A new chapter for Matt

Through her physical therapy, she met a physical therapist who told her about a new gym that was opening in Waco called Waco Adapt. It is a gym specifically for people with various disabilities that may prevent them from using a regular gym. It is a gym where physiotherapy, rehabilitation and fitness come together.

Lisa and her husband Jon have been active at this gym since they opened their doors earlier this year, and the stories they tell about the people, their triumphs, and their determination have been very encouraging. And from the beginning she has said, “Kristi, I really want Matt to come!”

I really wanted Matt to go too. I just wasn’t sure how we could work on it. Over the last three years, Matt’s abilities have diminished (due to his MS) to the point where I literally have to do everything for him right now. Until a couple of years ago, Matt had lost the use of his legs and his right arm, but still had the use of his left arm (and his right arm is dominant). But he could still feed himself, have a glass of water and drink, etc. He didn’t have great fine motor skills with his left arm, but he could do the basics.

Then he got sick and had to go to the hospital. He entered that hospital without being able to use his left arm and he left that hospital without being able to use his left arm. I have no idea what happened. That was not the normal progression of MS. Matt was diagnosed with MS about 22 years ago, and his loss of motor skills has always been very slow. Progressive, but slow. But this was a complete loss of his entire arm and hand during a three-day hospital stay, which leads me to believe it was caused by something else. I have no idea what that is another thing It is, however.

Since that hospital stay a couple of years ago, Matt hasn’t been able to do anything on his own. His medical documents classify him as a “functional quadriplegic.” He has never regained the use of his left arm or hand. That means if he needs to eat, I have to feed him. If he just needs a drink of water, I have to give it to him. You cannot use a remote control to turn the TV on and off. Nothing. To say life has become more challenging since that hospital stay would be an understatement. That also means it requires a lot more of my time and attention, which means I have less time to work. As the breadwinner of our family, that has naturally put more stress on me. (That’s not a complaint. I’m just describing our current situation. Matt is not a difficult person to care for at all. Time-consuming, yes. Difficult, no.)

So when Lisa and Jon told me about this gym, I really wanted to find a way for Matt to go. I think it would be very good for him, not only for training, but also for the community. But my main problem was time. I already have very little to devote to work, and I couldn’t even imagine when I would be able to take Matt to the gym three (or more) times a week. So I told Lisa that I would have to think about it and see if we could find something.

Well, last Monday, Lisa, I and a few other friends went to lunch together. Since we have a wheelchair van, I picked her up and on the way we started talking about the gym again. I asked if they had some kind of service where they pick people up from their house, take them to the gym, help them work out, and then bring them back. She said they didn’t do it because they don’t have a transportation vehicle. Well, at that very moment we were sitting in a transport vehicle. We have a wheelchair van..

When I mentioned that, his eyes lit up. She said, “Kristi, us I can take it! I told him not to commit to anything yet. I mean, it’s a big commitment and I would need to talk to Jon about it. And even then, I thought it might be necessary to start on a trial basis and see if this is feasible.

But Lisa was so excited that she went home after lunch and called the owner of the gym (I’m guessing he’s the owner, but maybe not) to make some arrangements. Then he texted me and told me that he was even willing to come to our house, pick up Matt and take him in our truck.

I was quite surprised, to be honest. I mean, this is so much more than a gym. I can’t think of any other gym where the people who run the place are so committed to getting people healthy that they come, pick the person up, and take them away.

So we haven’t worked out all the details yet, but I’m taking Matt to the gym tomorrow morning to meet the physical therapist and the other people there, to see everything they have available that might be helpful to Matt, and to see if we can come up with a plan of action.

I hope and pray that all of this turns out well. mate is very excited about that. Matt’s most immediate goal is to regain use of his left arm and hand. If he can do that, it will be a big win. That alone would drastically improve their quality of life and free up a lot of my time.

But they also have one of those machines that helps people with disabilities stand up. And two days before this whole gym conversation came up, Matt said to me, out of the blue, “Before this year is over, I want to introduce myself.” When he told me that, I had no idea how we could make that happen. Obviously we don’t have the equipment for that at home. Matt hadn’t stood up in ten years, so getting him to stand, feet on the ground and knees straight, didn’t even seem possible. But it turns out this gym has exactly what we would need for Matt to reach that goal by the end of this year. It would have to be a very slow process since he hasn’t put pressure on his joints in a long time. But he seems determined.

Whether he reaches that goal or not, I’m excited to see him so excited. And although we haven’t even been there yet, and haven’t met any of the other people there yet, I’ve already gotten a glimpse of the strong, supportive community they’re building there. Matt’s new chapter begins tomorrow and I can’t wait to see him become part of this supportive community. I think it will actually be really good for him to be around other people who have similar struggles that he faces and see them face those challenges head on.

By the way, if you live in the Waco area, Waco Adapt is powered by donations from the community. Matt and I will have no problem paying for Matt’s membership, but I know there are many people in the community who could benefit from this gym, but don’t have the money for a membership. If you are interested in getting involved in helping other people with disabilities exercise, get the rehabilitation they need, and be a part of this supportive community, there are opportunities to do so on the website: Waco Adapt.

Here is a short video I found on a local news station about the gym: