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

Do You Believe in Miracles?

I have been so blessed to experience magic and miracles in my life after the diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome. So often the magic and miracles happened through the sport of running and often at a race directed by Paul Collyer of BA Event Promotions.

Yesterday morning, Tom and I along with our village in the running community via Facebook were blessed to witness magic and miracles at the Bill Rodgers Somerville Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk.

From 1/2018-8/2019 Ruth Anne endured 14 hospitalizations for psychiatric symptoms that were actually caused by an untreated infection. We realized in August that she lives with an autoimmune condition that causes her body to experience brain inflammation in response to an infection (originally strep when she was 6 years old) and cause neuropsychiatric symptoms. With an aggressive course of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory meds and meds to treat the psychiatric symptoms, she had an EPIC comeback race yesterday with her proud dad Tom McManus on the Somerville hills at the Bill Rodgers "Somerville Jingle Bell Run & Walk".

We are deeply grateful for Occupational Therapy at Spaulding Rehab and an incredible Team at Harvard Vanguard Associates along with Ruth Anne's indomitable spirit and fiery determination to overcome!

Ruth Anne had not run a race since we crossed the finish line of the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon. She was in too much physical and emotional pain to run or at times to even go on living!

In February of this year she took an overdose but somehow soldiered on enduring misdiagnoses and wrong medications until we finally found the missing piece of the puzzle in August.

She returned to the sport of running that had brought her and Team McManus so much joy and healing through the years in early September.

We walked the Joseph Middlemiss Superhero 5K at the end of September.

Ruth Anne took the first steps of her return to life surrounded by a community of love.

After the Superhero 5K, Ruth Anne decided she wanted to run the Jingle Bell 5K with her dad. I was overjoyed and quite content to be support crew. I knew there was one big hill in the race and so we took to Heartbreak Hill for our training runs. Ruth Anne went back to basics using the Galloway walk/run method. Tom was timekeeper, pacer and cheerleader while I would go off and do my 5K's at my pace. They slowly built up the run/walk ratio and their miles to 4 miles. We didn't know how important those extra miles and hill training would be come race day.

The weather was supposed to have wind gusts up to 30 mph but magically the winds died down and the sun came out. It was brisk before gun time but many runners were pouring sweat when they crossed the finish line. We had a miraculous thaw and all the snow and ice that had fallen earlier in the week had melted before race day.

We saw Paulie and other friends at the start and took our pre race selfie photos. Ruth Anne and Tom's goals for the race were to have fun and finish!



While I was enjoying pre-race announcements by Paulie, and Boston Marathon champions Jack Fultz and Bill Rodgers:


Ruth Anne was planning out her race strategy:


At 10am the runners were off:


After 17 minutes and change, the first Santa crossed the finish line. I love watching a race. It fires up my mirror neurons and inspires me to be the best runner I can be. I cheered the runners into the finish and enjoyed the announcements welcoming runners back to the finish line.

Around the 50 minute mark I was getting a little antsy. Paulie could tell I was a little anxious and said, "They're still coming in Mary. Tom and Ruth Anne should be along shortly....How's she doing by the way?"

"I hope she's okay," I said. Paulie went on to clarify, "No I mean how is she doing?"

"Oh it's like night and day Paulie. We are so blessed!"

And a few minutes later ... that magical moment of seeing Tom and Ruth Anne coming into the finish line:


Paulie captured this still photo:


Here they are with their bling beautifully crafted by Ashworth Awards:


After expressing my deepest gratitude and love to Paulie, we wished each other a wonderful rest of the day. We went to Diesel Cafe to warm up and refuel as Tom and Ruth Anne recounted their race with me. Because of construction detours, the race was about 3.55-3.6 miles (according to people's Garmins as they posted on Facebook) and it was all hills. Their training served them well!

They achieved their race goals to have fun and finish! Ruth Anne is well on her way to reclaiming her life after enduring three years of seemingly endless suffering with a very poor prognosis.

Do you believe in miracles?

I sure do!

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

Defining Moments: Don't Quit Before the Miracle Happens

Last week, the video of Dave McGillivray's TEDx Talk was released. The subject of his talk is Defining Moments! I highly recommend that you take the time to watch his inspiring talk!

This photo from when I ran the Marathon Sports 5 Miler in July of 2008 popped up in my newsfeed:


The Marathon Sports 5 Miler was a defining moment early on in my running career.

I declared that I was going to run the 2009 Boston Marathon in February of 2008. I had just come out of my leg brace after having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome deemed a progressive neuromuscular disease by Western Medicine. I had never run a day in my life but I watched Forrest Gump and running movies as I chiseled out the runner within me. My first race, the Corrib Pub 5K was a friendly race and I felt triumphant after crossing the finish line.

From "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance":
Our first 5 mile race was the Marathon Sports 5 miler. It was a hot, steamy evening in July. We got lost on the way to the race. Tempers were running as hot as the thermometer because I was so anxious about running my first five mile race. My energy tended to wane by the evening as I was continuing to deal with the late effects of polio. We finally arrived and walked around trying to enjoy the pre-race festivities. As everyone took their place at the start, I could see that this was a serious, competitive running crowd; quite a contrast to my first race ever, the Corrib Pub Run 5K in June.

Runners went out fast and Tom and I were in the back of the pack with a few other people. Even they took off. I experienced my first (of many) marathon training meltdowns. I cried as I shared with Tom all the memories of having kids take off and leave me behind that were bubbling to the surface. I was sweating and tired and hot. I couldn’t tell where my tears ended and sweat began. I told Tom I had no business training for the Boston Marathon. He was amazing and he told me that I couldn’t quit. We would make it through this race and we would make it through every training run. He believed in me when I did not believe in myself. I did know, however, that if I didn’t finish that race, I would never make it to the starting line of the Boston Marathon. Alison, Brookline Marathon Sports store manager who was named our mother hen during Boston Marathon training, gave me water and a high five out on the course. She was worried about me in the heat and wanted to make sure I was okay.

Despite finishing dead last, members of the Marathon Sports family who knew the story of Team McManus, had air horns and a truck on the field honking and blowing and cheering us on to the finish. I knew training for Boston was not going to be easy, but I knew I had what it was going to take to make it happen.


It was a defining moment out on that course when I did not quit.

Had I been a DNF (did not finish) for that race, I would have quit before the miracle happened.



I experienced the miracle of crossing the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon:


I experienced the miracle of a PR at the Bill Rodgers 5K for Prostate Cancer after having left the sport of running after my nephew's death by suicide in 2011 but returning to the sport after 4/15/13:


After my left knee blew out in December of 2014, I had a defining moment to not allow the doctors or physical therapists to dictate what was going to happen to my body. "They" said that I would need a total knee replacement in a few years. They also said I never should have started running in the first place and I needed to cap my distance if I planned to continue running.

Had I quit the sport that is my therapy, my joy, my medicine and a part of who I am, I would never have experienced the miracle of running the Bermuda Half Marathons 2016, 2017 and 2018!



It was a defining moment before the Bermuda Half Marathon 2018 that I got myself together and to the starting line.

From "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953":
I woke up as I heard the song, "A Whole New World," which is what I have my alarm set to playing softly in the background.

"It's 5:00 am Tom. It's time to get up."

"No it's not - it's only 12:20," Tom told me.

I thought it was odd that my alarm was so quiet. Tom said he heard something too.

“Well it’s five o’clock somewhere,” I quipped referencing Jimmy Buffett’s classic song.

I was able to release a lot in a meditation. I felt incredible relief in my back as I fell back to sleep.

Until I woke up at 3:00 am....

“To change is to think greater than how we feel. To change is to act greater than the feelings of the memorized self.” ~Dr. Joe Dispenza

Race Day January 14, 2018

I woke up at 3:00 am on Sunday--race day--with my heart racing, feeling as though I was going to throw up with sweat pouring down my two arms. I don't recall whether or not I was having a dream. It was in direct contrast to how I felt when I fell back to sleep at 12:20 after the false alarm went off.

"Okay," I thought to myself. "Let's get a handle on this. Let's pull your mind out of your body and connect with the Divine. There is no time to analyze this. You have got to get to the starting line."

I reminded myself that my mind is a powerful tool and I could partner with the Divine to clear out these sensations. I went to the bathroom, came back to bed and went into a deep meditation. Mercifully I fell back to sleep. The alarm went off at 5:00 am - the real 5:00 am. We meditated for 10 minutes to set our intentions for the day. We did our core warm up and I totally trusted that room service would arrive on time. We had a 6:30 am shuttle to the starting line.

"Good morning. Good morning...Are we ready to run?"
The knock on the door came promptly at 5:30 and Narayan came in carrying a tray with everything we requested for our traditional pre-race breakfast. Tom had his piping hot coffee. We had whole wheat toast, chilled orange juice and hot water and bowls for oatmeal. We added in the bananas, nuts and granola we purchased at Miles Market.

While he organized our breakfast serving it in grand style, he said, “I am so excited for you all. I was once at base camp at Mt. Everest as support crew for a group climbing Everest. I love seeing people do epic things! Is there anything else you need?”

“No we are all set. And thank you so much!” I said.

“Of course. Have a great race day!”

We never know when or how the miracle is going to happen.

During these past 12 years of healing the effects from paralytic polio and trauma, miracles have always manifested in my life as a result of the choices I made during defining moments. I've worked hard to co-create these miracles and am so grateful that I did not quit before experiencing the jubilation that comes with coming out on the other side of a challenge.

From my heart to yours
In Health and Wellness,
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 at Paper Fiesta in Natick on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon route.

Feel Good Friday - On Grace & Gratitude

As I have the blessing and good fortune to share my journey in interviews as I promote my latest book, "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953," it's a wonderful opportunity for me to reflect on grace, gratitude and the miracle of healing in my life.

I experienced a touch of grace from an early age as I write about in "Adventures..."
As I lay paralyzed on the couch from the neck down, my mother glared at me while smoking a cigarette. I didn’t know why she couldn’t or wouldn’t care for me. I had to wait until my father or grandfather came home to get my basic needs met. I had a vision of a Being with a long flowing beard who extended a hand to me only there was no physical hand. This Being sent a well bucket for me to climb in, and, although I was paralyzed, I was able to step into the well bucket to be reeled up to meet this Being. I felt safe, at peace and happy. Somewhere inside of me I knew that I had to make a choice. In that moment I made a choice to return to my physical body. Movement returned to my right side. I wiggled around a little bit on the couch; enough movement to hold my story book. Everywhere I looked whether my eyes were open or closed and even in my story book, I saw this Being. I had my guardian angel to help me through.

For years I felt resentment, anger and guilt about what I considered having been dealt a crummy hand of cards. But after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, after I got still and asked for Divine Guidance, I realized that in order to heal my life I needed to be thankful for the challenges that I experienced. Bernie Siegel was a wonderful coach to me during this time as he had been since I knew him in the 1980's.

From "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems To Heal Your Life":
Royal Flush

One could say I was dealt a hand of crummy cards to play
at first blush I would have to agree
bluffing became my way of life
playing my cards close to my chest
ever vigilant
shifting eyes
wondering
do I continue to play or fold?

The stakes were high
I could no longer up the ante
living on the edge
waiting to find freedom only in death
every day a living death
something had to give
new rules
unconditional love
trust
strength
courage
steadiness
releasing fear by experiencing fear
losing self consciousness
opening my heart.

I bet everything I had
riding on hope, faith and a prayer

“I’m all in”
putting my cards on the table
there it was
a royal flush!

Through harnessing the power of the mind/body connection connecting to Divine Intelligence within me I have been able to:
Dissolve a breast tumor that was most likely malignant
Heal a lesion on my nose that was skin cancer
Dissolve bone spurs, fatty lipoma, reverse degenerative changes, grow new cartilage and a new gastroc muscle on my left leg
Rewire my neuromuscular system healing the effects of paralytic polio visualizing the Divine as my Master Electrician
Run the Boston Marathon after being told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair
Dissolve bone spurs and resolve a disc pressing on my nerve at C-6 in my cervical spine no longer needing injections to relieve this condition
I came upon the work of Mitchell May and used his mantra for healing "I am a child of God. This is easy for God to heal." I practiced Emile Coue's mantra that he gave to us patients in the 1800's, "Every day in every way I'm getting better and better!"



I continue to heal the effects of paralytic polio and trauma and whatever comes up as an active 65 year old. Through a touch of grace and serendipity I found my to Dr. Lizzie Sobel, chiropractor with whom I have partnered on this journey for almost two years. Just last week I felt new connections to my left leg and am able to feel more balanced with diminishing the risk for an overuse injury on my right leg and side. Imagine that ... after 60 years, my body continues to heal and transform. And to think "they said" if I use it I will lose it and prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. "They" believe that polio survivors age at an accelerated rate taxing the already overtaxed muscles and nerves compromised by the polio virus. "They" need to learn more about neuroplasticity and the body's tremendous capacity to heal!

I am blessed and grateful to my partner Tom who I met through the grace on a blind date 42 years ago. He told me that it was a "no brainer" when I was diagnosed and said that I should quit my job so I could heal my life in May 2007. At the time I had no idea what that meant and I was terrified to take that leap of faith but leap I did. Whenever we needed money, it came to us.

Speaking of money and signs...After the twins were born, we were charging formula and diapers. Our savings had been used during unplanned bed rest for 6 weeks. We lived on one income during a recession. One day I decided that I was going to embody abundance and got dressed to the nines and took the twins in our double stroller to Bloomingdale's. There on the floor was a $20 bill! When I ran out of money for graduate school to complete my last semester, Tom and I 'just happened' to be watching the news when Paula Lyons, a consumer reporter for Channel 5 talked about a new student loan program, MEFA. I went to the Financial Aid Office at Boston College and got the money I needed to finish my MSW.

We are blessed to now experience abundance and a very comfortable lifestyle having weathered many financial crises.

Every day I practice an attitude of gratitude.



When life presents challenges which it invariably will, I get still and ask for Divine Guidance. Through my regular meditation practice, I am better able to take a pause, get my bearings and maintain equanimity in the face of chaos.

While I have been to hell and back in my life, I have been blessed with the gifts of grace and gratitude to embrace the challenges and transform them while gleaning the soul lessons I need to be my highest, brightest and best self. I am blessed and grateful that I can share my challenges and the miracles I have co-created in my life to inspire others!

To hear my interview with Frankie Picasso, follow this link.



You can hear my interview with Bernie Siegel by following this link.

If you subscribe to Hay House Radio, you can hear my interview with Dr. David Hamilton by following this link.


To your health and wellness,
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.



“The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” takes you on Mary McManus’ healing odyssey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December 2006, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance tapping into the powerful connection she experienced to the Divine from an early age. She harnessed the power of her mind to heal her body, feverishly writing poetry in which she imagined herself healthy, whole and free from the shackles of her youth. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running. Her story is one that will leave you cheering for the underdog, discovering the meaning of different ability and experiencing the stunning view from the back of the pack of a race. You will have the privilege of bearing witness to how Mary overcame every challenge that life presented to her. The sport of running provides the backdrop for her journey of transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience. Running became a way of life for Mary that tested her mettle while forging friendships to last a lifetime. As you’ll discover in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” nothing, not even a serious knee injury in December of 2014 could stop her on the roads or in her life.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):


My healing journey using the power of visualization is featured in David R. Hamilton's book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body-Anniversary Edition." It's available on Amazon.