Maegen Brady and Bill Deleo

Recorded April 5, 2014 Archived April 5, 2014 33:47 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: chi000597

Description

Maegen Brady (26) and Bill Deleo (30) talk about Meagan's career as a Physical Therapist. She talks about studying abroad in MAdrid and tells Bill that she is inspired by his drive.

Subject Log / Time Code

Maegen talks about how she became inspired to do physical therapy professionally by being a patient
M talks about working to be more cognizant of people's cultural practices and personal practices when setting goals for them in PT. She describes a muslim man who wanted to be able to pray in traditional positions.
M talks about studying abroad in Madrid.
M talks about feeling good that she could help her mother when she was in recovery
M talks about seeing bill as driven, respectful, and easy to talk with.

Participants

  • Maegen Brady
  • Bill Deleo

Recording Locations

Chicago Cultural Center

Venue / Recording Kit


Transcript

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00:02 I am Bill DeLeo 30 years olds today is April 15th, 2014 and I wear in the Chicago Cultural Center and I'm going to be interviewing Megan Brady who's my girlfriend.

00:14 My name is Megan Brady. I'm 24 years old today is Saturday April 5th, 2014. And where in the Chicago Cultural Center and beautiful Chicago, Illinois and with my boyfriend Phil DeLeo?

00:30 Saumag tell me about how he became interested in. You know, if your schooling and line profession Physical Therapy. What are the spark that interest?

00:40 I was an athlete.

00:44 Pretty much all my life and being a clumsy Brady. I was also an athlete that sustained a lot of injuries that I found myself in physical therapy and

00:57 Was really inspired by the work that I saw him going on around me. I really enjoyed how the focus wasn't helping the patients get better back to their prior level of function and really working towards goals that were specific to their life. And once I've delved further into it, I realize that there wasn't just PT for athletes, but for older people for little children for people with simple musculoskeletal injuries, and then all the way of people with complex narrower medical disorders.

01:36 So I I realized in high school. I wanted to be a PT. I did a career project on it my freshman year and interviewed a few PTU realized it was pretty interesting. But I saw the pay scale was pretty low at that time. So I have to admit I was a little turned off of that and I was also interested in and other subjects when I first entered my undergrad at Saint Joseph University started off as an international relations major realized I didn't like politics too much. I switched to English and wasn't digging all the writing and wasn't positive about job security at that time. So I wind up doing a work over the summer for a chiropractor in my hometown and every sparked my interest in connecting with people and helping people to feel better. So for the third major I switched to Al

02:36 I health and graduated from Saint Joseph's in 2011 before I before I graduated I started applying to PT schools because I was sure that was that was where I wanted to wind up. So I wind up getting into Northwestern University here in Chicago first. I visited the city and love the school didn't love the cold though. And I was also accepted to to Duke and then finally 2T Yukon Yukon want it being the best choice for me because it was close to home close to my family and then state tuition was probably the best deal.

03:18 And I'm really glad I went there because if I didn't I wouldn't have met you.

03:22 Nice save the number of internships or you traveled all over the country.

03:29 Currently on loan right now, which is why you're in Chicago. What was your favorite favorite spot and why?

03:38 It's hard to to choose one because I've been just enjoying all the different experiences that I'm getting. I think my favorite part is that I got a little bit of exposure in a little bit of experience to all sorts of different fields. I really enjoyed going to San Francisco working at the VA Medical Center. There was quite a bit of a challenge as it was my first first time out kind of in a full-time working position, especially one in Acute Care in a hospital or there's so much going on and I wasn't very familiar with that area. So he is definitely a challenge during my first internship. I was also really challenged and also inspired by a lot of the people and patience that I served. Are there were veterans from

04:31 Vietnam Korean War and then all the way back to my oldest patient was from World War II and with all of those experiences come a lot of challenges dealt with in addition to our physical disorders a lot of like mental disorders as well. PTSD is really big lot of patients had drug or alcohol dependency is because of their experiences and a lot of baggage that they had carried through their life. So they're the Big Challenge was being in a respectful and as helpful as I can be and just thinking and helping these people have served our country as best as I could. I'm also really enjoying the experience and I'm getting here in Chicago at the Rehab Institute of Chicago. I've been fortunate enough to get some experience also in the hospital setting again, and I've also got an additional experience in the day rehab or kind of

05:31 Outpatient setting mostly people with complex neurological disorders and I'm really enjoying seeing the progress that people make from day-to-day. I love the relationships that I get to form with people in the hospital and dairy have as opposed to acute care where you know, you evolve them and there may be gone in three or four days here. I get to see some of the same people day today and meet their families. I get to hear their stories and their lives that they're going to be returning to that. They hope to return to after they go through rehab and I've just been really enjoying the the challenges that come with the diversity of Ages and diagnosis and presentations of all the different patients that I'm seeing here. Enjoy that I'm getting to see some kids in the clinic too because currently one of my big interest is in in Pediatrics in working with children.

06:26 He doesn't live Chicago at the great City here. It's true. So the young professional entering the workforce nurse. It's what's been the biggest challenge so far and in your professional experience.

06:44 One of the biggest challenges that I face is realizing the the goals and

06:55 Wishes set my patience and and where they would they would like to be and what they like to be doing when they when the eggs of the clinic and what they want to get back to doing. So, I've made it more of a point to ask my patients. What are their goals? What are they trying to get back to what was their prior level of function and no other big interest or Hobbies their cultural and spiritual beliefs and I found that these kind of conversation starters really helped me and my treatment plans. So for example, I had an eval the other day of a gentleman whose of the Muslim belief and I made the very kind of ignorant mistake of calling place of worship church as I'm a Christian hymn. He quickly corrected me that it's a mosque, but I'm glad that I at least kind of delved into the topic because I found that he is a very devout Muslim and you know his age and some of his

07:55 Disabilities that come through Parkinson's disease he's not able to assume some of the positions of like kneeling coming forward that required for prayer. So I'm glad I went there and kind of delved into the topic because I was able to set some goals for him that would help guide his treatment towards getting back to his prior level of function and something that's really important to him. So it's really important to talk not only to the patient but to talk to their families and see what's important. What do they want to work on because you can Target certain things all day long and it may not matter to them. You really want to individualize your plan and make sure you're you're helping that person it ends at that point in time.

08:42 Decorate so I what what is the most important lesson that you've learned?

08:49 Professional atmosphere so far

08:52 If you had to pick just one.

09:00 I think one of the most important lessons that I've learned is not to assume.

09:07 They did the saying of when you assume because you really have no idea what that person is going through no matter how many other cases I've seen that look exactly the same. You have no way to put yourself in that person's shoes. So I'll never forget on my second clinical internship in South Windsor, Connecticut at an outpatient Orthopedic place as giving an initial evaluation asking questions and a gentleman was telling me about his wishes to be able to dance at his daughter's wedding and complaining about his leg pain and how it how it felt to him and I made the mistake of saying oh, I know how you feel to me at the time. I felt like I was trying to agree with him and be on the same page, but my clinical instructor pointed out to me that you never know how somebody else

10:07 Steals and it's it's much better to say I see and it's good to agree, but you can never assume or pretend to know how somebody else feels. So I've definitely Taylor my vocabulary to be able to agree with someone without invading their their space or their their story because you don't know how they feel a lot of things done not just physical therapy.

10:38 Don't you know how it in the near future you can be graduating got some prospects lined up and Boston. We're going to be moving soon. So, you know, that's it's pretty clear what's going on in the next year or two years with stabbing in the next 5 10 15 years ago to your future plans.

10:56 Well, I am most definitely focusing on the next step in my personal and professional life. Graduating is coming up next month like about a month away and only taking the licensure exam in mid July.

11:14 Then I'm definitely going to be studying hard for that because I want to get my license. I'm I'm looking into a lot of different jobs in the Boston area, but specifically I'm interested in Pediatrics. I'm thinking about applying to The Residency program at Boston Children's Hospital. Hopefully setting up a time to observe with them.

11:37 So once things kind of settle down with work, I'd really like to have establish a life for us in Boston to kind of put some Roots down and find a place in the neighborhood that we would like to live in in like a vibe that we kind of fit in with you to make some friends and be able to go out and enjoy the city and everything that has to offer. I think we'll be really fun enough Five-Year Plan. I want to be specialized in some aspect of my career. I want to have some further certifications and Specialties and be heading down the the road of what I'd like to be practicing in and I know and at least 10 years, I really like to start a family and have some kids. I know I want to work with children, but I know I definitely like to have some kids my own someday. I think it would be really fun to

12:37 Pass my life experiences down and just go out travel explore and do different things and

12:45 Watch all the fun developmental things unfold. I know that's something that I'd like to do as well as just continuing to travel learn growth doing everything that I'm doing now. I'm just enjoying life to the fullest with you.

13:01 And making a life for us.

13:04 Sew-in, you know, your your college schooling and your professional career we've done so far. Do you go back and change one thing? What would it be?

13:15 Or maybe do something different. Maybe not nut so much change.

13:37 Probably would have played nicer with my TT classmates from school. I think I was looking out for myself. Sometimes a little bit too much and I realize that it's it is really important to set solid professional contacts and I feel like I kind of squander that a little bit and I think that that's something I definitely want to change going forward in the future. I want to build strong relationships with the people that I work with and make sure that I'm not being selfish or looking out for number one. I want to be able to to work in like a community and be able to get along with everyone that I work with.

14:18 Decorate what you say. You have a mentor in space.

14:24 And if so, what have you learned from them?

14:30 Yeah, I consider you one of my mentors to be a professor from UConn. See her name is dr. Deborah boobella, and she is a physical therapist to specialize in Pediatrics. She has done a lot of great work in that field as well as being a teacher at UConn for quite some time. Now. I was fortunate enough to take individualized practicum and Pediatrics with her where I was able to go on a lot of different field experiences and learn directly from her practice and I was able to become exposed to a lot of different settings in that field, which is further confirm my interest in that area may be able to see school settings go to the NICU and observe their go to public schools and versus schools just for children with disabilities, and I've been able to see a home care for three developmental PT and

15:30 Jason I've done outpatient pediatric physical therapy, so I've been able to see a little bit of everything and I've always been able to go up to dr. Evil is kind of cozy nice office and be able to debrief with her and talk about the experiences and she's always been you know, checking in with me. Even I've been out on clinical to see how things are going and if she can be of any help getting me treatment ideas or helping me troubleshoot a kind of professionalism like in the in the workplace. So I am really grateful for Deb and everything. She's she's done for me and guided me throughout the school this year.

16:10 Awesome. So out your very career-focused and have been for quite some time. But what are some of your other interests what you like doing for fun?

16:21 I am very passionate about traveling and going around the world the country to seeing new places that I've never been to before and it's kind of being shocked and challenged by different different areas and cultures. I kind of like to throw myself headfirst into a situation and seeing how I can independently make the best out of it. I really really and you know this love food

16:54 And that goes along with traveling. I love going to new places eating a new restaurants even going to the local market and buy ingredients to to make dinner. I think that's something that you've really sparked an interest in me is is cooking and looking for good food in different different ways to make it also very passionate about coffee. I'm always searching for that perfect cup of coffee and you know, I like physical activity doing all sorts of different Outdoors, like skiing. We had a really good trip in Colorado recently and as well as just practicing yoga Tai Chi going to the gym and staying healthy. So I tried to keep a healthy work-life balance and try and pursue personal interests as well as that working hard. You know, I like to maybe Work Work Hard Play Hard

17:51 Thunder travels what was single-handedly your most memorable experience and why?

18:19 So maybe you only pick one we don't have all day.

19:12 Studying abroad in Madrid was probably my most memorable experience. I have too many to choose obviously so

19:21 I say something about him and Jared was probably my most memorable experience because I was there for an extended. Of time as there for 4 months study abroad for schools taking classes at St. Louis St. Louis University and an American University there and my favorite aspect of that experience was living with a native of the country. I lived with a 74 year old woman who has a total hard-ass but just a soft shave way deep down and she has a wicked good cook. She cooked dinner for us every night part of the agreement is taking on students get paid by the university and their room and board fees, but you cook them dinner every night and have like a place to live. So I had two roommates and they're both amazing girls one was from Malawi at

20:21 And she's since moved back there and my other roommate is Kylie Riles who I am still really good friends with and I couldn't imagine my life without her. We had done most of our traveling together, but probably the most memorable part was just basically every night. I like 8:30 or 9. We have dinner, sit down the four of us to family meal. We had our no basket of bread usually and then some sort of like amazing either Spanish or I mean, she wasn't even limited sad Italian meal all sorts of different homemade fresh meals no microwave in the kitchen is so everything was Super Fresh and just getting to speak in Spanish and practice. Those skills learn about manual is life and just getting traveling tips.

21:21 And being able to to take those.

21:25 Awesome. So in your quest for the perfect cup of coffee.

21:31 Who's the current FrontRunner?

21:47 Probably a tie between Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco.

21:54 I really enjoyed their coffee kiosk in the

22:00 Ferry Building

22:03 And I also enjoyed every Intelligentsia coffee place. I've been to in Chicago Figaro's there beans at a facility right in the city and I was able to buy a bag of beans I was supposed to eat the day before so it was super fresh air plug.

22:22 What up, what would you say? You're the most passionate about in life?

22:33 Probably my my family my friends people that I have relationships with.

22:39 Because

22:42 Especially for people that I've been with for a long time and seen me me grow up those who know my my personality know me inside and out and really appreciate having those relationships really passionate about my family anyone, you know messes of my family. I'm going to I'm going to deal with it.

23:02 I've also been really fortunate to put some of my professional skills to use in helping my family. My mom just got her second total knee replacement. And unfortunately, I'm out here for the second one, but I was with her during her first one and I felt very passionate about being able to help her move around and do her best so that she could continue to enjoy her life and stay mobile with my family and continue to enjoy everything else with us also really passionate about my sisters and their well-being and their Futures. So they are there extensions of me. I see myself largely amendments. We are we are we are bound for life.

23:56 Haygood

24:04 So what is your first memory that you can remember your oldest memory or follow your fire this back memory they can remember.

24:20 Probably

24:23 Opening up the Nintendo Entertainment System on like my fifth Christmas and how have you made my sister Randy were and I'm not like getting back to even when I was in preschool and kindergarten and my mom telling me that I was able to beat the Legend of Zelda before I can read.

24:46 I'd like to the day out of the house today because you certainly need to read to go to that game, but I figured it out somehow, so that's pretty cool.

24:55 How would you describe your relationship with your sister Randy? And how would you say it's changed as YouTube grown up when we were younger click we're kind of like oil and water and I always butting heads don't need under the other under the boss. You know, I'm going to have you and the common interests and

25:22 Baby kind of Leverage those interests to build a bond and today I would consider Randy, you know like a best friend of mine. Who knows as well as my sister of car.

25:36 It's a relationship is really really good.

25:39 And you of course Uncle Bill is correct. I have a beautiful niece Lily.

25:49 Can you describe your sister? Yeah, she's very outgoing and say she's very passionate about that about you know, her interests. She is a phenomenal cook. She is actually working on getting some food and like the retail space at the moment, which is pretty cool on and I she's a hot going to be donating a large portion of the proceeds to feed, you know, how underprivileged school kids and one so she's very passionate about that. She currently is working in school administration.

26:32 I know she's a very loving mom, you know, she does she's a stellar mom. She takes wonderful care and provides excellent guidance to Lily.

26:44 And I just overall she's just a real fun person to hang out with you know, you're having a blast when she's around.

26:52 How would you describe your relationship with your parents know? It's very good when I was in high school not so great. And I was really focused in high school with gun classes and getting good grades and all that fun stuff and

27:13 Got to put a wedge between our relationship but as my career progressed and I got focused and kind of buckled down our relationship frog turn into something. That's really really good. I've got an excellent relationship with my parents. Now, you know, you keep in touch with them on a regular basis and come visit them pretty frequently. They do live just across town at the moment.

27:42 Who would you say is has been your biggest role model or your biggest inspiration for your life?

27:52 The really tough question

27:56 I did my father and my grandfather. I don't know. I just always had this.

28:03 Kind of feeling in the back of my mind that like really want to impress them like, you know how to prove that.

28:12 Have to prove myself, I guess and if they're both successful in their careers engineer's real smart guys real Handy with everything to do and I just strive to be

28:28 A good of a man that says both of them are

28:34 If you could have 24 hours to do anything that you wanted, what would you do?

28:41 Only 24 hours

28:48 Probably go to Japan.

28:52 Snowboard Nagoya play in the arcades and eat sushi all in one day.

29:03 How you can say

29:16 If you were in the land of The Walking Dead post-apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice and your game plan for Staying Alive?

29:29 Weapon of choice rather be a machete if I can find one or Piper like a bat or something something big that I could swing for sure. You don't want something that has and you don't want some like and pricing some real sturdy me like a piece of wood or something like that.

29:52 Barricade a spot out and just die in a hole up in there.

29:57 Gather Essentials before the sun goes down

30:03 If you could have one perfect meal.

30:07 Before you die

30:10 What would you choose if you could have anything I would be your perfect meal?

30:16 All the deliciousness of lobster with none of the work giant like steak, maybe like a porterhouse or real nice.

30:31 Can you describe how are you were thinking how you're feeling or what you're thinking before you and I met for the first time. What was your

30:43 Poirier anticipations and and how are you feeling before we first met but pretty nervous.

30:57 So Megan, and I met on online dating and I remember reading your profile like meticulously every word in it, and I can't think of myself so great. I can't wait to meet her like I hope she likes me, too.

31:15 Well at all. It all worked out, you know, they've been together for 2 years now and

31:22 Nervous / excited

31:25 And how did you how did you leave feeling? What were you thinking in? And how are you feeling after we wrapped up a birth date great. I went and thought to myself that like this is definitely somebody that I could have died date and some of them want to hang out with more fun stuff.

31:50 I remember before meeting you leaving the Hartford Hospital where is volunteering and one of the cancer floors and just going into my car in the parking lot and trying to put some makeup on.

32:06 Like fix my hair a little bit. It was such a busy day, but I was really excited to meet you for the first time too. And I was really excited by your suggestion of like a nice sushi place in Hartford. I thought that it was very adventurous and it'd be fun to try and I just remembered I like looking at my car rear view mirror being like well, I hope you like that cuz I think that day that we had our first day is the most stressful part about it was not spilling coffee on myself. You print on the shirt.

32:46 But I didn't. I probably would understood but I thought that we had we had clicked. I remember just talking very easily and openly and freely with View and I really just was like in your general Vibe and your your description of your family and and how you know, your relationship was with them really liked was a positive note. I really really like that and I also like how you were very driven in both your personal and professional life and he treated me with no immediate like we're back then you're very friendly and outgoing and just really really easy to talk to a member leaving and just hoping that we'd be able to meet up again and be able to hang out some more so I was really glad when when we did.