30 Days of MD: Courtney Frazer

by Kevin Schaefer | September 9, 2020

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Day 9 of 30 Days of MD Topic: Exercising with SMA This is @smainvisiblelife’s story: I was diagnosed with SMA at the age of 23, several years after being told multiple times by multiple doctors that nothing was wrong with me and I would eventually grow out of it. I grew up playing soccer, softball, and basketball. I did Tae Kwon Do for 15 years and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t run as well as the other kids. I could never squat down and I couldn’t rise from the ground as easily as the other kids. I never knew why. No matter how much exercise I did and how much I focused on trying to strengthen my legs, they weren’t getting stronger. I finally had enough after a random stranger took it upon themselves to give me directions to the emergency room because of the way I was walking. I set up a doctor’s appointment and asked if my kids would be weak like I am if I decide to have any. 6 months later, I finally had an answer, which also led to a lot of questions. Upon diagnosis, I had a physical therapist tell me they wouldn’t be able to help me because I wasn’t getting stronger, and a neurologist that kept telling me I needed to go to physical therapy. I was so confused. My experiences have led me to have a passion for fitness. When I was first diagnosed, I was so confused about exercise because everything I had been doing I was told I can’t do now. I felt lost and confused. This led me to start a YouTube channel to share my experience with SMA so no one else needs to feel alone. I also wanted to share my experience with exercise and how I adapt exercises so I can do them. #MDAwarenessMonth #MDAwareness #30DaysofMD

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