Today, we're sharing a story that will shake you—the kind that reminds you the human spirit is stronger than any diagnosis, any despair, any voice that says you're done.
Our guest, Virginia Oman, went from a wheelchair with no hope for the future to reclaiming her life one half-inch at a time—literally. Her journey proves that when you listen to your body and refuse to give up, miracles aren't just possible; they're inevitable.
📅 This episode drops Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 3 AM ET Rising Inch by Inch: Virginia on Hope, Healing, and Reclaiming Your Life
Before she was a licensed mental health therapist helping others find joy, Virginia was in a wheelchair with MS, unable to walk, unable to use her hands, and ready to leave the planet. Now, she's living proof that listening to your body—even when everyone says you're wrong—can lead you from complete despair to the most fulfilled life you've ever known.
This episode is raw, powerful, and deeply human—an invitation to measure progress in inches, trust your intuition over expertise, and never give up on hope.
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🔥 Special Shout-Out: Women Supporting Women
🌟 Meet Angie Hawkins
Angie Hawkins is an Inner Glow Coach who helps high-achieving women stop dimming their light to be loved—and learn to love themselves so deeply the world can’t help but reflect it back.
She’s also the author of Running in Slippers, a vulnerable memoir about resilience after emotional rock bottom.
✨ Ready to find your glow? Book a free Find Your Glow session or join her next Unshakable You masterclass to start shining from the inside out. 🔗 https://www.runninginslippers.com/
💬 Mental Health Quote of the Week
"I wanted to live so badly, I decided I'm not giving up. And thankfully I didn't." — Virginia Oman
What happens when every doctor, every specialist, every person around you says you're doing the wrong thing—but your body knows better?
Virginia Oman knows that answer.
As a licensed mental health therapist with over 34 years of experience, Virginia has spent her career helping people move from darkness to light. But before she could guide others, she had to save herself.
Virginia was diagnosed with MS. She lost the ability to walk. Her hands and fingers stopped working—ending her music. She could no longer run the distances she loved. Every activity that gave her life meaning was stripped away, and she found herself in a wheelchair, staring down a future with no hope.
That's when she hit bottom. The kind of bottom where staying on the planet didn't feel worth it anymore.
But in the exact moment she was ready to exit, a voice came into her head:
"Listen to what your body is telling you."
And when she listened, she realized her body was asking for everything the medical establishment told her not to do.
So she made a plan. And she followed it—even when no one believed in her. Even when she saw no results. Even when her doctors said she was killing herself.
Virginia stopped all her MS medications. She started moving in water—not swimming, because she couldn't kick. She created an underwater body dolphin stroke using only her torso and propelled herself forward one inch at a time.
She measured her progress in half-inches per week.
Half an inch.
But she didn't give up. And slowly, painfully, inch by inch, her body started to respond. She gained energy. Then stamina. Then she could stand. Then take steps. Then use a walker.
And now? Virginia lives in freedom and joy. She's reclaimed not just her physical body, but her entire life. She's happier than she's ever been—even before MS—and she's dedicated her life to helping others do the same.
This conversation is raw, real, and proof that your body knows what it needs, even when no one else believes you.
💡 3 Takeaways from "Rising Inch by Inch"
1️⃣ Hope isn't a luxury—it's survival. When you lose hope for a meaningful future, you have nothing. Fight to keep even the smallest glimmer alive.
2️⃣ Your body speaks truth. Sometimes the path forward means trusting your intuition over everyone else's expertise.
3️⃣ Progress doesn't have to be fast—it just has to be forward. Half an inch is still movement. Keep going.
🧩 From the Conversation
💬 The heartbeat of this episode
Healing isn't linear. It's measured in half-inches, in exhaustion that eventually gives way to energy, in the choice to keep moving even when no one believes in you.
🫂 A quote that stuck with us
"When I got to that place, for me just to stay on the planet wasn't anything I had any interest in anymore. But the thing that finally stopped me was a voice that said, 'Listen to what your body is telling you.'" — Virginia Oman
🎙️ Real Talk from Us
"When Virginia said she measured her progress by half an inch per week, I literally cried. That's the kind of grit most of us will never have to summon—and the kind of hope we should never take for granted." — G-Rex
"She reminded me that having no hope is different from any other kind of pain. And that voice—that glimmer—can change everything. I'm so grateful she listened." — Dirty Skittles
📓 Reflection Prompts to Sit With
What would it mean to measure your progress in inches instead of miles?
When was the last time you truly listened to what your body was telling you?
Where in your life are you waiting for permission to trust yourself?
🌱 Gentle Reminder
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is keep going when everyone else says stop. Your body knows. Your intuition knows. Trust it—even if it's just half an inch at a time.
👨🏫 Meet Our Guest — Virginia Oman, LCMHC
Virginia Oman is a licensed clinical mental health therapist with over 34 years of experience, a mindset coach, certified personal trainer, and wellness master. She is living proof that her methods work—transforming her life from a place of hopelessness and deep despair to now living the life of her dreams.
Virginia specializes in positive psychology, helping people not just escape darkness but design and step into lives filled with joy and fulfillment. She uses mind-body and body-mind principles and specializes in trauma work, particularly for women.
Her approach is deeply personal: she knows what it feels like to lose hope completely, and she's dedicated her life to making sure no one else has to stay in that place.
Virginia's story is one of radical trust and relentless determination. When MS took away her ability to walk, run, and play music—all the activities that gave her life meaning—she found herself at the edge. Medical professionals told her to stop moving, to accept her limitations, to follow their protocols. But a voice inside told her something different: Listen to what your body is telling you.
So she did. She stopped all her MS medications and created her own plan based on what her body was craving. She started in the water, where she couldn't even swim because her legs wouldn't kick. Instead, she invented an underwater body dolphin stroke using only her torso to propel herself forward. She measured her progress in half-inches per week. Half an inch. That's how slowly—and how surely—she rebuilt her life.
What makes Virginia extraordinary isn't just that she healed herself—it's that she refused to settle for simply "not being sick." She didn't just want to survive; she wanted to thrive. And now, decades later, she describes herself as happier than she's ever been, even before MS entered her life. She lives in a state of gratitude, joy, and freedom 24/7.
Virginia's work reflects this holistic philosophy. She doesn't just help people get out of depression or anxiety—she helps them design lives that are genuinely fulfilling. She works with clients dealing with chronic illness, trauma, and the everyday struggles of being human. Her favorite words? Freedom and joy. And she means it.
She offers free consultations and works with people both virtually and in person, making her accessible to anyone who needs support. Her website is filled with free resources, videos, and podcasts—because for Virginia, this work isn't just a career. It's a calling.
Virginia offers free consultations and works virtually as well as in person. Visit her website for free resources, videos, and additional podcasts.
🌟 Key Takeaways
✨ Hope is everything—without it, you have nothing. ✨ Your body holds wisdom the world may not understand. ✨ Progress is progress, no matter how small. ✨ Trust your intuition, even when everyone else doubts. ✨ Joy isn't just possible after darkness—it's inevitable if you keep moving.
💪 Actionable Steps
1️⃣ Check in with your body this week. Ask it: What do you need right now? And actually listen to the answer.
2️⃣ Measure one thing in your life by progress, not perfection. Celebrate the half-inch.
3️⃣ Find one voice of hope—whether it's your own, a friend's, or a memory—and hold onto it.
4️⃣ Do one thing everyone says you shouldn't—if your gut is screaming that it's right for you.
5️⃣ Share this episode with someone who needs to hear that giving up isn't the only option.
💬 Listener Engagement
What part of Virginia's story made you pause—or gave you chills?
Reply to this email or tag us on Instagram @grex_and_dirtyskittles with your favorite takeaway.
We read every message. Always. 💛
⭐ Subscribe, Rate & Review
If Virginia's story reminded you that hope can survive even the darkest moments, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the show on your favorite platform.
Your words help new listeners find us and keep this community growing.
❤️ Closing Remarks
Some people talk about resilience. Virginia lived it.
Half an inch at a time. In a pool. With no one believing her. With her own body screaming and her doctors shaking their heads.
But she didn't stop. She trusted the voice that said listen. She trusted her body. She trusted herself.
And now she's here—living in freedom and joy—helping others do the same.
Wherever you are reading this, whatever mountain you're climbing, whatever voice is telling you to give up—remember Virginia. Remember that progress doesn't have to be pretty or fast. It just has to be forward.
You don't need to move miles today. You just need to move.
Even if it's half an inch.
We're proud of you for showing up. For listening. For still being here.
And we're honored to walk this messy, beautiful, inch-by-inch journey right beside you.
With so much love,
G-Rex & Dirty Skittles Changing the way we talk about mental health, one real convo at a time.
G-Rex & Dirty Skittles
It's ok to be not ok, just make sure you're talking to someone
