing at age 18.
  5. Cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex grows thicker as you learn to use it.
  6. Stimulation. A stimulating environment for a child can make the difference between a 25% greater ability to learn or 25% less in an environment with little stimulation.
  7. New neurons. Humans continue to make new neurons throughout life in response to mental activity.
  8. Read aloud. Reading aloud and talking often to a young child promotes brain development.
  9. Emotions. The capacity for such emotions as joy, happiness, fear, and shyness are already developed at birth. The specific type of nurturing a child receives shapes how these emotions are developed.
  10. First sense. The first sense to develop while in utero is the sense of touch. The lips and cheeks can experience touch at about 8 weeks and the rest of the body around 12 weeks.
  11. Bilingual brains. Children who learn two languages before the age of five alters the brain structure and adults have a much denser gray matter.
  12. Child abuse and the brain. Studies have shown that child abuse can inhibit development of the brain and can permanently affect brain development.

 Moments in History

The study of the brain has an interesting history. Check out this abbreviated time line to learn interesting facts about the history of brain research and development.

2000 B.C.. Archeologists found evidence that primitive brain surgery was performed by drilling a hole in the skull.
1811. Scottish surgeon Charles Bell described how each of the senses had a corresponding spot in the brain.
1899. Aspirin was marketed as a pain reliever, but was not available without a prescription until 1915.
1921. Hermann Rorschach invented the now-famous ink blot test for use with his patients.
1959. The first rhesus monkey was sent into space to study human behavior.
 
More Interesting brainy facts in the next issue
 
Hehehe Corner
 

If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of payments.

 
Barbara Gratzke Reports on Warm Springs

We attended the Post Polio Health International’s 10th International Post Polio Conference in Warm Springs, Georgia, April 23-25.  Many thanks to my Post Polio support group in Miami, Florida who agreed to pay my registration fees.

 

There were over 400 people in attendance and the delegates included the alumni of the Roosevelt Warm Springs Polio Foundation from the 1930’s – 1950’s.  

I am one of the alumni of Warm Springs. I was a patient at age nine in 1955 for over a year.

I arrived  totally immobile and learned to walk again in the warm mineral water  swimming pools where they  also exercised my limbs 6 days a week on a table in the water, taught me how to perform the tasks of daily living using  customized mobility aides, and made customized crutches, leg and arm braces for me.

Because I had been in a fetal position for a 6 month waiting period, they first did surgery to cut my hip bands so I could straighten up to enable me to begin learning to walk. That meant that I was in a plaster cast from sternum to toes for an 8 week period. I’ve not run across anyone else that had this done.

 



 

This is a picture of me after leaving Warm Springs.

 

 

I returned home to Urbana, Illinois where over a three year time period, and after having surgery on my ankle and elbow, I got rid of all braces and was able to function totally independently until PPS symptoms gradually put me into a power scooter full-time in 1999. The fusion of my arm at the elbow to a 90 degree angle and the tightening of the tendons (so I could no longer straighten my arm) allowed me to be able to move my hand upwards to feed myself, comb my hair etc. I’ve not heard of this done on anyone else either. Fusing my right ankle to 90 degrees enabled me to get rid of my last leg AFO (ankle-knee orthotic) as I could not pull up my foot and thus would trip and fall without the brace.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Also present was Susan Kerr, our IPPSO 2nd Vice President, who was sent by her New Zealand Post Polio Society.  This photo shows her on the last day of the conference at the dinner by the lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth Lounsbury, our IPPSO Director of Public Relations, was sent by Polio Canada, pictured here on the right, beside me.

 

 

 

 

 



                                                                                            

 

 

 

 

 

The last photo shows me with two of our top PPS researchers. Dr. Kristian Borg, Department of Neurology, Karolinska Sjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden, and Dr. Dr Daria Troja, Post Polio Clinic, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital and two Brazilian physical therapists..

 

 

 

 

At the April Warm Springs PPS conference, several issues really made an impact on me. One is that physical therapists from multiple countries shared results of clinical trials that proved it is crucial that polio survivors not give up exercising all together.  We need to have a program of good exercise in order to maintain independence and to keep our heart and other organs functioning better and to maintain a good quality of life over time.

 

My own experience is that exercise seems to weaken my muscles instead of give me more stamina, but these physical therapists set up exercise regimes and monitored post polio patients over several years and all had increased muscle strength to some degree.

 

However, it was emphasized that we need a medical professional to determine which muscles to exercise and to identify any muscles that are really weak to start with and should just be used as needed to perform every day personal tasks.

 

The problem, I see, is that most of us have difficulty in finding a knowledgeable therapist that understands PPS and can assist us set up the proper exercise regime.

 

Another issue reported on by researchers from many countries was that they had found through research that they’ve done to date that it appears that PPS is due to our immune systems not functioning properly and our ganglia and motor neurons are deteriorating due to inflammatory factors. The theory that over-use of our motor neurons is causing them to deteriorate is not felt to be a viable explanation anymore.  I am not a medical person so can’t explain much more in layman’s terms, but if you order the program booklets from PHI  as I give information on below, there will be more information on this.

 

The other issue that I was amazed by was that PPS doctors from countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Australia reported that over 25% of their medical practices were young people recovering from polio that had emigrated from third world countries. They said that the language and social barriers made treatment and advice for these patients very time-consuming. They are hoping that their governments will be more receptive to funding more research to benefit those with PPS as a younger generation is present with polio, and it is still being diagnosed in many countries today.

 

Go to Post Polio Health International’s website of www.post-polio.org to order the CDs of the PPS conference program booklets which have a wealth of information. NB These CD's are in .pdf format.

 

IPPSO Board members Elizabeth Lounsbury, Shari Fiksdal and I continue to be on the Steering Committee for the Polio World Yahoo communication group. We now have 27 members representing the major PPS group leaders of most of the regions of the world.

 

March of Dimes, Polio Canada has agreed to host a one hour teleconference call for the Steering committee meetings. We had the first meeting last month. It was decided to designate October 11-24, 2009 as Post Polio Awareness days because those dates encompass all activities already being planned by various major PPS groups around the world.

 

We feel that if we encourage polio survivors everywhere to write letters to their newspapers, TV and radio media, etc. in a short time period that the barrage of contacts will make them set up and take notice.

 

Many felt that using a topic that might get media notice such as the recent commentaries on parents questioning the need to vaccinate their children might get “picked up”. People need to be reminded of the polio epidemics’ and aftermath, and then we can state the after effects that are experienced years later in the form of PPS.

 

I have attended the Fort Worth and Houston, Texas PPS group meetings and just went to the PPS group meeting here in Asheville, North Carolina on our continuing travels. I’m always amazed at the wonderful, dynamic polio survivors I continue to meet and have made some great new friends.  Another big “plus” for me is that they can guide me towards what is wheelchair accessible to easily sight-see in each area.

 

My husband, Bill, was made President of the U.S. Handicapped Travel Club at the annual RV rally that we attended near Gatlinburg, Tennessee in June.

 

It is amazing what people with many types of disabilities have done to make modifications for accessibility and many live fulltime in their RV’s and even get campground “host” employment to augment their income.

 

I encourage all to consider it, if at all possible. Until a neighbor came back from their RV trip in 2005 and told us about seeing an accessible RV, we didn’t even know that accessible RV’s or this life-style existed. It’s great to not have to lug everything in and out of motel rooms and come back to the same bed and both our Bipap machines each night and rest frequently.

 

Hehehe Corner

If God is watching us, the least we can do is be entertaining.

 

Gladys Swensrud and the Salk Institute

We are so proud of our IPPSO member, Gladys Swensrud, who has been instrumental in bringing neuromuscular respiratory awareness to the forefront over the last few years for those with PPS.  She began to educate San Diego’s medical professionals within her HMO about neuromuscular respiratory compromise in 2003.  At the same time Gladys was also involved in the formation a group of neuro organizations, the San Diego Neuro Network, whose mission is to work collaborately as an inter-agency group to increase awareness of programs available to support individuals diagnosed with neurologic diseases or disorders, their families and health care providers in the San Diego area.  

Gladys advocated within her Health Maintenance Organization in San Diego, California, Kaiser Permanente, to provide the correct testing and treatment for people with a respiratory component related to their neuromuscular diseases. She then spent a year speaking to California PPS groups, sharing information she learned.  In 2008, Gladys worked to see San Diego’s treatment algorithm, which was the heart of the Kaiser/San Diego program, expanded throughout the Southern region of her HMO.  The Breathing & Sleep Symposium at the Salk Institute should go a long way toward furthering that goal.

The Salk Institute recently created a web site, www.poliotoday.org, which will give polio survivors a forum for sharing information and allow easier networking between individuals and groups.  Please check it out at your earliest convenience.

Important Note:- Our President Barbara Gratzke will be issuing a "Special Report" next week giving full details of the Salk Symposium, so watch your mail box. In the meantime, anyone wishing to attend the Salk Symposium on Breathing and sleep can now register on line at  http://www.salk.edu/breathingandsleep/

 
Social Security Disability Insirance

Here is an interesting site to use when filing or helping someone file for SADIE (Social Security Disability Insurance) It is extremely informative.  I hope it is helpful to you all.
http://www.disabilitysecrets.com

Heheheh Corner

Why do people believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Health Benefits of Omega 3 Fatty Acids

What are omega 3 fatty acids? They're a nutritional element that first caught researchers' attention about 20 years ago – and what they discovered could have health benefits for anyone worried about a healthy heart.

In the early 1980s, studies showed that the Inuit had low rates of heart disease despite their high-fat diet rich in fish. It turns out the omega 3 fatty acids in the fish may be what protects their hearts, along with other health benefits.

Benefits of Omega 3 Fatty Acids in Heart Disease and Cholesterol

Omega 3 fatty acids are poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Studies show that a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help lower triglycerides and increase HAL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Omega 3 fatty acids may also act as an anticoagulant to prevent blood from clotting. Several other studies also suggest that these fatty acids may help lower high blood pressure.

Potential Benefits of Omega 3 Fatty Acids in Alzheimer's

Omega 3 fatty acids may protect against the accumulation in the body of a protein believed to be linked to Alzheimer's disease, according to the results of a new animal study published in the March 2005 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. This study specifically investigated one particular kind of omega 3 fatty acids – Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and the results are encouraging.

Omega 3: Fish or Plant?

With the increasing popularity of vegetarian diets and mounting fears about mercury and PCBs in seafood, people often ask about using flax oil (which contains alpha-linolenic acids - or ALA) instead of fish oil.

Our bodies can convert ALA into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - the beneficial elements of omega 3 - but the conversion process is slow. In addition, a high concentration of ALA (as present in flax oil pills) has been linked to higher risk of prostate cancer by some early research. Until more is known, men may be safest to choose fish oil for heart-healthy omega 3s instead of plant-sourced ALA.

Hehehe Corner

The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some real good ideas!

The E Z Pull

This is really interesting for all Wheelchair Users