When I was three years old I became suddenly sick with a very high fever. My parents thought it was just a childhood virus and would pass within a day or so. The fever did pass but what followed was devasting and frightening to say the least.

I became paralyzed from the waist down. I had no use whatsoever of my legs. Since my father was in the United States Military I was able to get help from a local military hospital and received therapy for many months. As the years passed I had to wear braces in order to be able to stand and then take small steps. My wonderful mother and grandmother spend many hours each day exercising my legs. My grandmother moved into our house just to be able to spend time moving my legs like I was riding a bicycle. My father borrowed all the money he could borrow to see I had treatment. My medical doctor just threw up his hands for he knew of no cure. He did not charge us for his time knowing there was little if anything he could do to help. My town of Wingate was devastated with people who contracted this disease. Many were in beds in hospitals or were encased in lung machines. It was a very frightening time and still is.

Today I am sixty six years of age and I am still experiencing many complications of the polio I had in 1948. Some of my problems are as follows: Exhaustion, Stomach upsets, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Excruciating pain in the muscles of my legs, headaches, depression and anxiety. I have visited many doctors asking for help for the pain in my legs. The only medication I can say that will relieve the pain quickly is demoral however doctors do not want to give that medication freely. I have taken other pain medications but they simply do not relieve the pain without serious side effects on other parts of my body such as the stomach. Now I take Tramadol and it helps somewhat but not as well as I would like.

I am a published author, and writer. I am presently writing children's stories that teach as well as entertain children. It is a free website, a gift from me back to the children of the world.

I have friends who have suffered from Post Polio all of their lives and received no help for the pain. Their lives have ended in suffering from this ailment. As I look forward to the latter part of my life I would like to ask doctors and scientist to please try and find something that will help remove the pain from those of us who still suffer with this horrible affliction. We have waited for a generation and are still waiting for a pain free life.

Written by Sybil Shearin

About Author / Additional Info:
Sybil Shearin is an internationally known published author, writer and poet. She is a native of North Carolina and is presently writing children's stories that teach as well as entertain. Please visit her websites.
http://www.Childrenstorytales.com and http://www.Petalsofpoetry.com