Given the long, cold winter and the slowly emerging warmth of Springtime in Boston, it had been a minute since Tom and I went on a run in South Boston. While there was still a brisk headwind, the sun was relatively warm. It felt wonderful to be back getting in miles breathing in briny sea air and seeing the expanse of the ocean and the sky.
When I wrote "My Soul Settles By The Sea" I had not yet started my unlikely runner career. I remember sitting on the beach in Southie being inspired by low tide to write the poem. It was in the early days of my healing journey in the summer of 2007 shortly after I had taken a leap of faith leaving behind my award-winning VA social work career. I knew I was at a crossroads in my life in December of 2006 after being diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, and expect an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged. It was in the early days of research into the mind/body connection and Western Medicine did not take into account neuroplasticity; that our bodies have a tremendous capacity to heal. From what I glean from doing searches on PubMed and ScienceDirect and a generic Google search, the prognosis remains grim for Post-Polio Syndrome. When I first started sharing my journey, I was fortunate to be featured in Brookline Tab articles. I received comments from fellow polio survivors that they had hope that they were not destined for a life of an accelerated decline in functioning. I always give the caveat that I am not a doctor nor am I qualified to offer medical advice, but I can share how meditation, harnessing the power of the mind/body connection and becoming active reversed the symptoms I once experienced. On Thursday's run, I felt unbridled joy and my heart overflowed with gratitude for every step and every mile. It's something I never ever take for granted.
What a joy to savor Springtime in Boston and breathe in the scents of the season. There was a time when I could barely walk without a cane. There was a time when I felt as though I was living life with my nose pressed on the window seeing life pass me by while others were running free. I know how blessed I am to be able to go out the door and live life to the fullest.
I love what my beloved physiatrist, Dr. Eugene Moskowitz, who treated me after I contracted paralytic polio in June 1959, wrote in an op-ed in the NY Times when the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome was being made.
Caution and Hope On Polio 'Signs'
Published: March 3, 1985
I read with interest the article entitled ''A Group for Polio Survivors Who Have New Symptoms'' (Feb. 10).
Having supervised the rehabilitation of poliomyelitis patients at Grasslands Hospital during the epidemics of the 50's and 60's, probably including the ''then'' infants mentioned in the article, I would like to add a word of caution and even hope as an afterthought. Firstly, there is no reason to suspect deterioration in the nerve cells in the spinal cord. After 30 years, one must accept some loss of endurance, increased fatigue and even some discomfort induced by other unrelated medical problems. This is true in the athlete with repeated injuries, in the obese person with back problems and even in the jogger with foot ailments.
Any individual with paralytic disability in an extremity will experience the normal process of ''wear and tear'' except that it may be more difficult to adjust to it. Just as one learned to compensate for the initial impairment so must one adjust to the later, more subtle changes rather than develop an emotional hang up of being a ''polio victim.'' ~EUGENE MOSKOWITZ, M.D. Mount Vernon
I have a Resources for Well-Being tab on my website. Science now shows that when we harness the power of the mind/body connection through visualization, the body heals in miraculous ways. We are not our diagnosis nor are we bound by the edicts that Western Medicine gives us. In February of 2007, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The portal to healing opened through my pen as the poem, "Running the Race" poured out of me. Despite the dire prognosis, "Running the Race" foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run. What followed was an anthology of poems in which my imagination was fired up to harness the power of the mind/body connection to heal mind, body and soul from the once devastating effects of childhood paralytic polio and trauma.
We'll see what adventures lie ahead both on and off the roads grateful for the miracle of healing and transformation almost 20 years after having been told that I should prepare to experience an accelerated decline in functioning as I aged and spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair!
In health and wellness - Mary
Visit my website to learn how poetry, optimism, gratitude and the mind/body connection helped me to transform my life. After having been told in December 2006 that 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 have many adventures as runnergirl 1953. Be sure to visit the recently updated News and Events Page for links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements and where you can find my incredibly inspirational story.
"Meet Mary McManus — our first-ever Music Saved Me Story Contest winner.
We asked you to share the stories of the songs, the albums, and the moments when music reached in and changed everything. You delivered. And one story stopped us in our tracks. We are thrilled to announce that Mary McManus is the winner of the first-ever Music Saved Me Story Contest. Mary’s journey is one for the ages. She contracted paralytic polio at age five. She survived years of childhood trauma. And then, at the height of an award-winning career as a VA social worker, she was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome and told to prepare to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
Music — and the healing power of words — had other plans for Mary.
Through poetry, perseverance, and an unshakeable belief in what’s possible, Mary transformed her life. At 53 she became a runner. At 55 she crossed the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon. That is what music can do."
We asked you to share the stories of the songs, the albums, and the moments when music reached in and changed everything. You delivered. And one story stopped us in our tracks. We are thrilled to announce that Mary McManus is the winner of the first-ever Music Saved Me Story Contest. Mary’s journey is one for the ages. She contracted paralytic polio at age five. She survived years of childhood trauma. And then, at the height of an award-winning career as a VA social worker, she was diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome and told to prepare to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
Music — and the healing power of words — had other plans for Mary.
Through poetry, perseverance, and an unshakeable belief in what’s possible, Mary transformed her life. At 53 she became a runner. At 55 she crossed the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon. That is what music can do."
Mary will be the guest on an upcoming exclusive episode of the "Music Saved Me" podcast.
I was recently the guest on The Optimism Institute Blue Sky Podcast. "Mary McManus has never had it easy. As a kindergartner, she was a victim of polio just a short time before the vaccine was introduced. She also faced trauma in her home life but somehow managed to persevere and overcome these and still more obstacles throughout her life. Today, Mary is an inspiring author, poet, motivational speaker, and finisher of the Boston Marathon." Here is the link to the Episode Website. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and on YouTube.
Reach out to me at maryamcmanus@gmail.com if you'd like me to speak to your organization or group to inspire them with what's possible despite all appearances to the contrary; how one finds strength, resilience and determination in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
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