Polio: A Dose of the Refiner's Fire
Surviving Polio
by
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Eating and drinking with a tracheotomy and a respirator are, at first, scary. During normal respiration, breathing and swallowing are mutually exclusive. That is, one does not breathe while swallowing. Ordinarily, mixing those two actions causes severe coughing spasms. But a respirator and most other breathing devices are mechanically set to: how many breaths per minute, the duration of each inspiration, how deep (pressure) the inspiration, and how long the release of pressure (expiration). Normally, one automatically stops breathing in order to swallow. But how to swallow when the machine doesn’t quit? i said to myself: “You asked for food, you said you could eat it, and here it is. Nobody explained how; just go ahead and do it.” Still, I wondered, “Shall I swallow at the the top of the breath, when I am fully inflated, or shall I wait until the bottom of the breath when the pressure is released?”
It’s not a problem! The first time I tried swallowing, I felt like I was going down the steep hill on the roller coaster. I didn’t know what to expect. My mind was made up. I said a prayer and swallowed. Meanwhile, the respirator continued its rhythmic pulse without interruption, the trach tube didn’t clog up, and the food stayed down. Swallowing and breathing at the same time is a sensation like no other. In this particular situation, swallowing can be done anytime during the breathing cycle.
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About the Book
In October 1952, a twenty-eight-year-old mother of two young children was diagnosed with bulbar polio which affected shoulders, arms and breathing. Soon the patient was placed in a chest respirator (which assisted breathing) and a tracheotomy was performed (which provided a clear airway for breathing). Early in the hospital stay, pregnancy was discovered.
After a total of 8 months in the hospital, isolated from the children, she returned home with both arms still in arm slings. She had only minimum use of the left arm which made living at home and dealing with children difficult. But a year later, the challenge of losing her home catapulted her back into the world of work. And this transition proved more demanding and, ultimately, far more rewarding than she imagined.
About the Author
In 1969, the writer’s husband declared that anyone who took 29 years to achieve a bachelor’s degree ought to have something more than a piece of paper; so he had the parchment reproduced on a metal-and-wood plaque. Three more plaques followed: a master of science in English (1970), a master of arts in linguistics (1974), and an doctor of education in vocational business (1976) where the thesis researched and identified communication skills necessary for job-entry-level mechanics. Much of this academic preparation and writing occurred while teaching full time.
The writer authored Promising Practices published by