IPPSO Magazine for July. We hope our Editor, Mike Isaacson is feeling better and will be back soon.

First of all, we hope everyone who has been experiencing the heat wave in the US have been able to keep cool. Hopefully cooler air will arrive soon.

At our last Board meeting July 22, 2010 the Board did some re-organizing of the IPPSO Board members, so we could each be more effective as a team. They are as follows:

Mike Kossove has resigned as Director of Education. We thank you Mike for the many years you served in this position and wish you well.

Anyone interested in filling the position of Secretary please let us know.

Shari Fiksdal, President and Co-Founder

Dear IPPSO members,

If any of our members are interested in entering photos in our IPPSO photo contest where the best series of pictures of a person that "shows the effects of polio on their lives" is selected to send on to a Polio World representative to be included in other contest entries and another selection is made from those to send on to Polio Canada to represent each country worldwide...

Please send your 3-4 photos and brief details to describe each picture to Shari Fiksdal at Fiksdalpps@yahoo.com, if you are interested.

Basically we are looking for pictures pre-polio, after polio, during best recovery period, and now - this will emphasize we survived a lot and WE'RE STILL HERE!

Polio World is promoting October 2010 as Post Polio Awareness month and we hope to encourage all kinds of projects and activities to barage the world with PPS awareness.

If your contest entry is selected, you will be sent a release form to sign before it is sent to Polio Canada for distribution worldwide in a collage with the winners of other countries.

Below are the guidelines that were sent to each PPS support group world-wide which will explain more about Polio World's objectives.

POLIO SURVIVOR PHOTO CONTEST GUIDELINES
Deadline August 24, 2010

Support October 2010 Post Polio Awareness Month and We're Still Here campaign

Post Polio support groups are invited to participate in a photo contest to help raise awareness about the effects of polio and Post Polio Syndrome. We encourage each PPS support group to determine how they want to handle selecting a photo contest entry and send to a Polio World representative listed for their region below by August 24, 2010.

The entry deemed to best illustrate the polio experience will be selected for each country and forwarded to Polio Canada to be put in a collage of photos to be used for various PPS Awareness campaigns. These include Polio Canada's Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT) from June 4-6, 2011 in Toronto and the European Polio Union's Worldwide Conference on Post Polio Syndrome and Polio Survivors, August 31 - September 2, 2011 in Copenhagen.

This photo contest is being promoted by Polio World – an informal group of major global PPS group leaders and advocates dedicated to promoting PPS advocacy.

(See more details for this year's "We're Still Here" campaign at www.post-polio.org and more ideas for PPS advocacy at www.poliotoday.org and web sites listed for Polio World representatives listed below.

Contest entries (after permission is received) may be used by polio and Post Polio- related groups in their newsletters, web sites and other media resources to promote polio and post polio awareness.

Send contest entry to Polio World representatives for your region as follows:
(Polio Canada will receive an entry for each country from each representative. See more details at www.poliocanada.com or email polioworld@yahoo.com

CONTINENTS

Shari Fiksdal, Co-President and Co-Founder of IPPSO is very honored to be the guest of Mexico and IPPSO's Affiliate organization, Asociación Post Polio Litaff, A.C_APPLAC and its President and Founder, Liliana Marasco Garrido, at the upcoming Symposium on July 28, 2010. Shari will be speaking on her PPS experience and will bring back a report for our next Magazine.

Mexico City - On July 28 there will be held the 2nd National Symposium on Post Polio Syndrome (CAP) Approval of the existence of Post Polio Syndrome in Mexico, which aims to educate the medical, paramedical and therapists. The signs and symptoms of this disease establish an early diagnosis to enable patients to have better quality of life.

The Symposium is organized by the Post Polio Association Litaff and the Ministry of Health. Dis - capacidad.com spoke with Liliana Marasco Garrido, president and founder of the Post Polio Association Litaff who told us that the main objective is to recognize the existence of SSP in Mexico. She said, "doctors, and people with polio, may prevent actions that may reduce our quality of life because they were not clearly recognized as SSP."

For Liliana, the symposium represents the completion of nine years of work and a constant struggle for recognition of the syndrome and says, "It is my ultimate dream come true, I am proud to be able to meet people with polio and SSP. I promised that one day, if God lends me life and gave me health, SSP would be classified and certified in the world medical codes, which we have achieved with the help and interest of Health Secretary Mauricio Hernández Avila. I am finally satisfied we know that the Health Department accepts the existence and evidence of the syndrome."

The main themes of the Symposium are: Epidemiology and diagnosis, rehabilitation and treatment, classification in the CIF and family involvement.

Liliana said, "This event is the result of a great effort and I can only thank God, my family, my loved ones and all the institutions that worked with me."

The symposium is sponsored by the Ministry of Health and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (CONADIS). The Symposium is at: Av Cuahutemoc No. 300, Col. Doctores, July 28 from 8:00 A.M.

http://www.dis-capacidad.com/page/details.php?id=1006

From: PPSENG@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2010 10:39 AM

PLEASE FORWARD to POLIO SURVIVORS and other PPS GROUPS...

Yes, The Post-Polio Institute has been closed at Englewood Hospital.

The hospital is millions in the red, lost 3% of its patients last year and has already lost another 3% this year. A hospital VP came and told me that The Post-Polio Institute was "in the red" and that I am personally financially responsible for all of the expenses of the Institute, from my assistant's and therapists' salaries to the cost of toilet paper. This is a violation of my contract that says the hospital will provide all of these things, which they had provided for the past 12 years.

I was able to raise $25,000, exactly the amount the Institute was supposedly "in the red." But, that money is not being applied to my expenses. What's more, the hospital is trying to use International Centre for Post-Polio Education and Research grant funds to pay patient bills. Englewood Hospital is not a place that I want my patients to be, and certainly not a place that I want to be.

But, The Post-Polio Institute and The International Centre for Post-Polio Education and Research live!

I'm looking for a new location and I think I've found one. But, for now, as always, please contact me at: postpolioinfo@aol.com if I can be of help.

Thank you for your patience, consideration and the dozens of e-mails and calls of support I've received during this time of transition.

Something's coming, something good!

Enjoy the summer,

Dick

Dr. Richard L. Bruno
Chairperson
International Post-Polio Task Force
and
Director
The Post-Polio Institute
and
International Centre for Post-Polio Education and Research

An excerpt from
Attitude is Everything
by Vicki Hitzges

I used to worry. A lot. The more I fretted, the more proficient I became at it. Anxiety begets anxiety. I even worried that I worried too much! Ulcers might develop. My health could fail. My finances could deplete to pay the hospital bills.

A comedian once said, "I tried to drown my worries with gin, but my worries are equipped with flotation devices." While not a drinker, I certainly could identify! My worries could swim, jump and pole vault!

To get some perspective, I visited a well known, Dallas businessman, Fred Smith. Fred mentored such luminaries as motivational whiz Zig Ziglar, business guru Ken Blanchard and leadership expert John Maxwell. Fred listened as I poured out my concerns and then said, "Vicki, you need to learn to wait to worry."

As the words sank in, I asked Fred if he ever spent time fretting. (I was quite certain he wouldn't admit it if he did. He was pretty full of testosterone-even at age 90.) To my surprise, he confessed that in years gone by he had been a top-notch worrier!

"I decided that I would wait to worry!" he explained. "I decided that I'd wait until I actually had a reason to worry-something that was happening, not just something that might happen-before I worried.

"When I'm tempted to get alarmed," he confided, "I tell myself, 'Fred, you've got to wait to worry! Until you know differently, don't worry.' And I don't. Waiting to worry helps me develop the habit of not worrying and that helps me not be tempted to worry."

Fred possessed a quick mind and a gift for gab. As such, he became a captivating public speaker. "I frequently ask audiences what they were worried about this time last year. I get a lot of laughs," he said, "because most people can't remember. Then I ask if they have a current worry - you see nods from everybody. Then I remind them that the average worrier is 92% inefficient - only 8% of what we worry about ever comes true."

Charles Spurgeon said it best. "Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength."

Humor Corner
A smart husband knows just the right thing to say when he quarrels with his wife, but a smarter husband doesn't say it."

Tips from Grandma that maybe you did not know

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold.

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in, then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done. Easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic but they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it. (We found this works for deer as well to keep them out of our roses. Put some cayenne pepper in an old nylon stocking and tie the stocking to the rose bush. Saved the rose buds and we had beautiful roses this summer.)

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and... ta da! ... static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material... I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down. He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. That perserves the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!

Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it... the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!

Humor Corner
Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the preservatives they can get.

Bumpy Road to Polio Eradication
John F. Modlin, M.D.

The existence of poliomyelitis in the developing world was ignored for many years because epidemic polio was considered a disease of wealthier countries. In the 1960s and 1970s, however, "lameness surveys" of schoolchildren in more than 20 countries revealed lower-limb–paralysis rates of 2 to 11 per 1000 — higher than those of the peak polio-epidemic years in the United States.1 Inspired by the success of global smallpox eradication and poliomyelitis control in the Americas, the World Health Assembly made a commitment in 1988 to eradicate polio by 2000. Although this goal was not met, substantial gains were made through routine immunization of infants with trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (tOPV), supplemental national or regional rounds of tOPV among young children, active surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis, and rapid response to disease outbreaks. By 2000, annual reports of poliomyelitis cases had fallen by more than 99%, to fewer than 1000; continuous endemic transmission was halted almost everywhere; and the extinction of infection with type 2 wild-type poliovirus (WPV) proved that eradication was possible.

In the past decade, however, persisting reservoirs of naturally occurring (wild-type) poliomyelitis have proven stubbornly resistant to control, for various reasons — in Pakistan and Afghanistan, because of international conflict; in India, because of an overwhelming force of infection and high rates of failure of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) associated with overcrowding, poor sanitation, and diarrheal disease; and in Nigeria, because of a poor public health infrastructure and, until recently, lack of political will resulting in very low routine immunization rates and ineffective supplemental immunization activities. In 2003, polio-immunization activities were halted in northern Nigeria owing to false rumors about adverse effects of OPV; the ensuing eruption of disease in a dense population with a high birth rate led to the spread of type 1 polioviruses to about 20 previously polio-free countries in Africa, the Arabian peninsula, and Asia. Although immunization resumed about a year later and most infection was contained, ongoing transmission of WPVs in northern Nigeria and flares of disease elsewhere have led to periodic exportation of type 1 and type 3 polioviruses to many locations in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, where immunity levels are insufficient to prevent the spread of infection (see Figure 1). Endemic transmission has been re-established in Chad and Angola, and the newest battlefront is central Asia, where a large outbreak of disease caused by type 1 poliovirus of Indian origin has erupted in western Tajikistan, causing more than 150 cases to date.

But perhaps the biggest bump in the road has been the emergence of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs), genetically unstable Sabin-strain viruses that revert toward the genotypic and phenotypic profile of the virulent parent strain as they circulate for extended periods in a population with low immunity levels.2 By definition, cVDPVs have acquired mutations in more than 1.0% of the RNA genome coding for the viral capsid protein VP1, and most isolates have undergone recombination with other group C enteroviruses, which may enhance viral fitness. The existence of cVDPVs was discovered in 2000 during an investigation of 21 cases of paralytic type 1 poliomyelitis on Hispaniola. Since that time, one or two cVDPV outbreaks have been reported per year (Figure 2 shows the location of recent cVDVP outbreaks), isolated paralysis cases attributed to cVDPV have occurred in both normal and immunodeficient persons, and cVDPVs unassociated with disease have been detected with environmental sampling.3

Most cVDPV outbreaks have been controlled relatively easily with focused supplemental immunization campaigns. The extensive type 2 cVDPV epidemic that began in Nigeria in 2006 — the subject of the report by Jenkins and colleagues in this issue of the Journal (pages 2360–2369) — is an exception. Multiple independent cVDPV lineages developed over several years, enabled by low tOPV-immunization rates and an emphasis on controlling wild-type infection with type 1 and type 3 monovalent vaccines. The epidemic proved extremely difficult to control with tOPV. Fortunately, only a handful of type 2 cVDPV cases have been observed since the first half of 2009, but Jenkins and colleagues verify that cVDPVs can be as infectious and virulent as WPVs.

The emergence of cVDPVs forces us to accept the reality that we are fighting fire with fire and that once eradication of WPV is assured, the use of live poliovirus vaccines will need to cease globally in a coordinated manner. Because cVDPVs will probably continue to circulate for at least 1 to 3 years after WPVs are eradicated,4 and live polioviruses may be reintroduced from rare immunodeficient persons who continue to excrete virus,5 the world will need to rely on inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) indefinitely to maintain immunity. Most economically advanced countries now use IPV exclusively. Infants and young children in developing countries can be provided with excellent protection if given two or more IPV doses, but as compared with OPV, IPV provides less protection to unimmunized persons through herd immunity; it also requires an injection and costs more than OPV to manufacture. Antigen-sparing techniques such as intradermal administration could reduce IPV costs significantly, making it more affordable for low-income countries that will probably bear the burden of cVDPV outbreaks in a post-eradication environment.

The study reported on by Mohammed and colleagues in this issue of the Journal (pages 2351–2359) compared the effectiveness of intradermal injection of one fifth the standard dose of IPV in infants 2, 4, and 6 months of age using an investigational needlefree device with the effectiveness of intramuscular administration of the standard IPV doses for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3. Intradermal administration of the fractional dose induced seroconversion to each serotype in more than 95% of subjects, which compared well with the conversion rate associated with intramuscular injection of the standard dose. Ultimately, intradermal injection of a smaller dose must be compared with other strategies designed to reduce the cost of IPV, such as reduction in the number of doses administered, use of adjuvants, combination with other routine infant vaccines, and development of more immunogenic vaccines.

In any case, however, the health ministers in developing countries will have little interest in adopting IPV until global eradication of WPV is in sight and large cVDPV outbreaks are under control. Meanwhile, the Global Poliomyelitis Eradication Initiative (GPEI) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners face many challenges. Virulent polioviruses continue to cause paralytic disease in approximately 15 countries in Africa and Asia. Critics challenge the feasibility of eradication and the wisdom of devoting hundreds of millions of dollars to a single disease, arguing for a more integrated approach to control of serious global health problems. Funding of the program, which has spent more than $8 billion over the past two decades, is precarious, and donors are signaling that their patience is limited.

But there are reasons for hope. Widened use of monovalent and bivalent type 1 and 3 OPV formulations that are more immunogenic than tOPV markedly reduced wild-type disease in Nigeria and India in 2009; only two cases of wild-type poliomyelitis have been reported in India since early February 2010. Overall, according to the WHO, about half as many cases of wild-type polio have been reported globally in 2010 as during the same period last year. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has entered the fray, contributing $700 million, and Mr. Gates traveled to Nigeria in 2009 to meet with governmental and religious leaders to support the eradication program. The GPEI team has developed a new strategic plan designed to align polio eradication with other global health priorities and continues to apply new insights from laboratory advances, epidemiologic studies, and disease modeling. This team's extraordinary dedication and determination to succeed should not be underestimated.

Disclosure forms provided by the author are available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org.

Source Information
From Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH.

References

Ofosu-Amaah S. The challenge of poliomyelitis in tropical Africa. Rev Infect Dis 1984;6:Suppl 2:S318-S320. [Web of Science][Medline]

Kew OM, Wright PF, Agol VI, et al. Circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses: current state of knowledge. Bull World Health Organ 2004;82:16-23. [Web of Science][Medline]

Update on vaccine-derived polioviruses -- worldwide, January 2008-June 2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2009;58:1002-1006. [Medline]

Tebbens RJ, Pallansch MA, Kew OM, et al. Risks of paralytic disease due to wild or vaccine-derived poliovirus after eradication. Risk Anal 2006;26:1471-1505. [CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline]

Kew OM, Sutter RW, Nottay BK, et al. Prolonged replication of a type 1 vaccine-derived poliovirus in an immunodeficient patient. J Clin Microbiol 1998;36:2893-2899. [Free Full Text]

Humor Corner
Middle age is when a guy keeps turning off lights for economical rather than romantic reasons.

Bites and Stings

A normal spider sack contains several hundred eggs. The average beehive has approximately 45,000 bees. Female ticks can lay up to 6,000 eggs, while fire ant queens produce about 1,500 eggs per day. Don't forget about mosquitoes. They deposit eggs together in a raft that contains 100 to 200 eggs.

Suffice to say, humans are outnumbered by these pesky little bugs that can bite and sting, causing temporary discomfort or, in rare cases, potentially fatal reactions. Fortunately, most bug bites and stings do not cause any long-lasting health problems. But you should know what to do in the event you get stung by a bee or wasp, or bit by a spider, tick, mosquito, or ant.

If you are stung by a honeybee, wasp, hornet, yellow jacket, or fire ant, try to remove the stinger (when there is one) if it is visible by gently scraping the skin with a straight-edge object, such as a credit card. Wash the area with soap and water, and then apply a cold pack to reduce pain and swelling. If the area itches, such as from a mosquito bite, apply hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion, or baking soda paste (three teaspoons baking soda and one teaspoon water) until symptoms subside.

Spider bites also should be washed with soap and water. Apply an ice pack and then elevate the area to delay the spread of venom. Seek emergency medical care if you suspect the bite is from a black widow or brown recluse spider, which can cause symptoms such as body rash, fever, headache, pink urine, discolored area around the bite, joint stiffness, lack of appetite and muscle spasms.

If you find a tick, use tweezers to grasp the head of the tick next to the skin and pull firmly until the tick lets go. Wash your hands and the tick site with warm, soapy water and then swab the bite with alcohol. Call your doctor if part of the tick could not be removed, the area looks infected, the tick has been on the skin longer than 24 hours, or symptoms develop, such as fever, headache, chills, nausea, or rash.

You don't have to stay inside all the time to protect yourself from insect bites and stings. When venturing outside to enjoy the warm weather, you can:

• Avoid walking barefoot on grass
• Avoid using scented soaps, perfumes, or hairspray
• Stay away from wooded or brushy areas
• Wear long sleeves and pants, and avoid brightly colored clothing
• Make sure food is covered when eating outside
• Empty standing water in outdoor containers
• Use insect repellant (not on babies)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more information about bug bites and stings on their website.

From Polio Today:
Posted on 21/05/2010 in Scientific

Grifols has confirmed the acquisition of intellectual property rights associated with the treatment of post-polio syndrome (PPS).

The announcement follows an agreement between Grifols and Swedish company Pharmalink AB, which will transfer documentation, know-how and Swedish regulatory approvals to the firm.

In addition, Grifols is set to acquire US, European and Japanese patents for a specific PPS treatment method that uses human immunoglobulin.

Ramon Riera, director of global sales and marketing at the company, said the new developments are "consistent with our mission of developing therapies for chronically ill and underserved patient populations".

Meanwhile, Grifols' interest in exploring PPS treatments was welcomed by Joan Headley, executive director of Post-Polio Health International.

"It has been challenging to find treatments for this condition. We are pleased that Grifols is investing in the PPS community," she commented.

The prevalence of PPS, which is characterised by muscle weakness, fatigue and pain among polio sufferers, has been estimated at between 25 and 50 per cent by the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!' While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again! As she ran she once again began to pray, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late... But please don't shove me either!'

We received this email and are passing it on to our members as requested:

Dear Sirs,

I am a 55-yr-old woman who had polio at age 2yrs. Despite many struggles & obstacles, I managed to work successfully and fully as a professional in the IT industry for 20+yrs. My last employment was with Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans; a 2-campus hospital facility. In 1999, while still employed at MMC, I was in a bad motor vehicle accident. There were several broken bones requiring orthopedic surgery... however, the greatest impact was increased weakness and pain which forced me to retire on disability benefits.

While still employed at MMC, I had purchased an 'income replacement policy' (a long-term disability policy) to ensure a moderate but comfortable lifestyle should something unforeseen happen. To my disappointment, this benefit was denied by UNUM mainly because of my inability to recover as a 'normal' person due to polio. I pursued a lawsuit here in Louisiana through the ADA but was unable to convince the federal judge... therefore, I lost my case.

However, I have a great attorney who does not want to give up... he has since discussed this with another legal professional who feels this an excellent opportunity for a class-action suit.

Therefore I am seeking individuals, who like me, have had polio and/or post polio syndrome & who were denied Employment Benefits. This could potentially involve a great deal of money... so please pass my contact info to anyone who maybe interested in pursuing this with me. I need only one other person to participate in the lawsuit.

If you have any experience or can offer suggestions, kindly reply directly to Rhonda at bayou7673@yahoo.com

Thank you for your time,
Rhonda Morrison
bayou7673@yahoo.com
408 Second Street
Lake Arthur, LA. 70549
(337) 249-1298

Administration of intravenous immunoglobulins in neurology

Nervenarzt. 2010 Jun 26. [Epub ahead of print]
[Administration of intravenous immunoglobulins in neurology : An evidence-based consensus: update 2010.]
[Article in German]
Stangel M, Gold R.
Neurologische Klinik, OE 7210, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Deutschland, Stangel. mailto:Martin@MH-Hannover.de.

Abstract

Our knowledge on the clinical efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) in neurological diseases has greatly increased in the last 5 years. Liquid formulations with a higher concentration of IVIg have simplified administration. Despite a worldwide increase in plasma production it is still a valuable biological product which is why current indications must be continuously validated.

Long-term efficacy of the preparation Gamunex could be demonstrated in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). In acute myasthenic worsening a dose of 1 g IVIg/kg body weight appears to be sufficient for clinical stabilization.

New indications, such as the postpolio syndrome or Alzheimer's disease are being explored in clinical trials. In addition to the consensus statement from 2004 the evidence for clinical use of IVIg has been re-evaluated and recommendations are given. Please note that I am forwarding information which you may find uplifting and/or useful. I neither support their content nor confirm their reliability and accuracy. This is strictly sent to you to inspire and share with you information I have received about polio survivors and PPS.

Barbara Oniszczak
Michigan Polio Network
Board Member