The President’s Message…
Because I started off this new year by explaining the origin of January, I might as well continue by telling you that February came to our language from the Latin word ebruum. It was the name of the last month of the ancient (pre-450 B.C.E.) Roman calendar, and referred to the Roman feast of purification, held on the ides of the month. In Britain, the name replaced solmonað ,” an Old English word which meant mud month.
I enjoy learning and researching, and I very much liked reading the results of the survey we each took during the January meeting. Marty presented the results to the executive council, which met February 2nd. We used the results to design a schedule for the programs we will focus on the rest of the year. The six most highly desired program topics were:
- Share Our Strengths Small Group Discussion
- Pain Management
- Sleep Problems
- Physical Therapy
- Nutrition
- Assistive Devices
At our February meeting we will meet in groups to Share Our Strengths and to create lists of questions and/or topics we want the speakers to answer and/or highlight. The discussion and sharing will also help us know each other’s needs better.
You told us, in the surveys, that:
- You want a separate time for fellowship.
- You want to hear people tell their stories about the polio experience.
- Our new members should be given a better welcome on their first visit.
- You would like to participate in a few “field trips.”
- A suggestion box should be placed by the door at meetings.
- You want to know how and why the March of Dimes changed its mission.
- You would like to have refreshments at the meetings.
Some of these suggestions and ideas will be incorporated at the February meeting. We will have a suggestion box by the door. Last year we made the decision to abandon refreshments during the meeting. Instead, we hope that people will get together afterwards for lunch. We can fellowship and share our polio stories at lunch.
I love to travel, so I was happy to see you wanted to take a field trip or two. For our first field
trip we want to tour Savannah and to eat at one of our good restaurants. We hoped this could be the program for the March meeting. Unfortunately, no trolleys or motor coaches are available on the date of our meeting.
Convention Consultants is organizing the tour for us; we will pay for the trolley. When we have a firm date, I will need to know ahead of time how many people will be participating. The trolley will have a wheelchair lift, but there will be room for only two chairs. If you use a scooter or wheelchair but will be able and willing to transfer to a seat, please let me know.
I suggest that we meet at Johnny Harris’s Restaurant on Victory Drive to park our cars and to load the trolley. After the tour, we return to Harris’s to eat. In the historic area, tourism vehicles are permitted to park in designated areas only. Parking and loading the trolley will be much easier at Harris’.
Information related to the March of Dimes will be given to you as soon as possible. I am a volunteer for the Georgia chapter of MOD, and I’ve already requested information.
Finally, I apologize to each new member for not welcoming you in a more appropriate manner. I was frazzled and had “polio brain.” Please know that you are welcome, that your gifts and talents are needed, that you have a group of people who want to support and uplift you.
Sincerely,
Sandra Bath, President
Hands Up for Polio Eradication
More than 41 million children under five years old were targeted for an additional dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) last week in Nigeria’s first national round of vaccination in 2008. Tens of thousands of health workers, community mobilizers, independent monitors and volunteers spread out across the country to ensure no child was missed.
In Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, Her Excellency the First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs Amimbola Fashola, rallied mothers to vaccinate their children. Traditional and religious leaders and other state and local government officials were also on hand to ensure the round got of to a flying start.
Strengthened ownership from government at all levels and support from traditional and religious leaders is improving coverage, crucial to protect the impressive gains made against polio in 2007.
A second National Immunization Plus Day (NIPD) is scheduled for February 23-26. Preparations are currently under way to strengthen micro-plans, maps and vaccinator knowledge particularly in the highest-risk areas.
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General Meeting Minutes, January 26, 2008
The January meeting was called to order by Sandra Bath, new President. She shared that being elected President again humbled her and that Diane Davis was a hard act to follow. She encouraged all of us to work together. After sharing the inspiration, she asked everyone to introduce himself or herself.
The following were present at the meeting: Harvey Varnadoe, Beverly and Gene Jarvis, Betty Goff, Archie Ivey, Cheryl Brackin, Barry Turner, Dot and Bob Parkhurst, Lorraine Frew, Chris Wilburn, Joey Carroll, Velma Underwood, Sandra Bath, Gigi and Jim Veccia, Marty Foxx, Lavonne Calandra, Larry and Charlotte Richter, Richard Hall, Junie and Ruth Parham, Sissy Morel, Ann Chance, and Dan Sheehan.
Business Meeting: Minutes of the October meeting were approved as corrected: Lorraine Frew, not Cheryl Brackin introduced Dr. Paul Bradley. There were no November or December meetings, so there were no minutes.
Treasurer’s Report. Marty Foxx gave the Treasurer’s report. The Treasurer’s report was approved as presented. Note: Marty still has 2 Post Polio books on hand, they are $9.00 each.
Sandra encouraged more people to sign up to present an inspirational thought at the meetings. She passed the sign-up sheet a second time.
Marty was then called upon to present the survey sheets she had prepared. The sheets were passed out, and Marty explained that the Executive Council wanted to hear from the body as to their interests for possible programs for this year. The survey sheet included past programs with speakers and also provided spaces for feedback. The survey was filled out and Marty will consolidate the answers and report to the Executive Committee the results for planning.
Sandra asked if there was an interest in scheduling a field trip tour of Savannah. There was sufficient interest and one will be scheduled in the near future for one of our meetings. Sandra called upon the members to sign up to help committee chairs with their committees. She asked each committee chair to share what he/she is doing and how we can help.
Newsletter: Jim Veccia. He said that every member is a member of the newsletter committee. He encouraged all members to let him know of anything happening that needs to be in the newsletter. He mentioned that this committee goes hand in hand with the Publicity Committee. He asked that we email him or mail him items of interest.
At this time it was mentioned that we should try to do Book reviews, write letters to the editor, and write our stories. If he cannot put our whole story in the newsletter, it will be included in the history book.
New Member Committee: Beverly Jarvis commended the effort that the Minuteman Press is doing supporting CEPSA by taking care of printing and mailing the newsletters for us at a nominal fee. She asked that she have some help with the new member packets. She said it needs to be revised and updated.
Fund Raising Committee: Richard Graham was not present, but Sandra mentioned that the Executive Committee determined it might be better if we concentrated our efforts toward one huge fundraiser.
Hospitality Committee: Janet Di Claudio reported that Dot and Bob Parkhurst would continue to serve as greeters for our meetings. She will be continuing to mail the birthday and get well cards, after talking to the Secretary. She asked that she have help for the April and November meetings since she no longer has transportation.
Website: Jim Veccia and Diane Davis will be updating and taking care of the website. It is coastalempirepoliosurvivors.org. He asks that when a member passes away that he be notified so it can be posted on the In Memoriam section.
Care Team Co-chairs: Betty Goff and Lavonne Calandra asked that if you are not getting calls from your care team leader, to please let one of them know. They also want to be informed if anyone is ill so that a note or get well card can be sent. .
Polio Awareness: Diane Davis was not present, but Sandra mentioned that polio is a “plane ride away” when you consider all of the countries that still have polio. She stated that the idea in the United States against vaccinating your children for polio because the vaccine causes autism has been disproved.
Dan Sheehan: Accessibility Awareness. He is working with LIFE, Inc and the Savannah Chatham council on Disability Issues, and he needs our help. There needs to be a new map printed updating the curb cuts in the historic district. He will solicit ads from health care agencies to advertise on the map as well as have accessible restaurants advertise on the back of the map. The final total of curb cuts last year was 516. They hope to have 600 this year. He did note that not all of the curb cuts are in the historic district, but are in needed places. He mentioned that accessible restaurants have stickers indicating they are accessible. Juliette Gordon Low’s house now has an elevator, and that other historic landmarks are exploring the idea of installing elevators or having virtual tours of the landmark. It was also mentioned that hospitals and doctors offices need to accommodate wheelchairs, and scooters, and that doctors’ examination tables need to be adjustable for height. Cheryl Brackin mentioned that the new member’s packets contain CEPSA’s accessibility letter that can be sent to businesses that have access problems.
Immunization Awareness: Sandra and Ruth Parham are on this committee. Sandra represents Chatham County and the surrounding area, and Ruth attends health fairs and meetings in Glynn County.
DianeDavis: History. Diane maintains the notebooks and would like to have your story to put in the history book.
By-laws Committee: Jim has updated copies of the by-laws, and has a copy for each family available.
Marty requested that each committee chair prepare a budget proposal and bring it to the next Executive Committee meeting.
Sandra asked that each person indicate on the sheet which committee he/she would like to serve on, and turn it in to Lorraine.
No further business, so there was a break. After the break, we split into 3 discussion groups, and talked, and talked and talked.
Meeting was closed at 12:30 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Adrienne Stallworth via tape recording.
Happy Valentine’s Day
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others”
Lewis Carroll, Novelist
Member Concerns
Harvey Varnadue (recovering from surgery), Danny Jenkins, Lavonne Calandra
Global Case Count
| Total cases | Year-to-date 2008 | Year-to-date 2007 | Total in 2007 |
| Globally | 26 | 5 | 1278 |
| – in endemic countries: | 25 | 5 | 1175 |
| – in non-endemic countries: | 1 | 0 | 103 |
In Memoriam
Please remember our CEPSA members and friends in your prayers David Smith, Muriel Pittman and Douglas Crowe (Lavonne’s brother-in-law).
MASKS
Written by Millie Malone, “The Polio Place“
I used to have a collection of masks. There was the one I wore at home; the one with the smile that stayed put through all the childhood years of being different from my peers. At school, I wore the Obedient Student mask and got good grades and stayed out of trouble.
Somehow that mask slipped enough for my husband-to-be to see my actual face. At age seventeen, I put on my Good Wife, Mother and Aunt Mask. I loved that mask. It validated my existence. I could take care of my husband and children and those other children of my heart in that mask. I no longer received grades, but I could tell I was still passing the tests because I got love and hugs from these children.
My mask didn’t actually work with those kids. It didn’t hide my limp from them at all. Each of my children and later my grandchildren, and many of the lovely children along the way limped when they learned to walk. They were attempting in their clear-sighted childish way to be like me. For them, my mask was transparent, but firmly in place.
While my husband was so ill, I screwed on my Nurse, Dietician and Farm Manager mask and coped in that way with the losses that came with Duane’s declining health. When he died, there was no more need of that mask. Suddenly I had no mask to hide behind. I’d outgrown all the masks I owned.
I joined an Internet polio support group and two local support groups and met these people with no mask at all. Did they run and hide from my naked face, the one that showed my grief, my perplexity, and my pain? No. they did not. Why did they not turn away in disgust? The answer is because it was like looking into a mirror for them. When they looked at me, they saw themselves.
Now I don’t need my masks. Through the acceptance shown by my fellow polio survivors, I can finally accept myself as I am. While I am still trapped in a body that is slowly losing ground. I can let the world see me as I am. Sometimes I hurt and cannot do the things I would like to do or the things that are expected of me. That’s all right. I don’t feel as if I am a failure for that.
There are more things every year that I cannot do, but it is OK. All that time, under all the masks, there was a human being who was perfectly acceptable as she was. The freedom is exhilarating.
Polio Survivors Ask:
Nancy Baldwin Carter
Q: As I get older and accumulate more secondary conditions, it is more difficult for me to get around. Do you have any suggestions as to how to communicate my knowledge about my post-polio health to my grown children when they really don’t want to “hear it”?
A: There may be more than one hurdle lurking in this question.
We should start with US. Some of us talked with our children about our post-polio experiences from the get-go. Others played the role of the brave soldier, quietly marching on in the face of adversity, full of pluck and certain sacrifice—and never revealing the polio reality to anyone. Which has been the approach to our disability?
Some of us have spent years nurturing a fantasy of our capabilities, always telling ourselves, “No problem. I can handle it myself.” And suddenly now, just thinking of making the effort fills us with dread, exhausts us beyond measure. Have we reached the point when we can say, “Sorry, gang, I simply cannot do this anymore?
We may have a new truth to tell ourselves about our physical status, now that polio and aging have come crashing into each other.
How can we approach the subject with our children who have a hard time considering they have a parent with increasing health issues? Think about venturing into these areas:
· ATTITUDE. Can we be straight-forward, truthful, accepting our role in this scenario—and not play the shame game if others don’t react the way we think they should? Can we empathize with our children’s feelings enough to put them at ease as we spell out what we want to say?
· EXPECTATIONS. Do we realize we can’t realistically dictate our children’s sensibilities any more than they can ours? Aren’t our expectations of ourselves the only ones we can truly control?
· SUBSTANCE. A few essential items about our conditions are enough at first. We needn’t inundate others with “homework.” If our children don’t seem to want more, we should thank them and move on. Truth is, while many of us may have children who can handle such details, others may not. This is a bonus—the prize in the Cracker Jack box—not a necessity.
It is important to have someone “in the know,” however. Here are some things we can do:
- Find a relative or friend who agrees to serve as Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. This person can legally speak for us if we should become incapable of speaking for ourselves (doctors determine that patients are incapable, not relatives or others) when serious health care decisions are needed. Discussing specifics extensively will give us a better chance of having our wishes carried out.
- Make a Living Will, which allows us to tell doctors and others, in writing, what we want done regarding certain life-or-death situations. Give copies to our doctors, hospitals, family members, and friends–and hope someone insists this be followed.
- Show our doctors reliable articles and participate in our own health care decisions. Ventilator users will be particularly interested in PHI’s new doctor/patient worksheets “Take Charge, Not Chances.”
- Choose a buddy, maybe someone in the polio support group, with whom we feel free to talk, shed a tear, have a laugh about our current polio selves. We can do the same for them. Stuffing is not a good idea.
Mainly, our health care is up to us. Getting our children involved may be helpful, but it isn’t a requirement. They observe the struggle and they love us in a very special way. Sometimes that has to be enough.
Source: Post-Polio Health International, www.post-polio.org,
S.O.S.~ Spotlighting Our Sponsors
Members/Supporters
Tony Tedona
Betty & Gene Goff
Richard Graham
Dan Shehan
Gloria Sullivan
Harriett Merritt
Beverly Jarvis
Charlotte Richter
Harvey Varnadoe
Velma Underwood
Dot Parkhurst
Mary Ann Chance
Janet DiClaudio
Diane Davis
Nancy Hess
Hattie Evensen
Sandra Bath
Delorise Manor
Don Brittingham (for a scooter)
Helping Hands
Thanks to our newsletter printer, Minuteman Press, for donating the folding, wafer sealing, labeling, and posting services for our newsletter. We appreciate their generosity and support.
If you should need any printing be sure to use them.
The Minuteman Press
4517 Habersham Street
Savannah, GA 31405
Phone: (912) 356-3375
Thanks to Eddie Coleman for his generous donation of free car washes to our group. When you need your car washed, please be sure to use one of his four Auto Shine Car Washes in the area.
Auto Shine Car Wash
4410 Augusta Road
Garden City, GA 31408
Happy Birthday to our fellow CEPSA members:
Sharon Underwood – 4th
Sandra Bath – 16th
Chris Wilburn – 20th
Charles Johnson –22nd
Chet Kirby – 23rd
CONTRIBUTIONS The Coastal Empire Polio Survivors Association is a non-profit corporation which is tax exempt under IRS code 501c(3). We have no paid employees, only volunteers dedicated to helping all polio survivors.
Your financial support is appreciated at any level suggested below:
* CEPSA Member – $15.00 annual voluntary donation
* CEPSA Supporter – $25.00 $50.00 $100.00 $300.00
* CEPSA Memorial or Honor Gift – any amount
* CEPSA Sponsor – any amount
Your contributions are tax deductible and will be acknowledged appropriately.
Please complete this form and mail it along with your check to: CEPSA, Marty Foxx, 23 East 61st Street, Savannah, GA31405.
Name __________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________
City ___________________ State_____________ Zip ___________
Phone _______________________ E-mail _________________________________
Are you a relative or friend of a CEPSA member, if so _________________________________
Name of member
Thank you for your support and encouragement.