Fischer [Bensen], Diane - Kossuth County
General Comments:
I'm a diehard Iowan at the present time, but in 1953, at age 14, I was growing up on a farm, one mile south of Danube, Minnesota. Yes, Minnesota, one of the prominent polio states, and both my younger sister, age 11, and I were struck with polio!
My sister had the bulbar type polio in her throat area. It kept her from playing her trumpet at the time, but she did not have to be hospitalized.
One morning as we were awakening, my sister thought I was pretending, when I showed her that I couldn't hold my arm up toward the ceiling, without it falling! Polio affected my right upper arm area, and to the present time, I have difficulty in reaching something on a high shelf, hanging drapes, or doing anything at a higher level.
Being sent to the Elizabeth Kenny Institute in the big city of Minneapolis, for 58 days, was a traumatic experience for a shy country girl, who had never been away from the farm, that instance, or that long!
It was a traumatic experience for my family members as well. Letters saved from my parents reveal their concern for their young daughter, 100 miles from home. Mother wrote and told me to cover up, eat my meals, and try to be cheerful. Dad wrote and said that when he went into town, everyone asked about me. It was indeed traumatic news in our small town of 500.
I grew up in a loving Christian home, and I found the care at Kenny Institute to be kind and loving, also. I was given kind therapy by a most knowledgeable black therapist, Miss Pearl Pleas.
My right upper arm shoulder area was wrapped in steaming hot packs frequently throughout the day. The hot packs were thick underwear-type large squares of cloth. The kind black girls would bring them to our bedside in a wheeled washtub, with a rubber lining and cover, to keep them steaming hot! Sometimes I'd complain that it was too hot. She'd shake it a bit and say "Oh, honey, if it isn't hot, it won't do any good!"
In Splendid Solution: Jonas Salk and the Conquest of Polio, Jeffrey Kluger describes the spinal tap. I could relate well; the most excruciating pain in my life!
My story has a happy ending! My parents willingly allowed me to invite Ms. Peas to our little country town for the weekend, and attend church with us. That was quite an undertaking in 1953, however, if proved to be a most memorable weekend!
After reading Jeffrey Kluger's aforementioned book, I pondered if my parents realized the seriousness of polio. However, their daughter was most fortunate, with no crippling effects. I missed a great deal of school, but my typing teacher was pleased that I learned the typing skills, and caught up with my class!
