In 2014, I had an epic running and racing comeback. My nephew died by suicide in March of 2011. It was a blow to my life that I did not think I could recover from after having lived through so much trauma in my earlier years. It took the events of 4/15/13 to be a wake up call for me to return to the roads and my life.
I ran 9 races in 9 months crushing PR after PR at the 5K and 10K distance.
The pain had been coming on slowly to my left knee but like so many runners, I ignored it thinking that with a little more rest it would be fine. At the Miss Santa Holiday 5K, my left knee said "Enough! If you aren't going to pay attention to me, I am going to get your attention!" I could no longer put any weight on me knee by the time we went to the after party on Beacon Hill.
Tom and I debated about whether or not to go to the Emergency Room. We were just down the street from Mass. General but I drew from all the healing I had done through the power of the mind/body connection through the years and decided to go home. With a lot of Advil, ice, meditation and a cane from CVS, I was able to get around.
I decided that I needed to find out what needed healing and so I saw the physiatrist associated with the International Rehab Center for Polio and Post Polio at the Spaulding Rehab Outpatient Clinic in Framingham. He was kind and gentle yet continued to warn me about the risks of running as a survivor of paralytic polio. He knew that I would return to the sport that gives me so much but I agreed to take a break until we could get the MRI results and I could have a course of physical therapy to rehab the knee.
He also highly suggested that I return to the Post Polio Clinic for a complete re-evaluation because it was only a matter of time before the symptoms progressed.
I watched myself make the appointment for the re-evaluation but first I had to see what was going on with my knee.
We went for the MRI and I looked up the results on line before my next appointment. The prognosis was grim but so was my prognosis in December of 2006 when I was told I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I went on to cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and heal my life mind, body and soul.
Dr. Rosenberg told me that the knee was beyond repair and I should prepare for a total knee replacement in a few years. He gave me a prescription for physical therapy and warned me to not run but if I did, I should cap my distance at a 5K.
I cancelled the appointments with the Post Polio Clinic and went for physical therapy. The Universe clearly had another plan for me because I had the physical therapist from hell at the Spaulding Rehab Outpatient Clinic in Brighton. She came highly recommended but not for me.
I was led to Ryan J. Means,DC a chiropractor, who was enthralled with my healing journey and believed, as I do, in the body's tremendous capacity for healing through the power of the mind/body connection and creating an optimal environment for healing.
We set out to heal my knee, balance out and strengthen my body and grow a new gastroc muscle. Yes...you read that right.
The MRI showed that my gastroc muscle had atrophied from the initial polio virus. As Dr. Rosenberg went through the MRI results he said, "Well we knew your gastroc muscle had atrophied from the polio virus when you were 5 and there's nothing we can do about that." Part of the stress on the knee joint was because I did not have adequate support from my calf muscle.
In addition to being a chiropractor, Dr. Ryan was a personal trainer so he prescribed a new strength training workout routine that I do to this day increasing the challenge as the exercises become easier for me to do.
"You have GOT to read this book," Dr. Ryan said to me. "It's called 'You Are the Placebo' by Dr. Joe Dispenza."
He went on to give me recommendations for healing resources many of which are on my website. I discovered many more resources on my own from the foundation that Dr. Ryan gave me. He left in the summer after I met him to practice chiropractic in China and now in Vietnam but we have remained in touch through the years and the imprint he left to heal remains to this day.
By March, I was out on the roads armed with meditations, affirmations, KT tape - a lot of KT tape and my fiery determination with a renewed dedication and commitment to heal the effects of paralytic polio and trauma.
In April, Dr. Ryan asked me a critical question: "Why Set Limits?"
Why set limits indeed?
I trained for the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 2016. Standing at the outdoor race expo were representative for the Bermuda Marathon Weekend. We had seen them at many Expos but I would quickly walk by. In 2010 I planned to run Bermuda as a bucket list race but abandoned the idea (and so much of life) after my nephew's death.
As I heard the Bermudian accents while Tom chatted with Race Director Anthony Raynor and his assistant Clarence Smith, I inched closer and closer to their display.
From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
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.
We went on to run the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Bermuda Half Marathons.
Five years later and my left knee is doing just fine thank you very much.
I've decided to keep my distance at 5K's for now but not because someone else has told me to set limits.
I'm blessed and grateful that 13 years after the diagnosis of what doctors believe to be a progressive neuromuscular disease, and, at the soon to be age of 66 years old (on Christmas) I still run and workout 5 days a week. I challenge myself with my strength training workouts and am working on my pace at the 5K distance.
Five years ago my left knee blew out after not minding my body. By harnessing the power of the mind/body connection, having a new strength training regimen, a healer who believed in me and realizing I had not come that far to have only come that far, I once again sent a message of healing, hope and possibilities.
Our body's capacity to heal is far greater than anyone has led us to believe although we are so fortunate to live in an age where all of the old beliefs are being replaced with new science.
To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary
To learn more about my journey from a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma to the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond, visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com
Looking for great gift ideas? Give the gift of inspiration with my books available on Amazon....
and/or the gift of healing choosing from suggestions on my website's "Healing Resources" page.
Be sure to listen to my interview with Kendra Petrone on the Award Winning Exceptional Women Show by following this link
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