Rena (Martha L.) DeRosa: An Informed and Grateful Polio Survivor

I never thought much about having had polio when I was five as it was a very mild case that affected only my right leg. I remember my father would rub/massage it withcoco butter every night at bedtime.  Even though I had already had the virus, my mom made sure I got the polio vaccine (the little purple sugar cube) when it came out two years later.

I wore tie shoes with a lift in the heel of my right shoe until I was a teenager.  I was very vain and didn't want anyone, especially boys, to know I had a limp from the polio and never put lifts in my shoes again. I wanted to be like all the other girls and wear heels, sandals, and many other “pretty” shoes.  I taught myself to walk without a limp and managed to accomplish this into my fifties as I went through high school, my 20’s, getting married and raising children.

In my early 60's I started to notice how I would limp by the end of the day. I figured – “Oh I just did too much today”. The next morning, I was right back at it. “Come on Rena, just rest more at the end of the day. There’s nothing wrong with me”.  They say that’s total denial.

Truthfully, I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I'm in my 70’s, retired and enjoying life near the shore in Delaware. I’ve taken cruises, traveled around the world and love watching my grandchildren growing up. 

Over the years, I started noticing that my right hand would shake.  I would tell myself “I'm just getting old”.  Sometimes, when I was carrying a plate from a buffet table to our table, my right hand/arm would shake to the point I would almost drop the plate.  My solution?  Start using two hands.  I mentioned this to my sister-in-law (also a polio survivor who wears braces on both legs). She went to polio symposiums every year and as a result, has learned a lot about what could happen to us. When she suggested it could be related to my having had polio, I thought maybe she didn’t know what she was talking about. “I had polio when I was little - I don't have polio, now.” Once again, I was being vain. I definitely was WRONG.

Then in 2019 the whole world saw what COVID virus could do. The world shut down, no one left their houses and if you did go out, we wore a mask. We washed our hands a hundred times a day, and sanitized everything that came into the house.  We didn’t see our children or grandchildren for 2 years. Along with the rest of the world, we waited for everyone to get the vaccine and then the boosters. We had the “senior” flu shot and took each day at a time. Then in October 2021, I got pneumonia. The X-rays showed four nodules in my upper and lower right lung along with a small pleural effusion (a buildup of fluid). I was very tired and out of breath. I had doctor's video appointments, took the prescribed medication, and over the next 2 - 3 months, had multiple x-rays. My doctor asked if I had pneumonia when I was younger while I had polio. None of my family members had a memory of my having pneumonia or lung problems. When I mentioned these things to my sister-in-law, she told me about the “PA Polio Survivor“ website and monthly newsletter.  Now, I thank my sister-in-law every day. 

My eyes are open. 

• Bruno Bytes - Thank you Dr. Bruno for opening my eyes to being a Polio Survivor; 

• The monthly Newsletters;

• Learning about "Upside Down Polio", and

• The Encyclopedia –

I can research anything. 

I understand why I would be so sick after anesthesia & now have an ID card with me all the time. I HAD polio and now I’m living with the late effects of that terrible virus. There’s no denying it. I put lifts back polio and now I’m living with the late effects of that terrible virus. There’s no denying it. I put lifts back in my right shoes and once again wear tie shoes with better support.  I’m learning how to slow down, and walk more slowly, without sudden stops or turns. I know my body and am learning how to deal with it.

I’m especially fascinated by having learned that Polio has affected the muscles in my whole body and I now understand Polio survivors often report new muscle weakness in their “good" limbs and no change in the Polio-affected ones. Now, when I go to the gym, I move the muscles at the lowest levels on all the machines. I realize that it’s more important to keep them moving before there’s pain - so I can keep moving when I get home.

I’m now aware of things I ignored in the past. I have muscle pain in my left leg (under the knee cap) when I walk more than 15 minutes straight. I can kneel with no problem. I can't bend over for too long or I get back pain. I realize that taking the time to learn my body and what it can and cannot do is vital.

I’m especially fascinated by having learned that Polio has affected the muscles in my whole body and I now understand Polio survivors often report new muscle weakness in their “good" limbs and no change in the Polio-affected ones. Now, when I go to the gym, I move the muscles at the lowest levels on all the machines. I realize that it’s more important to keep them moving before there’s pain - so I can keep moving when I get home.

I’m now aware of things I ignored in the past. I have muscle pain in my left leg (under the knee cap) when walk more than 15 minutes straight. I can kneel with no problem. I can't bend over for too long or I get back pain. I realize that taking the time to learn my body and what it can and cannot do is vital.

I ask myself – What would I say if I met someone who didn’t want to vaccinate their child for polio? I would tell them:

Please don’t take the chance OR risk their lives.

I lived through the Polio Epidemics and thank God I had only a mild case. Talk to your doctor or your

       child’s pediatrician (or both) - Why take the RISK?

Do you want to see them in a brace or two braces ? Even worse, see your child unable to breathe and looking at

them in an iron lung, totally dependent on a machine that keeps the muscles going so they can take that

next breath?

Don’t you want them to be able to breathe on their own, be able to run and play with all the other children?

Don’t you want them to live a normal life?

I am NOW a Post-Polio Survivor.

Photos source: Rena DeRosa