Michael P. Collins, Salt Lake City, Utah: an interview by Becky B. Lloyd, on September 17, 2009

Transcript (40 pages) of interview by Becky B. Lloyd with Dr. Michael P. Collins on September 17, 2009

Collins (b. 1945) was born in San Francisco, California. He discusses his family and early memories. He contracted polio at age five and tells about getting sick and being taken by ambulance to an isolation unit at San Francisco General Hospital. He recalls the hospital conditions and activities. He couldn't walk and had difficulty breathing. He was in an iron lung for a period of time. After isolation, he moved to a general ward and started physical therapy, which included exercises, massages and hot pack treatments. Collins left the hospital with crutches and braces above the knee. He was fitted with special high-top boots with a metal sole for the braces. He had a significant limp and dragged his right foot. His mother continued his physical therapy at home for a period of years and eventually he regained use of his legs. He still has a noticeable limp when he's particularly tired. He discusses being teased at school and challenges faced during that time. He had several surgeries throughout high school, which he describes. He discusses post-polio challenges. Collins graduated from medical school and practices medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah. This interview is part of the Polio Oral History Project. Interviewer: Becky B. Lloyd