The Ask w/ Dr. Hanson PT
This podcast will share the world of physical therapy inside and outside of the clinic. We hope to create faith in our profession, change minds about access to healthcare and improve upon each provider in a meaningful way.
The Ask w/ Dr. Hanson PT
Marie Hanson's Legacy Insights into a Life of Service and Healing
Ever wondered about the stories that shape our parents' lives and, in turn, our own? Join me for an intimate conversation with my mom, Marie Hanson, as she opens up about her remarkable journey as a physical therapist. From her early days at Victoria Hospital in Miami to her career across Florida's healthcare system, we uncover the drive and resilience that have defined her path. Through her experiences, we highlight the importance of digging into our family histories, and the profound gratitude and admiration that arise from these heartfelt discussions. You'll be inspired to reach out and uncover the narratives that have quietly influenced your life.
In our chats, we also delve into the world of physical therapy with insights from Marie's 30-year career. She shares invaluable advice for new graduates, emphasizing the need for genuine commitment and ethical practice. Her stories, like helping a patient recover from a severe car accident, paint a vivid picture of the fulfillment this career brings. We also explore the evolving role of physical therapists in the healthcare landscape, highlighting their growing responsibilities and adaptability. Whether you're a seasoned therapist or just starting out, you'll find wisdom and inspiration in this episode's reflections on passion, dedication, and the rewarding journey of helping others regain their mobility.
Hey everybody, what's happening? What's happening? What's happening. Welcome back again to another episode of the Ask. I am your host, my name is Dr Hanson PT and our sponsor is Corona Hills Physical Therapy and Wellness. That reminds you to just get better.
Speaker 1:Okay, so joining me on this episode. This is a very episode very close to my heart. Last year I was on an episode of the PT Pintcast and I was talking to Jimmy and we were talking about some of the people that I would like to bring on or interview on this show, and one of the people who I thought of was my mom, and so joining us today just just to have some conversations about who would you like to most talk to or interview? Because time is short, life is short. If you get the opportunity to have that conversation with that person in your life, that means a lot to you. Really reach out and go ahead and have that conversation. So this conversation was my mom, marie Hansen, who raised me on the salary of a physical therapy assistant her and my dad, and so this episode is very special to me, so I'm looking forward to sharing this with you.
Speaker 1:Don't forget to like and subscribe to the podcast at the Ask Dr Hanson PT on Instagram and, I guess, on Facebook, but I don't really look at Instagram and Facebook. So if you were able to interview someone in your family, who would you interview?
Speaker 1:Who would you want to talk to?
Speaker 2:I would interview my dad because there's a lot of stuff that I'll ask him about. But he gives very on the surface questions. But if I were to put him on the spotlight like, yeah, on the spotlight, like I feel like he would be like OK, have to give some more details like a lot of stuff growing up in el salvador, he never talks about yeah, and I know they had the war and everything.
Speaker 2:Things were different over there, um, but there's a lot of stuff I really don't know about, like both my parents growing up, but I feel like my dad would be more willing to give me more information. My mom, like I. I feel like it's so crazy. Now I'm talking about this like I feel like I don't know my parents very well, like about how they grew up. I know who they are now to me and within our family, but like before that, like I don't know much at all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, what? What do you think? What do you think would uh change once you ask them the questions that you'd want to ask them, though?
Speaker 2:I guess like why he was so driven, Because a lot of my friends have parents that immigrated over here and they weren't as fortunate as I was growing up. Like I was lucky to have a house to grow up in. A lot of them were in apartments, like switching apartments to apartments. I had some friends that were like homeless for a summer. So I was very fortunate and just like understand how my dad had that mindset to get us to where we got. Like he sacrificed a lot in like what really I don't know. Just look into that deeper and really understand how he was able to get such drive and strength.
Speaker 1:I guess who would you interview?
Speaker 3:my big brother. I feel like he's just such an outgoing person that I wouldn't have to even try when it comes to conversation, and we can talk about anything. So wherever that conversation drives us, I'll just go, whether it be family work, um, from the most shallowest conversation to the deepest conversation. I think that my brother would have like so much to say, um, and he's just, yeah, and I he's, he's like I, he's a big role model for me. So he probably doesn't know that, because I don't really say things like that, but I shout out to the bros older bros, that's my big bro, but yeah, I probably choose him I.
Speaker 1:Chose my mom and In this episode we talked to my mom. That was easy. Yes, you leading it. So now this is the podcast. Welcome to the ask. Joining me on this episode in this series is my mom huh me yeah, you why me? Because you've been a physical therapist all this time and you get an opportunity to share your thoughts and insights in the world of physical therapy. So first question is what was physical therapy like when you started physical therapy?
Speaker 5:it was very exciting, very exciting, to see my patients come crying and you put out all you have. You give them your best shot.
Speaker 1:What was your first job when you finished school?
Speaker 5:My first job was at Victoria Hospital in Miami.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And what department were you in? I mean, you were in physical therapy, but what section Did they break it up into? You work outpatient, you work inpatient.
Speaker 5:I was in the department of inpatient in the clinic of Mercy Hospital.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then what did you do for most of your career, though?
Speaker 5:For most of my career I enjoy working inside of the hospital in a facility. I go around after that from place to place filling in for therapist in shortage and running one therapist department in Miami Lakes and going to Memorial Hospital, going to Victoria Hospital, going to Miami General Hospital, going to Cedars of Lebanon All these hospitals in Florida because therapist was very short then and therefore I had to work really hard. It was very beneficial to me because I enjoy watching my patients get better day after day and it makes me feel so satisfied that I have chosen the best career there ever was.
Speaker 1:What kind of advice would you give to people who are trying to get into the profession of physical therapy? What would be your best advice to them?
Speaker 5:be sure what you want to do, because you have to be aware that it's not a joke. It's not a joke. The patients are very, very hurting and they need assistance, they need guidance, they need safety. They're in pain. It's up to you now to show your emotional, physical and professional ethics and give them the best shot they could ever have.
Speaker 1:Now, in this part of the conversation with my mom, I asked her about a case or a situation where she worked with a patient that was very memorable to her. So this is what she said how did that make you feel when you get them kind of?
Speaker 5:Well, I was astonished because I didn't remember the patient and therefore everybody's looking at me like they see a ghost or that God is here, you know. So then I said oh, I remember you.
Speaker 1:You remember them.
Speaker 5:Yes, it was an accident, it was a car accident. And they tell this young guy that he'd never walk again and we work on him and work on him till table transfer, maximum assist, physical assist, everything. And then he recuperated and years after that he could say hello to me. I didn't even know who he was, but it's very fulfilling when that happens. You really feel satisfied. Yeah what's?
Speaker 1:what's the um? So you, you retired from physical therapy as much as you can retire, but what do you say? Like you, you gained from all those years of being in physical therapy. What did you benefit?
Speaker 5:I benefit immensely because it was so fulfilling that I didn't think of any other job that could fulfill my heart like this one did.
Speaker 1:How did you get into physical therapy?
Speaker 5:Well, my sister is a registered nurse and she sponsored me. I had a student visa. I wasn't illegal, I had a student visa. A few times they called me in to review my status and I went down to the immigration office. They scared me. Oh, I said seat right here, I have it.
Speaker 4:So if Trump was in session?
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 4:Delete it, delete it, delete it we're going to delete that part I would be going to my country in a boat, I don't know maybe I don't know.
Speaker 5:Who knows? Anyway, they found out I made a mistake, so I get to stay and do my work, as I was supposed to.
Speaker 1:Where did you go to school?
Speaker 5:Miami-Dade.
Speaker 1:Was it the one in Southwest? Dade County 27th Avenue and 125th Street. Yes that's right 125th Street. That was the first one I knew, so that's like North Campus.
Speaker 5:I think they call that North Campus, and then we went to Mount Sinai Hospital for our internship and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Hmm, it was interesting, I liked it. I would do it again if I had to. Oh, what? So? You had a. You had a long career. How many years did you practice? Oh my goodness a lot of years yeah, 30, something like that I used to go.
Speaker 5:I used to go and see patients with you and I used to bring my children to the clinic on Saturday and they would sit under the table and they'd be of themselves really nice, you see and nobody knew they were there. I was their babysitter. They'd sit there and color pictures and make themselves comfortable while I went upstairs and do my treatment and then you did home health.
Speaker 5:I did home health. I went to visit the patients at home throughout broad day in Palm Beach County and I found it very fulfilling. The patients were kind of nice. They're glad to see you. They wait for you.
Speaker 1:So with home health, did you use a computer?
Speaker 5:Oh, had a pen and a paper. I had to write everything with my hand and I didn't have a cell phone to call and say well, the patient is vomiting, or anything like that how would you do that? I had to deal with that myself at one time we had a. We had a remote thing that Carlos, like a beeper, we call it.
Speaker 5:I don't know beeper we had a beeper kind of sit-ups we where, if they want you, they beep you and you try to get them back so you call back from the patient's house or wherever you can. So if you had an emergency, no, thank god, I didn't know you didn't have any emergencies.
Speaker 1:But if you had an emergency while you're working with a patient, like what would you do? You just call 9-1-1. We use the system as it is and then so.
Speaker 5:So nowadays, the question is like should new grads, kids just coming fresh out of school? You think they should do home health Fresh out of school? I think you should start in a facility Inside the hospital or in a clinic where you have guidance, supervision and everybody will look out for you to tell you when in doubt. Do less. If you're not sure about what you're doing, don't do it. That's good advice. No, don't do it. Don't stretch the leg, don't bend the knee. You have to follow the instruction no weight bearing on the right leg. Read it carefully, because in my days we were scared of getting fired, sued and kicked out.
Speaker 1:I don't think that's changed at all.
Speaker 5:I think they were very strict. Everybody's afraid to get sued and kicked out and the patient's diagnosis patient rule and therefore everybody was trying to protect their license and their interest in their job. But I don't think we had any incident that would cause us to be afraid or anything. Everybody was dedicated. No, yeah, in my case.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 5:I didn't see any people that was afraid or didn't want to do it or made any trouble, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you were to give advice to new therapists coming into physical therapy right? What advice would you give them? What's the best advice you could give somebody who's getting into the profession for the first time? Like they finished school, everything they got their paperwork what advice would you give them?
Speaker 5:I'd say congratulations, you're on your way to success. You just have to put your shoulders to the wheel and do exactly what is expected of you, because the benefits are great.
Speaker 1:Right Lito? Yes, I don't know. You're telling me I'm following you.
Speaker 5:The benefits are great. I achieved quite a bit from being a physical therapist. I enjoyed it and I would do it again if I had to.
Speaker 1:If you had to.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I'm too old now, but I would.
Speaker 4:I'd do it again if I had to.
Speaker 1:Okay, what's the other piece of advice that you would give to somebody who's old? I'm old now. What advice would you give to the old people who've been doing this a long time and they're getting tired? They get burnt out. They get burnt out.
Speaker 5:If you're not carefully aware you could get burnt out, because the job is very, very, very physical and then when you go from facility and from home to home you could be very tired.
Speaker 4:but then I realized that at the end of this job it could be a wheelchair, so I came to the conclusion that it was time to move on so, so that the advice is quit before you, before you, they will you out.
Speaker 1:Yes, the advice would be before they wheel you out.
Speaker 4:Yes, wow. The advice would be to, when in doubt, do less. If you feel like you can't function the way you want to function, I suggest that you head out before you end up in the wheelchair. Right?
Speaker 1:I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
Speaker 5:I don't think there's anything wrong. You treat everybody. Now it was time to treat yourself.
Speaker 1:True.
Speaker 5:I never get a chance to do that.
Speaker 1:I'm still working on that well you know, you're still working on treating myself you take your wins where you can yeah, I scored well with it financially.
Speaker 5:It was very good for me and I think if you plan your schedule right, you could really make the same thing happen so all right, that can't.
Speaker 1:That's a good question. So everybody asks right now, like you know, financially, physical therapy. You know, blah, blah, blah. Do you think that it has to do with the finance or how you manage your finances? I don't know.
Speaker 5:You tell me finances is necessary, but most people put it on a burner and they don't. They don't pay attention to it and they could destroy themselves by thinking they have a lot of money and spend it off too quick.
Speaker 1:That would be another big thing too.
Speaker 5:That would be massive, so you have to plan your money, plan how you're gonna spend it and don't follow the joneses. Don't follow the joneses. Don't follow the joneses. Take it one step at a time. Stay in your lane one step at a time and spend accordingly. That don't mean you have to deprive yourself if, if you manage your money well, you can have a car, you can drive, it's a vacation, you can do everything. Just be wise about it there you go?
Speaker 1:Any other advice you want to give the people in the land about physical therapy, especially the experience that you've had?
Speaker 5:I would say that you have chosen the right field and therefore you should continue to work on it and get the best and the most out of it. It's possible there you go that's possible it is possible it is possible because I did it. I did it and I'm proud of myself and I see my son. He just wouldn't leave me alone no, I really, I really thought he thought I was doing a good job, so he.
Speaker 4:So when I grow up, I want to be a physical therapist. I thought the job was really boring. To be honest with you said, when I grow up, I want to be a physical therapist.
Speaker 1:I thought the job was really boring, to be honest with you. I really thought like physical. I used to watch you walk these old people in the walkers and think to myself like why would anybody want to do a job like that? And then all these years later, I couldn't imagine doing anything else oh, do you like being a physical therapist? It's the greatest thing ever.
Speaker 5:I would never really honest to god I thought you were just being a copycat.
Speaker 1:No, no. Well, I did it Originally. I did it so I can finish school and then I could go and finish my career in music. But because they told me that I sucked when I started working and I had to really work on it. I had to really work hard to become you know, to get to a position where I didn't suck so bad, To get into the groove, and then that's when I really started to put more emphasis. Well, you got to be passionate about what you do. You can't just do something and just say I'm doing it for the money.
Speaker 5:No, this wasn't for the money. It came from the heart dedicated. It was just a dream come true. Like I said, my sister was a nurse and she said I think you would do well in the field of physical therapy. And I didn't even know what that was. But I listened to her and I went into it and I have no regrets. I have no regrets.
Speaker 1:Well see, mine was different because I was sitting in class getting ready to try and apply to med school and then I said I don't want to be in school. So I said I don't want to be in school. So he said the physical therapy applications opened up and I said well, I knew what that was. So I could go and try and finish school in what's that, two more years, or stay in this organic chemistry class because I was in organic chemistry at the time stay in this organic chemistry class, finish it miserably and then keep going down this road of just misery. And I wasn't really happy with what I was doing. And then I got here thinking that this was just going to fund my, my career in in music, and it just became my career.
Speaker 5:So so would you do it again if you had to?
Speaker 1:if I had to do it again, I would do it again, I would do it again. So one more thing I want to ask you about. I remember back in the day used you used to do wound care. Wound care was a big thing.
Speaker 5:A big thing, but I don't know what happened to it. They never drinked it away.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, that's a whole other conversation. But what kind of wound care you did the big hubba tanks?
Speaker 5:We did hubba tanks. We did whirlpools the big like swimming pools we had to debride and burns and the ulcers and and big time, big time, we want to see some pink skin coming up deep trench in the patients buttocks are in their legs, in their toes, and we had to debride, clean it out.
Speaker 5:That was a mess, but we had a job, we had to do it. And then you know, sometimes you achieve the goal because the the pink thing come up on it, pigmentation begin to feel right in and it gets, it feels right up till it come back to the surface, and that is also a nice accomplishment, you know so. And then we have to insist on positioning and body mechanics and all those goodies. What do you say to that?
Speaker 1:Well listen, I'm not going to say nothing different.
Speaker 5:Physical therapy.
Speaker 1:What is the physical therapy doing right now?
Speaker 1:It really is about things like direct access access to being able to help patients get care faster, right? So instead of going to the doctor and this is known slight on physicians but instead of going to the doctor to talk about what back pain looks like, we're getting referrals direct into the clinic Evaluating patients, getting them treated faster. Our turnaround time on most patients is about six days. Whenever they go to the doctor, it extends the day, it extends the cost of care, going for either medication or unnecessary imaging studies, and then, worse yet, when we find that there's a patient that has a major problem, we always at least in my experience the patient gets sent out for appropriate diagnostic studies to determine if it's anything else like kidney problem or any other severe back problem that needs to be addressed more urgently. But it's just changing the paradigm of health care, where people can just stop looking at physical therapists as glorified massage therapists no, no, no, glorified, I have to say, excuse me personal trainers and things like that, because we can do so much more.
Speaker 5:They everybody take a piece of our career because we were careless. We were the ones who instruct the nurses about body mechanics, physical therapy.
Speaker 5:They would never touch a patient unless the therapist comes and gives them the diagnosis actually of the patient's status, and then we were looked upon as the caregiver, the savior of the patient. But so many people came into play. Now we have the, we have the massage therapist. We used to do all those things. We used to give the patients a massage. We use the ems machine, we use the ultrasound. We did all those things.
Speaker 1:Everybody take it away from us I mean we're still doing that stuff. But now here's the funny thing is, outside of nmes, ultrasound is like they're doing shockwave now shockwave.
Speaker 5:They're doing a lot of things.
Speaker 1:Injections yeah the um, I don't needle whatever they call it. Yeah, acupuncture acupuncture? It's not acupuncture, it's called needling, I don't know what it's called. I forgot what it's called, but anyways they do the thing and uh, it's supposed to help with pain management. We do cupping, we do all kinds of other modalities.
Speaker 5:Postural drainage we would do.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a big one. People don't do that anymore.
Speaker 5:We would do postural drainage to assist the patient in breathing respiratory distress. Yeah, and we did a lot of things.
Speaker 1:We have a big pulmonary Program at Corona Hills Physical Therapy, which is the sponsor of this podcast. So, other than that, don't forget to like and subscribe to Corona Hills Physical Therapy and Wellness, because that is your place for getting better, anyways.
Speaker 5:Go to Matt, he'll take care of you.
Speaker 1:Spoken like a true mom. Anyways, that's our time. I'm Dr Hanson here and joining me. Today is today is who is it? Marie Hanson there you go Joining us today on the Ask with Dr Hanson PT, featuring also Kaira. She's in the house somewhere around there on the West Coast, but anyways, that's my time. I'm Dr Hanson and I'm out. Peace, you want to?
Speaker 4:hear it again.
Speaker 1:It's still recording. Thank you again for joining us at the Ask with Dr Hanson PT and Kaira, and we hope that you've enjoyed the first two episodes of our season. Now, I didn't get to say this in the last episode, but if you have not listened to our previous episodes, go ahead, download a season one, take a listen. There were some great gems, some great pearls in that. I hope that you got something from this message right, but I hope you enjoyed the tidbits from my mom. But stay tuned for our next episode because something that my mom said which I'm going to bring back right now how did you get into physical therapy?
Speaker 5:Well, my sister is a registered nurse and she sponsored me. I had a student visa. I wasn't illegal, I had a student visa.
Speaker 4:A few times they called me in to review my status and I went down to the immigration office.
Speaker 5:They scared me. Oh, I said, see, I have it.
Speaker 4:So if Trump was in session? I don't know we're going to delete that part I would be going to my country in a boat.
Speaker 1:Here's an interesting question. So you're working with a patient, they're on your table in the middle of the treatment room and they ask you to do something that talks about one of the two things that your mom told you never to talk about Religion or politics. What do you do? If you have an idea, go ahead and like and subscribe. Leave a comment down below. Tell us what you think, because we'd love to hear it. Um, we have some ideas and some opinions from our team, as always, but here I got to tell you it is always interesting to hear the things and the ideas and the thoughts that people have, but sometimes it especially in this polarized environment it can be a little tricky and a little quirky of how you navigate into and out of that conversation. So take a listen next time. We'll see you in two weeks. We drop episodes every other week and hopefully we get an opportunity to drop some tidbits in between. But until next time, take care, be safe, take care of each other. That's my time. I'm Dr Hanson and I'm out.
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