You've been with Matthew since 2018. How did you two meet?
We met grilling dinner at our friends' apartment barbecue area. We were with separate groups but Matt asked me what I was drinking because I was holding a pretty martini that I had made called a Drop Dead Gorgeous. He invited me to sit by him and pulled my chair over to be right next to him. From that moment forward we both felt a connection and knew we were destined to be together!
Describe to us Matt's health and mobility issues?
Matthew became paralyzed at age 19 while riding a motorcycle. Even though his life significantly changed, Matt became a very healthy and active paraplegic who works out multiple times a week. Because he is wheelchair bound, it's very important for him to stay physically active as he has to lift his whole body up every time he transfers in and out of a vehicle, bed, etc. Depending on the level of injury for paraplegics, many suffer from severely diminished core strength as a result of their abdominal muscles not responding to stimulus below their sensory line. This typically results in balance issues, difficulty transferring, reduced stamina while pushing around, probable injury at gym from having a weak core, and many other side effects.
Explain the moment you realised you were trained to help him?
As I underwent my Emsculpt training at Figura Medspa, I began connecting the dots about how the benefits from this technology could greatly impact the lives of many people, specifically those who have a spinal cord injury and weaker core, such as Matt. The Emsculpt is mainly talked about in the scope of "getting abs" or "booty lift", but it truly is an amazing therapeutic technology that has the ability to awaken muscles that have atrophied and/or weakened due to an injury. I needed to try this on Matt ASAP!
Tell me what you did and the results you saw?
We began treatment on him to see how it would impact his abdominal muscles utilizing Emsculpt's standard treatment protocol. I factored in his lack of feeling below his sensory line which for Matt is about one inch above his navel. It is important to monitor a patient's comfort level during treatment and since this sensory experience was going to be absent in Matt's case, we started off at a lower energy level and observed his body's reactions to this treatment. Even after his second treatment, Matt noticed that it was much easier to transfer and found that his balance was greatly improving. By the time we completed his first treatment protocol of four sessions, Matt was able to contract and pull in his abdominal wall in a way he was never able to do before.
So your training has helped you find your shared happy ever after?
It opened up a whole new world of possibilities, especially as it pertains to how Matt gets around in his day-to-day life. He's able to utilize gym equipment that was previously off-limits and he's able to wear more fitted shirts which boosts his self-confidence. All of these little improvements have accumulated into an enhanced quality of life for both of us. Matt is much more independent at home thus freeing up more quality time for us to spend together, go on dates, and begin to plan for a family. As we enter into our third round of IVF in hopes of starting a family together, it's imperative he remains physically fit and strong in preparation of carrying around a little baby!
For information, go to figuramedspa.com