Courtesy Photo | (Photo courtesy Maj. Mary Porter) Ret. Army Maj. Mary Porter Sit-skiing in Colorado.... read more read more
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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 understand when you meet her. “I am going to suck the marrow out of life,” the retired Army Major explained.
Porter, an Army Physician, had just finished 15 years of service and went into private practice when she was diagnosed with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. “Feb 18, 2021, is when I was diagnosed with ALS. At the time, I had been exhausted from the previous 6-12 months, more than usual, and I was having some trouble with my feet at the end of a shift, and I was weaker,” said Porter.
She chalked it all up to the fact that we were involved in the COVID-19 crisis. She was working in a civilian family practice in Oregon, and her family had a farm, so on her days off, she farmed their lavender field. Her symptoms were quickly getting worse. “My neurologist got me in right away, and after testing, he told me I have ALS. I just burst out crying.”
Her doctor suggested a second opinion, and it was confirmed she had ALS. The symptoms they discovered had been going on for possibly 6-12 months prior. “It was pretty quick that I went into a wheelchair full time. He told me I needed to retire immediately because my life expectancy would be short. It hit me like a lightning strike. I was not prepared for that kind of diagnosis. I retired from my job immediately, and that’s when my life changed forever.”
Porter explained how depression set in, especially when that first winter hit. “I had been skiing my entire life; we lived 15 minutes from the mountain resort where I learned, and now I couldn’t ski anymore. I was devastated. Then I learned about adaptive skiing through the ALS association, which was a game changer.”
It’s called sit-skiing, and Porter does it with enthusiasm. She feels she has a new lease on life. “I wasn’t scared at all. I mean, because of my diagnosis, I know I’m dying soon. It’s kind of a morbid way to look 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? That’s kind of how you view life when you are told you only have two to four years to live.”
She is training hard for the Winter Invictus Games in February in Toronto and is proud to be part of Team US. This is another total game changer and solid point on the importance of adaptive sports in her world. “I am a completely different person this year than last because I know the Invictus games are coming, and I have to be at my peak. A lot of 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 engaged I am with a sport.”
For Porter, the adaptive sports world has many gifts to offer. “I’ve done several different adaptive sports. I’ve been able to do sitting volleyball and shooting, for example, in addition to skiing. It’s about more than the adaptive sport, though. The people you meet become relationships for life. Whenever my husband and I go to an event, we gather two or three more people we bond with and stay in contact with forever.”
Porter’s no-fear determination is inspirational, yet she says she feels she gets more than she gives. “I’m inspired by all these warriors I come in contact with. I mean, some skiers are blind, and I think, how do they have the guts to do this?! I am in awe of them. For someone who can’t see who’s willing to throw themselves down a mountain like that, it's so inspiring. I see Soldiers with a fresh loss of a limb, and yet they are out here with the SRU, just sucking the marrow out of life with adaptive sports, and they have a smile on their faces and are encouraging people like me. As a physician, I wonder how they do that.”
Her husband Alex has been her rock, keeping her from falling, assisting with daily life, and helping her train. He is also helping her find the silver linings of having ALS, and according to Porter, there have been many. “So many people are in my life now through adaptive sports; I’ve also had family move closer. None of this would have happened if I didn’t have a terminal disease,” said Porter.
She is thrilled and humbled to be able to be part of these historic games. “Before I knew about Winter Invictus games, I would spend my whole winter in bed. I wouldn’t be training. Now, I have a purpose, a task, and a mission. I am a completely different engaged person.”
When she’s on that ski atop a mountain, she is an entirely different person and recognizes it every time she’s about to descend. “It’s like holding up two middle fingers to ALS- I do giggle and think, this is the only time in my life that I don’t feel like I have ALS. This is a new challenging sport, and I’m going to go kick its butt!”
The extra challenge for Porter is deciding when enough is enough. She explains the surprise gift of adaptive sports and how it’s shaping her life. “Not to be dramatic, but I’m going to be dramatic. They gave me my prescription for death with dignity. I live in Oregon, and it's one of those states where you can take a lethal amount of prescription medication and die. They gave me my prescription almost immediately after my diagnosis. I refilled it just recently. Had it not been for adaptive sports, I would have used that already. Adaptive sports have given me hope in a disease without hope. I feel I owe my life now to adaptive sports.”
| Date Taken: | 01.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.15.2025 11:12 |
| Story ID: | 488990 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldier with ALS says she owes her life to adaptive sports, by MaryTherese Griffin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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