Mary McManus knew challenges since she was five years old beginning with contracting polio followed by enduring nine years of violence at the hands of family members. Those early challenges prepared her for taking on the challenge of the diagnosis of post polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease in December 2006 when she was at the height of her award winning career as a social worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Asking for Divine Guidance as she had throughout her trials and tribulations, she discovered the gift of poetry in her soul. Her first poem, “Running the Race,” foreshadowed her 2009 Boston Marathon run. “Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance,” chronicles Mary’s journey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma, as a runner and a woman who refused to quit. Eight years after receiving the diagnosis, she was finally led to two healers, a chiropractor and a muscular therapist, who helped her reclaim her life and go the distance, a woman transformed who embodies the power of endurance.
Tomorrow Tom and I board a train to NYC to meet one of those healers, Dr. Ryan J. Means while he is stateside. He has brought his gift of chiropractic care to China. I am absolutely delighted that since he can't come to Boston this trip, I'll be able to meet up with him in New York. Just being in his presence triggers a cascade of healing feelings throughout my body and Being. He was the first healer I met on this healing odyssey who unequivocally reminded me about all that I knew but had forgotten about my body's capacity to heal and was supporting me in bringing into physical manifestation all that I had written about in my poetry.
We are going to celebrate together! It's ten years next month since I was diagnosed with post polio syndrome and coincidentally one month from tomorrow I turn 63 years old. It's been 7 years since my last trip to New York when I was sporting this baby:
Tomorrow and Saturday we will be walking around the City and I'll be sporting my Altra running shoes.
We will be celebrating that I will be running my 2nd CONSECUTIVE Bermuda Half Marathon in 50 Days.
Ryan taught me that I should set goals not limits, that I was worthy of a dedicated, caring, compassionate and passionate healing partner. He got me back on the roads. Although Ryan lives in China, we stay in touch via Facebook and the healing he set in motion continues. He is with me when I work out, when I run, when I swim and I feel his presence to counter any doubts I may have about going the distance in health and wellness.
Tomorrow's train ride will be spent editing Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance.
It's so important to share our healing stories so that others know what is possible in this life and that we are not our diagnoses, we are not what happened to us and we can certainly create a future different from our past.
It's Thanksgiving and in addition to having a belly filled with wonderful food, my heart overflows with gratitude for the blessings of health and wellness, for two healers who have partnered with me to go the distance and to my husband who has been with me every step and every mile of this most wondrous odyssey.
To your health and wellness!
~Mary
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