Exercise is a Blessing!

Allison Lamarre-Poole, my beloved physical therapist at Spaulding Rehab Hospital was ready to discharge me from outpatient physical therapy. She was moving on from Spaulding to be a traveling physical therapist. I had reached the maximum number of sessions for outpatient care and had achieved the goals we set after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome. I was referred to her in February of 2007 after undergoing cervical spine injections for a disc pressing on a nerve. She did not subscribe to the belief of the doctors in the Post-Polio community that if you use it you will lose it. Yes you read that correctly. The belief was that because of the limited number of neurons available to support neuromuscular functioning as a result of the initial polio virus, they would burn out at an accelerated rate if taxed. Allison believed that I was not destined to be in a wheelchair and that I could regain functioning. Although it's over 12 years ago since that day in May when we had a tearful yet incredibly joyful farewell, I still remember her words to me. "You are going to continue using the program I gave you right? You don't ever want to go back to where you were."

I said with the courage of my convictions, "Absolutely not! YES! I am going to continue to take care of myself mind, body and soul and I will continue to exercise and get stronger."

I had a packet of exercises that I did faithfully while experiencing healing through writing poetry and no longer having the stress of my career as a VA social worker.

In October of 2007, the Universe led me to connect with Janine Hightower, a personal trainer. We were talking about my greeting card business and her personal training business and having me join her networking group BNI.

From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":

Shortly after being discharged from outpatient physical therapy I met Janine Hightower through Herb Simmons. He knew Janine through his participation in the Cardiac Rehab program at Boston Medical Center. I was launching my business New World Greeting Cards, original poetry for every occasion. She was a member of BNI, a professional networking group. As we sat in my living room, she talked about BNI and the benefits of being a member of this networking group. As she talked, I wasn’t focused on growing my business. My mind zeroed in on her sharing with us how she used BNI to promote her in home personal training business.

“You know I’m curious,” I said to Janine. “Do you think you could help me? I was just discharged from Spaulding Rehab.”

I went on to tell her about my journey.

“I don’t know,” she said “but I’d certainly be happy to set up an assessment with you.”

I couldn’t even pass the initial fitness assessment.

“You’re way too young to not be able to get off of the toilet seat without holding on to the sink or to not be able to get off of the couch,” she said to me.

It was a statement of fact without judgment. She spoke the truth about my deconditioned physical state. I signed on to work with her once a week in personal training. I had no idea what or why I was doing this. I did know that if I was going to be in pain, I’d prefer to feel the pain of recovery instead of the pain of decline. Janine held enough faith for both of us that I could come out of my leg brace and have a good quality of life despite the diagnosis and prognosis I received.

Janine’s mantra for our work together was a quote from Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right!”

At my six-month evaluation in February, I made dramatic improvements in every area of the assessment. I had come out of my leg brace. I knew I was on a healing path.

“Let’s write down your goals for the next six months,” Janine said feeling proud and satisfied with my progress.

“Well I want to feel free in my body. I want to dance. I want to be able to walk outside and feel unencumbered when I take a walk.”

Janine feverishly wrote down my goals, and we worked out a plan. She gathered up her belongings and had her hand on the door knob.

“Wait. I have one more goal.”

Janine stopped and turned around.

“I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital. I know they have a Race for Rehab team and I want to do it next year.”

Did you ever have one of those moments when words fell out of your mouth after rising up from the depths of your soul without going through any thought process?

Janine was non-plussed. I don’t know what kept her from turning tail and getting as far away from me as she could. She came back into my house, set down her things and without missing a beat said, “Well the first thing you are going to need is a pair of running shoes.”

She laid out a cursory training plan and said that we would begin indoors to build up my cardio endurance. As soon as the weather got a little warmer, we’d go outdoors and I would learn how to run.

I began the journey of a lifetime and discovered the joy (and at times agony) of running. Allison and Janine planted the seeds for me to discover the thrill of experiencing a regular health and wellness regimen and testing my mettle and my limits.

I know there are many who experience exercise as drudgery or punishment.



I am blessed that I had the experience of paralytic polio and then the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome so that I can savor and embrace every day that I have the opportunity to run, swim or work out. As part of my gratitude journal, I express thanks to my body for all it allows me to do. I know the perils of paralysis and the shock of the diagnosis of a progressive neuromuscular disease 13 years ago.

Exercise is a blessing and movement is a gift.

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

Autumn Splendor Revealed in Our Morning Runs

We have been blessed with a most spectacular Autumn this year in Boston with moderate temps and glorious sunshine. I'm going to do something a little different in today's blog inspired by a 10 day photo challenge from Steve Jones on Facebook. Here are scenes from our morning runs for you to savor and enjoy as much as we did while getting in our miles.





The evidence for the benefits of nature on mental and physical health are numerous and last year, doctors in Scotland began writing nature prescriptions for their patients.

Why not write one for yourself and experience splendor of the seasons wherever you may be!

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

Celebrating 13 Years of Healing....Part III - I'm a Runner

It's World Polio Day: “A world where no child lives in fear of paralysis from poliovirus”

World Polio Day is October 24 and arrives at a critical moment for the polio eradication program. In 2019, the program has seen both important milestones and has faced critical challenges.

In 2019, we will celebrate a couple of incredible milestones: the 25th anniversary of the polio-free status of the Region of the Americas and the Global Certification Commission’s certification of the eradication of type 3 wild poliovirus (WPV3). The announcement of the eradication of WPV3 will signify an important step toward a polio-free world with only one type of wild poliovirus (WPV type 1) still in circulation in just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Despite this tremendous progress, the final mile to eradication is an uphill road and will not be easy. The global polio program is facing multiple, ongoing, serious challenges with the increase in the number of wild poliovirus cases and the continued spread of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) outbreaks in countries around the world. In 2018, we saw an increase in wild polio cases with 33 reported cases in two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan. As of October 24, 2019, a total of 95 cases of wild polio have been reported. The two-remaining polio-endemic countries must reach all children with polio vaccine to achieve zero wild poliovirus cases, and ultimately for the world to achieve polio eradication. This will require increased commitments from governments, local communities, donor partners and multilateral organizations. Furthermore, to address the ongoing circulating vaccine-derived polio viruses, all countries must work to strengthen their immunization programs to close any gaps and ensure that all children are protected against polio – the world depends on it!

I was called one of the lucky ones in June 1959 because I did not need to be in an iron lung and had movement returned to my right side fairly quickly after contracting the virus. I was in a leg brace for 3 years and was in physical therapy for 8 years to coax weakened muscles and nerves back to health.

I am one of the miraculous ones who have made a full recovery after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006. I was called to the sport of running despite all appearances to the contrary and became, what Dave McGillivray calls, "a most unlikely runner!"

On the road to the 2009 Boston Marathon, I tested my mind, body and soul in every imaginable way. The running community welcomed me with open arms; quite the contrast to the jeers, taunts and teasing I experienced from my peers while lugging a full metal leg brace or being called "Easy Out Alper" in gym class.

I cried and poured sweat not knowing at times what was sweat and what was tears. With each mile and every foot strike I was transformed from being a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma to a powerful, resilient woman emboldened through the sport of running to share my story and leave the past behind.



It was a moment of redemption when I crossed the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon:


But my quest to heal did not end after I crossed the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon. I had been bitten by the running bug but I needed to take time off from running to heal after putting my body through the grueling Boston Marathon training.

I went back to Dr. El Abd, my cervical spine doctor and he referred me to physical therapy. She wasn't so sure if I would ever be able to return to the roads but I agreed to take time off if she would help me be in the best possible shape to run again.

That summer I was back on the roads!


My life came to a screeching halt after my nephew's suicide in March of 2011 and I turned away from the sport that was my medicine not realizing that it was the very thing I needed to keep on going.

But once a runner...always a runner and after the 2013 Boston Marathon, I had a wake up call to get back to the sport that had given me so much joy and healing.

I had an epic running come back until December of 2014 when my left knee blew out. I was told it was game over. I really never should have started running in the first place. The MRI showed that my knee had torn cartilage beyond repair, bone spurs, degenerative arthritis, and was told to prepare for a total knee replacement in a few years. And since I was going to run anyway, I needed to cap my distance at a 5K.

I took a referral to physical therapy and made an appointment with the Post-Polio Clinic for a reassessment having been told that it was only a matter of time before the decline associated with Post Polio Syndrome began again.

I fired the physical therapist and cancelled the appointment for a re-evaluation of my degenerative neuromuscular condition and was led to a wonderful chiropractor. He was enthralled with my journey and held the same beliefs about the body's tremendous capacity for healing beyond what we were ever led to believe.

We used mind/body techniques, chiropractic, KT taping and a new strength training regimen to prevent further injury to help get me back on the roads.

In July of 2015, I had my comeback race where I met the Race Director for the Bermuda Marathon Weekend:

Anthony Raynor and Clarence Smith had me at hello at the Bermuda Marathon Weekend Booth at the Finish at the 50 Expo. Tom started chatting with Clarence "Stoker" Smith. I hung back but cocked an ear to the conversation. I gingerly eyed the pink Bermuda wrist bands, the bling from Bermuda Marathon Weekend races and the samples of pink sand. I glanced at Tom and felt we each had a tug at our souls. The tug got stronger with each moment we talked with Clarence and Anthony. We reminisced about when we went to Bermuda. I felt goosebumps and a warm feeling come over me, while a part of me was wondering why was I even having this conversation about running in Bermuda. Several months ago I was told to cap my distance and prepare for a total knee replacement.

“If you can get up to the Half Marathon distance, you’ll be better off than running the 10K with all of its steep hills,” Anthony said in his delicious Bermudian accent.

“The last time I was in Bermuda I was in a leg brace using a cane and a wheelchair.”

Clarence's wife said, "Look at you now girl."

There was no stopping me now. We exchanged information. Clarence told us he'd pick us up at the airport. I chatted with Anthony about the weather in January.

"Look," he said with a deep warm laugh, "I was told you people still have piles of snow near the Seaport Hotel from this past winter. I can guarantee you this. You will have no snow in Bermuda in January."

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.” ~Mark Twain

It was time to sail away from safe harbor and go the distance again. This time on the magical Island of Bermuda.

“Running is about finding your inner peace and so is a life well lived. Run with your heart.” ~Dean Karnazes

I went on to run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons in as many years having wonderful training and running adventures along the way.

I'm blessed and grateful to be celebrating 13 years of healing from the effects of paralytic polio and severe childhood trauma and praying for the day when polio is eradicated worldwide.

I went from being told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair to many finish lines and so very blessed and proud to call myself a runner.



To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

Celebrating 13 Years of Healing...Part II - Transformation

My life came to a screeching halt after receiving the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006. I took a leap of faith on May 25th 2007 leaving behind my award winning career as a VA social worker to heal my life. After being discharged from Spaulding Rehab Outpatient Clinic, I worked my home exercise program and continued to write poetry. I sought out a publisher for "New World Greetings: Inspirational Poetry and Musings for a New World." I started feeling better filled with hope yet terrified for letting go of a steady paycheck and my 25 year career as a social worker.



From Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility:
Shortly after being discharged from outpatient physical therapy I met Janine Hightower through Herb Simmons. He knew Janine through his participation in the Cardiac Rehab program at Boston Medical Center. I was launching my business New World Greeting Cards, original poetry for every occasion. She was a member of BNI, a professional networking group. As we sat in my living room, she talked about BNI and the benefits of being a member of this networking group. As she talked, I wasn’t focused on growing my business. My mind zeroed in on her sharing with us how she used BNI to promote her in home personal training business.

“You know I’m curious,” I said to Janine. “Do you think you could help me? I was just discharged from Spaulding Rehab.”

I went on to tell her about my journey.

“I don’t know,” she said “but I’d certainly be happy to set up an assessment with you.”

I couldn’t even pass the initial fitness assessment.

“You’re way too young to not be able to get off of the toilet seat without holding on to the sink or to not be able to get off of the couch,” she said to me.

It was a statement of fact without judgment. She spoke the truth about my deconditioned physical state. I signed on to work with her once a week in personal training. I had no idea what or why I was doing this. I did know that if I was going to be in pain, I’d prefer to feel the pain of recovery instead of the pain of decline. Janine held enough faith for both of us that I could come out of my leg brace and have a good quality of life despite the diagnosis and prognosis I received.

Janine’s mantra for our work together was a quote from Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right!”

I could not pass the initial fitness evaluation she gave me. After our first workout session together, I could barely move the next day. I discovered muscles I did not even know existed in my body. I made a promise to myself that if I were going to experience pain, I would prefer to feel pain on the side of getting healthy than the pain of decline.

This is a photo of me from Christmas 2007:


Janine held enough faith for both of us that I would and could get stronger. Once a week she came to my house armed with weights and exercises, words of kindness and encouragement yet always pushing me to help bring me out of my once deconditioned state.

From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
At my six-month evaluation in February, I made dramatic improvements in every area of the assessment. I had come out of my leg brace. I knew I was on a healing path.

“Let’s write down your goals for the next six months,” Janine said feeling proud and satisfied with my progress.

“Well I want to feel free in my body. I want to dance. I want to be able to walk outside and feel unencumbered when I take a walk.”

Janine feverishly wrote down my goals, and we worked out a plan. She gathered up her belongings and had her hand on the door knob.

“Wait. I have one more goal.”

Janine stopped and turned around.

“I want to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab Hospital. I know they have a Race for Rehab team and I want to do it next year.”

Did you ever have one of those moments when words fell out of your mouth after rising up from the depths of your soul without going through any thought process?

Janine was non-plussed. I don’t know what kept her from turning tail and getting as far away from me as she could. She came back into my house, set down her things and without missing a beat said, “Well the first thing you are going to need is a pair of running shoes.”

She laid out a cursory training plan and said that we would begin indoors to build up my cardio endurance. As soon as the weather got a little warmer, we’d go outdoors and I would learn how to run.

What had I just done?



I committed myself to a herculean goal. I had never run a day in my life yet I was called to become a runner and run a marathon - and not just any marathon mind you but THE Boston Marathon.

Poetry continued to flow out of me. My story was shared in The Brookline Tab and reader's comments fueled my journey:


Since she was a little girl, Mary McManus had rarely moved faster than a walk.

But last month, the former polio patient bought her first pair of running shoes. And now she’s training for a marathon.

Paralyzed by polio at the age of 5, the Brookline mother of two now spends every day fighting back against the crippling effects of the disease that still threatens to rob her of her strength and mobility 50 years later. She said she won’t stop until she runs her first marathon.

“I just know with every fiber in my body that we will,” she said. “It’s all happening.”

McManus faces an uphill battle. Though polio itself has been virtually eradicated from the developed world, McManus is one of more than 440,000 Americans who could see a resurgence of symptoms decades later, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Scientists believe this resurgence, called post-polio syndrome, is a result of natural aging and stress on the motor neurons that survive an initial polio attack.

Polio survivors learn to depend on these motor neurons as they recover, and can live relatively normal lives before they give out later in life, according to Mary Cole, a senior occupational therapist at the International Center for Polio in Framingham.

“There’s usually a long period of stability,” said Cole. “If not, there’s something else going on.”

Cole teaches post-polio patients how to save their energy, and recommends that many start using the braces and canes they once used as kids. “It’s about improving quality of life,” she said.

“A lot of people think exercise is what can get you through this, and that’s not the case,” Cole said. “Most of these patients have been overusing these muscles, and we need to find a balance.”

But McManus said she refuses to slow down. She wants to prove that other post-polio patients don’t have to, either.

“I’m here to let them know that that might be true for some people, but it doesn’t have to that way,” she said.

I was running to not only reclaim my life; to move out of a mindset of disability and emotional and physical paralysis. I was running to inspire others.

Readers commented on the on line version of the article.
DEAR MARY I'M SO PROUD OF YOU AND WISH YOU THE BEST OF THE BEST AT EVERY GOAL YOU ARE A GREAT WOMAN, I'M THINKING ABOUT MY LIFE IS A POST POLIO PERSON AND WISH I CAN DO THE SAME YOU DOING NOW
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
RAUL CORNEJO

Hello Mary, i stumbled onto your story.
I had polio when i was 14 months old; 27 years after, i still struggle with the physical and 'mostly' the emotional trials that accompany polio.
I'm a doctor so daily i encounter people with a variety of challenging conditions and i constantly draw strength from how different people embrace their unique situations.
I am particularly inspired by your unrelenting spirit, 50 years on!
I just got back from taking a long walk.
I was thinking about my life in general and saying to myself, are you just going to give in to polio without a fight?
I decided that i'll start running in the evenings to strengthen my calfs and increase my muscle bulk. During my walk, i also dealt with some emotional issues... but i digress.
I got home and got on the internet to see if there were any researched exercise routines beneficial to polio survivors, i wanted to be sure running was safe.
I got a lot of info, the unanimous advice was, don't over exert yourself, complete with the medical explanations why overexertion could be harmful.
I know running may be a stretch for me, i don't know how beneficial it will be, but i know that miracles still do happen.
Polio will not hinder me anymore. I am definitely gonna give it a shot.
I'll come back here to let you know my improvement.
I am very inspired by your determination and i thank you for sharing your story.
God bless you.

Hi Mary. I was listening to the radio the other night and I heard your interview. I don't know if you remember me but you took care of my husband George Murray while at the VA hospital as well as saving my life on a daily basis back then. You were truly my angel. I am so happy to have an opportunity to thank you for all you did for me back then and I have often wondered about how you were and then I heard you quite by accident as I still get up really early but the radio was on and I immediately recognized your voice. Do I think you will run this marathon, absolutely. You will do it. I am sorry you have gone through these health problems but you sound wonderful. I am going to get your book and I know I will love it. God bless you and I know he does.
Love
Maureen Murray

Maureen referenced my interview on The Jordan Rich Show on Boston’s WBZ radio.

If you'd met Mary last year and then again today, you will be pleasantly surprised by the changes in her. She positively radiates with energy and good cheer. If exercise is how she's made the changes then I definitely want to start moving more too. It would be nice to have a follow-up after she has run her marathon.
Beth Blutt

I think it is awesome that she has been able to rebuild her strength a second time. I am encouraged now to continue exercising myself and continue to accomplish as much as I can in my golden years instead of settling for couch potato status.
Linda DuPre

To be continued....


To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

Celebrating 13 Years of Healing....Part I ... Receiving the Diagnosis

It's intriguing for me to think that I chose October, when World Polio Day happens, to take the first tentative steps on my healing quest.

The symptoms began ten years before I decided to do anything about them. In the summer of 2006, I realized that mind, body and soul were screaming for attention. I could no longer ignore the symptoms of a profound decline in functioning, chronic pain, having the limp from polio return and a myriad of physical symptoms that at times were quite alarming. I often wondered if I was having a heart attack or stroke. But then the symptoms abated and I would go on serving those who served in my role as a VA social worker.

I told my primary care provider about the symptoms. He dismissed them as empty nest syndrome even though my twins were still at home and PTSD. While my history of severe childhood trauma played a role in my physical symptoms, I knew the physical symptoms needed intervention.

I had known about Post-Polio Syndrome from the wife of one of my veterans. I googled it and discovered there was the Spaulding Rehab International Center for Polio and Post Polio Syndrome in Framingham, a thirty minute drive from my house.

I remember the day I made the call and an earth angel by the name of Anna Rubin answered the phone even though that was not her role at the clinic.

From "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility":
As I sat in my office in between clients experiencing difficulty swallowing, my heart racing, pain and tingling down my right arm, pain in my neck, extreme fatigue and exhaustion and dragging my body around with me, I wondered whether or not I needed to go to an emergency room. Was I having a stroke or maybe a heart attack … but the symptoms would pass and I knew there was nothing acute happening with me. I would meet with my patients focusing on their needs. I allowed the members of my team to ventilate and provided them with emotional support. On one level I was functioning as a clinical social worker, an exemplary team member and being the most productive social worker in my department. On the inside, I was withering away dying a slow physical, emotional and spiritual death. I would pray to God that She take me home. I couldn’t bear the pain of this existence any longer. Guilt set in. How could I leave my family, my patients? But I was suffering and wanted a way out. I never thought about suicide. I knew all too well the pain that suicide leaves. My father had killed himself when I was 17 years old.

I finally decided I needed to pray and ask for help. The answer came to me. “Google post polio syndrome.”

Spaulding Rehab Hospital’s Outpatient Clinic in Framingham, just 30 minutes from my house came up in my search. Trembling I picked up the phone in October of 2006 to take the first step on my journey back into life.

“Post polio clinic Spaulding Framingham, how may I help you?” asked a warm voice on the other end of the line.

“Um I think I may have post polio syndrome,” I said as my voice broke.

After ruling out other possible causes for my symptoms through extensive diagnostic testing, the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome was made sitting around a table in a conference room at the Spaulding Framingham Outpatient Clinic.

I was prescribed a short toe up leg brace:


along with a cane and told to use a wheelchair if I were going to be walking any long distances. Occupational Therapy gave me suggestions for energy conservation and wrist splints for carpel tunnel syndrome. Physical Therapy gave me suggestions to stay warm in winter given that one of the symptoms of Post-Polio Syndrome is cold intolerance. I was told that if I used it I would lose it and should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I needed to either adapt our Cape house or move to a ranch. Speech and Language Therapy taught me techniques to avoid food aspiration and informed me that a feeding tube might be in my future. The left side of my esophagus was very weak.

I was told that if I had any hope whatsoever of stabilizing the symptoms where they were that I needed to quit my career as a VA social worker.

I sobbed with the OT begging her to help me find a way to stay at my job until I was eligible to retire in 3 years.

In January I was referred to a spine doctor who I call my master magician. Many of the "alarming" symptoms were taken care of as a "slam dunk" with cervical spine injections.

Because Spaulding Rehab downtown was closer to the VA than Framingham, Dr. El Abd referred me to an earth angel of a physical therapist who believed that I was not destined to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. Allison Lamarre Poole would be my guide back to my mind/body connection while encouraging me to figure out a way to leave my career to allow the benefits of rehab to fully take root.

I did what I had always done when faced with a crisis in my life (which was quite often given the environment I grew up in). I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. On a cold dark day in February during the dark night of my mind, body and soul, a poem flowed out of me called "Running the Race."

It was as though a spigot turned on in my soul and poems poured out of me. I wrote poems about gratitude, running unencumbered and free, imagining myself coming out of my leg brace and splashing in puddles and leaving my past behind.

I shared my newfound passion with Allison and realized there would be a life for me after the VA. I began to plan my exit strategy.

The Universe let me know that I was dragging my feet with my plan when:

I vacillated back and forth with my decision to leave the VA. I was planning to leave in October of 2007. In April I went for a routine mammogram. I spoke to the Universe, “I know that I cannot have an abnormal mammogram right now because I have enough on my plate.” I was all too aware of my risk for breast cancer given that my mother, her mother and my father’s sister all had breast cancer. My father’s sister died from breast cancer. “This is not going to happen to me,” I vowed.

The red light was blinking on my office phone indicating I had a voicemail message.

“Hello this message is for Mary McManus. It’s the Breast Center at Mass. General Hospital. Please call us at your earliest convenience.”

“Oh no – this isn’t happening, “ I thought to myself.

I felt the all too familiar clutch in my stomach and my sympathetic nervous system went into high gear. As a trauma survivor, I would vacillate between states of exhaustion and states of high alert. Years later I would learn from Peter A. Levine in his book, “In An Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness” that I was unable to regulate going from my sympathetic nervous system responsible for fight/flight and the parasympathetic nervous system which helps the body to return to a state of equanimity and calm.

With hands trembling, I dialed Mass. General. Even though Allison had taught me about breathing and the importance of taking deep breaths, my breaths were shallow. My hands sweaty. I had no control over what was happening to me.

“Hi. This is Mary McManus I received a call from your office.”
“One moment please – I’ll transfer you.”

“Hello is this Mrs. McManus?” a polite voice on the other end of the line asked me.

“Um yes well it seems that there is an abnormality on your mammogram. It looks like you have a mass of some kind. We need you to come in next week for a repeat mammogram.”

Okay Universe. What are you trying to tell me here? I examined my left breast and sure enough, I could feel a mass. I remembered the power of visualization from Bernie Siegel’s work and I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by harnessing the power of visualization. I was on a mission – to heal whatever was going on in my left breast.

When I returned a week later, the tumor was gone and I set my date to leave the VA to heal my life although at the time I didn't understand the enormity of what that meant.

On May 25, 2007, I went through the VA's clearing out process and returned home to sit in the warm sunshine in my yard wondering, "What had I just done?"

To be continued....

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

You're seeing it live! There's no instant replay!

While I love running in races, there is a certain thrill one experiences while spectating a race. On Sunday October 13th, my daughter and I were support crew for Tom's BAA Half Marathon.

The day proved to be perfect weather for spectators and runners which rarely happens.

The day dawned bright and beautiful:


After we saw friends at t-shirt distribution, we took our pre-race selfie proudly wearing our Team Big Heart shirts:



We sent Tom off to his place at the starting line and we enjoyed the pre race festivities listening to announcements by Tom Grilk and seeing the elite runners and wheelchair athletes warm up:


After the wheelchair start, the runners were off:


Ruth Anne and I found seats at White Stadium where we would wait for the finishers.


The announcer got the crowd psyched up as we waited for the wheelchair finishers to enter the Stadium.

"You're seeing it live! There's no instant replay!"

It was a sprint to the finish for the wheelchair athletes as the crowd roared! I'm glad we brought our cowbells to add to the festivities of watching the finish of a race.

Katrina Gerhard, an Acton-Boxboro High School graduate and current medical student, won the women’s wheelchair race with a time of 1:00:43 and beat the course record by more than nine minutes.

As 24-year-old Brillian Kipkoech of Kenya crossed the finish line in Franklin Park, she learned she just broke the course’s record by finishing in 1:07:40.



The athlete tracker and text message alerts had a discrepancy in Tom's time. I'm glad I signed up for text messages at the start because the tracker had him close to the finish when he was at mile 10.

We cheered on the runners streaming into the finish line keeping a close eye out for Tom.

We had a close call with one of the runners in a red shirt and dark shorts and were at the ready with our camera only to discover it wasn't Tom.

In the far off corner of the Stadium we saw him and waited til he got close to the finish to yell out for him.



Tom was trying to introduce me to the runner he met at Mile 8.

Dick Patrick is an award winning sports journalist. Tom went up to him at mile 8 and asked him how he was doing as he sensed he was on the struggle bus. These two over 65 runners ran through the last 5 miles together sharing runner stories. Dick regaled Tom with stories about Meb; he co-authored "Run to Overcome" and Tom shared my inspirational story of going from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond.

Dick and Tom lost each other after they went through the food station so I didn't get to meet him in person but we have been in touch since they crossed the finish line together.

Here's Tom's photo with his medal and our water bottle that bears the #lacostestrong heart.



It was absolutely thrilling to witness two course records broken at Sunday’s B.A.A. Half Marathon in the women’s open division and the women’s wheelchair division. It's always a thrill to see my bestie cross the finish line especially with an illustrious sports journalist.

Spectating a race - there's nothing like it! You're seeing it live and there's no instant replay!

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

The 10 Day Running Photo Challenge - Part II

Running changed my life! I came to the sport quite by accident. As Dave McGillivray said in his book review of "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953," I am "a most unlikely runner:"
“A most unlikely runner stood to my right as I gave the oral command for the mobility impaired start of the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20, 2009. That most unlikely runner was Mary McManus. She overcame the childhood challenges of paralytic polio and years of childhood trauma to become a runner at the age of 53 years old and take on the challenge of the Boston Marathon at 55 years old. In “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” you’ll be inspired as I have been by her courage, resilience and determination to overcome whatever obstacles life put in her path. Mary’s life story set against the backdrop of running in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” will leave you asking the question, “If Mary was able to accomplish all that in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, what’s stopping me from being the best I can be?” Dave McGillivray Race Director – B.A.A. Boston Marathon


The other day on Facebook, Steve Jones


posted a challenge:

Every day I select a day from a life of running that has had an impact on me, or has been a memorable moment and post it without a single explanation (except for the above !!)
I then nominate someone else to take up the challenge.


Be active, be positive, be passionate.....

Grow the sport!

I took on the challenge that took me back through my adventures as runnergirl 1953.

Here's Part II of the challenge:

Day 6: The Brookline Tab (our local newspaper) heard about my quest to run the Boston Marathon shortly after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. They sent Neal Simpson to interview me and a photographer to snap this photo of Tom and me running around the Reservoir. Gotta love the outfits. This was before we went to Marathon Sports to get the proper gear necessary to train for and run the Boston Marathon.



I have the article, "Run Don't Walk" framed in my home office:


Day 7: The 2009 Boston Marathon finish line photo. In December of 2006 I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I got still and asked for Divine Guidance only to discover the gift of poetry in my soul. I wrote the poem "Running the Race" that foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run. Poems flowed out of me in which I imagined myself healthy, whole and free running unencumbered free from the shackles of my past even though I had never run a day in my life. This photo captures my message of healing, hope and possibility!



Day 8: Spectacular Day on Spectacle Island Take a boat ride out to Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor, run a 5K around the Island and enjoy an after party with food and beverages sounded like a great idea for an adventure. It was hot and my first trail race but race director J. Alain Ferry told me he would always have my back at a race - and he did. When I had pre-race jitters and asked him if he thought I'd be okay out on the course, he replied, "If it were easy everyone would do it right?" Here's our finisher photo!



Day 9: Jingle Bell 5K in Somerville I was trash talking in my blog about running a PR at this race. There was a group of us running that day and everyone gathered around me cheering me into the finish. Doug Welch snapped this photo of me hitting the mat and reaching my goal. As I wrote about in my blog, there was Christmas Magic at the Jingle Bell 5K.



Day 10: Coming out of the tunnel getting ready to take our left on Hereford Street and right on Boylston Street as we approached the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon! Our son Autumn carried the sign that my energy healer made and gave to us on Heartbreak Hill. Janine knew that a year of training defying all the odds was about to come to fruition on Boylston Street after 7 hours and 47 minutes; 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.





So there you have it....highlights of a most unlikely runner's adventures told in 10 photos.

To experience the trials and tribulations, triumphs and inspiration in greater detail, and to feel the heal through my book of inspirational poetry, check out my Trilogy of Transformation and poetry book available on Amazon.


To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.