MAY 1999

NEWSLETTER
POLIO SUPPORT GROUP
      OF
WESTERN NEW YORK

MASSAGE THERAPY AND STRETCHING
Our guest speaker for the May meeting will be Ron Hise, Licensed Massage
Therapist. Ron will discuss and demonstrate the present day approach to 
Massage therapy. How it reduces muscular tension, improves blood
circulation and breathing patterns, and restores tone to flaccid muscles.
In addition to massage, Ron will talk about gentle stretching. Stretching,
because it relaxes your mind and tunes up your body should be part of your
daily routine. However, Ron will tell you, if you have been inactive for a
long time, or had a recent injury you should consult your doctor before
starting a massage or stretching program.

SUMMER MEETINGS
With summer just around the corner we will be discussing where we're 
going to have our July and August meetings. Many places have been
suggested; the park, the marina, a restaurant, where ever, the meetings are always
informative, and the weather is usually on our side. If you have any
suggestions please bring them to the May 19 meeting.

MEETING SCHEDULE
XThe next meeting for the Polio Survivor's Group will be held on May 19,
7:15 PM - at St. Stephen's Bethlehem United Church of Christ Wehrle and
Union Roads. Try to make it, because this is a very important meeting - see Don
O'Connor's letter in this newsletter.

Dear members,
56 Woodlee Lane
Grand Island, NY 14072
April 21, 1999

As President of Polio Survivors Support Group of WNY, I find it necessary
to ask for your advice. Do you believe that the time has come for us to close up
shop and disband the organization? We have had a very successful run of thirteen
years with many achievements. We have been able to bring to our area most of the leading
researchers in the field of Post-Polio complications to speak to our. group and to the
medical community. Those researchers included Drs. Lauro Halstead, Ruben Feldman, Burk
Jubelt, Fred Maynard, and Karen Pape. We sponsored a contest for medical students, and later for physical
therapy students to learn about Post-Polio Syndrome and to present reports about
their findings. We have had speakers at our weekly meetings to discuss all forms of pain
management,diet, physical conditioning, diet, legal issues, sources of financing
health care, housing, transportation, housing and accessibility of stadiums, arenas and
theaters.  We have had great meetings to share concerns and experiences and we have had many
enjoyable social events. These events were promoted and held together with a marvelous
newsletter that we were able to publish and distribute every month.
Your current Qfficers have been unable to carry on as we have done in the
past and I have not been able to recruit members willing or able to replace us.
During the past year we have been unable to maintain a regular newsletter and we have
twice canceled scheduled speakers to avoid the embarrassment of having them speak to a
half dozen people at an unannounced meeting. Our recent attendance has been
inadequate to warrant using our meeting place, I regret that age and health have brought
us to this.

If this Group is worth saving, its continuance will depend on several of
you to step forward and be willing to serve as the new officers and to help the
new officers carry out their duties.  If no one comes forward, we will understand. Our
next meeting will be Wednesday, May 19, 1989 at 7: 15 p.m. at St. Stephens-Bethlehem United
Church of Christ on Union, near Wehrle. We will discuss the options then. I will
also welcome your letters at the above address or your phone calls at 773-7254.

Yours truly 
Don O'Connor


C. Donald O'Connor
aa364@freenet.Buffalo.edu