Do you know Dwayne Oblender Myers?
If you don’t, all you need to do is check out the ATI Physical Therapy Facebook page, and you’ll get to know him pretty quickly!
Dwayne, a patient at our Lancaster, PA clinic has been a source of smiles, encouragement and pride to the staff and patients at ATI with his Facebook posts and clinic visits. He’s a disabled veteran of the US Navy, a father of two children, a lover of 5K races, all things Disney, a recent recipient of two knee surgeries . . . and one of our biggest fans!
Dwayne’s Story
Following his first surgery on his left knee last summer, and a short stint with physical therapy, he still wasn’t feeling better. “I was an active guy and loved doing 5K races. My goal was to get back to running, but I wasn’t feeling better, and didn’t feel the physical therapy was doing all that it should,” said Dwayne. “I just felt the therapist wasn’t listening to me.”
So, one day while getting his hair cut, Dwayne expressed his concerns. His stylist suggested he try the new physical therapy clinic that had recently opened a couple doors down. Dwayne heeded this advice, and made the switch to ATI Physical Therapy.
“The first thing I noticed when I started with ATI was the professionalism and understanding from the staff,” said Dwayne. “They listened to me, took the time to see where my pain was, and explained why I wasn’t getting better. They educated me about my body. Their dedication and patient care philosophy essentially made ATI ‘the physical therapy clinic for Dwayne.’ ”
Dwayne was also amazed at the dedication of the staff outside the clinic walls. “What really impressed me about my therapist Beau is how much he cared about ME. He never treated me like just another client. When I was participating at a 5K following my first surgery, Beau was there to stretch me out and cheer me on. He also took the time to meet me at a local gym to instruct me on equipment so I could continue my rehabilitation.” During their time together, this patient and therapist have forged such a great relationship that recently Dwayne took Beau out for a birthday dinner, and they are planning to run several races together this summer.
Dwayne’s therapist, Beau Troutman, is equally inspired by Dwayne.
“Dwayne is the liveliest patient I've ever treated, and his excitement for coming to PT is contagious. It has not only rubbed off on me, but other patients in the clinic,” said Beau. “He is an extremely generous person who brought food and decorations into the clinic on countless occasions, and his actions have clearly demonstrated his appreciation for ATI. He actively spreads the ATI message everywhere he goes, and continues to share my business card with others. Dwayne has told me many times that his experience with ATI far exceeds his experiences elsewhere, and this inspires me to ensure that EVERY patient feels this way.”
Marked for Life by ATI
As a tribute to Beau, ATI Physical Therapy and his own great success, Dwayne recently got inked – a tattoo featuring Beau’s initials, the date of his first knee surgery, his second knee surgery, plus a full color ATI Physical Therapy logo. “Beau has truly been my inspiration at ATI,” said Dwayne. “At first the tattoo was tongue-in-cheek. But, then I thought if I every need therapy again, I would go to ATI. There is no other option. So why not get the tattoo? We can just add more type underneath.”
Now, with two rehabilitated knees, a therapist and friend for life, a 5K scheduled (with Beau) in May, another with the ATI Lancaster clinic in June, PLUS a trip to Disney to run another race to celebrate his 53rd birthday, we can’t wait to see all of the Facebook posts and photos from his adventures! And, while he was motivated by ATI – patients like Dwayne are the true inspiration behind ATI Physical Therapy.