Welcome to Post-Polio BransonGoers Association (PPBGA)...  Feel free to browse our site and please sign our guestbook before you leave!
 

In 1955, Jonas Salk developed the Polio vaccine and the terrible Polio epidemic was eliminated. Or was it? For more than 1.6 million Americans, there has been no cure.  Survivors of polio who believed they had put the disease behind them forever, find they are once again struggling with chronic symptoms. Along with the debilitating physical aspects, survivors also face the emotional devastation of Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS).
 

What Is Post-Polio Syndrome?

Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a condition that affects polio survivors anywhere from 10 to 40 years after recovery from an initial paralytic attack of the poliomyelitis virus.  PPS is characterized by a further weakening of muscles that were previously affected by the polio infection as well as other areas once thought to be unaffected.  Symptoms include fatigue, slowly progressive muscle weakness and, at times, muscular atrophy.  Joint pain and increasing skeletal deformities such as scoliosis are common.  Some patients experience only minor symptoms, while others develop spinal muscular atrophy, and very rarely, what appears to be, but is not, a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig's disease.  PPS is rarely life-threatening.

More here:  http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/post_polio/detail_post_polio.htm

Who We Are:

Post-Polio BransonGoers Association (PPBGA) is a group of polio survivors and their spouses, family, friends and significant others who have discovered each other and the support that exists when we share our stories, our lives and our coping methods.  We offer support not only for polio survivors, but also for their supporters.  We are more than a group for support... we are a family, we are friends, and we are... above all... there for each other.  There are no fees or dues to join PPBG.

There are no territorial boundaries, no limitations as to color, race, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, or marital status.  However, to become a member, it is understood that you know a person or family who has had polio or has post-polio syndrome (PPS).  Members are invited to join the fun at our annual gathering in Branson, MO. USA.

What We Do:
We gather once a year in Branson, MO. USA.  We enjoy visiting with one another and learn from speakers and from other people who have had the same experiences as we have. Some are further along this path of post-polio... others not as far.  Each has something to share; isolation, fatigue, concerns about the next step they should take, or experiences. Or, exchanging information, lending support, encouragement, and/or hope.  All these lead to enhancing self-esteem.  Along with the care and support polio survivors receive from their medical team, more and more of them are finding relief and comfort from participating in support groups.  We are here to promote independence and enhance the lives of all polio survivors.  We do this by offering support, information and education, while raising national awareness of polio and post-polio syndrome.  Our guest speakers may address topics such as psychological adjustment, nutrition, exercise, durable medical equipment, braces and orthotics, power chairs, scooters, or home modifications.  We welcome all polio survivors, their friends, family, and other supporters to join us, even though you may already be a member of a local support group in your area.

Oh, And did I mention we like to have fun!??