Celebrating Health and Wellness!

12 years ago I was waiting for my first appointment at Spaulding Rehab's International Rehab Center for Polio and Post Polio. I was experiencing an array of symptoms that could not be explained by a routine physical exam with my primary care physician. The symptoms would wax and wane in intensity throughout the day. Being the good soldier I was trained to be growing up in a wildly chaotic and dysfunctional household, I carried out my duties as an award winning social worker at the VA Outpatient Clinic here in Boston. I was in pain and tired all the time. I had difficulty swallowing and breathing; walking up and down stairs. I experienced stroke-like symptoms that led me to wonder if perhaps a trip to the Emergency Room was warranted. In October of 2006 I met with the lead physiatrist at Spaulding for over an hour while we reviewed symptoms and he provided me with education about Post-Polio Syndrome. After a battery of tests and 7 tubes of blood, Dr. Darren Rosenberg pronounced to me that I was indeed experiencing symptoms consistent with the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, that I needed to quit my job if we had any hope of stabilizing the symptoms where they were and I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair once the disease progressed as I aged.

I was NOT going to take that diagnosis sitting down. I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. Much to my surprise it came to me in the form of a poem..."Running the Race" followed by an outpouring of poems in which I visualized myself running, dancing, healthy, whole and healed. I was blessed to meet an earth angel of a physical therapist at Spaulding's Downtown Clinic near my office who did not subscribe to the Post-Polio philosophy of if you use it you will lose it. Dr. El-Abd was my master magician of a spine doctor who was able to resolve many of the symptoms through trigger injections and he referred me to Allison. She initially treated my cervical spine disease but quickly moved on to addressing my overall deconditioned state.

To survive severe trauma I had a breach in my mind/body connection. Allison helped me to take those first painful and tentative steps on my journey back to health and wellness.

Her final words to me after she discharged me from her care in May of 2007 were, "You are going to continue to do the work right? You don't ever want to go back to where you were when you first started treatment with me!"

"Absolutely," I said! "I never want to feel as awful as I did!"

In October of 2007 I hired a personal trainer who helped me continue to gain strength and develop a training plan that built on the foundation from Spaulding's program.

In February of 2008 I declared that I wanted to run the 2009 Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab although I had never run a day in my life. I came out of my leg brace, stopped using a cane and well as far as a wheelchair went...out the window along with all of my adaptive equipment that had been recommended for energy conservation and injury prevention.

Training for Boston got me moving and training experiencing the fullness and power of my body for the first time in my life. I became intoxicated with the sport of running!

In December of 2014 my left knee blew out after 9 races in 9 months with many PR's. I returned to Western Medicine for a New York minute and found my way to chiropractic care. I was blessed to meet a chiropractor who reminded me about my body's tremendous capacity for healing, growth and repair. He turned me onto the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza and other luminaries who provided me with the guidance and wisdom I needed to heal my knee and go on to run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons in as many years! I grew new cartilage in the knee, dissolved bone spurs and grew a new gastroc muscle through the power of visualization AND an intense strength training regimen to complement my running.

I swim twice a week at Boston Sports Club in Newton where I have seen physical therapists work with patients in aquatics therapy. One therapist in particular captured my heart with the gift she has for working with patients. As I was getting out of the pool yesterday I was inspired to say to her, "You know I just HAVE to tell you how much I admire your work as a PT." She told me it was incredible I chose to say that to her yesterday because it was her last day at Back on Track PT at the gym. She was leaving to go to Spaulding Rehab in Brighton. She told me that she was so impressed with my obvious dedication to my workouts! I told her my story and we exchanged information.

This morning, Tom and I wrapped up another 5 day training cycle. On Saturday and Monday we ran. On Sunday and Tuesday I did my pool workouts and this morning we did our strength training workout in our Team McManus home gym.



When we finished our workout, I felt a surge of gratitude flow through me. The diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome was my wake up call and my motivation to begin a journey of health and wellness. It's now become a habit for me to exercise 5 days a week. I am overjoyed to take a look back at how far I've come in these past 12 years and to celebrate health and wellness!

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

My healing journey is going to be featured in David R. Hamilton's soon to be released book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body." It's available for pre-order on Amazon.

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

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):