MICHIGAN POLIO
NETWORK, INC

2020 Meeting Schedule

For more information, please contact support group facilitators:

June 10, 2020

Greetings Group Members,

By golly, time has seemed to pass by ever so slowly in lockdown-ville.  Finally, we are slowly being allowed out into the world again.  It seems that some of us couldn't wait to run out of the door and others of us aren't so sure if we ought to be roaming the streets yet.  It will be up to each person to know when in his or her heart he or she feels comfortable in public again.

So what does that mean for the group?  The consensus of your facilitators is that it is still too soon to ask our members to gather for one of our meetings.  Therefore, we will NOT be holding a meeting in June.  If conditions relative to the virus crisis continue to improve, we will finally convene a meeting in July on the 25th.  At this point we still expect elder law attorney, "Gene" Richards to join us at this meeting.

Here are the three scheduled meeting dates for the remainder of 2020:

July 25

August 22 

September 26   

Please mark these dates on your calendars.

We will continue to meet at the First Presbyterian Church on Livernois in Troy.  Meetings will start at 10:00 and end at noon.  You will receive reminders and updates prior to each meeting.

We hope you stay healthy and happy in the meantime.

It would be very helpful if any and all of you would reply to this notice with your inclination at this time regarding attending our meetings beginning in July.  At this point, we truly have no confidence in our ability following this pandemic to estimate who might be there when we unlock the doors.  Please let us know what you think.

Take care.

On behalf of your facilitators,

Tim Brown

Greetings to the Group,

On behalf of your facilitators, I reach out again to maintain contact and communication with all of you, our friends, during these strange days.

We have recently been informed that our governor has yet again extended her "executive order" mandating that most of us continue to stay at home.  There seem to be some of us who cheer the new orders because they do not feel safe leaving home. On the other hand, some of us are, to say the least, more than a bit anxious to become active again.  We have received feedback from our group from both extremes.  We had no choice but to cancel our scheduled May Pizza Lunch Meeting.  It is looking increasingly likely that we may also feel it necessary to cancel our scheduled June meeting.  You will certainly be informed when that decision has been made.

Looking further into summer, the next meeting is scheduled for July 25.  Our speaker for that meeting, should we be allowed to conduct the meeting, will be Norman "Gene" Richards, elder law attorney.  I am sure most of you remember Gene as he has spoken to our group previously.  We will no doubt all agree that getting the latest advice on senior law given the horrors of the coronavirus is timely and necessary.

I received a phone call from Gene this past week.  He was checking on how our group was faring under the continuing virus crisis.  He wondered if some of us were not a bit stir crazy with the mandated stay home rule.  As it happens, Gene has a source for crossword puzzle books and offered to make them available to any of us who request them.

SO, ANY OF YOU WHO WOULD ENJOY GETTING A GIFT OF CROSSWORD PUZZLE BOOKS FROM GENE, PLEASE, WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS, SIMPLY REPLY TO THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR REQUEST.  I will inform Gene and his staff will mail them to you.

Again, given these trying times, Gene has also suggested that any of us who have yet to create a will or especially an advance medical directive may be interested in a means to develop these documents in a simple format free of charge.

Below are resources from Gene to allow you to accomplish those tasks as well as for your general information.  Simply follow the links as indicated.

This booklet was designed to assist you in pre-planning by providing frequently asked questions and general information on MIPeace of Mind Registry, 

Funeral Representative designation, Michigan's Statutory Will and Patient Advocate law, and organ donation. 

And you are welcome to check out "Gene's" Instagram and elder law FB pages:

https://www.instagram.com/gene4elderlaw/

https://www.facebook.com/cmdaelderlaw/

Our thanks to Gene Richards for his genuine interest in our group.  We look forward to better days in July and to being with Gene at our July 25th meeting.

Meanwhile, we really encourage you to respond to us and share your thoughts.

If you are interested in receiving the puzzle books from Gene, simply hit "reply" and let me know.

Again, on behalf of your facilitators, I wish you well.

Tim

November 15, 2019

October 2019

Greetings Meeting Attendees,

At our September meeting, our final meeting of 2019, we enjoyed our usual number of enthusiastic attendees who warmly welcomed back second year OUWB medical student Amy Halder as well as OUWB Microbiology Professor and Amy’s capstone project mentor, Dr. Tracey Taylor. Amy presented some of her polio survivor interviews early results and identified a few of the recurring “themes” which have arisen from all of the interview responses. Amy said that she has much work yet to do to complete her analysis of all of the data and hopes to have it completed early in 2020 and intends to then return and share them with our group. Dr. Taylor added that it is their intent to take the final results from Amy’s project and seek to have them published when complete. She hopes to also co-publish the results of the previous (2015) student polio survivor research project with which our group had been involved. Dr. Taylor and Amy believe that the two projects complement each other and may be published together.

Amy also distributed and explained a poster which had been created by medical student Lucas Nelson. Lucas was the student who conducted many of the interviews with our group to assist Amy. The poster graphically highlights the conclusions drawn by Lucas of survivor’s experiences with once having had and having lived with the effects of polio.

You will find a copy of the poster attached to this email.

As you may recall, our August meeting was a split meeting with caregivers meeting separately from those who are cared for. A list of caregiver suggestions to help ease the work they do assisting loved ones was compiled at that meeting and was shared with the group in September. We felt it important enough to include again below.

Remember these thoughts came sincerely from our caregivers and should be taken to heart by those receiving the care:

• Be sure to openly and clearly communicate with the caregiver when it comes to the “to-do” list of things that the recipient of care would like to see accomplished. When possible prioritize desired tasks.
• Be understanding that perhaps for a myriad of reasons, all of the requested tasks may not be accomplished when desired. Always attempt to compromise in these situations.
• Please realize and accept the possibly growing needs to modify the living space.
• Realize and accept the possible growing need for mobility assistance, i.e. cane, walker, chair lift, safety bars, etc. Do not continue to resist these aids.
• Caregivers have also come to understand that there may be occasions in which another family member, etc., in addition to the caregiver, would be of benefit at doctor visits, hospital stays or rehabilitation to be sure all questions were asked and everything discussed was understood.
• Please attempt to be understanding and supportive of the caregiver’s personal needs to occasionally spend personal time exercising or socializing.
• It is very important that those in need of care giving make themselves easily reachable by their caregivers. Always have a phone accessible.

During open discussion at the close of the September meeting a number of those present indicated that they had never watched the Sister Kenny movie. We promised to provide the link to watch the movie in this newsletter. Follow this link to watch the movie on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYIRfWcyUQI&feature=youtu.be

And it was announced to the group that longtime polio-survivor advocate, Sunny Roller, has a fundraising effort underway to allow her to purchase a wheelchair accessible van. As part of this effort a special event, Sunflower, a concert, will be held in October. Tickets to the concert will also be used to raffle an exquisite Amish quilt. The donation jar was circulated among us for purposes of raising money from those who wished to help Sunny’s cause but could not attend the concert. We raised enough money to allow us to purchase nine tickets. We then donated the tickets to Sunny to use as she sees fit. However, they will be entered into the raffle in our group name. Perhaps we might just win the quilt and have our own give-away at one of next year’s meetings??

Our 2019-20 Winter Lunches will be in November, December, February and March. Also attached to this email is a detailed schedule of those lunches.

Lastly, for now, following are the dates of our support group meetings for 2020:

• May 23, (Pizza Lunch meeting) 
• June 27
• July 25, (Elder law attorney) 
• August 22
• September 26, (Senior benefits and insurance speaker)
• There are no meetings scheduled for March or April 2020.

Your support group facilitators, Bonnie, Bobbi, Bruce, Dianne and Tim thank you for your loyal attendance and support throughout 2019, and we sincerely hope to see you all in attendance at our 2020 meetings. We also look forward to having you join us at as many of our winter lunches as you are able. We will be reaching out to you before each lunch to remind you. Be sure to contact Bobbi to rsvp for any lunch you plan to attend.

For now, take good care and stay healthy.

September 2019

Greetings to You All,

It seems like only just the other day when we gathered for the first support group meeting of 2019, and here we are preparing for the final one. Where goes the time?

Those of you who were able to attend the August meeting participated in a split meeting. The caregivers of our group moved off into a separate room to discuss matters of importance to them. Those of us who receive care remained in the other room. Both discussions proved to be worthwhile and a few of the comments from the caregivers will be shared anonymously with the entire group at our next meeting. Hopefully those anonymous thoughts will prove to be helpful to all involved.

Our final meeting will be on Saturday September 28 and we will be joined by now second year OUWB medical student Amy Halder. Amy plans to present a summary of the results to date of her interview project with polio survivors. Very many of our group took part in these interviews so I know that we should all be quite anxious to hear from Amy what conclusions are being drawn from our collective efforts. The entire scope of Amy’s project is expected to take until the first of the year to complete, and there is hope that it may be published.

Amy will also be distributing to the group a very interesting poster that was created by Lucas Nelson. Lucas was the young man who conducted the majority of the interviews with our members. The poster was part of Lucas’ Summer Fellowship Program and, in an enticing manner, summarized his involvement with the polio survivors of our group. Amy will explain the purpose of the poster, its use and the amazing reception it received from the incoming class of new medical students.

So, it should be clear, you do not want to miss September’s meeting!

Don’t stop reading at this point!

What follows is very important news about next year’s support group meetings:

Announced for the first time at the August meeting was that the co-facilitators were stepping up to allow Bonnie to take a much deserved sabbatical next year. Bonnie will be with us at the meetings but will be free from any responsibility. The meeting schedule itself has been shortened.

Summary of 2020 Meetings:

-1st Meeting, May 23. “Welcome Back” agenda combined with the annual pizza lunch.

-Remaining meetings will be in June, July, August and September.

-The co-facilitators have formed two 2 man teams, Bobbi and Tim will handle the agenda for two of the meetings while Bruce and Dianne will lead the other two meetings.

-We already have two of next year’s meetings planned. Responding to requests from the group, in July 2020 we will hear again from elder law attorney Gene Richards and in September we will host insurance and benefits specialist Aaron Wooster. Both of these gentlemen have previously addressed our group and were warmly received.

The shortened summer meeting schedule will allow us to extend the winter lunch schedule. We will be discussing the winter lunches at our September meeting.

So, a lot to read and remember. A lot to look forward to at our September meeting.

As always, we really hope to see you all there.

So please join us on September 28 at our usual location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois in Troy. Park in the rear. We are fully accessible. We always begin at 10:00 am and finish by noon.

Our facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855; Tim Brown, 313-886-6081; Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149; and Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104.

August 2019

Greetings Group,

Don’t look now but the Back to School sales as well as Pre-season Football games are all around us. We are somehow already in the middle of August! And there is nothing that we can do about it either. Just sit back and enjoy!

If you were able to make our July meeting, you heard a very thorough presentation on all of the available services for the elderly and disabled provided by the Area Agency on Aging 1-B. Everyone went home with a bagful of handouts and information.

Our August meeting is fast approaching. It is in less than two weeks on August 24th (not August 31st which might confuse some since there are five Saturdays this month.) The agenda for this meeting calls for a split session. Bill Stevens and Ginny Brown will lead those attendees who are the caregivers of our group in a discussion of their needs and experiences with providing assistance, while our attendees who ordinarily require and receive assistance and care will gather separately to discuss their experiences with needing care. You are welcome and encouraged to bring any friends or family members who might benefit from these discussions.

Looking forward to our final meeting of this year, September 28, OUWB medical student Amy Halder, who is conducting the research project on the experiences of having survived polio, will join us again. We also expect medical student Lucas Nelson, who led most of the interviews in which so many of our support group participated. Amy has promised to share with us all a preliminary report on the conclusions that have been drawn from all of those interviews of polio survivors. This should prove to be very interesting to us all. We hope everyone can attend.

So please join us on both August 24 and September 28 at our usual location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois in Troy. Park in the rear. We are fully accessible. We always begin at 10:00 am and finish by noon.

Our facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855; Tim Brown, 313-886-6081; Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149; and Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104.

July 2019

Hello Everybody!

Bam! Boom! OOH, AAH! Okay now the fireworks are over, my dog can relax and we can get some sleep.

Our July meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday, July 27th. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible.

In June, we hosted Lucas Nelson (2nd year medical student at OUWB), who gave us some insight on the interviews that had been completed. Lucas is working with Amy Halder on her capstone research project, “Post-Polio Syndrome Survivor Biography.” Amy’s mentor on the project, Dr. Tracey Taylor also attended the meeting and with Amy listened to Lucas’ observations.

In July, we will welcome Chiara Clayton, who works for the Area Agency on Aging 1-B and is their Communications and Outreach Specialist. Chiara will have information on assistance available through them for the elderly and disabled.

Looking ahead to our September meeting, we expect medical students Amy and Lucas as well as their mentors to give us a preliminary report on the conclusions drawn by them from their many interviews of our support group member-polio survivors. This should prove to be very interesting to us all.

Our facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081, Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

June 2019

Hello Everybody!

.

Ah! Finally our patience has been rewarded, Warm weather has returned, sorta like a warm hug from Mother Nature.

Our May meeting was our usual pizza luncheon and everything was very festive. Thank you to all the able-bodied who pitched in and helped to serve.

We are pleased to welcome another OUWB medical student to join us at our upcoming June meeting next week. Lucas Nelson has signed on to assist Amy Halder, the OUWB medical student with whom our support group has agreed to participate in her capstone research project. Amy spoke to us at our April meeting when she explained her project to us and began to solicit the participation of our group meeting attendees to be interviewed. Lucas will speak to us at the June meeting, telling us about himself and what motivated him to study medicine. By the date of the June meeting Lucas will have already conducted a majority of the group interviews for this project, and he will also share with us his impressions of having had to live with the late effects of polio that he may have learned when listening to survivors answer the interview questions. We know that you will enjoy listening to Lucas and asking him questions.

We hope to see as many of you as possible at this coming meeting.

Again, our June meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday, June 22nd. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10 am. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081, Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

May 2019

Greetings Group,

Our fast approaching May meeting will be held next Saturday May 25th at 10:00am at the usual location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois. Park and enter in the rear. We are entirely accessible.

Those of you able to join us for the April meeting were intrigued as Marybeth Novitsky described and demonstrated a relatively new treatment for chronic illness called Bemer. Marybeth allowed several interested participants to experience the treatment.

Also attending in April was first year OUWB medical student, Amy Halder, the student with whom our group has agreed to participate in her capstone research project entitled “Post-Polio Syndrome Survivor Biography.” Amy described her program as an analysis of brief polio survivor interviews in which the survivors will be asked about their life experiences having survived polio. Almost all of the attendees at the April meeting signed up to participate. We will again be circulating a sign-up sheet at the May meeting for volunteers.

As is usual, our May meeting will be our Pizza Lunch Social meeting. Following a brief discussion period before the pizza arrives, attendees will be treated (at no charge) to pizza and salad. Coffee, bottled water and ice tea will also be provided. Bring your own drinks if you want anything else. We hope to see many of you at the May meeting.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313.885.7855;

Tim Brown 313.886.6081; Bobbi Stevens, 248.549.2149;

Bruce & Dianne Sachs 586.465.3104

April 2019

Hello Everybody!

Well, this week Michigan has treated us to all four seasons in five days, what a diverse and efficient state we live in!

Our April meeting will be the fourth Saturday (as always), Saturday April 27th. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy at 10 am. Please park and enter in the back.  We are entirely accessible.

At this upcoming meeting, we will be welcoming Marybeth Novitsky who will inform us about “Bemer,” which is a treatment originally developed in Germany. Bemer is described as a high efficacy treatment for a large number of chronic ailments, and we are told the method treats all cellular energy-related dysfunctions simultaneously, restoring energy balance within the body. One of our support group members has been having these treatments successfully for some time, and she is very pleased with her results. She, along with Marybeth, will make a short presentation on the treatment. Come and hear what they have to say about this emerging field of treatment.

And, as promised during our March meeting, we expect first year medical student, Amy Halder, Dr. Tracey Taylor and Tracy Wunderlich to join us to further explain Amy’s research project known as “Post-Polio Syndrome Survivor Biography.” This project involves brief interviews of polio survivors regarding their life experiences having survived polio. We will be inviting our support group members to volunteer to be involved with an interview and a “sign-up sheet” will be circulated for the first time during the meeting. The findings of Amy’s project will increase awareness among the medical community of the effects of polio and Post-Polio Syndrome.

This April meeting looks to be loaded with pertinent information for our members. We urge you to attend.

We hope you are enjoying your PHI newsletter that is replacing our MPN newsletter.  We would like to send a special "Thank You" to Vera Hazel and all the MPN board members who worked on the newsletter for so many years.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081, Bruce & Dianne,586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

March 2019 Newsletter

(THIS WILL BE THE FINAL PRINTED NEWSLETTER)

Greetings Dear Friends,

It seems difficult to believe, but spring is just around the corner, and that means that our Southeast Michigan Post-Polio Support Group will soon meet again.

But, we must begin this letter with some important news. We were just notified that March of Dimes will no longer print and mail our support group newsletter. For this reason, this newsletter that you are holding in your hands will be the final printed and snail mailed issue that you will receive.

Beginning with the April group newsletter, you will receive only an email version of the newsletter. Therefore, it is important that we have your current email address. If you have not previously done so, provide us with your email address. See Tim Brown at any of our meetings or send him an email at tpbrown47@gmail.com. Tim’s phone number is: (313)886-6081.

For those very few attendees without email access, if you wish to receive a reminder phone call before each meeting, please contact Bonnie at (313)885-7855.

Now back to the business of our March meeting:

We are looking forward to seeing all of you and sharing our special bonds, interests, concerns and learning from each other. It is such a joy to gather, socialize and in general, enjoy the company of others, who understand the issues of having had polio.....no explanation needed! We have lots of information for you so please plan on attending. We always meet on the fourth Saturday of the month and the following is the schedule for the season.....please note these dates in your calendar now. Meeting place is the usual: First Presbyterian Church of Troy 4328 Livernois, Troy, Michigan. Park in back and we will be waiting for you inside the door accessible back there off the parking lot. 

2019 Scheduled Meetings: March 23, April 27, May 25 (Pizza Lunch,) June 22, July 27, August 24, September 28, Your Facilitators, Bonnie, Bobbi, Bruce, Dianne and Tim

September 2018 Newsletter

Hello Everybody!

We were very lucky to have Paul Allison, Lead Physical Therapist at Dr. Ryan's clinic for our August meeting. He spoke to us about the importance of Physical Therapy and then stayed for a marathon session of Questions and answers.

This month we will have, we will have a rep from the 'Relax The Back" store, they sell a variety of recliners, pillows, cushions featuring furniture for the health and comfort of our poor, mistreated bodies.

Our September meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday, September 22nd. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible.

As l'm sure you've heard, the Michigan Polio Network is becoming part of Post-Polio Health lnternational on Dec 1, 2018. Please read the insert for the full details.

Winter lunches will also be included in this newsletter. For new people, our winter gatherings are for people who stay in town during the winter months, a chance to get out and socialize. Everyone orders off of the regular menu and gets separate checks. Bobbi Stevens will be in charge of making reservations and taking RSVPs, so you have her to blame (or thank).

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081, Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

August 2018 

Greetings, Dear Friends

Our July meeting was a sharing session, which always seems to popular. We missed fearless leader Bonnie, who was taking care of husband, Dick, one of our kitchen kuties. Dick had hip surgery and is recovering slowly but surely.

We are very lucky to have Paul Allison, Lead Physical Therapist at Dr. Ryan's clinic for our August meeting. He will speak to us and will also have plenty of time for questions and answers.

ln September, we will have a rep from the "Relax The Back" store, featuring furniture for the health and comfort of our poor, mistreated bodies.

Our August meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday, August 25th. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible.

It is with great sadness to inform all that one of our founding members, Carol Pickett passed away. She was suffering from dementia and its complications. She will be missed.

We are enclosing a checklist for you and your family to go through, if, for any reason you can't speak for yourself the fam will know where important papers are located.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081,

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

July 2018 Newsletter

Greetings:

Hope you all enjoyed the Fourth of July weekend.....the parades, fireworks, ice cream. families, bar-b-que, etc or maybe just relaxing at home, staying out of the sweltering heat!

Our June meeting was excellent. We had two presenters from Advanced Balance clinic in Dearborn who addressed the very important topic of our balance. Brittany Denis, a Physical Therapist, and Allen Hus, an Occupational Therapist, shared their interest, knowledge and information with us and gave everyone an ample chance to get all their questions answered. They had helpful hints and suggestions for all of us and they were most generous with their time. For those of you that missed this meeting, Advanced Balance Clinic is located in a real house, so if you schedule an evaluation there, they can actually observe how you function in real living circumstances. Additionally, they will come to your house and evaluate your surroundings and how you function there on a daily basis. This is a unique, sensible and practical evaluation program that would probably benefit everyone. Advanced Balance Clinic can be reached at 313-920-6397. Brittany 's number is 734-958-6535, and Allen's number is 870-674-1294. The site will be up and running soon and that is info@balanceabc.org

July 28th will be our next meeting. We will be having our first open discussion of the season, so come prepared with your questions, concerns, and possible solutions you have discovered that you can share with others. We will also offer a little raffle, just for fun! As usual, we will be at the First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, Michigan. Come at 10:00 A.M., park and enter in the back and we will welcome you "with bells on."

Enclosed is information on a nutritional counseling program available to you and it reimbursable by Medicare and there is no co-pay. See you in July!

Your Facilitators, Bonnie Levitan 313-885-7855, Bobbi Stevens 248-549-2149, Bruce and Dianne Sachs

586-455-3104, Tim Brown 313-886-5081

June 2018 Newsletter

Warm (finally) Greetings, Dear Friends

Our June meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday, June 23'd. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible.

We had a lovely Pizza luncheon (with cake!) in May. Our fearless leader, Bonnie couldn't be there and was missed, but we had able bodied spouses and friends who helped out with serving, and their help was very much appreciated.

It is with great sadness to inform all that our long-time member, Carol White, passed away on Friday, May 25th. She will be missed.

Ted and Sheila Kowalski have a medium size burgundy lift chair that they are willing to give away. lt is burgundy, no stains or tears. lt would have to be picked up in Auburn Hills. Their number is 248-535-2558.

We are very sorry that you didn't receive a May newsletter. We don't know what happened, only the post office knows for sure.

Enclosed, you will find an inventory that will help you decide if you suffer from depression. This not a diagnostic tool and for your information only.

Take care, and always try to avoid those pesky falls that can cause so much damage and pain. (this is the pot calling the kettle black).

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081, Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149

April 2018 Newsletter

Hello Dear Friends:

At least at this writing, I think Mother Nature forgot Michigan when planning spring! So since we have been hibernating we were a little slow in doing the April newsletter. ln the interest of getting it in the mail ASAP, it is more abbreviated than usual, so please forgive us! 

We are planning a very interesting April meeting with a presenter, Mr. Gene Richards. He has proven to be one of our more popular speakers in the past, so you will not want to miss this. He is speaking to us about new developments in Medicare, especially regarding coverage for some nursing home situations. You are welcome to bring a guest, as this topic should be of interest to everyone who now has Medicare. There will be plenty of time to have your questions and concerns answered.

Of course, the May meeting will feature a short discussion period before the pizza arrives for our annual social meeting and lunch. lf you want a special kind of pop to drink, please bring your own. Water, coffee or iced tea will be provided. Come share the fun!

As usual, we will be meeting at 10:00 A.M. at the First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois in Troy. Please park in the back and enter the door back there. We are looking forward to sharing some social time and a cup of coffee with all of you.

lf you use a PAP machine you might want to look into the SoClean automatic cleaning machine. lt can handle any type of PAP you may be using and it functions on the same technology as water purification systems. We have received some positive feedback on this. lt is around $250.00 - $300.00 so check several sources for the best price.

The April meeting is quickly approaching, and we hope to see you all there. Any questions? Call any facilitator, Bonnie Levitan 313-885-7855, Bobbi Stevens 248-549-2149, Tim Brown 313-886-6081, Bruce & Dianne Sachs 585-455-3104.

March 2018 Newsletter

Spring Greetings:

Well, as we all "tip-toe" through the tulips, please remember to put the 2018 season start-up meeting for the Southeast Michigan Post-Polio Support Group on your calendar......Saturday, March 24th at 10:00 A.M. We will be in our usual location, the First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, Michigan. This is about a quarter mile north of Wattles Rd.....please park in the back and come through the door back there. We will be waiting to welcome you! As polio survivors, we-all belong to a family, of sorts, and sharing our experiences, our solutions to problems, and learning to become our own advocates is most beneficial for us all! So, we want to see you and hear what you have to say! Please plan on attending our first meeting.

Then at the April 28th meeting, we will feature a speaker, Mr. Norman "Gene" Richards. He spoke to our group last year, and was one of our more popular presenters. He will be speaking on newly developed Medicare issues that should be of benefit to us all, regarding Medicare and nursing home care. Mr. Richards, as you may recall, is an attorney specializing in wills, trusts and estates with a special interest in disability issues and providing for the disabled , After hearing him speak, some of our group have already used his services, and were very pleased. Come hear new information and ask

questions in April!

Bobbi did an excellent job in planning our lunches over the winter. Getting together always provides such a nice social time for all who attend, and this past season was no exception. Thank you Bobbi! And additionally, we want to thank Dick and Bill for all their behind-the-scenes help in the kitchen and related issues such as serving....would not have coffee without them! Laura, with the help of Denis, keeps us all on the straight and narrow, making sure she provides everyone those useful nametags for every meeting. Would also like to mention those of you who so graciously provide treats and extra help, as needed, at each meeting. We never have to ask......many of you, who are able, willingly jump in where needed.

Sadly, we want you to know of the loss, on November 4th,2017, of our dear friend and a regular addition at our meetings, Rick Schwendenmann. His absence will be a great loss to all of us, his friends! He was always so willing to help anyone who needed it, with technological advice and direction. He, and his dear wife, Gwen, also donated a lot of time and effort to the Michigan Polio Network, Inc. and both served on the board. They were pillars of our polio community....cherish the memory!

September 2017 Newsletter

Autumn almost, Greetings!

Our final meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday,

September 23'd. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church

of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am .Please park and enter in the back. We are

entirely accessible.

September, our last meeting month for the year, will be very special. We will

have the honor of Dr. Daniel Ryan as our guest speaker. We are expecting a big

crowd, so if you haven't RSVP'D already, please call one of the facilitators and let

us know if you plan to come.

ln August, our meeting featured Attorney Norman Richards, whose practice

focuses on elder law and estate planning He customizes legal documents for the

unique needs of the client, special needs trusts, and specializes in disability needs.

He was very friendly, approachable and there wasn't a question he couldn't

answer. Contact info enclosed.

As we wrote last month, Pat Fasseel, is going through some difficult times, with

her husband being ill and she is without transportation. Her contact info has

changed to 15525 Valerie. Macomb 48044.

lnformation for our winter luncheons is enclosed and we hope to see you there -

we always have the best time!

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081,

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

Winter Luncheons

2017-2018

Hi Everyone! The Southeast Michigan Post-Polio Support Group will be lunching

around again this season, while we take a break from our formal meetings. Friends

and guests are welcome, we will be ordering off the regular menu, separate

checks. We ask that you RSVP to Bobbi Stevens, so that we can be sure the

restaurant can accommodate us.

Saturday November 11, 2017

Bahama Breeze

539 East Big Beaver

Troy, MI 48083

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Camp Ticonderoga

5725 Rochester Rd

Troy, MI 48084

(don't forget Secret Santa!)

Saturday January 13, 2018

Baker's of Milford

2025 S Milford Rd

Milford, Mi 48381

Saturday February 10, 2018

O'Mara's

255 12 Mile Rd

Berkley, MI 48072

All Lunches will begin at 12 Noon. Please RSVP to Bobbi Stevens at least 24 hours

prior to the scheduled luncheon at (248) 549-2149

August 2017 Newsletter

Welcome !

Our next meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday,

August 26th. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of

Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am .Please park and enter in the back. We are

entirely accessible.

ln August, our meeting will feature Attorney Norman Richards, whose practice

focuses on elder law and estate planning He customizes legal documents for the

unique needs of the client, special needs trusts, and specializes in disability needs

.He comes to us highly recommended.

September we will have Dr Daniel Ryan as our guest speaker and if you haven't

RSVP'd yet, please do contact one of your facilitators.

BayCliff will have a full program Sept 11-16 this year. There is still a little bit of

time to apply. You must be approved by Bay Cliff. Our support group has some

scholarship money available for first timers. Visit www. Baycliff.org for more

details. lt is a beautiful facility.

One of our long-time and treasured members, Pat Fasseel, is going through some

difficult times, with her husband being ill and she is without transportation. lt

would be great if you could call her, 586-566-9327, or drop by The American

House, Manor 6, 3601 S Adams, Apt 301.

Bruce announced that this would be the last year for Michigan Polio Network, in

the future we will be teaming up with Polio Health lnternational. lf you are a

member of MPN, you will still get all the information and benefits that you always

did.

lf you take medications, as most of us do, there is a DNA test (Buccal) that will tell

your Dr which medicine will be most beneficial for you. This works on many

medications, such as anti-depressants, cholesterol, and many others. lt is just a

cheek swab, no pain, no gain.

For those of you who have not heard, Meijer stores will give out many

maintenance medications, free of charge, such as some cholesteroI medications,

some diabetes medication, some antibiotics and so on. Be sure to check with

your pharmacist.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081,

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

June 2017 Newsletter

Happy Summer All!

Our May Memorial Pizza, salad and cake was delicious and fun as always, though

we did have a moment of silence to remember those who have fallen in our defense.

Member Mike Davis introduced his latest book "Forsaken Angels" based on

letters and diaries from WWI nurses.

As we all face health issues, please consider the National Institute on Aging, their website is www.nia.nih.gov or phone 1-800-222-2225.

In June, we will tackle the subject of depression. Unfortunately, we could not find

a speaker to guide us through this tangle of emotions, but I am sure we will find

strength with each other.

Our next meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday,

June 24. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of

Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am .Please park and enter in the back. We are

entirely accessible.

Bay Cliff will have a full program Sept 11-16 this year. Visit www.Baycliff.org for

more details.

In July, we will have Ginny Brown and Bill Stevens lead a group of caregivers in a

discussion group, while your facilitators lead a discussion on being taken care of.

Please think of including anyone, adult children, relatives, friends, anyone who is

interested and has helped you out.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081,

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-455-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149

April 2017 Newsletter

Warm Spring Greetings Friends!

Our next meeting will be the fourth Saturday of the month (as always), Saturday April 22. Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am .Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible.

Our speaker in April will focus on emotional issues.

We don't usually announce birthdays, but we celebrated Dan Matakas hitting 80

at our March meeting. Lookin'good, Dan!

We received information concerning accessible vehicles for rent and we are enclosing the information for your perusal.

We also looked at an overview of the coming year, with interesting speakers, sharing time and a caregiver/disabled workshop where we separate into 2 groups and voice our concerns. Bill Stevens and Ginny Brown will captain the AB (able-bodies) team, and Bonnie and I will play defense for the DABs. (Just kidding). We encourage you to bring friends, relatives, anyone who assists you. We are hoping to promote understanding of these two very different positions.

We hope all that attended our winter luncheons enjoyed themselves, but if you

have suggestions, questions, or compliments, er, I mean concerns, Please contact

Bobbi Stevens.

On a personal note, Bill and I want to thank everyone in the support group for the

love and support we received last fall when our daughter, Meredith, passed away

unexpectedly.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081,

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149

March 2017 Newsletter

Hello Dear Friends:

Welcome back to another season of our Post-Polio Support Group. We, the facilitators have missed seeing many of you over the winter months and we are looking forward to seeing you at our first meeting Saturday, March 25th, 2017 . As usual, the meeting starts at 10:00A.M. and it is in the usual location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy,4328 Livernois, which is about a quarter mile north of Wattles Road (17 Mile Rd). Please park in the back of the church and enter the door back there and we will be waiting for you with a hot cup of coffee and good cheer. We are bound together by our common bonds and we have a lot to share with each other! Heaven knows there are not many outside of our "Post-Polio Circle" that know much! LOL! We are, however lucky that we do have some wonderful connections, such as Dr. Ryan and the clinic, knowledgeable physical therapists, and speakers who are interested in our situation and come to share their information with us, etc. and so we have much to be thankful for......some polio survivors have nowhere to turn for treatment or direction! So we come together trusting in each other and depending on this connection for support and knowledge....come share yours with us! We need each other! We want to know what you have been doing over the past few months.

Thought for the day: Your outlook and how you handle your problems and troubling times, have a lot to do with the outcome!

The March, April and September meetings will be facilitated by Bonnie, Tim and Bobbi and May, June, July and August will be facilitated by Bonnie, Bobbi , Bruce and Dianne Sachs. We have adopted this schedule to accommodate Bruce and Dianne being in Florida for half of the year and to get a little variety into the meetings. However, do not despair, Tim will be "at the ready" for each and every meeting with one of his stories to entertain us! He is just back from his world tour which has received wide acclaim......surprised he missed getting an Oscar for his performance!

See you soon and bring any fresh ideas you may have to improve our meetings in the future! lf you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to call one of the facilitators!

Bonnie Levitan 313-885-7855, Bobbi Stevens 249-549-2149, Tim Brown 313-886-6081, Bruce and Dianne Sachs (after April 15th) 586-465-3104

September 2016 Newsletter

Greeting Friends!

Our speaker for August was Aaron Wooster, who is an expert in the health

insurance field and can help to untangle the snarl that health insurance has

become. Among his many excellent recommendations, he urges all of us to

examine our health insurance options every year, as changes may occur that our

not to your benefit. Mr. Wooster has spoken with us before and several of our

members have sought help from him and were very pleased with the results. You

can contact him through Jackson Kennedy lnsurance & Investments, 810-626-

3226 ex 101 or aaron@jackson-kennedy.com.

Our next meeting will be the last official meeting of 2016, we will have

entertainment, a raffle and some sharing time. Please join us at the same

location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10am on

Saturday, September 23'd. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely

accessible.

While the official meetings are coming to an end for this year, our winter

luncheons will begin in November. These are strictly social get-togethers at area

restaurants. You will find enclosed a sheet with necessary dates, locations, etc.

We always have so much fun, please join us!

The Farmington Rotary is presenting a program "The Shot Heard Round The

World" on Oct 24, "World Polio Day" , at The Civic Theater on Grand River at 7pm.

It is about Rotary contributions to eradicate Polio. Survivors are welcome to

attend.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for the support group.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081, 

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 585-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

August 2016 newsletter

Hello All! We hope you are keeping cool, Polio survivors do not always do well

with temperature extremes, please take measures to safely enjoy summer. Like

hydration and limiting sun exposure. (Really good advice for everyone)

We were lucky to have Osa Jackson, PhD, PT return to our group to speak in July.

Dr. Osa explores the mind-body connection and offers CDs, books, and workshops

to explore further the impacts life can have on our bodies. Dr Jackson is holding

workshops, in Aug., Sept., Oct., and Nov. and will be cutting the price in half for

Polio survivors - see enclosed flier for details.

Our speaker for August is Aaron Wooster, who is an expert in the health insurance

field and can maybe help to untangle the snarl that health insurance has become.

Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328

Livernois, Troy, at 10 on Saturday, July 23'd. Please park and enter in the back.

We are entirely accessible.

We are very sorry to tell you of the passing of Barbara Basirico on July 20th. Barb

was a Polio survivor and a longtime member of our group. She will be missed.

The Farmington Rotary is presenting a program "The Shot Heard Round The

World" on Oct 24, "World Polio Day", at The Civic Theater on Grand River at 7prn.

It is about Rotary contributions to eradicate Polio. Survivors are welcome to

attend.

lf you are a former Camp Grace Bentley person, you may be interested in a report

on the camp that can be found at EBW.TV

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for the support group.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-885-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081, Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 585-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

July 2016 newsletter

Hello and Happy Summer to everyone!

We had an amazing turnout for our June meeting and we continue to welcome

new members. We were lucky enough to have 2 microbiologists from OUWB

(Oakland University William Beaumont Medical School), Drs John and Tracey

Taylor who spoke on virology, with, obviously, an emphasis on the polio virus and

its imminent (fingers crossed) eradication. They also gave us great information on

the immune system, how vaccines are developed, and how they work in our

systems. lt was a lively meeting, fun and very informative.

Our tentative speaker for July is Osa Jackson. Please join us at the same location,

The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10 on Saturday, July

23'd. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible.

Our group voted to donate a small amount of money to Bay Cliff Health Camp (a

camp primarily for disabled children, though we have been invited there for

several years now.) to replace some well-used exercise equipment.

Bruce Sachs spoke on "How to Get A Wheelchair", including the physical

requirements for the individual and also negotiating the red tape involved, thanks

to some fairly new Medicare changes.

We would like to urge you to visit the Michigan Polio Network website. lt has

recently been updated by our group's good friend Mike Scharl (who is also a

member of the MPN board). New information is being posted on a regular basis.

Also, the Post-Polio lnternational website is being updated - you can check out an

article by Dr Selma Calmes on anesthesia.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for the support group.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 3!3-774-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081,

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

June 2016 newsletter

Greetings!

We are going to start this newsletter by urging all polio survivors to attend the

June 25 meeting. We are lucky enough to have 2 microbiologists from OUWB

(Oakland University William Beaumont Medical School), who will donate their

time to discuss the polio virus, and its damaging effects, with us. This is bound to

be a fascinating and educational meeting for all of us.

Please join us at the same location, The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328

Livernois, Troy, at 10. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely

accessible.

Our own fearless leader, Bonnie Levitan, was honored by the Michigan Polio

Network for all her years of hard work and contributions by being awarded the

title of Michigan Polio Network Board Member Emeritus, she was presented with

a framed certificate, and also receives the gratitude of Michigan Polio Survivors,

who have benefitted from her years of service.

ln this edition of newsletter, we are including pictures from the past; Elvis Presley

receiving the polio vaccine (to encourage teens in the 1950s to be vaccinated)

and, a picture of the late, great, Muhammed Ali visiting polio survivors at Kosair

Crippled Childrens Hospital in 1960. These pictures remind us that we are part of

history.

Also, enclosed is an explanation for the recent changes in polio vaccinations

worldwide, in cooperation with the World Health Organization eradication

program. And contact info for Adaptive Environments.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for the support group. 

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-774-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-6081,

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

May 2016 newsletter

C'mon spring, I know you can do it, just a few more warm days and we can

consider it spring and put away the fleece and down. Maybe. But warm or cold,

rain or shine The Post -Polio Support Group goes on.

We had a polio survivor/musician at our last meeting. He spoke and sang, played

guitar, and we had an impromptu sing-along, along with our own Joe Wanchek,

who brought his mandolin. You can never tell what to expect at our meetings, but

I can tell you what you CAN count on; friendship, kinship, information and may be

even a giggle or two.

Our next meeting is the 4th Saturday in May, our annual Pizza Party, which will be

(as usual) at The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10.

Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible.

We continue to work with Oakland University-William Beaumont Hospital Medical

School, in the hopes of giving new doctors insight into polio and it's varied after

effects. lf you have received a questionnaire and not sent it back yet, we urge

you to do so. lf you haven't received a questionnaire (they went out last fall)

Please talk to Tim Brown.

Our OUWB connection continues at our June meeting when we will welcome 2

microbiologists who will discuss the polio virus. We are so fortunate that these

professionals are willing to give their time to us. Please on attending.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for the support group.

Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-774-7855, Tim Brown, 313-886-5081,

Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.

April 2016 newsletter

Greetings All:

Hope you all had a joyous Easter Sunday and beautiful spring day, because, as of this writing, we are experiencing a rebirth of winter! Oh the joys of living in Michigan!

We had a wonderful opening meeting in March. We introduced a new couple, Penny and Lynne Gregory from Troy, and we all enjoyed hearing his polio story and their experiences. We certainly hope they felt welcome and will return to join our "post-polio" farnily and share all of our common bonds. Additionally, we had a spirited discussion on denial. ln fact, there did not seem to be enough time to continue the discussion, in depth, so perhaps we can add it to a future agenda. lt is certainly a topic that we are all familiar with. Facilitators Tim an Bobbi shared a letter from a doctor regarding how doctors viewed people with chronic issues, disability and ongoing or changing conditions. lt was an honest and heartfelt message with an approach that we have not been familiar with, but one which we could all benefit from understanding. The full text of the letter will appear in Perspectives from the Michigan Polio Network, and it is worth reading and saving for future reference.

Our next meeting is April 23rd at 10:00 A.M. at the usual place, the First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy Michigan. Please park in the back and enter the door back there, and we will welcome you with a hot cup of coffee and plenty of good cheer. lt should be a fun April meeting, as we will meet Mr. Steve Gilbert. He is a polio survivor who says he has never met another polio survivor. He is a guitarist and after he shares his polio story with us, he will entertain us. So plan on attending and enjoy a fun filled morning.

June is a "Don't Miss' meeting, as we will be featuring a husband and wife team of microbiologists from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. Their presentation will be on the polio virus. It is not often we are able to get such knowledgeable speakers on the topic of polio, and there will be plenty of time for you to ask questions. So, bring a friend and come to a most interesting and informative meeting.

Below is an invitation from Rotary to attend an Open House on Saturday afternoon following our rneeting on April 23. lt looks as if it will be an interesting and informative get together and tour at the old Farmington/ Sister Kenny Hospital. We hope many of you will be able to attend.

We welcome any and all comments, questions, or feedback on our support group. Please contact a facilitator any time. Bonnie Levitan 313-885-7855 Bobbi Stevens 248-549-2149 Bruce and Dianne Sachs

586-465-3104

September 2015 Newsletter

Happy Labor Day and may we have a mild and long autumn!

We had a lovely meeting in August, with Sara DiCiesare, who is a musical therapist

for hospice. She cited studies proving how music can reduce pain and fatigue and help to relieve the symptoms of depression. Luckily, she also brought several instruments with her and performed for us. Sara is a therapist for Residential home health and Hospice and can be reached at sdiciesare@residentialhospice.com.

Our next meeting will be our last official meeting for the year, in Oct (the 10th) we begin our winter social luncheons. Please see the enclosed flyer for dates and places. Please don't forget our special December luncheon, where we celebrate the season with "Secret Santa". lf you are male, you bring a gift for a male, female for female, all gifts should be anonymous. We put them into 2 containers and pass them out. The price limit is $10. We have had a lot of fun with this in the past, it really contributes to the festive luncheon. lt is voluntary, of course. lf you are feeling overwhelmed by the holidays and just can't buy one more thing, please, come anyway. All our welcome.

On Sept 26th we will have our meeting, as usual, at The First Presbyterian Church of Troy, 4328 Livernois, Troy, at 10. Please park and enter in the back. We are entirely accessible. This will be an Open Discussion" meeting. Everyone's input is welcome.

We continue to work with Oakland University-William Beaumont Hospital Medical

School, in the hopes of giving new doctors insight into polio and it's varied after effects. We may be asked to fill out questionnaires later this year.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for the support group. Your facilitators are Bonnie Levitan, 313-774-7855, Bruce & Dianne Sachs, 586-465-3104, & Bobbi Stevens, 248-549-2149.