Soldier with ALS says she owes her life to adaptive sports | Article

FALLS CHURCH, Va.- There’s no two ways about it. Mary Porter is a force to be reckoned with, and it’s pretty easy to relate to when you meet her. “I’m going to suck the marrow out of life,” the retired major said.

Porter, a military doctor, had just completed 15 years of service and entered private practice when she was diagnosed with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. “On February 18, 2021, I was diagnosed with ALS. At that time, I was exhausted from the previous 6-12 months, more than usual, and I was having problems with my feet at the end of a shift, and I was weaker” , Porter said.

She attributed all of this to the fact that we were involved in the COVID-19 crisis. She worked in a civilian family practice in Oregon and her family owned a farm, so on her days off she tended their lavender field. His symptoms were rapidly worsening. “My neurologist brought me in right away and after the tests, he told me I had ALS. I just burst into tears.

Her doctor suggested a second opinion, and it was confirmed that she had ALS. The symptoms they found had lasted for perhaps 6-12 months previously. “It was quite quickly that I got into a wheelchair full time. He told me that I should retire immediately because my life expectancy would be short. It hit me like a bolt from the blue. I was not prepared for this kind of diagnosis. I immediately retired from my job and that’s when my life changed forever.

Porter explained how depression set in, especially when the first winter arrived. “I’ve been skiing my whole life; we lived 15 minutes from the mountain resort where I learned, and now I couldn’t ski. I was devastated. Then, I discovered adapted skiing thanks to the ALS association, which changed the situation.

It’s called sit skiing, and Porter does it with enthusiasm. She feels like she has a new life. “I wasn’t afraid at all. I mean, because of my diagnosis, I know I’m going to die soon. It’s a bit of a morbid way of looking at it, and I thought, do I want to die in my bed, or do I want to die doing the things I love to do? This is a bit like how we see life when we tell you that you only have two to four years to live.

She is training hard for the Invictus Winter Games in February in Toronto and is proud to be a part of Team USA. It’s another total game changer and a solid point about the importance of adaptive sports in its world. “I’m a completely different person this year than last year because I know the Invictus Games are coming and I need to be at my best. Many people don’t realize that ALS is a disease that takes and takes and takes, but the gift of adaptive sports makes me feel better the more I engage in a sport.

For Porter, the world of adaptive sports has many gifts to offer. “I played several different adapted sports. I was able to do sitting volleyball and shooting, for example, in addition to skiing. But it goes well beyond adapted sport. The people you meet become lifelong relationships. Every time my husband and I go to an event, we gather two or three extra people that we bond with and stay in touch with forever.

Porter’s fearless determination is inspiring, but she says she feels like she gets more than she gives. “I am inspired by all these warriors I come into contact with. I mean, some skiers are blind, and I wonder, how can they have the courage to do that?! I am in awe of them. For someone who can’t see who is willing to throw themselves off a mountain like that, it’s so inspiring. I see Soldiers with yet another limb loss, and yet here they are with the SRU, sucking the marrow out of life with adaptive sports, and they have smiles on their faces and cheering for people like me. As a doctor, I wonder how they do this.

Her husband Alex has been her rock, keeping her from falling, helping her in her daily life, and helping her train. It also helps him find the silver linings of ALS and, according to Porter, there have been many. “So many people have become a part of my life because of adaptive sports; I also saw my family growing closer. None of this would have happened if I didn’t have a terminal illness,” Porter said.

She is delighted and honored to be able to participate in these historic games. “Before I learned about the Winter Invictus games, I spent my entire winter in bed. I wouldn’t train. Now I have a goal, a task and a mission. I am a completely different committed person.

When she skis to the top of a mountain, she is a completely different person and recognizes this every time she prepares to descend. “It’s like raising my middle finger to ALS. I laugh and think this is the only time in my life I don’t feel like I have ALS. It’s a challenging new sport and I’m going to kick its butt!

The added challenge for Porter is deciding when enough is enough. She explains the surprise gift of adaptive sports and how they shape her life. “I don’t want to be dramatic, but I’m going to be dramatic. They gave me my prescription to die with dignity. I live in Oregon, and it’s one of those states where you can take a lethal amount of prescription drugs and die. They gave me my prescription almost immediately after my diagnosis. I reloaded it recently. Without adapted sports, I would have already used it. Adaptive sports gave me hope in a hopeless illness. I feel that I now owe my life to adapted sports.