New Free Zoom Exercise program
One of the Facebook IBM page members who calls himself IBM Warrior has been recommending everyone in Texas go to this one gym called Kourage Health. They specialize in individual plans for people with diseases. From their website:
“We are proud to assist patients with cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, myositis, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and virtually any other serious health condition. Kourage Health is a movement dedicated to impacting the entire medical community to help establish new standards of care. All adult patients with any degree of disability, wheelchair or oxygen dependence, and any combination of co-morbid conditions are eligible. Our evidence-based medical exercise program, overseen by our Medical Director, is safe because of consistent patient monitoring, measured exercise progression, and Exercise Specialists trained to identify patients in distress.”
After that, I wished I lived in Texas for a while. But then he shared that Kourage can be accessed via Zoom. I signed up. I needed a physician’s referral, so I downloaded the form and took it to my primary care doctor. They gladly signed it, especially as I’d reached my maximum on PT visits. The program is entirely free.
Once they received my doctor's referral, someone called me to set up a more extended telephone chat to find out more about me, assign me to an exercise specialist, and make an appointment with that person. Pretty seamless!
When my specialist called me, she asked extensive medical history questions and discovered what I hoped to gain. It’s easy to think having a muscle-deteriorating disease means you should stop exercising and learn to live with less flexibility and mobility. She did not have that attitude at all. We discussed how I might strengthen the muscles I still have so we can put off the reduced mobility as long as possible.
Next, we did some tests to obtain a baseline. For example, standing from a seated position in a chair without arms and time 30 seconds of standing up and sitting back down. Having the number will make it easy to gauge improvements.
We also tested how long I could stand on one leg and my walking rate over 6 minutes (which has already improved, likely due to my HBOT therapy). She asked for my height, weight, and waist circumference. She listened intently to my needs and gave me hope that this was right for me at the right time.
I now talk to her every other Tuesday morning. I always want to tell her positive things, so I exercise religiously. We decided on these goals:
Additional stamina
Stronger arms (we measured my arm muscles to be able to see changes)
Stronger abs (how long I can hold a plank, which I’m starting out doing while using a chair for support)
Improved balance (measured by one-leg stands)
I agreed to exercise a maximum of one hour daily (not including my walks), Monday through Saturday. The hour does not need to be all at once, mind you. I already walk every morning for an hour with my neighbor, and I do water stretching for half an hour each evening. Some of my assigned exercises use bands, which are great, and I will switch those out to weights if need be, so long as I can still grip them.
Previously, I mentioned that the Myositis Association has a worksheet to help identify and analyze the progression of the disease. It is a scoring system based on the number and types of things you need help with or can do independently (e.g., getting dressed, bathing, walking). I can measure myself against those answers when I go on my next visit in December.
It’s exciting to me that we can share resources like this with one another. Thanks, IBM Warrior, for letting folks with IBM know about Courage Health. I hope I’m able to pay it forward.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
This blog post is based on personal experiences and is not meant to provide medical advice.
Always consult your healthcare professional for personalized guidance on your health journey.
