“Army Strong” means something different to each soldier, and for some who are injured, it can seem like a thing of the past.
But thanks to soldiers like Sgt. Latoya Sharp, a physical therapy technician at Madigan Army Medical Center here, it is not impossible for injured soldiers to regain their strength.
Sharp says she loves her job, and it shows.
“I am very protective of my patients,” she said. “I try to make them feel like they are valued and they are listened to. I try to make them feel like they are part of the process.”
Always Motivated to Help Patients
Whether it’s getting patients to smile while still pushing through the pain of a stretch or just giving that extra word of encouragement, Sharp is always motivated to help patients in her clinic.
The England, Arkansas, native initially enlisted in the Army as a cargo specialist, but during one of her deployments, she said, she decided it was time for a change and wanted to take care of people. She decided to reclassify as a health care specialist.
Then one day, she recalled, she met a soldier whose attitude and positive outlook on life inspired her to find her true passion: physical therapy.
“When I was stationed in San Antonio, I encountered a wounded warrior. He was an amputee,” Sharp said. “His attitude and spirit exuded everything I wanted to be around all the time. I just wanted to be around and see this individual as he progressed. I just want to take care of soldiers.”
Progress, Recovery Provide Validation
Sharp said she helps to rehabilitate patients with a multitude of different injuries while consistently providing high-quality physical therapy care, and that she feels validated when she can see her patients’ progress and recovery.
“Seeing someone going from a lot of pain and being barely able to move to seeing them fully functional is awesome,” she said. “When they finally reach that point the patient has been working toward it is very fulfilling.”
Sharp recalled the first of many patients she said she’ll never forget.
“One patient initially came to us in a wheelchair,” she said. “She had multiple fractures in both of her legs, and by the time she left, she was fully walking again. The feedback I received from her was that she appreciated that I was not easy on her.”
Sharp said she never decreased the amount of exercise or intensity for that patient, and that’s what helped to motivate her patient to succeed. To this day, she added, she continues to be firm and friendly in her daily duties to mold and motivate her patients to achieve their recovery goals.
One Patient’s Story
One of Sharp’s current patients is Army Master Sgt. Marvin Howard, a mechanical maintenance supervisor assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee several years ago playing basketball and did not have it repaired. Over the years, along with the onset of arthritis, it got worse and led to knee-replacement surgery in November 2014.
“I used to teach cycling class,” Howard said. “I never thought I would walk again or ride a bike again.”
Soon after surgery, Howard started working with Sharp. He was a little hesitant at first, he said, seeing the exercise equipment such as stationary bicycles, treadmills and elliptical machines that he would have to use to get his knee working correctly.
“I walked in and didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I was nervous, because I knew I couldn’t, at that time, sit on a bike and ride and pedal it full circle.”
On Howard’s first attempt on the stationary bike, he said, he tried to bend the rules while performing the exercise.
“I did cheat a little, because it was painful,” Howard said. “I would raise my right hip, and she would say, ‘Nope, no, keep that hip down.’ And when I was able to finally get [the pedal] all the way around, she was always right there making sure I kept that hip down. It was painful to do, but I did it, and it was very relieving to know that I could do this.”
Pushing Through the Pain
Howard said Sharp always gave words of encouragement and challenged him to push through his pain to get where he is.
“She worked with me mentally and physically to get to that point,” he added. “She didn’t let me veer off left or right. She said, ‘Just know that you can do this.’ And that’s what I did.”
Howard, who now rides the bike with a smile on his face after just three months of therapy, said Sharp has made every visit a positive experience and that she truly cares for him and her other patients.