By Hillary Lau

Introducing our Spring Semester NEU PT Students!

Welcome, Maddie!

Maddie is a fourth year student at Northeastern University and writes about her excitement to live in a different part of the country, working towards her goal of becoming a physical therapist. We are so excited for Maddie to join our F&L 'Ohana!

 

What school did you attend in high school and what's your current college?

Hi I’m Maddie! I grew up in Arcadia, California which is a suburb of Los Angeles, and attended Arcadia High School. I applied to many different colleges, but as soon as I was accepted into the DPT program at Northeastern University I accepted without so much as a campus tour or visit, I was so excited to move across the country and start a new journey. Little did I know back then that I would be moving across the country again 4 years later to work here at Fukuji & Lum for six months. 

What drew you to physical therapy?

There is no one reason that I chose physical therapy as my profession, but rather when I looked at the sum of my personality traits and interests it just made sense. I grew up doing ballet, and have been dancing basically since I learned how to walk. Growing up dancing provided me with a huge appreciation of human movement, it taught me that movement can be not only functional, but actually beautiful. As I got older and saw how different injuries affected the lives of people I knew, dancers and regular people alike- I knew that was something that I wanted to help people with. I also knew that I would function better in an active career where I am physically and mentally challenged. These things, combined with my interest in science and problem-solving nature, led me to choose physical therapy. 

Why did you want to do your co-op in Hawaii? What has been your experience like so far? What is on your to-do list while here?

Ever since hearing about this co-op opportunity when I was a freshman in college, I knew I wanted to come here. I am an adventurous person, and am always seeking out new opportunities and experiences, so as hard as it was to decide to leave my friends and the home I had created in Boston, applying to come work here in Hawaii was a step I was excited to take. Especially during a pandemic, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to travel and explore Hawaii while also getting valuable clinical experience. So far, I have had an incredible experience here in Hawaii, being here has given me so many opportunities to push the boundaries of what I thought I could do, both in the clinic and outside of it. I am so grateful to all the staff members that I have worked with so far at F&L for being such inspiring and effective therapists, and especially for taking the extra time and energy to always include me and create learning opportunities along the way. Outside of the clinic, I have been able to explore the island, going on different hikes and adventures every weekend, and trying new Hawaiian foods. From relaxing beach days to strenuous hikes that result in being covered in mud head to toe to the mask tan I have from working at the pool, I can truly say I have been enjoying all aspects of life here in Hawaii. 

As much as I have already seen and done here, there is still so much left to do before I have to leave and return to Boston. The other co-ops and I have put together a list of places to see on the island, and it seems with everything we check off the list we discover even more things to add. As many fun activities that we planned, some of the best things that have happened have been unplanned. Going on a hike and making a wrong turn led us to an even more beautiful lookout, driving to the beach for a sunset swim after getting off work early, and even helping an injured stranger make it to the end of a hike; all of these things were not on our to-do list but are still some of the most memorable experiences I’ve had.    

What kind of therapist do you hope to be?  Who is your greatest influence in your life?

Based on the experiences here at Fukuji & Lum as well as different physical therapy settings, I have seen the effect that a patient's comfort level and general happiness have on their outcomes. With that in mind, when I graduate from PT school in 2 years, I hope to be the kind of therapist that patients can rely on to always act in their best interests and put a smile on their faces despite the pain they might be in. From what I have learned so far, this trust is built through the small gestures we do: diving into the pool to look for a lost ring in the pouring rain, supporting a patient’s business on the weekends, or simply walking a patient to their car. Since the start of the pandemic, I think the whole world has started seeing healthcare workers in a different light, and I have been truly amazed at the kindness and compassion I have witnessed from both my coworkers and patients.  When I think about what kind of therapist I want to be in the future,  that is undoubtedly influenced by my parents and extended family who raised me to be the person I am now.  My grandparents are lifelong artists and have led such amazing and unique lives, and have truly shaped the way I see the world. They have always gone out of their way to show me the beauty in the world, whether that is through hiking in nature, taking my brother and I to their art exhibitions, or just hanging out and playing hearts. The fun, happy and love-filled life they created for themselves has inspired me to embrace who I am and do the same. 

 

Happy at Work Learning with Aloha
By Hillary Lau

Introducing our Spring Semester NEU PT Students!

Introducing Kristin!

Kristin shares how she strives to nurture relationships, expand her knowledge, and be innovative during her studies. She writes about her experience thus far as a co-op and what she looks forward to during her time in Hawaii.

Aloha! My name is Kristin. I am originally from Southern California and  currently attend Northeastern University in Boston. I am a fourth-year physical therapy major  and chose this career path because of the hands-on involvement in a patient’s rehabilitation  journey. I love that we are able to form relationships and guide patients to healthier and more  active lifestyles. To me, physical therapy is so much more than a major. We have the ability to  shape lives and support patients when they are struggling with pain. We are PTs, educators,  cheerleaders, and confidants all rolled up in one— this is my favorite aspect about the  profession. 

Prior to my co-op at Fukuji and Lum, I worked in an acute care setting. From there, I  knew I had to expand my horizon to outpatient physical therapy. After hearing about past co-op experiences, I jumped at the opportunity to work at F&L. I am so glad I did because I currently  have the privilege of learning from physical therapists with different specialties and interests,  each with a unique way to approach and treat patients. As a student who is eager to soak up  everything, it means so much to me that staff are willing to share previous lectures and provide tips to make me a better physical therapist. I think this speaks to the supportive and collaborative community at F&L.

My experience in Hawaii has been nothing short of amazing. Outside of work, the other  co-ops and I are busy exploring the island and using every excuse to get shave ice and poke. We  have a list of recommended restaurants and hikes we are working through, and we are looking  forward to adding to it! We have big plans to go surfing and are building up to it by watching  Surf’s Up and wearing goggles around the house. 

Although I am still new to physical therapy, I have been fortunate enough to work with  some of the most talented, knowledgeable and passionate physical therapists. They have  repeatedly shown me the impact of compassion, kindness, and patience, and I hope to embody  those characteristics as a future clinician. My past mentor always encouraged me to think outside  the box and strive for creative treatment customized for each patient. This encouraged me to  constantly improve and innovate my approach to treatment.  

There are many people that influenced who I am today, but the person closest to my heart  is my sister. My sister is the most selfless and warm-hearted person I know and makes everyone  else around better. I am constantly amazed by her, and I aspire to be half the woman she is!

Happy at Work Learning with Aloha
By Deb Matsuura

Northeastern PT Student Coop Reflection 2020

Claire Reflects on Her Growth as a Coop

We asked Claire a few questions about her time with Fukuji & Lum and to reflect on her experience in the clinic and living in Hawaii.

What was the one experience that you think was the highlight, both inside and outside of the clinic?

A little bit of context: I had the opportunity to work at almost all the clinics throughout my six months at F&L. I started, and worked primarily, at the Kailua clinic, with a weekly trip into town to the Honolulu clinic. Towards the middle of my co-op, I spent most of my time at the Kokokahi YWCA aquatics site. For my final two months, I worked mostly at the Laniakea YWCA pool, with a day or two per week at the Kokokahi pool. My final day of co-op, though, was spent working at the Kailua office. On that last day, I felt confident in my ability to take patients through their exercises and write their notes, which was a huge change from the start of my co-op. It was rewarding and fulfilling to hear the Kailua team tell me how much I had grown and how excited they were for me. The cool thing is that I didn’t realize how much I had grown until they told me, and I thought, “Wow, they’re right!” It was a perfect end to co-op that brought my experience full circle.

Outside of the clinic, I was fortunate to have heaps of adventures that made every outing feel like an event. It still blows my mind that activities like going to the beach and hiking are everyday activities in Hawaii, so everything felt like a highlight to me. However, swimming with sharks definitely stands out in my mind. It was a humbling, calming, and exciting experience that I will always remember. We even saw early morning surfers and Hawaiian spinner dolphins on the boat ride back to shore!

Who had the most impact on you during your time here?

So many incredible people shaped me into who I am in so many ways that I don’t think I can pick one person! I love all the clinicians, and each one had an impact on my time. The patients, however, probably taught me the most about myself and the practice of PT. They helped me discover my PT-related interests, how to interact with them in a way that was both professional and fun, how to problem solve, and more. I enjoyed having fun conversations with the patients and enjoyed their company in general! I remember looking at the schedule and being excited about who was coming in each day. They frequently gave me awesome recommendations on things to do and foods to try.

What was the most surprising thing that you did not expect to learn?

I hoped that I would get to learn about and get a good feel for Hawaiian culture, but I had no idea that it would embrace me, too. From the atmosphere on Aloha Fridays, to learning Pidgin and other local phrases, to the widespread Aloha Spirit, I felt like I was part of the community, not just an outsider looking in. Also, I did not expect to acquire an affinity for reggae music. I’ve concluded that you can’t listen to reggae music and not be in a good mood afterward 🙂

If you had to choose one word about your experience, what word would you choose?

Growth.

Towards the end of my co-op, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work more closely with Art, and whenever we saw a particular patient, we each chose a “word of the day.” A few of our words included: gratitude, peace, humanity, faith, celebrate, malama, Aloha mai kākou, etc. Reflecting on those conversations, I realize that everything comes back to growth. I have grown in my understanding of myself and others, embracing my environment, being a professional, countless ways to be a good PT, and so much more. The most important part, though, is that I left knowing that you can always keep growing in every aspect of life.

From this experience, what intentions will you have going forward with your career?

In short, I plan to keep growing! I was surprised to learn that I am interested in neurology and have specific interests within orthopedics. With that in mind, I will be open to whatever opportunities arise in the future, even if it is something that I think I am not interested in. However my career progresses, I will treat patients with the same compassion and kindness that I witnessed throughout F&L.

Happy at Work Learning with Aloha
By Mark Yanai

Conquering Fear Together

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Conquering Fear, My Ragnar Experience – By Joy Yanai, D.P.T.

It’s been on my bucket list for several years, even after I stopped running religiously. RUN A RAGNAR RELAY has yet to be crossed off. Then, in summer of 2016, the Ragnar Trail Oahu North Shore was announced online. I don’t even trail run, but a friend and I decided to do it and form a team.

We named our team “Gotta Be Crazy” and knew that finding six more crazy people would be easy. None of us were trail runners and we had varying degrees of running backgrounds. We didn’t know what to expect, but we were all willing to spend the night in a tent and take turns running 24 legs around Turtle Bay.

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On Friday, April 21st we showed up at Turtle Bay to set up camp and start our run. As we drove into the parking area, the heavens opened up and the rains came down. And so the next 24 hours began…

[one_half] Going into this relay, the 8 of us all had different fears:

Fear of running in the heat
Fear of running in the dark
Fear of not being prepared
Fear of getting injured
Fear of disappointing teammates
Fear of centipedes in sleeping bags
Fear of using porta potties that 700 other runners are using

What I realized to be true about FEAR is that it’s:

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

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I didn’t feel as physically prepared as I wanted to be. I could’ve stressed about it, instead I decided to just enjoy each run. I stopped to take pictures; I took videos and sent them to my teammates. I listened to the sounds of the waves, the birds, and the crickets.

During training, I had avoided running a trail at night because I didn’t want to do it alone. When it was my turn to do it at the relay, I was sure that there would be plenty of people running at night to keep me company. NOPE! I did the longest route at night and only saw three people! I turned off my second light and splash through the mud, enjoying being somewhere I had never been before.

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We all rested briefly overnight (except for Talon, he’s a beast). A couple of members would accompany the next runner to the start and welcome the previous runner in. Next priority was making sure the runner who just came in got what they needed to recover.

All of my expectations of this run were smashed. I think our team’s expectations were smashed. The trail we thought would be the easiest was the hardest because of the mud. The beach run with dreaded sand dunes was the easiest because of minimal mud.

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We overcame fears. We complained about the rain, the porta potties, the mud. We all stepped up. Fellow co-workers who didn’t run with us loaned us cots and lanterns. One of them even made us all precut tape strips to support our leg muscles. Even patients got involved, painting T-shirts for us and loaning us hi-tech bug repellant.

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As I write this, it is hard to find the right words to describe my teammates. “Family” could replace “Team”. “Friends” could replace “co-workers”. That’s really what we were; friends and family for the weekend, a small part of the bigger F&L Ohana. I appreciate all of them for helping me cross something off of my list. And if you ask any of us if we regret doing it, I’m sure we’ll all say no. We are already planning on next year.

And now I ask you, what’s next to cross off your list? What fears can we conquer together?

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Happy at Work
By Mark Yanai

Celebrating Memorial Day

Memorial Day in America is a day when people remember and honor those who have fallen in service to their country. In Hawai‘i, with its diverse population, traditions become easily adopted and assimilated into its rich cultural fabric. It is a custom for people in Hawai‘i, on Memorial Day, to not only place flowers and offerings on gravesites of those who served their country, but to honor all loved ones who have passed on.

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One famous Memorial Day tradition in Hawaii is the The Lantern Floating Ceremony, held at Ala Moana Beach Park. In 1999, the inaugural Lantern Floating Ceremony was held at Ke’ehi Lagoon on the south shore of O’ahu. In 2002, the ceremony was moved a few miles down the coast to Ala Moana Beach where it has been observed every year since.

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The Lantern Floating Ceremony brings together over 40,000 people on the beach, joined by thousands around the world via live streaming and telecast for an evening of honoring loved ones and generating collective hope toward the future. The ceremony is an opportunity where all can come together for a personal and collective moment of remembrance, reflection, and offering gratitude to those who have gone before us. It is a chance to be surrounded by the love, understanding, and support of others – even strangers. We are strengthened as a community as we reach out to support others and build understanding of our common values and experiences.

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In remembering those who have recently passed, I think of Parker Moore. Parker, a student athlete at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, was stabbed to death at a 7-Eleven convenience store across the street from his school last November. In a random act of violence, he was attacked by a 33 year-old male that had no known connection with him. The assailant returned to the store shortly after the attack and was shot to death by police officers at the scene.

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Parker was a classmate and football teammate with my son, Kaleo. He was a sophomore who studied business management, played linebacker on the football team and was popular among the student body, acting as a resident advisor. The tragic incident occurred a day after the team’s biggest win of the year: a conference clinching win over Pacific University. His death stunned the small community of McMinnville, a town where there wasn’t a fatal shooting in almost ten years and almost 25 years involving a police officer.

Surprisingly, the Linfield football team banded together from the tragedy and went on an inspiring run through the Division III football playoffs. The team won against Chapman University then traveled to Belton, Texas were they upset the 2nd ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The following week they upset another top ten team, Widener University in Pennsylvania. Their run ended in the semifinals against the number one team in the nation, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, in a thrilling 20-14 game.

On May 9th, the first “Parker’s Run” was held at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum.  The 5K run was a fundraiser put together by Linfield students and Linfield’s Economics Department, with all of its proceeds going to the Parker Moore Memorial Scholarship Fund. There was also a tree ceremony on campus where head football coach, Joe Smith, read a remembrance letter he wrote about Parker on the eve of the dedication. Thank you to ADvantage Catdome for posting this emotional, moving letter.

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Memorial Day is a time when we can all share in the loss of loved ones and reach out in the spirit of creating harmony to support one another. Flowers, floating lanterns and a 5K run are all remarkable and memorable ways to honor and remember our loved ones. It’s traditions like these that we, as a family and a nation can look forward to celebrating each year.

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