Stories of Aphasia
Participants in the University of Kentucky Aphasia Lab are making their voices heard. Sharing personal experiences, stories, and opening up to speak about how aphasia has affected their life. Graduate and undergraduate students at the university join to interview and guide conversations full of laughter and emotions.
Stories of Aphasia
Episode 2: Matt's Story of Aphasia
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Matt talks about his story of aphasia and how his life has been impacted. University of Kentucky graduate student Regan. Matt reminisces on sports he played in college all while laughing and chatting about his friends. His troubles with aphasia are similar to others, but personal to him and his life. Join Matt in this episode of Stories of Aphasia!
All right. Hello. My name is Regan. I'm a student at UK, a grad student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. And today I'm here with Matt. Cool. Matt.
SPEAKER_00Matt.
SPEAKER_02And he's gonna tell us a little bit about living with aphasia.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01My friends, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I've got like a Bob Gallas that I've did a different dude, dude, artist, excuse me. The uh big dude, the um can't remember his name. That's great.
SPEAKER_02Are we talking about one of your friends in Aphasia?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that was uh chat. This one the uh that hit us, well, I we had like five different people that had this house and it was it was um the um are you talking about your stroke when it happened on Christmas? Yeah, it was on Friday, yeah. So like it and now all of you be my friend friend, my friend I was just doing everything ever, you know, I had a drink drink and I had it sit right and I was just like, what is wrong with me? Uh it just it really wasn't written written reach mate. And I just wondered like why why was wrong with my like breaking and like everybody I was just like I but luckily I I won the girls the girl uh great great Chris great Jessica Jessica yeah she was uh a type uh she's a nurse, yeah, yeah. And she was she happened to happen be on so like I looked at me and I was just like oh my gosh, what is wrong with you? And I just happened to be it's like man, I mean had it like a like a long time before that happened.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. They uh and how old were you?
SPEAKER_01I was 27.
SPEAKER_02It was two years ago, right?
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_02Were you 45? Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, easy, yeah. And it just it just like this we like the dream came home home and everybody came came to everybody just like just went getting my house laying laying crap right out, and it was just what losing it, losing it.
SPEAKER_02It was so quick, yeah. So it was a Christmas party two years ago, yeah. With all your friends, yeah, drinking, having a good time, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and you noticed, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I stopped going, yeah, mm-hmm, yeah. And then it and for most it gets I guess just went so it put you up like I was down, like just this the drooping on your face, yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know your leg wasn't working the same.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I just even just and I they put me in the their uh the uh the uh the take me out and and they basically just couldn't leave I took to that and just call call me up and and like on a didn't you were you on a couch?
SPEAKER_02Yeah until help came.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was just yeah, as yeah. And then I had to go and send to the to the side capital capital is this capital? Yeah, but capital bar?
SPEAKER_02Ban?
SPEAKER_01To the the that I know, it was um what was the the thing, the other one, the other oh Cardinal Hill.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh Cardinal Hill So that's where I put book, book, and you went there right away, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I went through and I they got a little thing right there.
SPEAKER_02It's like a little oh did you have it like a surgery on your chest?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and put a like little thing. It is yeah, it's just like a stint, yeah. This thing, yeah, and it got it good about that three.
SPEAKER_02Hmm.
SPEAKER_01It goes like to my fault, heart, heart instead and just keeps me keeps me waiting me. Yeah, it lets me know if I know if I know something's wrong.
SPEAKER_02Do you have a monitor? Yeah, right now, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so yeah, I've had all that big thing.
SPEAKER_02And did you have that before your stroke?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and after or just after no, just after, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Just after.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was it was definitely gush, guff, scuff.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so it was it's like yeah, it was thank goodness the nurse was there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, seriously, yeah, because she's like she's so thankful for that. Yeah, she is, yeah. So we we've been we've been uh you've been uh you've been uh I've been uh getting her heard the uh work her work works works well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, talking about her in therapy and stuff, and you are still good friends with her, yeah, right? Yeah, what did you just go do with J. Oh yeah, I went to uh to uh uh what's it do you want me to just yeah Adam Sandler, yeah. They went to see Adam Sandler together, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So it's you know with another friend too. Yeah, it was bad, it's it's great, it was good time.
SPEAKER_02So even after now having aphasia, you still go out and do fun things, right? And that's still fun to do. Oh yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, she kind of she yeah, yeah, she goes goes to um when when when when when Winchels, yeah, yeah, that place is a it's big, big for me. Because he was hardly at the uh he was at at the uh the Adam Sandler? Yeah, he was he was uh as all sorry.
SPEAKER_02No, that's okay.
SPEAKER_01Abe.
SPEAKER_02Abe?
SPEAKER_01He's the the the helper that did this one.
SPEAKER_02Oh wait, Abe's the owner of Winchels?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh-huh. He's got he was the yeah, he was there, the uh the thing with him.
SPEAKER_02With the show?
SPEAKER_01No, and and the uh the my little my hat. Yeah, my hat, everything that he fought. Yeah, but he he failed. He he was the first one in the wait, he was there when you had a stroke, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Oh, oh, oh, oh.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was it was rough, it was rough.
SPEAKER_02But Winchels, that's why Winchels means so much to you, right?
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_02Because Adam, or sorry, Abe.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, sorry.
SPEAKER_02Abe was so kind to you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was, yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's good.
SPEAKER_01A lot of times, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So what did you do at Winchell's?
SPEAKER_01Oh, had had food, food.
SPEAKER_02You eat there. Yeah. Is that the one with volleyball?
SPEAKER_01Uh no. No, that's Marikas, right? Yeah, yeah, they have one to their to the the yeah, Marikas. Yeah, that's right. You got it.
SPEAKER_02Um, so in going to Winchels, you have a good support group of friends, right? A good supportive. Do you want to talk a little bit about how they support you?
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. Just like the Aitan, they they have something at fire that goes on to there. They usually watch UK, UK games. You get big games. Um, and so you you always get your your friends that meet everybody that everybody gets you, what knows you you have has enough, you know, big table to watch the UK games with all your friends. Yes, yeah. We took out uh yeah, the whole thing together and uh has has the whole like just like this, yeah. So it's it's it's good.
SPEAKER_02It's good to lots of screens to watch.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's fun. Hmm. Is there one of these that you want to talk about? I know we went over the some of the questions. Maybe I didn't know if one of them stuck out to you the most.
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, yeah. My my friends still for example. Your friends are super important. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02What about what advice would you give to others living with aphasia?
SPEAKER_01Just to make sure that you you do, you know, is it put it put it just what what you are you are, you know, what you are, and then what are you you're gonna gonna fake? You're fake, you know, you're gonna be.
SPEAKER_02Remember who you are, yeah, and what you want to be.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it is because they they they really need to have you you body be being free, be free and with them and talking and just talking something, yeah. Just if it is anything, yeah, whatever you can say, yeah, yeah. Easy, you can again.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, talk as much as you can, that's important.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's got those uh these these bunnies are are huge.
SPEAKER_02What about your goals and hopes for the future?
SPEAKER_01No, it's what I I know I I so I mean I mean so much so much room uh doing it, doing it because it's fun, it's fun, and it's just funny fun and and fun.
SPEAKER_02So you live by yourself, yeah. So you do your own lawn care, right?
SPEAKER_01Yes, I do, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, so that's that was that a goal for you that you wanted to be able to do that again?
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02And now you are, yeah, yeah. What about do you have any new goals?
SPEAKER_01Uh just with my my state can can like uh bring bring better how to how to eat.
SPEAKER_02Um cook is it cooking?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, that's yeah. And uh the uh always got the nose.
SPEAKER_02Oh, do you have a picture of something you cooked recently? Yeah, it's okay if you can't find it. Do you want to describe it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, just we we had a oh here you go.
SPEAKER_02So oh yeah. So he loves to cook with his friends for his friends, yeah, right? Yeah, with a smoker, yeah. That was yeah, chicken wings, yeah, things.
SPEAKER_01Yes, and and yeah, and we had it all going on in there. So you like to host people at your house, and yeah, and like just plenty of stuff you can build up and just build and everybody make, you know, bring them things phase. Uh it's it's always a lot.
SPEAKER_02A lot of fun, yeah, right? That's important, yeah, to have things to look forward to.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, so we're always stick stick sticking them out, doing that. Uh, let's see. I would just like like them my step, my hand, my health, health, my friends, my be my be mouth, be out, be health.
SPEAKER_02Be healthy, yeah. Yeah, to stay active. Is that what you mean?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and uh so you know when when they split out and stuff and you know, get going out with beat people, going at people and uh going to places and and just going, hello, you know, how you doing?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, staying social and still approaching people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, like here, like this place. Uh uh, this this place has um has has a a lot of meet meet people to go there.
SPEAKER_02You meet a lot of people at Marica's.
SPEAKER_01Because they got uh oh volleyball, volley volleyball, sand volleyball, right? Yeah, they do that, yeah. So like they were giving us all so you like to watch? Yeah, yeah. Well, actually, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02You used to play.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I used to go out there, yeah. It was fun, it was a lot of fun. But I mean just going out there and spend a lot of time with there, just going out there and all, you know, people to see there. And uh it's just a lot of times, it's a good time.
SPEAKER_02What other sport did you use to play?
SPEAKER_01You can see uh well uh no, um rugby right, yeah, right. And then we got uh um oh uh hold on something.
SPEAKER_02He played rugby in college at EKU, right?
SPEAKER_00And then and soccer, soccer, soccer, yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_02How can I forget soccer? That's like your favorite one, right? Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Is it yeah?
SPEAKER_02Soccer's your favorite, yeah. So soccer, you played an adult team, yeah, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we have we did have uh see a team and let it was awesome. It's just a lot of times like did every people would come in and walk around after each each bill, and uh it's it's it's awesome. Like the and in football, football play a good time.
SPEAKER_02You played football, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I did.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I didn't do that. Yeah, what you played all the sports, yeah, yeah. What's the thing you play?
SPEAKER_00Uh not very many. No, I played that.
SPEAKER_02What about tennis?
SPEAKER_00No, no, I didn't play.
SPEAKER_02Tennis, I found one, yeah.
SPEAKER_01But yeah, we we played with those with the like it's fun.
SPEAKER_02We played on video game, yeah.
SPEAKER_01You right? Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So do you want to talk about that a little bit? I feel like that could maybe that's fun for people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like the the uh the uh oh on the Xbox. Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_02I I I played the uh the three, is it the 360 or is it live? Yeah, yeah, it's like a two like two dimensions, but it's like a camera on the Xbox, so he can still play video games because it goes off of his body movements.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because it so it makes your hands.
SPEAKER_02It tracks your hands and things, yeah. So he can still play like bowling, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, bowling and and and bowling, uh baseball, yeah. Or is that golf? And and big, yeah, both both bottle, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so he does that because you used to play video games, right? Yeah, but that's probably difficult.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you can't you can't really, yeah. Well, I can. I I can kind of oh you do a little bit? Yeah, a little bit, but not not really.
SPEAKER_02But the other one's easier, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, each button. Just put the well, yeah. That's that's awesome.
SPEAKER_02So maybe that's some advice.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they do, yeah.
SPEAKER_02To get an Xbox 360 or live, yeah, whichever one it is.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I don't think that anybody does that.
SPEAKER_02I think that that's a good idea.
SPEAKER_01They would, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's fine.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because I do think some video games aren't very accessible because you have to have very fine motor control on the computer.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So I think else.
SPEAKER_01I think we got um my parents, my parents inhale to my my dad. They got my um first.
SPEAKER_02They were uh Oh your family, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I spent I spent my first time, my first couple of times. I had I hadn't expected their first answer. So it hurts.
SPEAKER_02Say that again.
SPEAKER_01Your family, you spent your first their parents, their parents had my my parents was at my all the way down. I mean, well the uh action my my friend friend and um like like they went down sleep to sleep and sleep and had and all before they helped it, they had you at where they had my house, my house. I I I had um I had so much front at her and her that I had to um hand put for them. So like everything I need, like were live lived at their house.
SPEAKER_02Um wait, is this right after your stroke? Yeah, you lived at your house at your family's house and they were able to help you.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so it was kind of kind of thing. It's kind of wake. Wake, kind of wake up, and just kind of wake up and then wake up and go, and then finally figure down and then figure out that the house, you go home, my house, and then I finally get get in, get get born, born finally move into your own place. Yeah, so it took a little bit, a little bit less for that.
SPEAKER_02When did you start living on your own?
SPEAKER_01That's about every about six, six, I'm gonna say six, six months, yeah, something like that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So have you you've lived on your own for about a year?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, let's say so.
SPEAKER_02A year or so.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, we had dealt with that same one. It was kind of it's a little hard.
SPEAKER_02I'm sure. Yeah, there's a lot of things that would be difficult from going from living with your parents who are there to help you all the time, right after something so difficult. Yeah, and then having to figure it out by yourself. But your parents and family, they were they're still a huge help, right?
SPEAKER_01Yes, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Like my mom and dad, dad are just you know, emotional. So, you know, you gotta get away with it, you know. She's a lot.
SPEAKER_02She gets emotional, yeah, talking to you.
SPEAKER_01It's good, it's good though. Good. Yeah, yeah. So it's it's it's good. She likes she she'll show she'll just be give me a lot of fun. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And she uh drives, yeah, right.
SPEAKER_01Yep, and then uh my my dad, dad, when I when I usually my I I usually give him like a little, uh I gave him a little time, a lot, a lot, a lot, but get a actual like work, work if you're driving, yeah. So I can just like just a little bit, a little bit. But it works. I mean it works.
SPEAKER_02So you drive a little bit sometimes with your dad in the car.
SPEAKER_01So it's good. It kind of so you look see something, you're not even like a niche something. Yeah, so it's it's it's good.
SPEAKER_02And he maybe that is a goal, yeah, right? To drive a little bit more, yeah, with your dad.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, he definitely does.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Well, that's awesome, Matt. Thank you so much for chatting with us and sharing your story and everything. Yeah, wish, I wish I could have been bigger, bigger, but you know, with it, it's it's you did so great, and I think it's very open and real. So I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00All right, okay.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna say, I think we can probably talk now.