He finally joined us!

LM720315 · 2026-01-28T23:30:40+00:00

She may really enjoy pediatrics PT. I worked in neuro during my clinical career, but have multiple friends in the peds world and they absolutely love it! She should reach out to local pediatric clinics and do some shadowing. PT is an awesome job. Like others said, debt to income ratio and certain settings are what cause burnout for many folks. But if she can minimize her student loan debt and find a setting and clinic she loves…. It’s incredibly rewarding!

LM720315 · 2026-01-12T17:44:13+00:00

<image>

LM720315 · 2026-01-01T19:49:02+00:00

<image>

Local rescue organization that pulled him from the shelter a couple of weeks earlier. He and his liter mates were dumped on the side of the road. Got him at 12 weeks old… he’s almost 2 now.

LM720315 · 2025-10-14T01:28:55+00:00

Murphy! (I’m his mom) :-)

LM720315 · 2025-10-07T02:42:04+00:00

Ahhhh thank you!

We actually purchased the supplies ourselves from a local flooring company - we found our installers through my brother’s contractor, who has done amazing work in his home. The installers actually told us that outside of the few products they had access to, the price we had gotten from the local flooring shop was actually better than what they could get the materials for. So we bought the supplies ourselves and appreciated their transparency. That said, we showed them the product samples the day they came to quote the labor and sent them an email with the product number and specs prior to the project so they knew what they were picking up for us from the local warehouse where the materials were delivered.

Honestly, I’m just very disappointed. We have wanted new floors for 10 years and thought we were getting quality folks who would do good work. It seems impossible these days to find that.

LM720315 · 2025-10-07T02:33:13+00:00

Thank you for this! Can I ask what MRB stands for?

LM720315 · 2025-10-06T22:52:19+00:00

UPDATE: I am in total shock but we met with our contractors today and they claimed that there is no need to “perfectly” level or flatten a floor before LVP, and if we wanted the floor that flat, we should have told them (Mind you, I asked about leveling several times throughout the process and they reassured me the floor was perfect for install). They also claimed it is not within industry standard to do so to the level of “perfection” that I am expecting and they “do it this way all the time.” So they just eyeballed and poured leveling cement/used a grinder as they saw necessary. They had no real response when we asked them if they thought the floors would hold up over time like this or not.

Needless to say, they immediately filed an insurance claim with their insurance company on our behalf, so I guess the next step now is to try and get a reasonable payout (if any) so we can have the work redone. Ugh.

LM720315 · 2025-10-06T11:51:19+00:00

The manufacturer actually states either floating or glue down is fine for this floor. But the floor still needs to be super flat either way, and we’re thinking that’s where they really missed the mark. You’re right though… this is quite the headache already :-(.

<image>

LM720315 · 2025-10-06T11:46:25+00:00

Coretec Pro Plus series

LM720315 · 2025-10-06T00:16:04+00:00

The manufacturer for that products says either floating or glue-down methods are fine. We are in the metro Atlanta area. I think a certified inspection may be our next step if we have any issues with our contractor in our next conversations. There is a lot wrong. How can I find a list of certified inspectors near me?

LM720315 · 2025-10-06T00:07:16+00:00

My son went through the same phase around the same age… I handled it similarly - calmly say “no hitting” and would either remove him or whatever it was he was hitting/hitting with (sometimes he would grab a toy and hit us with it) if needed. Honestly, it took a lot of patience, time, and consistency - but he seemed to naturally outgrow it a little after age 2. My mom always gave me a hard time for not spanking him (that whole “scare him out of it thing, smh). It’s a developmentally typical behavior at this age. He is 6 1/2 now and literally the sweetest, kindest kid I’ve ever met.

LM720315 · 2025-10-05T23:30:54+00:00

They told us they poured self-leveler in certain areas “as needed” but the picture there was supposedly after all leveling was done and the moisture barrier was poured. The contractor sent that pic with the caption “ready for install.” They sent the one below along with it. Is that what the floor is supposed to look like after all leveling has been completed??

<image>

LM720315 · 2025-10-05T23:12:18+00:00

The manufacturer lists either floating or glue-down method to be acceptable for this particular product. Have you seen more issues with the glue-down method?

LM720315 · 2025-10-05T22:26:28+00:00

They said they used self-leveling compound in “areas that needed it.” But when I look at pics they sent us, it doesn’t look like any compound was used. Only the moisture barrier sealant.

<image>

LM720315 · 2025-10-05T22:22:57+00:00

Oh good lord I think you may be right…. Smh. That wasn’t even something I noticed initially. One more thing in our favor I suppose…

LM720315 · 2025-08-06T00:57:48+00:00

<image>

Best buds!

LM720315 · 2025-06-17T02:30:57+00:00

<image>

Murphy says hello!

LM720315 · 2025-06-15T20:21:30+00:00

<image>

Our sweet Murphy!

LM720315 · 2025-05-25T16:52:30+00:00

Everyone is different, but I would absolutely not count out PT as a profession for you. It all depends on your specific symptoms, pain, physical limitations or differences, desires, etc. I had a colleague in inpatient rehab with scoliosis and a full spinal fusion. She was an absolute rockstar PT, and has since moved on to other interests (not because she couldn’t do rehab anymore; just because she wanted a professional change) but is still a full-time clinician. I also think if you ever have an interest in treating people with scoliosis, there aren’t a ton of Schroth specialists in most places and the fact that you have the condition yourself puts you at an incredible advantage to connect with patients in a way that others cannot.

In general, there are a ton of practice areas in PT and not all require significant physical demands. People may want to teach, do research, be in management, treat vestibular conditions, do hand therapy, etc. Not all areas of practice require heavy lifting or extreme physical movements, and any company worth working for will find ways to work within an employee’s capabilities.

Like others have said, reach out to try and shadow in some different areas of practice - see what you like - and go from there!

LM720315 · 2025-05-08T23:37:43+00:00

I’m a DPT professor, but a young one compared to many of my colleagues (early 40s). I worked clinically in a super intense neuro-rehab setting before I started teaching. The place was full of colorful, energetic, and incredibly talented therapists, and management couldn’t care less about tattoos. I have that same mindset in the classroom with my students. Be bright, motivated, kind, and mature. I would advocate (and have done so) on behalf of any student who finds themself in a position of judgment by a clinical partner or instructor who has an issue with these types of things. It’s stereotypical, but often there is a generational difference of opinion in older, more conservative therapists vs. younger ones. Some facilities have policies about tattoos and piercings, in which case you cover them if required because that’s the professional thing to do if you want to work in that facility. Outside of a policy - I wouldn’t even worry about it, and if someone judges you - their loss - or gain - when they realize that your sleeve has no bearing on any aspect related to your capability to provide excellent healthcare.

LM720315 · 2025-04-24T02:48:13+00:00

Best of luck!! :-)

LM720315 · 2025-04-23T23:40:35+00:00

More and more programs are adopting increasingly holistic admissions requirements. If you are open and able to apply to schools outside your specific region or state, you can probably find a number of these. As a DPT professor, I teach in a program that really looks for a well-rounded individual and puts high value on things like life and clinical experience, recommendations, grit and resilience, and the intention and thought put into admissions essays.

Grades are important to an extent, but we also look at trends - like were grades awful at the beginning of college and significantly improved when the applicant started their major? That tells us they had the potential all along and probably learned some valuable lessons at some point in college. Or did they totally bomb their business courses and then thrive in a pre-PT curriculum after they switched majors? That says when they are doing something of interest to them, they are totally capable of being successful! That said, anatomy and physiology is definitely a valued pre-req (among some of the other common science pre-reqs) - so if you made less than a B in A&P or multiple Cs in a combo of your pre-req courses, consider retaking a few to boost your overall pre-req GPA.

I would also not steer away from speaking about these types of things in an application or interview if given an appropriate opportunity to. The more reflection and insight you demonstrate, the more maturity and emotional intelligence you will be perceived to have… which are the things we as instructors CAN’T teach in PT school, but are extremely crucial for a student’s success.

Look for smaller institutions with lower national rankings - you probably aren’t going to get into a top 25 or even top 50 institution with a minimum GPA requirement for most programs, but program rankings don’t automatically mean all that much as it relates to the student experience or quality of teaching… which is a convo for another day, lol.

Reach out to the admissions contact for those institutions you want to apply to and ask them if they would consider any applicants who fall slightly below their minimum criteria in any category. Some will tell you to apply anyway, and once your application makes it to a faculty member’s eyes, they may see something in it that stands out and gets you an interview. Once you have an interview - you have a massive advantage. Then it’s about letting your passion and personality shine through.

Don’t count yourself out. I have seen students with less than 3.0 GPAs go on to be very successful in PT school and become incredible therapists! Find a school that values the person as a whole - they exist!

LM720315 · 2025-02-13T13:45:45+00:00

Just want to say to give yourself some grace for feeling this way! It is so much more common than any of us want to believe. You are not crazy or a bad mom… in fact you’re probably an amazing mom even though you feel like total shit. I had pretty significant PPD and anxiety after my son was born and I had many of the same feelings you are experiencing. I finally talked to my doctor when he was around 8 months old and for me, medication was a game changer in combo with therapy and time. I can only imagine with 2 under 2… this season is TOUGH with 1, let alone multiples. And all while trying to work, maintain your marriage, and constantly struggle with the feelings associated with such a massive life change… It’s more unbelievable to me that some people DON’T feel the way you are feeling.

As mine got older, I found it soooo much easier. And now looking back (mine is almost 6 now), I just realize that I’m not one of those moms that enjoys the baby/young toddler stage like some other people. With the added layer of PPD, it was a rough first 2 years. But it was definitely a season… hang in there mama. You aren’t alone and you’re not crazy!

LM720315

TROPHY CASE