Contact Us - The CDC Needs YOU to Help Fight Flu
NAME: Patricia Sarmiento
EMAIL: information@publichealthcorps.org
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Hello Flu Fighter! Here's what we know about flu... Flu is BAD, especially for kids and seniors. At least 80% of influenza-related deaths occur among 2 age groups: children from 6 months to 8 years and adults 65 and older. Flu Prevention Works. Vaccinations, effective hygiene, and anti-flu medication reduces flu-related deaths. What we need YOU to do: Help us reduce flu deaths in your area by publishing the "The Flu Prevention Resource Sheet," which strongly encourages helpful actions from the most-impactful groups working with flu-vulnerable populations.
Check out the "Flu Fighters" program here: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/resource-center/partners/flu-fighters.htm
80% of flu deaths could have been prevented with vaccination - thank you for joining this fight! In health
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Mourning our Losses
by Millie Malone Lill
There is a period of mourning for some of us polio survivors. We grieve for the things we used to be able to do and we mourn that loss. There are five stages of grief and I think they apply to polio survivors.
1. DENIAL: We have worked so hard to become "normal." So the thought of losing an ability, such as walking, does not seem real. We just work harder, which, as we now know, can make matters worse.
2. BARGAINING: OK, I can no longer walk long distances, so I will give up hiking, but I will still try
to swim several laps every day and maybe use a stationary bike as well. No pain, no gain, right?
3. DEPRESSION: The swimming is enjoyable because my legs do not have to support my entire body weight, but I get exhausted sometimes from just getting to the pool, putting on my swimsuit and doing very little actual exercise in the pool. By the time I get back home, I'm done for the day. But I wanted to go out for lunch with my friends, I wanted to go see a movie, my grandkids were coming for a visit. I'm too tired to enjoy any of that. It is depressing.
4. ANGER: My friends, or those I considered to be my friends, have quit asking me to go places with them. My wheelchair is an inconvenience, I've begged off too many times at the last minute because of my exhaustion, they are not willing to do what it takes to include me. It angers me because I would do whatever was necessary for them, why can't they do the same for me?
5. ACCEPTANCE: I have a power chair. It took me months to even try it. Then I do try it fora short drive, a few blocks. Wow! A new world has opened up. The chair is not an anchor, it is my wings. I can shop till my friends drop; I can go to the zoo. With the proper equipment, the right tools if you will, my life has opened up. I am once again independent. There are still limitations, of course, but fewer than before. Adaptation is the key.
I have heard of "survival of the fittest" but actually it should be "survival of the most adaptable." That's what it takes to thrive as a person with disabilities. No, we can't do everything we once could, but doesn't that apply to the general population, too? As we age, everyone loses certain abilities. For us, as polio survivors, we lose them more quickly than most, but we are the most adaptable people I've ever met. Can't walk up/down stairs? Can you bump up/down them from a seated position on the steps? Alright then, problem solved. We also need to forget about not wanting to ask for help. Most people actually like to help. It gives them a good feeling, so don't deny that to them. Everyone needs help at one time or another and polio survivors are, in at least this case, the same as everyone else.