Local man reflects on life with
polio
Editor's Note: This is the second story in a series about
polio. The first part explained how the Salk polio vaccine, which was
administrated in 1955, virtually eradicated the disease. But, it came too late
for Valley City resident, Carl Peter. His story is told today. The third and
final story in the series tells how Larry Bessette contracted the disease, but
wasn't paralyzed by it. However, his sister died from it over night after a high
fever and shooting pains.
Carl Peter of Valley City can remember every
detail vividly of when he contracted polio, as if it happened
yesterday.
He was 8 years old in the last week in August of 1946 when he
came down with the typical flu-like symptoms of high fever and shooting pains.
He and his family lived in rural Page at the time and he recalls he had played
with the new elevator manager's son who had polio. The disease was highly
contagious and everyone knew that, but it was impossible to protect a child
every moment, although the opening of schools was delayed and closing of
swimming pools was a common practice during the epidemic years.
| Carl and Evelyn Peter on their 40th wedding anniversary a year ago in March. (Submitted photo) |
His younger sister and his brother also had a high
temperature, but they recovered and didn't suffer any paralysis. Carl's fever,
however, got worse, so his father took him to a St. Luke's Hospital in Fargo for
a spinal tap.
He was told there if he didn't get worse, he could go home
in 10 days, but this was not to be. Paralysis had set in. He said the paralysis
started from the bottom of his body and worked its way up, affecting his
breathing process. He was placed in the infamous iron lung, a metal coffin-like
contraption that aided breathing, but imprisoned polio patients who needed it --
in some cases for life. However, Carl was only in the iron lung for three and a
half weeks. He was taken out of the iron lung when his breathing
improved.
Carl was taken to what was then called the County Hospital and
put in full isolation, along with everyone else who had polio, including those
in the iron lung. He says when he was transferred back to St. Luke's Hospital in
Fargo where he stayed for 10 months, all he could move was his right arm. His
other limbs were paralyzed.
Carl was put on the Sister Kenny treatment and remembers
well the layers of hot strips of hot wool that were placed on his legs, thighs
and chest to reduce muscle spasms and reduce pain. He also had to undergo
extensive physical therapy.
Carl still has a picture of the wringer
washing machine that was in his room where the strips of wool were put in hot
water and placed on his affected limbs and chest. What he remembers most about
the wool strips is that they were extremely itchy and uncomfortable.
It
was a slow progression. By Christmas, he was sitting up in a wheel chair, and
doing a lot of physical therapy, which was a big part of the Sister Kenny
treatments.
He finally got home in July and was then on crutches. His
muscles and nerves started to grow and they had to do a lot more work than the
old ones. He also had to wear a brace on his back.
Carl attended one year
of school at the Crippled Children's School in Jamestown, now called the Anne
Carlsen Center for Children. Carlsen was the principal of the school at the
time. He says the fantastic part of all that was the March of Dimes Foundation
paid for a lot of his school and hospital expenses. He missed two years of
school and graduated from Page High School with his brother in 1957. He went on
to college and graduated from Valley City State College in 1960.
"I only
used crutches for long distances at that time," Carl says.
He then went
on to teach school at McClusky for several years where he met his future wife,
Evelyn. They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary a year ago in March. They
have a son, Damon, and two daughters, Beth and Karla, and six
grandchildren.
Carl also went back to his hometown of Page and taught in
the high school there for seven years. The last three years he was teaching in
Page, he got his master's degree at the University of North Dakota in Grand
Forks. In 1970 he moved to Valley City where he taught at Valley City State
University for one year, replacing John Keller, who look a leave of absence to
get his doctorate.
He then got the job in the registrar's office at VCSU,
where he remained for 28 years.
Carl says he's just grateful he was able
to get his education and hold a fulfilling job all those years. He was mainly
pain free during those years as well.
He has also received several honors
over the years, including being nominated for an award by the Mayor's Committee
on Employment of the Handicapped in 1970. He was selected for the award again in
Valley City in 1980 and went to Bismarck to compete at the state
level.
Carl says it wasn't until 10 years ago that the weakness in his
muscles started returning. He has what is called post polio syndrome. Not
everyone gets this, but many who were most affected by polio, do seem to get
this syndrome as they get older.
He took early retirement in 1999 when
his muscles became weaker and the post polio syndrome also affected his
breathing.
He says too much exercise can be harmful to him. "I have to be
careful," he says.
Carl uses his crutches around the house, but does now
use his electric wheel chair outdoors. He recently had a ramp built on to his
porch. He also sees a neurologist in Fargo once a year. She checks his muscle
strength to see how fast the neurological damage is
progressing.
Reflecting back on his bout with polio and being paralyzed,
Carl says the polio vaccine was a wonderful thing, "but a few years too late for
me."