I got one of the first polio shots in about 1956

 

Wasn’t I lucky?

Actually NO.

 

The polio shot itself and what I may have caught as a germ of polio caused me to contract the disease. That’s what the doctors thought.  I will never really know. Did the shot contain live polio?  Again, I will never know.

Other children around this time, who had gotten the Salk Vaccine shots, contracted the disease, too. If it was because of the same reason. Well, guess along with me.

Where I lucked out is that my doctor (a specialist) put me in the hospital, and in traction immediately.  I couldn’t even go home first to get anything such as books or clothes, or playthings.

Because the Children’s wing was full up in the local hospital, they put me in the lounge, on an adult floor, with a public telephone booth, so I was usually not alone.

Mostly it was boring and despite the booth, lonely.  I especially missed being around other children. (I was eleven.)

Before I continue, perhaps I should explain that “traction” as I experienced it was a method to prevent your legs from stopping their growth.  This was done by attaching weights, which operated on a series of pulleys on the ceiling, to both legs. This sounds painful but it wasn’t, just uncomfortable.

What was excruciating was the “exercise” for my legs that the babysitter, with permission from my grandmother, had attempted before my parents returned from a trip.  Luckily, I kept escaping her grasp and so had a minimum of her treatments. (Which later the doctor explained was a bad idea in the first place.)

Once in the hospital, I missed school, but my teacher appeared often, always with assignments; my father stopped by every night.  He was my television. He told me some of his stories from World War II.  I don’t think they were exactly appropriate for a child, but he meant well, and most of all he showed up!

A few weeks later I was allowed back into my life.

But my one leg has never been as it should be.  Unlike less fortunate children without the benefit of traction, both legs grew and appeared to be normal.  However, cold weather brought problems.  For a brief time, the one leg would “lock” and not turn along with the other, and this was a painful event.

Today, cold weather still has consequences, less pain than before for sure, but consequences none-the-less.

This could be alleviated by wearing warmer clothes on my legs, such as leggings, tights or extra pants. As I am now so accustomed to the issue, usually I just try to ignore it…and get inside to some place warm fast!