Miracles of Healing

When I posted our Monday morning run on Facebook, I wrote, "3.4 magnificent miraculous Monday miles! Took to the Hills around our neighborhood and 264’ of elevation got the heart pumping and endorphins kicking in! Spring is in bloom!"


Why miraculous miles you may ask?



In December of 2006, I was diagnosed with Post Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine Standards. I decided I was not going to take the diagnosis sitting down but at the time could not know that I was on the threshold of a miracle of healing. I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. I had known about Bernie Siegel's work since a nurse brought me his cassette talk on Love, Medicine and Miracles and knew the role that the power of faith and the mind/body connection along with self-love play in healing. I knew the story of Evy McDonald, also a polio survivor who healed her life from the diagnosis of ALS.

As I sat in a leg brace using a cane and at times a wheelchair for mobility, the gift of poetry sprung forth from my soul. After contracting paralytic polio, I had an angel of a physical therapist, Miss Holly who read Dr. Seuss to me before every painful physical therapy session and then would have me recite the book back to her in tandem while she coaxed my muscles and nerves back to health. As part of my miracle of healing, I started writing poetry and the first poem I wrote, Running the Race, was in the cadence of Dr. Seuss. It foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run. Here I am 14 years after the diagnosis working out 5 days a week and running 3 days a week! But that is not all oh no that is not all to quote The Cat in the Hat.

In December of 2014, I sustained a very serious knee injury. By all appearances it looked as though I would need to stop running and require a total knee replacement in a few years. It was beyond repair and the fact that I had an atrophied gastroc muscle from the polio would contribute to further degeneration of the knee. "Well there's nothing you can do about that" the doctor told me as he wrote a prescription for physical therapy with the caveat that I should not run but since he knew I was going to run anyway that I needed to cap my distance. I was blessed to have a physical therapist from hell and the Universe led me to a healer/chiropractor who led me to new and wondrous healing resources. I went on to run the Bermuda Half Marathon in 2016, 2017 and 2018!

For 3 years, Ruth Anne suffered with a complex of symptoms that confounded medical professionals. She endured 14 hospitalizations from January of 2018 til August of 2019 and was given every behavioral health diagnosis in the book. I was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together and was blessed that her primary care doctor and psychiatrist were on board with the diagnosis and implemented a treatment plan. She is a miracle! Many times she was on the precipice of the end of her life. It was a miracle that she was able to hold on until we were able to figure things out. Often times we prayed for a miracle and released the outcome to the Universe. We had to live in a space of just not knowing what would happen.

Yesterday on a drizzly gray day in Brookline, we experienced the miracles of healing and the glorious rebirth that happens every year in New England.

“It’s not a problem that fear is here. Fear is a portal for spiritual awakening. If, instead of running away, you meet fear with presence, you will discover right in its midst, a timeless and healing love.” ~Tara Brach

Be Love

When sirens shrill shrieks ear piercing fear
Be Love
Let light and love Shine
Intelligence divine
Love greater than fear
believe
in Love's great power

Love fills the cells
prison walls crumble
cells open wide
at Love song's first refrain
Be light
feel ease
delight in beauty surrounding

Refrain from fear's beckoning
as thoughts race with worry
bathe them with Love
potent healing balm
extinguishes fear
restores one to calm
Fear or Love
grow still and listen
veil of fear shredded
revealing reveling
Be Love.



From my heart to yours
to your health and well being
With love
Mary

My website is www.marymcmanus.com

My books are available on Amazon