Patient Stories > Positive Mindset, Mayo Clinic Care Put a Paralyzed Runner Back in the Race

Positive Mindset, Mayo Clinic Care Put a Paralyzed Runner Back in the Race

By Carolyn Beans

Ask two-time marathon runner Ian Bowen why he runs and he’ll offer a simple answer: “Because I can.” That ability wasn't always a given.

At 32, Ian was diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis, a condition causing inflammation of the spinal cord and brain. Reaching this diagnosis required a spinal cord biopsy that left him paralyzed from the chest down.

With support from his Mayo Clinic physical and occupational therapists, he pushed hard toward recovery and running again. The initial goal was to relearn basics, like how to shave and dress.

“But that was nowhere near where my story was going to end,” he says.

Unusual Symptoms

In early 2009, Ian felt a tingling sensation in his right thigh. Over the course of about a week, it spread to his left leg and down both legs to his toes. Pain developed in his pectoral muscles, and it intensified when he would lie down to sleep.

Ian went to his family doctor, suspecting the chest pain might be from weightlifting. In past checkups, his doctor had always said he was the picture of health.

Ian at Mayo Clinic in Rochester following his surgery in 2009.

He had two MRIs over the course of two weeks. The first suggested a mass on his spinal cord. The second confirmed the mass and that it was growing rapidly — but it wasn’t clear if it was cancer or another condition.

Ian’s doctor said he needed a specialist for an accurate diagnosis, fast. He left his home in Northwest Indiana for Mayo Clinic.

A Hard-Won Diagnosis

When Ian arrived in Rochester, Minnesota, his care team conducted thorough testing, from MRI imaging to blood, urine and spinal fluid analysis. But the results remained inconclusive.

His doctors couldn’t determine whether the mass was cancer or a condition known as neurosarcoidosis without taking a biopsy, a high-risk procedure given the mass’s location on the spinal cord. “They made it clear that this is a very risky surgery and you could be paralyzed for the rest of your life,” he recalls.

Ian opted for the biopsy. When he woke up from surgery, his doctors told him the good news: It wasn’t cancer. They could begin neurosarcoidosis treatment, which at the time typically involved prolonged courses of steroids. Today, there are also nonsteroidal neurosarcoidosis treatments available.

However, there was also challenging news. After the biopsy, he had significant weakness in his legs and a loss of sensation in his lower body.

It was now June. He had registered for a 5K that August, and his thoughts immediately turned to how soon he could train again. He was told he would probably walk someday with the assistance of a walker or cane, but running would be more difficult.

In that moment, Ian set a goal to run a marathon despite never running more than four miles before in his life.

Joy Through Recovery

Ian worked with Mayo Clinic physical and occupational therapists over several weeks to regain motion while relearning skills to function at home. Rachel Linbo, a therapist on his care team, was frequently by his side. “In the beginning, she would move my legs just to help my brain remember how to move,” he says.

As feeling slowly returned, they progressed to more challenging tasks. “As an athlete, when you have an injury — especially if you are training for a run — you want to be better yesterday,” Ian says. “Rachel was always open to me wanting to push the envelope.”

If you have your brain energy and heart energy in alignment, I truly believe you can accomplish what is said to be the impossible. I am living proof of that.
— IAN BOWEN

In Rachel, Ian found a supporter whose positive attitude matched his own. “Rachel was always open and happy, and I think that’s why we got along so well,” he says. “She was exactly what I needed.”

Before leaving Mayo Clinic, Ian connected with a therapist at home who would continue helping him work toward his goals. Rachel expected that he would keep regaining function.

“But if you asked me if he would run a marathon, I would never have predicted that,” she says.

Ready to Race

Ian still had that 5K race on the calendar, and he was determined to be at the starting line — and two months after his surgery, he made it a whole mile with his walker before stopping.

About 18 months after surgery, he started walking without a cane. The next year, he ran a full 5K. That fueled Ian even more, and longer distances followed.

When Rachel saw on social media that Ian had run a half-marathon, she sent him a message: “This is amazing.”

Great Strides in Neurosarcoidosis Diagnosis

Neurosarcoidosis symptoms can come in many forms, including sensory changes in the arms and legs, bladder dysfunction, constipation, hearing loss, walking problems, and weakness in the face and limbs, says Mayo Clinic neurologist W. Oliver Tobin, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O., Ph.D. The onset of symptoms is slower than for other inflammatory conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.

Ian celebrates with his Mayo Clinic care team and best friend at the finish line of the 2024 Med City Marathon in Rochester.

It’s unlikely that a patient today would receive a spinal cord biopsy, says Dr. Tobin. In the years since Ian’s biopsy, Mayo Clinic neurologists have developed advanced diagnostic techniques that allow physicians to identify neurosarcoidosis from MRI images and spinal cord fluid with greater confidence and lower risk.

A Mindset Message

Ian has continued to make great progress in his recovery and professional life. He uses his story to inspire others — both at the gym he now owns and through his work as a motivational speaker.

Ian attributes his remarkable recovery to his Mayo Clinic care team and his positive mindset. “If you have your brain energy and heart energy in alignment, I truly believe you can accomplish what is said to be the impossible,” he says. “I am living proof of that.”