Point of Hope

One Person's Story & Journal

mountain

You can either
accept a disability or
struggle as a challenge, or
you can
feel sorry for yourself and
give up.  It's your choice.

My Story
Disability-Challenge or Defeat
Post Polio Syndrome
Just Some Thoughts

CareGivers
Post Polio Information & Links
Steel Toes & Torn Knees

 To me mountains are a beautiful sight.  They convey a sense of strength, endurance and peace in addition to grandeur.  Originally from Colorado, when my wife & I travel back to Colorado to see family and friends, as soon as I see the mountains I feel a sense of anticipation and of belonging.

Sometimes in this journey called life, I find myself looking for a point of strength and peace.  You might call it a point of hope. I was born with a chronic, obstructive, pulmonary disease. At age six, one month after I had the Salk vaccine, I had polio. Several times I have been near death. There have been times when loneliness and depression have been my companions,  but they have not been my main companions. Always there have been bright spots, hope and challenge.

I have had some people tell me I have great endurance or that I'm an inspiration.  There is nothing special about me. The endurance and hope come from outside of me.

From my 360 blog:

 Because I had nothing better to due, I am enjoying my second round of Mono this year. Besides the physical fatigue, I have been dealing with two other issues..... One is mental fatigue. I have wondered if PPsers are more susceptible to this problem. Mental fatigue, or "brain fog" as it was once popularly called, is a common characteristic of those dealing with Post Polio.... The second issue brought back to my memory a childhood experience. (Read full blog)
My picture in my office
In my office
Many of us who successfully weathered the storm of polio and its effects, were surprised (to put it mildly) years later when we discovered that we must deal now with post-polio syndrome. Perhaps you are in this same storm or you know someone who is. I hope this site can serve in some modest way as a point of hope.

Those who grow up living near the mountains often have a sense of connectedness to the mountains. If they move away from the mountains in later years, they tend to feel a sense of connection whenever they return. Sometimes individuals dealing with post-polio feel disconnected from life, family, friends and even themselves. While we cannot return to what we lost, there is a sense of connectedness as we share our stories with each other.

This is simply one person's story (mine) of his experiences and growth through dealing with disability and life. Maybe you will find here

  • A point of hope and encouragement in your struggles,

  • A point of information and help in coping with post-polio syndrome

  • A point of help spiritually

Enjoy your visit. As time permits I will be posting other things that hopefully will be of interest.



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