This Is Polio; No. 3; The Long Road Back

[Host] Here is another chapter in the story about polio documented at Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. This is Bill Ewing of the WOSU staff. Once again, by means of tape recording, I'm going to take you to the polio floor of Children's Hospital where you will hear, in sound and word, the story of those who are traveling the long road back. First, let's get one matter straight. If you have the notion that all these children are unhappy and spend their time feeling sorry for themselves or crying for their mothers, come along with me as I move about the corridor with a microphone. Now, here is a ward with several children under two years of age. [sound of young children babbling] Let's move to another ward and hear a bit of childish laughter, which I often heard and which I shall long remember. [sound of children laughing]

Later, I learned that this infectious happy giggle was a tonic to nearly every patient on the floor. Small children do not quite understand why nurses can't come running immediately upon demand. After all, there are other patients on the floor. Let's listen for a moment and see if we can hear an example of an insistent call for service. [sound of wailing child] I would not want to leave a false impression that these small children are always happy and contented or that they never cry. After all, it is a pretty tough assignment for them to be away from home for weeks

or even months. Besides, there is so much discomfort and even pain that goes along with getting well. And so we are moved to sympathy as we move along the corridor and hear this sound. [sound of child crying in distress] Boys are no angels, polio or not, as I discovered in another ward. [sound of child's mischievous laughter] Looking down the hall, we see the familiar sight of boys and girls in wheelchairs or on crutches, or taking uneasy steps with braces. I don't feel sorry for them, for they're happy about the progress they are making on

the long road back. Let's find out more about what's done for these patients who are past the critical stage of polio. The sound you hear in the background is not a studio sound effect. [sound of person gently splashing in water tank] It's the sound of a polio patient in a water tank in one of the rooms here on the polio floor. Mrs. Vernice Bishop is in charge of therapy on this floor, and she's right here supervising the work in this particular tank. So let's have a word with her. Mrs. Bishop, just what part does water therapy play in the whole process of polio treatment? [Mrs. Bishop] Well, the tank gives us another medium for exercise in polio. We have to stretch painful muscles.

A lot of people are able to take these stretches better in the warm water and also using water as a medium for using weakened muscles, with the water supporting the weight of an arm or leg, a person is able to learn to use that muscle better. [Host] Could you explain just a little more in detail just what is happening right here in this tank and what the purpose of it is? [Mrs. Bishop] Well, the gentleman in the tank has a weak left leg, and right now he's bringing his knees to his chest and down. He does that four or five times, then brings his leg out to the side and in, rolls the leg in and out from the knee, bends his knee, straightens his knee and goes through his ankle and foot motion. [Host] What are some of the other phases of therapy, aside from the water therapy? [Mrs. Bishop] Well, we have the hot pack program here at the hospital, and the hot packs are followed by exercises. After

a patient has reached the point where his pain is gone, or partially gone, and his muscles are strong enough to start a walking program, from there, we learn going up and down stairs, getting in and out of various types of chairs, learning the bathroom activities, learning to fall down without hurting oneself, learning to get back up again, and generally all the problems peculiar to the patient's household. [Host] In other words, when the patient is ready to go home, he's ready to meet the various situations that he finds at home. Mrs. Bishop, there's one other question. I understand that you have an instructional program for the parents so that they can continue treatment for the patient when he goes home. Could you tell us a little about that? [Mrs. Bishop] When the patient is officially discharged from the physical medicine program by the orthopod, by pediatricians, the parent is called

and asked to come between eight thirty and four o'clock in the afternoon, allowing us time to go over their, the exercises, with the parents, have them... We demonstrate the exercises. We watch them do it. We ask for any questions, tell them about how much time they're supposed to be spent in bed, how much time up, what activities they are allowed or not allowed. Most children have bicycles, if they want to ride again. When they first get home, we give them individual exercises for their child. [Host] Thank you very much, Mrs. Bishop. And now I'm going to step over to the tank here just a moment and ask the person who is in the tank what he thinks of it. Would you tell me what your name is sir? [Ross Dale ?Burkhead?] Ross Dale ?Burkhead? [Host] And where do you live? [Ross Dale ?Burkhead?] 1970 Brown Road. That's Grove City, Route 1. [Host] And how long have you been here at Children's Hospital?

[Ross Dale ?Burkhead?] This makes the fourth week, sir. [Host] Fourth week. [Host] And you're coming along all right? [Ross Dale ?Burkhead?] Yes, sir. [Host] Now, would you tell me just what you think of this water treatment? [Ross Dale ?Burkhead?] Well, I think it's a wonderful thing. It's seems to do me a lot more good than the hot packs, it limbers you up quite a bit more. And it makes you feel quite a bit better. [Host] Just makes you feel good when you get in. [Ross Dale ?Burkhead?] Yes sir. [Host] OK, well, thank you very much. [Ross Dale ?Burkhead?] Thank you, sir. [Host] Back in the corridor once more. And let's talk to the recreation director, Miss Barnes, and see what part she plays in the program of recovery. [Miss Barnes] We have movies which are one of our big entertainments during the week. And every usually Tuesday we have a movie which we really look forward to. We do a great deal with crafts, anything from beads to wood burning sets and airplane models. We have reading material for them. Anything that is particularly asked for, we try to get for the child. [Host] I was just wondering what you do about patients who are

paralyzed and who are not able to handle these materials that you provide for them. What can you do for them? [Miss Barnes] We have what we call ceiling projectors and they flash a magazine up on the ceiling so they can read on the ceiling, by just merely flipping a switch. [Host] At this point, let's step into the office of Dr. ?Crede Ward?, resident doctor, and ask him to sum up the important factors in the treatment of a polio patient. [Dr. ?Crede Ward?] The important things are related to early hospitalization, so that the patient is adequately managed medically in the acute phases of the illness and the later convalescent stages of the illness. We find that it's important that the patient to have been maintained in good position or what we medically know is the polio position during the time of their acute phase. This prevents some of the more crippling deformities that we have seen.

It eases the pain and maintains good muscle function and flexibility. Aside from the medical management, particularly in the acute phase, in the convalescent phase, physiotherapy consisting of hot packs, active and passive massage, positioning, muscle strengthening exercises are important. And the third adjunct in the treatment at this stage is certainly that of orthopedic care, which may bring in the need for braces and joint positioning and even surgical intervention in those very chronic cases with a very, very long convalescence and serious muscle and joint involvement. On the patient side and for each family, it's a matter of faith and courage and prayer and the kind of belief that the patient should have that he is going to get

well, because we have seen in many instances the improvement in the patient that's been dependent upon his belief in himself that he is going to recover. [Host] Are the chances of good recovery fairly good if one gets polio, Dr. ?Ward? [Dr. ?Crede Ward?] Yes, it is, sir. In fact, more than 50 percent of the patients who have a diagnosed case of poliomyelitis have no further symptoms beyond the acute stage. And a great many of these cases go unrecognized and undiagnosed during the polio season. Of the remaining percent, practically all of them will recover without any paralytic involvement. In fact, about 25 percent of the remaining will not have any paralytic involvement. Of all the patients getting polio, about

25 to 30 percent of them may show paralytic signs, that is, the signs of some weakness or muscle or nerve involvement, and of those showing these involvements, one half of them will completely recover. When we add it up, we have somewhere about three to five percent of all patients who are having polio who are left with any serious residual. And these, in almost all instances, show some improvement over their original acute involvement. [Host] The happiest moment of all comes when the patient is ready to go home. Now let's talk with a little girl who is just ready to leave the hospital. What's your name? [Joyce Faith] Joyce. [Host] Joyce what? [Joyce Faith] Faith. [Host] Joyce Faith. How old are you? [Joyce Faith] Seven. [Host] Joyce, how long have you been here at Children's Hospital? [Joyce Faith] Six weeks and three days.

[Host] You certainly know, don't you? Just exactly how long you've been here. [Joyce Faith] Yeah. [Host] Does it seem like a long time to you? [Joyce Faith] Yeah. [Host] Where do you live, Joyce? [Joyce Faith] Kimbolton. [Host] Kimbolton, Ohio? [Joyce Faith] Uh-huh. [Host] You look like you're pretty happy today. Tell me why that is. [Joyce Faith] 'Cuz I'm going home. [Host] Going home. And I think we're all pretty happy about that - you get to go home today. [Joyce Faith laughs] [Host] Do you have any brothers and sisters? [Joyce Faith] I got three sisters and one's dead, and two brothers. [Host] Do you have any pets? [Joyce Faith] Yeah. [Host] What? [Joyce Faith] Rabbits, cats, and dogs. [Host] Oh my goodness! A whole bunch of them. Say, you know, I just wondering, what do you suppose those pets will do when you walk in the door today after being away six...six weeks, is it? Is it six weeks? [Joyce Faith] Six weeks and three days. [Host] And three days. What do you suppose they'll do? [Joyce Faith] I don't know. [Host] They'll be pretty happy too, won't they? [Joyce Faith] Yeah. [Host] And you'll be glad to see them. [Joyce Faith] Yeah. [Host] You're getting along just fine, aren't you? [Joyce Faith] Yeah. [Host] You're going to be all right. [Joyce Faith] Yeah. [Host] And that makes us very happy. Well, good luck, Joyce, and I hope you stay well for a long, long time. [Joyce Faith laughs]

[Host] Now, Joyce's parents are here, too, and I'd just like to ask them how they feel on the day that they take Joyce home. How do you feel? [Joyce's mother] Pretty good. [Host] That's putting it pretty mildly, I expect, isn't it? And here's the father. How do you feel? [Joyce's father] Oh, I just feel mighty thankful that we can take her home. [Host] Yes, sir. [Joyce's father] They've done wonders for her here. [Host] This is Bill Ewing of the WOSU staff closing another chapter in our story about polio.