By Jessie McKay

I contracted polio when I was 3 but didn’t get the symptoms of post polio until I was well into my 60’s I am writing this to make other survivors beware of operations. In November 2015 I had a knee replacement in my “good knee”. However, although the surgeons knew that I had polio they only took into account the “wasting of muscles” and not that my left leg was approximately just over 1 inch shorter than the other. I had never worn built up shoes so my back was used to it. After the operation my right knee (good leg) was always painful but they said there was nothing wrong with it. I then developed a cyst in my spine. When operating to remove the cyst the surgeon fused my back thus making everything so much more painful. I never had any pain at all until I had a knee replacement and now I am in constant pain. Can’t sit down for more than 20 mins. So please although you write in the form you have had polio make sure they know that one leg is shorter than the other.