Latest / The QuadCast / S7 E10 - Job Well Done My Friend!

Transcript

S7 E10 - Job Well Done My Friend! · The QuadCast

• John McAleavey: Okay. Hi, I'm John McAlevy, and I'd like to welcome you to a special edition of the QP. And I say special because I'm being joined by none other than Maureen Pfeiffer, who this upcoming week will begin her final week working at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation after forty two years. My goodness gracious. Let me first preface this by saying I met Maureen back in the winter of What was nineteen hundred ninety three? Yes, we were we were both in grammar or middle school, right, Maureen? Maureen Pfeiffer: No, yeah, grammar I think, yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah, grammar school. I had the f the pleasure of my my inpatient OT at the time, Hilary Shackleford. I don't know if you remember Hillary from way back when. Hillary brought me downstairs and said, John, this is where outpatient therapy's gonna be, and you're gonna meet a lot of great people here. And and I did. I I remember I I I had a chance to meet Karen Cameron was down there at the time, and Beth Walsh was down there, and Erica Garberini, who's still with us at at K A R, and I met Maureen Pfeiffer. Maureen Pfeiffer: I do. yeah. John McAleavey: And over the years, Maureen has has worked with me in a lot of different phases. She's been a PT for me. She's been a swim team coach. Remember the pool, Maureen? Hundred degrees in that thing. Maureen has also been a psychiatrist for me and on some of my many times that I came back for for tune ups and, you know, was going through some things and some hard times and Maureen Pfeiffer: I sure do. John McAleavey: We had some great conversations where, you know, outside of therapy just, you know, really helped me through a lot of things. Not that I was ready to jump off the ledge or anything, but you know, just always had broad shoulders there and and big ears to listen to any of the problems that I've had. And then ultimately Maureen's been a friend for for all these years and and I'm so happy that you're joining me here. This this podcast wouldn't be the same without having someone like you on it. And so Maureen Pfeiffer: Exactly. John McAleavey: Again, as you can see, my guest is Maureen Pfeiffer and and what I like to do, Maureen, with all of my shows is begin at the beginning. So if you could tell us a little bit about where you grew up and and about your childhood, your family. Maureen Pfeiffer: Well, I grew up in I was born in Detroit, Michigan. was living there till I was about five or six years old, where my parents decided that it was time to move because of the race riots going on there and ended up in Massachusetts. At that point, that's really where I did most of my growing up with all of my cousins and my two older brothers and my mom's whole family was there and ultimately my dad's whole family moved there. So it just turned into just a phenomenal childhood where we were running around Quincy, Massachusetts and Wollaston and and Braintree and Weymouth and just having a really, really good, good, solid childhood. I was very, very lucky. John McAleavey: Yeah. How many brothers and sisters did you have? Or do you have? Maureen Pfeiffer: I have two older brothers. they are but one is still living in Massachusetts, the other one moved to South Carolina and they spoiled me growing up. they beat me up a little bit too, but mostly they spoiled me being the youngest and the only girl. John McAleavey: course they did. And Maureen, have you always been since an from an early age, were you always interested in in, you know, helping your fellow man, helping others and sort of getting getting into the, you know, healthcare, nursing, that type of field? Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah, I think I was always interested in that. My dad was a doctor. Ultimately, he was one of the first physiatrists in the country working at Braintree Hospital. And my mom was a nurse there. and she would well, she actually was an emergency room nurse. And then after they got married, she became his nurse when my dad graduated med school and started his own practice. and that's kind of how I ended up getting a little bit involved in tip. to the rehab center of it. they got me more involved in things like from an I'd say it was 13 or 14, I worked at a special needs camp every summer, all summer. And that was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. And then at one point my dad decided that I had decided I wanted to go into biochemistry. Excuse me. And my dad decided that I should be an occupational therapist. and left me in OT in Braintree Hospital. And I walked across the hallway to the PT department and went, that's it. And that that's the story of how I became a PT. John McAleavey: Mm-hmm. Unbed- you I had all these years we've known each other. I had no idea your father was a doctor and your mom was a nurse. So it's like sort of in the blood. And you were supposed to be an OT. my gosh. Don't tell your PT friends that. You know, I have to tell you, I didn't know what OT was when I got, you know, first had my accident. And for someone like me as a central cord. Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah, and that I was supposed to be an OG. I tell them all the time. That's why I can't tie my shoes. John McAleavey: You know, they told me, John, you're gonna walk. We know you're gonna walk, but we're we're gonna let you know now you're probably gonna have little to no use of your uppers. And so O T almost became like, you know, more important for me because my legs were strong early on. I was twenty four and I was getting around pretty good, but it was the house John gonna feed himself and brush his teeth and dress himself. And so O T really took on a whole new meaning for me. And so, yeah, that was that was important. So where did you attend college? Was that something that you studied in college? Was Maureen Pfeiffer: Absolutely. John McAleavey: Physical therapy stuff? Maureen Pfeiffer: I well originally I went to school for biochemistry and in my senior year of biochemistry I was working at Sydney Farber Cancer Research Center and realized I hated it. and then decided that I really needed to do PT because I was doing weekends there was a PT rehab aid. John McAleavey: yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: and I switched over to PT at that point. However, my parents being parents from the, you know, 70s and 80s said, we'll kill you if you don't finish your degree. So I finished my biochemistry degree while I was going to PT school. yeah. So it was yeah. Yeah. Well, don't be impressed. It's not that, it's not that impressive. It sounds really good. I the interesting part of that is I was doing my biochemistry at Simmons College and at John McAleavey: Wow, biochemistry. It does. Maureen Pfeiffer: doing weekends at Newberry College for PT. And ultimately in my senior year of PT, Simmons bought Newberry out and I ended up graduating from Simmons twice. Odds of that are zero. John McAleavey: You made the you made the rounds. Boy, there's a there's a million colleges up in in the the Boston area. It sounds like you ha you bumped in a whole bunch of yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: I did. I liked college. I liked school. So it was not that hard to go to different colleges, much to my parents' horror. John McAleavey: Okay, so so now that you've graduated, what are we thinking is the next step? Wh where are we going with this? And and Yeah, go ahead. Mm-hmm. Maureen Pfeiffer: So my f that's a good question. My first college wa my first job was at Brentry Hospital. and I worked in the traumatic head injury unit there. And I'll be honest with you, John, when you're a twenty-three, twenty-four-year-old person and you're treating patients that are the same age as you, it was really not the best fit for me at that point. I don't think I was mature enough to handle it that I got transferred to the amputee clinic, inpatient clinic, and and loved it. And I worked there for about a year before I met Dan. And Dan, Dan's my downfall, how I ended up in New Jersey. John McAleavey: Okay. That was my next question. How does this Massachusetts girl wind up a a Jersey girl? And w w put put a year on that. First of all, how did you meet your husband and and how did you make your way to the garden state? Maureen Pfeiffer: Well I'm In nineteen eighty-three we had a surprise birthday party for my middle brother Tom. and he was just getting out of the service and he asked if he could invite one of his good buddies from the service, which was Dan. And I picked him up at the airport and it was just one of those things where we were like, wow, we'd we'd kind of like to date. So we started dating and about six months into it, he said to me, he was back in Massachusetts. We would kinda I mean back in Jersey, we'd kind of go back and forth. And we finally said, Well, we have two choices here. One of us is gonna move or we're gonna break up. And I said, Well, I don't have a real career here because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. So I said I'll move to Jersey and that's never looked back. Eighty three I moved here and we got married in eighty five. John McAleavey: Right. Right. Never look back. my goodness. So that's like eighty three, eighty four? Gosh, what a great thing. And tell us about your husband. I know he was he was I think he's retired now police officer for many moons. Maureen Pfeiffer: Yes, well he would already had his career going. He had been discharged from the service and was working in Pasea County, had just been offered a job in Essex County, and ultimately retired, gosh, I would say now 15 years ago as a deputy chief and started his own business. And the reason he started his own business was because I was still working full time at Castler and he was driving me crazy. He goes, Yeah, all right, I'm gonna go back to work. John McAleavey: Absolutely. I'm gonna go back. Well, thank him for his service. Hopefully I'll have a chance to meet him in person someday because I've heard about him for all these years. You know, you're I love to hear my friends brag about their family members, their husbands and wives, and all of that stuff. And so you find your way to to Jersey and then what were you doing when you first got here? And then and how how soon after you moved here did K I R come across your radar? Maureen Pfeiffer: I will. You will. Actually, I when I first got here, I had gone into the city and applied at Rusk and I wanted to work at Rusk in the worst way. And then Dan had mentioned, he goes, Well, there's other rehab centers around here. I was working nights at some orthopedic centers because I did have a background in orthopedics also, and that was fine and dandy. And then I just kind of fell onto a website of Kessler, wandered in with my resume, and was stopped by Bonnie Evans. who took my John McAleavey: gosh. Maureen Pfeiffer: resume, took my resume, she interviewed me on the spot, gave me a tour, and offered me a job on the spot. And that was it. And I never looked back. John McAleavey: On the spot. gosh. And that was what? Eighty five? Nineteen eighty four. my gosh. Bonnie Evans. Boy, we miss Bonnie. Maureen Pfeiffer: Nineteen eighty-four. August of nineteen eighty four. Yeah. we sure do. She was she was my inspiration. She was my cheerleader. She was, she came to me and would be like, Listen, you're going to work inpatient, outpatient, and then one day a week you're gonna go to a satellite because you're gonna learn everything because you're green and you don't know what you want. And she was right. She except for the pool, which I worked in. John McAleavey: Right. Maureen Pfeiffer: Until they closed it. John McAleavey: You know what I thought was so cool about Bonnie is that she was a PT herself. So she you know, before she moved up the ladder to sort of running the whole building to oversee everything that was going on, she knew what you all were doing down there and she knew what the patients needed and she she had just such a solid grasp of it and she had such a great demeanor. I can remember her coming into my room when I first got there and, you know, talked to my parents. I mean, we all had that same look on our face, like, Hey, can can someone get us the license plate of the railroad Maureen Pfeiffer: Yes. John McAleavey: train that just ran over our lives. And she I can remember her putting her arm around my mom who was crying or whatever. And it was just, you know, she just had that calming influence and and and so glad to to have known her. And that that's great that she was the one that interviewed you. my goodness. yeah. And so what do you what do you recall being your first, you know, chores there a at at Kesler? Were you automatically always Maureen Pfeiffer: She was amazing, yeah. And she was my first supervisor at Kessler. John McAleavey: Did you start an outpatient? Did you move to inpatient or were you kinda all around? Maureen Pfeiffer: I did. I started an outpatient. I walked in the first day and there had been a minor car accident with two of the physical therapists there. And I walked in and Bonnie goes, Well, you're gonna treat. I said, What? She goes, You're gonna treat and handed me a caseload. And they were out for I guess about four weeks. And when they came back, Bonnie goes, Okay, now we're we're gonna do your orientation. I said, Why? I I'm already treating. just just throw me in. John McAleavey: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Exactly. Maureen Pfeiffer: And at that point, you know, and I think for me, my personality, that was probably the best thing that could have happened. Because if you'd had me just wander around with someone, I might have started doubting myself a little bit. You know, you're 24 years old, 25. and I just had to treat and that was it. and she was just every day telling me, You're doing a good job, even though I would go home every night and cry because I literally thought I knew when I went to start a customer what therapy was, and I didn't know anything. John McAleavey: Right. Right. Maureen Pfeiffer: And that was probably the most humbling thing. You know, you graduate, you work for a couple of years in another facility, you think you know what what's going on and you don't know anything. John McAleavey: Yeah. Do you keep that in mind, Maureen? This is bringing that up another question. Do you keep that in mind when over the years when you've had students that come under your wing that you kinda wanna show them what to do but also kinda give them a little push to give them a little take their own risk a little bit? Not risk, but that they're learn little bit more on their own. Maureen Pfeiffer: I do. I do. I I think that if you talk to any of my students or you talk to any of the coworkers, the young kids that come in that are brand new, they'll tell you the the same thing that I'm tough but fair and that I expect them to treat the way I treat. And that means that the patient comes first and that if you don't know the answer to a question that the the patient or the family member asks you, that you ask someone else, or you go home and you research it because they deserve an answer. John McAleavey: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: And I I hope that they would tell you that, even though I'm I'm I'm kinda tough, John. I think you probably know that. but I think I'm fair. I'm gonna learn that from Bonnie, honestly. She's John McAleavey: Yeah, yeah. Without question. Mm-hmm. How about now over the years? I know you've worked with you you talked about when you first got out of school working with amputees and and really enjoying that community, but spinal cord injuries you've worked with over the years, strokes, amputees, w what are some other you know, I don't know if you call them communities or what would you call them? diagnoses. Maureen Pfeiffer: Orthop I love orthopedics, pediatrics. Honestly, John, I I've been so blessed that I've done all of it. And one of the I think the most amazing things about the career that Kessler has allowed me to have is that I was able to do the two things that I love most. I absolutely loved the pool and we had a good time in the pool. we definitely have to talk about the pool, but also to John McAleavey: Yeah. We gotta talk about the pool. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: be able to find a diagnosis like spinal cord injury and to be able to go into it as a young kid, really, and that's what I was, and to be able to grow with the program as as all the the new things and new technologies and new understandings are coming out about spinal cord injury was amazing. To be really in the forefront of a lot of that research, you as well as just treating it, was incredible. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Maureen Pfeiffer: And that's my love. I I John McAleavey: Mm-hmm. Maureen Pfeiffer: when I found spinal cord, I it was my I'll treat anything. You want me to go treat anything, I can do it. I feel comfortable, but always bring me back to spinal cord. John McAleavey: How different is it treating let's say I know you guys have busy schedules, like maybe from nine to ten you've got a spinal cord injury, then from maybe ten to eleven you've got an amputee and then from there I mean, is it are they that much different when you're you're going into meet with d or is it just go patient to patient? Maureen Pfeiffer: Really patient to patient. John you know, John, what it is is that you need to go into the mindset of treating each patient with dignity r and respect and having that conversation with them as to what their goals are and being able to direct them if that goal's not quite attainable yet and explaining why. And I'll tell you, John, I never tell a patient that if they have a goal that they can't achieve it. I say we're gonna figure out a way to work towards that goal. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. I remember hearing that speech from you. I remember hearing that many, many times. Yeah, it's the way to do it. You gotta work in concert. It's gotta be it's gotta be a give and take, a push and pull, and and and that's where the whole relationship end of it comes through. listen, I've been around the block a hundred times and I've worked with people that, you know, I didn't necessarily get that always from and Maureen Pfeiffer: Uh-huh. John McAleavey: Not to say that that's good or bad, but you you really need to have that simpatico relationship with with a therapist because it's it makes the the whole situation that much easier. You know, you you look forward to getting up and saying, Yeah, I got PT today, like, God, I don't wanna go there. You know, we're not working towards anything. But Maureen Pfeiffer: You too. But John, you know, I'm the I'm the first person to come to you if you and I are not meshing. You know, my personality is a big personality. And if you need somebody who's a little calmer or a little bit less in your face, I'm the first person to recognize that even with other therapists and say, you know what? You deserve a therapist that you feel comfortable with. Who in this gym do you like? And that's not saying you don't like me. John McAleavey: Yes. Yeah. Right. Right. Maureen Pfeiffer: But who would you feel more comfortable working with? And I think the patients really appreciate that personal touch and being able to have a relationship with their physical and occupational therapist that allows them to move forward. And I've been fired a couple of times. John McAleavey: Yep. Yep. We talked about Yeah. Right. Who has it, right? You have to have to and you have a couple of those in your ba in your back pocket. We talked about the pool a couple of times. Let's let's tick talk about that. I miss the pool desperately because I I like the fact that the pool took away sort of gravity and it was like my body that doesn't work the way it used to, now kind of does when the water is sort of Maureen Pfeiffer: Yep. Yeah. John McAleavey: buoyant and you know, you're buoyant in the water and you're sort of bouncing around and, you know, aside from the fact that it was like felt like the baby pool 'cause it was a ho like a thousand degrees, tell me what w how beneficial you think pool therapy is for people and then we can we can dovetail that into talking about our wonderful friend Brad who was always in the pool with us. Maureen Pfeiffer: It was. I think that the pool therapy is an incredibly important activity that patients should should get involved in. And, you know, I try to recommend people going to WISE and then there's some pool therapies that are down the shore a little bit, and some in Morristown and stuff like that. And I think it's important for the patients to do some research and find a facility where they can get into the water and they can move. I I think that the issue with the cool is that, you know, and I hate to bring it down to money and dollars and cents, but if insurance companies won't pay for it, it's expensive. You you just can't you can't afford it if you really want it. and that's the issue. John McAleavey: I know. I know. Too bad because I know there'd be a line up the h that bloody hill there at Kessler for people that want to be back in the pool. And it's because it was so beneficial, you know, and you f you felt and and the good part about it was that you felt comfortable. I mean, we were so comfortable with you and with Brad or with Dee or whoever was in the pool with us at the time that they you you didn't think they were gonna drop you. You know, you go to some of these other places and you don't know whether they know what your situation is, and so it was that Maureen Pfeiffer: It was. John McAleavey: You know, you felt the comfortability comfortable with people like that. Maureen Pfeiffer: You know, John, the the pool at Kessler was never designed for patients. It was always, it was actually built when Dr. Kessler built it more for staff to file have a place to relax. And when we went, when we when Kessler first went a nonprofit, that's when they said, Hey, we should really start using this as a patient pool. And that's but but then as it grew, and you know this, as it grew. John McAleavey: Mm-hmm. Okay. Maureen Pfeiffer: We realized that the locker rooms weren't really as functional for wheelchairs and that we had to get the new lift in. they had stairs and it really wasn't big enough. And I think at that point Kessa realized it was just too much to try and renovate the pool area. which is a shame. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. I had no idea. I had no idea that that was that wasn't for for patients initially. What an interest see these things that I'm learning. Maureen Pfeiffer: Well, and that was Bonnie again. And one of the reasons that she enjoyed that she hired me was because she knew I was a lifeguard and she knew I had worked for years with the special needs kids and was like, you're exactly what we need to get this pool program going. That was a that was an absolute love of hers. The pool she never wanted to go in it, but she loved the idea of it. John McAleavey: Yeah. boy. And we talked about Brad. I'd we'd be remiss if we couldn't didn't bring up our friend Brad, who was just a wonderful guy. I will always remember him about I think I would go in the pool maybe w whatever time it was, two o'clock or three o'clock, and there'd be a phone call. He'd have to jump out of the pool every day, and I'd hear him on the phone with his boys. Marky getting Marky and Nevi, I believe, right? Maureen Pfeiffer: Amazing. Yes, that's all right. John McAleavey: Get your br get your brother a snack, lock the front door, and start doing your homework. Just in the the amazing dad that he was. Maureen Pfeiffer: He he was an amazing dad, an amazing coworker. He is so sorely missed. He is. John McAleavey: absolutely. And w you know, you meet so many good people it not only in your life but at work and he he certainly was one of them and and God bless him, we miss him absolutely. How about Maureen over your many moons? How I I know physical therapy practices and treatments have changed over these forty some odd years. I mean, are d are there any things that really stick out in your mind that you think like, Whoa, you know, back in eighty five we did it this way. my gosh. Maureen Pfeiffer: I'm using. John McAleavey: If I were to do that now they'd fire me or throw me out of here. Hmm. Maureen Pfeiffer: Well, I you know what, I don't know, John. I think that the hands-on technologies like my hands and my stretching and teaching you how to transfer and rolling and all of that type of thing, I don't think that has changed other than maybe we're more streamlined at it, but the technologies have changed. I mean, now we're we're talking about exoskeleton legs and we're talking about robotic legs over a treadmill. We're talking about what body weight weight support systems in which we assist limbs. I mean, that I think is phenomenal in allowing us to teach patients body awareness and balance and mobility and you know what the future can bring. I mean, you know, back when I first started, we didn't have patients that we could splint them up and then get them long leg braces and allow them to stand at home with their family members. you know, and and pretty much most people that came to us from the 80s to the mid 90s, they were pretty much complete, maybe sensory incomplete. then then the techno then the then the healthcare system changed and our EMS system changed and they were able to spare more of the spinal cord with IVs and with ice baths and with the the the halo technologies and stuff so that the technologies became so much more important to be able to facilitate a better mobility for these patients with bracing or or body weight support or Electric stim. I mean the first time the first times I took an a course on electric stim, I stood there looking at this machine thinking, yeah, I'm going to jail because I'm probably gonna kill someone. And it turned out to be the most phenomenal thing you can do for a patient. You know, it's incredible. That's the that's the stuff that the new generation is so lucky that they have, and that our older generation, like me, honestly finds it a little bit more. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: difficult to learn. I mean, everything is now computer generated and if my computer goes down, I'm I just stare at it and I hand it to a young kid. I'm like, you need to fix this. John McAleavey: Yeah. Right. Yeah, we didn't have computers when we were growing up. Right. And sticks to play with outside. We didn't have iPhones and all of that stuff. Yeah. They're not around anymore. I I think they've banned sticks. Maureen Pfeiffer: No, we had pens. Exactly. You had a stick? The lucky. I think say I have two, yeah. Mm-hmm. So yeah. John McAleavey: Gosh. Maureen, but how about how about balancing, you know, working a full time job with having the two young boys at home and and and the h your husband and your dogs over the years? And did I I'm sure you you had those talks with your boys about being careful, right? Because mommy works with people who have been in car accidents, who have been diving accidents and done stupid things when they shouldn't have been doing them. And I bet they heard all of that through the years, right? Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah. Yeah, and I'm pretty confident they ignored all of it because my voice were a little bit wild. and and I did have to remind myself that it's okay to let kids be kids. And you know, there's certain rules that you can't break, and if you do, you're you're going to be grounded. And you know, you have to wear a helmet. You have to wear knee pads and chin pads, you know, stuff like that. but John McAleavey: Mm-hmm. Right. Right. It's right. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: But I did have to tell you, I I raised two amazing young men, but they were wild. They were wild children. They they I don't know, y I think they take after their father because I'm not like that. but I was lucky at Kessler in that I was able to work 7 a.m. to three. So Dan would take the kids to school in the morning and he would work 12 to 8 or whatever he needed to. John McAleavey: No, not at all. Maureen Pfeiffer: So the kids were really only in aftercare for a couple of hours in the afternoon, maybe an hour. So I mean, we I was really blessed in my schedule. And then I fell in love with my schedule and I would I would never give it up. To this day, I still go in there at 6 15 and start my seven patients by quarter or seven. it's a great schedule. but the kids, well, Mary Ellen, the two old timers. John McAleavey: Yeah. gosh. Are you the only one in there at that time? Maureen Pfeiffer: And then everyone else starts at eight, nine or ten. Yeah. They don't know. John McAleavey: these young whippersnappers they don't know they don't have the work ethic that we do. Maureen Pfeiffer: They you know, th they don't. And and you know, we were taught that if you're not 15 minutes early, you're 15 minutes late. We were taught that there no patient should ever wait for you. And it doesn't matter matter what time your shift ends, if that patient is still on that gym, so are you. And these are the things that I try to teach the newer staff members because at the end of the day, John, I get to go home to my family. So I better make sure I give whatever I need to give. John McAleavey: Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: A hundred and fifty percent to those patients, and I try to teach that to the newer staff too. John McAleavey: Yeah. Mm-hmm. You know what reminds me, Maureen, when I was an inpatient, again, it's going back thirty-four years, we had do you remember Sandy De Leon? She was I love Sandy. She was the one that used to teach, we used to call it spinal cord class. Nowadays we call it lunch and learn. And we do on the wing we do a week week's worth of lectures. The first first day Monday is I teach. It's introduction to spinal cord injury. Maureen Pfeiffer: my gosh, I do. John McAleavey: Then the second day Dr. Trevor Dyson Hudson takes us through skin management and care and then the next two days are bowel management, bladder management, and then on Friday my boss Jane Mitchell does a you know, getting people to get transition to home. And what we do now is we go around we do it at lunchtime, hence we call it lunch and learn, and we'll go by the rooms and say, So would you like to would would you like to do class today? We or if you don't wanna come out in person, we'll bring you an iPad, you know, and A lot of the times the patients say no, I I I'm tired, I don't want to do it and well back in the day Sandy didn't ask anybody. She just dragged your you know what down to the to the and thank God she did, Maureen, because I still hearken back to lessons I learned all those years ago. And I try to impress on these folks, you know, you're gonna be home in in a week or two weeks. Yeah, that's another thing. The the length of stays. I I was there for almost six months. Now if you get six weeks, that's a lifetime. But Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah. Yes. John McAleavey: You know, people there's not gonna be a call bell three weeks from now and the aid's not gonna come down and help you with your bladder issue situes and and and so things have just changed. It's Maureen Pfeiffer: Well, yeah, I you're right, John. But I I think that there's a a happy medium. I think that six months was too long because now we threw you out into the community and you were like, What is happening? You know, but six weeks, you're just starting to come out of being angry, let alone, my gosh, you I have to take care of myself. Because we're finding an outpatient now that the John McAleavey: Yeah. Exactly. I know. Exactly. Maureen Pfeiffer: Patients are coming to us and and I and I I hate to use the word but sicker. So that they're still learning about skincare. They might come in with the wound now. They might come in with bowl and bladder. They get a UTI more frequently because they just went home too soon. they're in a panic. Nope. Nope. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And how about the family members? You know, they don't have the ramps, they don't have the showers, they don't have the beds, such it's like, whoa, what are we doing? And and Maureen Pfeiffer: And they're just panicked. They're they they these poor family members come in with like a deer and a headlight and just stare at you and you can't it's hard to even get them to express what's going on because they don't even know how to ask the question. Yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. I it's there's gotta be, as you said, there's gotta be a happy medium in there. There's gotta be especially individuals who are we have people going home with vents and trach and they're going home in four and five weeks and I'm like, I don't know how you do it. I really don't I don't envy, you know, at least right out of the gates them getting their their sea legs under That's why they've started this the new navigators program. I don't know if you're familiar with that. Yeah, it really is. something that is Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah. it's fantastic. John McAleavey: really getting some traction now and I I applaud them because the families, you know, they need it sometimes more so than the patients do. You know? Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah. You know, not wrong. and I love the fact that some of the PTs, like Naomi has gone over to it and so she has both ends of it where she understands what they need, as well as now she understands how to get it. And that's where we struggle because we're like, I don't know, they'll come to us and be like, you know, I need A B C and D we'll be like, Mm, let don't go anywhere. I'm gonna get back to you. And thank God we have the navigate program now because half the time trying to track the doctor down, you know, and they're busy is impossible. So John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: That navigate program is phenomenal. Yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah. It's a nice thing that they have now that they're introduced. And so it's getting some nice sea legs under it and we're gonna see where it takes off. Hopefully we can continue to build on that and help more and more people down the road. And so you know, I s I was in on the initial meetings with that and and it was it was I was, you know, bouncing they would look at me like, Hey, so like what did you need? Like I was one of the few folks that that was actually a Maureen Pfeiffer: Reed. You should get more involved in it. You'd be great with it. John McAleavey: you know, with an SCI and they would always kinda look down at me and I said, Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea or this is a good idea and it was it was good to be a part of of all of that and and I I hope to keep my foot in the door with that. Yeah. Very good stuff. So Maureen, when did you begin to think, you know, now is the time to to sort of exit stage left and and ultimately how hard was it for you to come to that decision? Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah. It John, it's the probably the second most difficult decision I've ever had to make. and it I think I s really started thinking about this probably two years ago when I came home from Savannah from visiting Alex Page and the kids and my two grandkids there. And I was like, you know, I don't like that I can't get off more time to go visit them, even though I had the time. It's just that there's so much to do at Castle, you know this. John McAleavey: Right, of course. Maureen Pfeiffer: And that's when Dan had been, well, maybe you should consider cutting back hours a little bit so you have a little bit more free time. and I wasn't quite ready to do that yet. But I think that's when the first inklings of maybe I am ready. then when Vivian was born, I went back, I went down to three days a week. And the two days that I was home with her, I was like, I'm I'm ready. I'm really ready to. commit to being a full-time grandmother and to be available to the kids when they need me because they're in a different level of their life. And I was lucky enough to have my mom and mother-in-law. And now I feel like it's time for me to do this. And John, honestly, some of the technologies that are coming out are for the young kids. Some of the exoskeletons, I've done exoskeleton and I've done rewalk and I find it incredibly challenging. And I don't John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: think that I was designed for that. Like I mean, I think I panic a little bit with it. And I don't think any therapist should ever pan. Give me a give me a, you know, give me a vent patient any day of the week. Don't make me put someone in robotic legs and and then say let go because I'm not letting go. You know? So I and and I think I'm just ready for the new chapter. Forty two years in one place, 45 years in the field, I think it's enough. And I want to go at the top of my game. I don't want to go at the bottom of my game. John McAleavey: Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Yes. And now tell me about your boys. They're grown up now and they're they're having children's other children of their own and you're a grandma. So tell me about the boys where they are, what they're up to and and about your grandkids also. Maureen Pfeiffer: Grown up, Danny, Alex has been discharged from the service and they relocated into Savannah for the school system. Caleb and Hannah are my two grandkids there. They are now, which is horrifying to say this out loud, but they're now fifteen and seventeen. Caleb's going into his yeah, his senior year. Yeah, it's horrifying. John McAleavey: Whoa. Whoa. Maureen Pfeiffer: And they're just amazing, two amazing kids. And and Alex and Paige are doing phenomenal down there. Alex is now looking at working for a prosecutor's office down in the Savannah area. W he's always wanted to be a police officer since since the day after he was born. and then it's so in the blood. And then Danny was discharged from the service back in the mid two thousands, late John McAleavey: Sure. It's in the blood. Maureen Pfeiffer: early two thousands and was like, you know, I don't really know what I want to do. And the gentleman across the street said, Hey, I need someone to run my UPS store. So he now is an owner of two UPS stores, part owner of one in Clifton and just bought one in Madison. And in in the interim of all of this, they came to us and said that they loved living with us. So we put in a massive addition on our house, which was horrible. and then we had Vivian, so now they're we're all living together here, which is fantastic. Love it. I'm so lucky. John, I am so lucky. John McAleavey: it's the best, right? Yeah. I ran into one of my neighbors is a guy that I graduated high school with and he has four kids. he just his last one just graduated high school and she's going off to college and I said, What are what's up with the other ones? And he said, They're all back living in the house and he said, We love it. His wife was there. She said, We love it. You know, the the girls, she knows what she wants to do. She's got a boyfriend, she wants to move to Hobok and she's got like her life planned out. And they're looking at me like the boy has no idea what the heck he wants to do. Maureen Pfeiffer: That's amazing. So it's gonna be there for a while. John McAleavey: Yeah. Like t he doesn't know what he wants to do ten minutes from now. She's got her whole life planned out in front of her. And so they were saying, you know, the difference between boys and girls. But yeah, that's it's it's a good thing nowadays. You know, people are are coming back into the nest and they're they're at least for a little while to get their feet under them and and it's it's a win win for all. And I know for you to be Yeah, and to to be able to Maureen Pfeiffer: It is, John. It's lovely to have them here. John McAleavey: To take care of your granddaughter. That's I know I see your face lights up whenever you talk about her. Yeah. How about Maureen? I know this is probably a tough one, other than we talked about Bonnie Evans and we talked about Brad, but you know, over your over your years there, any other people that sort of took them took you under your wing, under their wing and really influenced you and you know, I I I know it's tough to you there's so many, but Maureen Pfeiffer: she's in John McAleavey: I don't know if if if and f you could put four legged ones included. I know Willie was a big influence on you, and Buffy. Maureen Pfeiffer: Well, you know Willie was my my s don't tell my husband Willie was my soulmate. She was that was that dog. I think I was probably more upset about Willie going to Denver than I was Buffy and don't tell Buffy because Buffy was like a daughter to me. So you know, I I feel like every supervisor that that I've been with there, Irene Martisano, Sue Ansisto, Carrie, you know. John McAleavey: Willie was your jam, yeah. I know. Maureen Pfeiffer: Liz, Caputo, Buffy, e even Alicia. I feel like there there's been a mutual respect back and forth in which I think I've helped them and they've helped me. and and I this may sound terrible, but I consider myself incredibly lucky that I've been able to help the supervisors come through and, you know, get to know the staff and that I didn't have to be the supervisor because we all have what we're good at and what we're not good at. And I'm not a good supervisor. I'm a good exactly. I'm good, like I like to say, I'm a good, you know, sergeant on the floor. I I jokingly call myself, you know, the first of staff, the chief of staff, but being the actual supervisor is just torturous. you know, and the doctors that have come and gone through there have taught me so much. You you know, this this environment that Kessler fosters is John McAleavey: Yeah. Stay in your lane. Maureen Pfeiffer: None like like nothing else in the world in which you can walk across the hall and sit with speech and learn what they're doing and promote what you're doing in your gym with them or OT or you know, you can go to brace clinic anytime you want to. I can't tell you how many times I've sat in with Dr. Kirschbloom, watching him do a procedure or doing y just an initial evaluation and really learned more about my craft from that. You know, just very lucky. John McAleavey: Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. No, you did. You you nailed a bunch of really good ones there. How about over again over the years, any funny stories stick out in your brain? I know that the holidays at at at least down and out patient are never gonna be the same without you around because how could they be? I mean you you certainly get into the spirit and the and the and the Maureen Pfeiffer: I I wish I could pull names out for you, but it's hard. Never mind. Well ha ha John McAleavey: The matching sneakers with the shirts and belts and stuff like that, that is something that we're gonna miss. But are there any funny stories that stick out or anything like that? Bloopers? Maureen Pfeiffer: so John, how many times did I put you on a treadmill and throw things at you and you wanted to murder me? Pretty funny. And and we all had such a great time. that's yeah. Body waste support treadmill machine. Are you kidding? Yeah. We we used to yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah, they're right. You did. I forgot about that. Yeah, the the what was that machine? The yes. You tortured me. And I remember that one we were getting towards the end. That was that delfamprodine, I think, was the was the drug they were putting us on or the placebo. I we didn't know what we were on. And you said, John, you're gonna run. I want you to run. And my god, I was petrified. And you said, Turn it up. You turned up the drug. So I had no choice. Maureen Pfeiffer: Right. And you're like, I'm saying turn it up, and you're going, no. And I'm going, yes. We did it though. Yeah. John McAleavey: Exactly. but I d I was able to do it, but I was petrified. Yeah, but s that was the trust that I had in folks like you and whoever was was down there on my ankles at the time. But it was Right, no, I know. I know. Maureen Pfeiffer: you know, we weren't gonna put you in harm's way. The only thing that was in danger was your sneakers, the tips of your sneakers. But other than that, yeah. John McAleavey: That's right. And I 'cause you always forget that you have the harness on, so if you do catch your toe and you wind up taking a spill, you're not really gonna go anywhere because the harness will will keep you will keep you from going head over heels. Yeah, those were those were f crazy times, yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: Right. Absolutely. How about the walk-a-thons, the 24-hour walk-a-thons? We had such, we were exhausted, but we had such a good time. And we we laughed so hard in those walk-a-thons, doing things. I mean, there was one time where we were waiting for we we would sign up clients for every like 30 minutes, and we were waiting for someone and they were running late. And when they walked in, every therapist was one therapist was in the harness and every therapist was walking on the treadmill singing a rap song. John McAleavey: I remember. I remember. I remember, yeah. I I I was lucky enough one year to be the f to take the final the last leg. I remember when I got in a little bit early, everybody said, He's here, he's here, we're ready and and I actually have some pictures and some of the ones that you sent over are from the from the walk a thought. Why did they do away with that? How come it's gone? Maureen Pfeiffer: it was so ridiculous. And we were thought we were hilarious. that was Because b because we don't do the research. That was all for the research. That was all for the research for the b for the Dana Christopher Ree Foundation. So now they've moved on to more of spinal stimulators and e stim and stuff like that. yeah, we had a good time. So much fun. John McAleavey: that was so great though. I mean it was camaraderie and you know some of us were only there for about an hour, hour and a half, you guys were all there all night long. I Yeah. Lot of coffee, lot of coffee went into that. Maureen Pfeiffer: We were we were slap happy at the end of the day, I'm gonna tell you. A lot of coffee. I also remember a time, John, and Halloween, when you bring up how much, you know, I do enjoy the the holidays. a little bit. I was in the pool in the afternoon and I think you were there too. And one of the young men decided to jokingly go under, and I dove in with my hair fluorescent green from the witch, turned the pool green. Do you remember this? John McAleavey: Right? gosh. Yeah, just a little bit, little bit. I wouldn't doubt it, yeah. Mm-hmm. I do. Yeah, I Maureen Pfeiffer: It turned the whole pool green and they had to shut it down and then the Board of Health came in and the green the pool was fluorescent green and I got yelled at. John McAleavey: I remember I think it was Joe Fabio, if I remember correctly. Maureen Pfeiffer: Yes, it was. I didn't know if I could say his name, but it sure was. I wanted to actually drown him at that point because it was the only time in Kessler's history, and they still bring it up, that I ever got written up was because I turned the pool fluorescent green. John McAleavey: I'm sure you did, yeah. good. Yeah, but it wasn't my fault, I swear, I didn't mean it. I had to Yeah, did you want me to let him drown? gosh. Yeah, that's funny. Maureen Pfeiffer: I said, Do you want me to let him drown? And then the only other story that that was it, and this is a sad one, John. You're not gonna like it. Do you know that Mark Brynn would always do Easter egg hunts where he would hide eggs and stuff all over the place? Did you know this story? Yeah. So right after Easter, he would hide like 250 eggs. And being the competitive people that the therapist, OTTT, and speech are, he would then send us out and we would go. John McAleavey: Uh-huh. boy. I did not know this. yeah. Sure. Maureen Pfeiffer: hunting for the eggs. And initially it used to be in the building. And then Mark realized that we were going to die. So we would make it in the building and out of the building. And one of the OTs, I mean rather one of the speech therapists, Steve, locked me in a closet because I had eggs. And they found me about a half an hour later when someone goes, has anybody see Maureen? And Steve goes, my God, and let me out of the closet. John McAleavey: Right. Which one? That one there in the front there by where the where that side door is? my gosh. Of course you could have won. You were gonna win. They know how competitive you were. gosh. Speaking of that side door, I can remember a time where I was in therapy and I overheard you and and some of the gals talking about that you were going to a what do you call it? W we Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah. Yep. I was so upset. And I could have won that year. I had like twelve eggs. Yep. Yep. That was John McAleavey: Something where you you had to fly somewhere for a a not a con not a concert, but you had to learn, what did you call those things where you would go to to to learn conference. That's what I can't think of the word. Yes, and you nobody said, I don't have can't get there, I don't have a ride. I said, You guys need a lift, I could swing by and get ya. And then I pulled up on the side door there and picked all you guys up and took you down to Newark Airport. Yeah, right? gosh. Maureen Pfeiffer: We were going to to Kentucky. I remember that so well. They're all piled in your car. John McAleavey: Yeah, it was great, you know, you there was a need and I had a car and I could do it and that's why we'd say it was all like family, you know? Unbelievable. Well, Maureen, I have two last questions for you. I so appreciate you taking some time out of your your busy Sunday. And one of them I think we kinda answer, but I'll I'll throw it out to you again. What what are you looking forward to most now that your life is gonna slow down? Maureen Pfeiffer: Yes, you're right. John McAleavey: And and then how long do you think it's gonna take for you to adjust to not having that alarm go off? It and you're gonna look at your husband and say, my god, I'm I'm still here at six fifteen and I'm not at the gym. Maureen Pfeiffer: Well, I'll tell you, John, I I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm a little bit of a type A personality. I know it's it's a shock, right? I think it's gonna take quite a while for me to not feel like I have to do something all the time. yeah, so well, we are going to get another dog at some point soon. So we're looking. Yeah, and I need that. John, I I like to walk. John McAleavey: No no, not you. Yeah. I knew you were gonna say that. Wonderful. You need it. Maureen Pfeiffer: And I I love my you know I loved my Jace. He was he was a terrible dog, but I still loved him. and and then a couple of days a week I'll watch three days a week I'll watch Vivian, two days a week. I will I'd like to learn more about I I love gardening. I'd like to do some a little bit some more, maybe some courses in that. that would be amazing for me to do that. I want to train the dog well. and then we still we still have a few John McAleavey: Absolutely. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: things that should take me about a year around the house to finish. when I tell you we did a major construction, we just ripped the second floor off and built a whole second floor. John McAleavey: my gosh. I remember when you were going through a whole bathroom ordeal. That was probably about ten years ago. That I remember. I didn't know you did the so you've been watching a lot of HG T V, I guess, huh? Maureen Pfeiffer: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it has been terrible. I I tell people all the people go, we want to do addition. I go, Don't do it. Just just move out and buy something. And they just laugh. John McAleavey: Have the property brothers come over and fix it for ya. Maureen Pfeiffer: I wish they would have. I I think I'm ready, John. And and you know, I always have the option to do per diem there if I want to a Kessler. but I think I'm ready to try and find other things to keep me occupied. That's what I think. So yeah. John McAleavey: Yeah. That's a good answer. That's a good answer. And and last but not least, and I don't know where you want to take this, but what do you think will be going through your mind as you as you take that final drive down that big hill in West Orange? And I I will preface this by saying I tried as hard as I could, Maureen, to schedule for for Friday at at around three fifteen for that turkey to be there waiting for you at the bottom of the hill. But I couldn't find him. I can't ki find where he is. I don't know where he is. Maureen Pfeiffer: You know, it I have to take a side note there. That turkey was the meanest turkey I've ever seen in my life. And I almost ran it over. I still have yes, I still have those pictures. That's crazy. They tell us that that duck that that turkey went to a farm. I don't believe him. I think that turkey joined the John McAleavey: I think I'd be mean too if I had a dart sticking out of my neck. Remember that? Yeah. I don't either. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: The good Lord upstairs. Or I think you went down actually. John McAleavey: I do too. I do too. Well he's not gonna be waiting for you at the bottom as hard as I tried, so what do you what do you think might be rolling through through your head? Maureen Pfeiffer: No. You know, John, when I rolled up the hill, I do remember back in nine in August of eighty-four that I was terrified because I just didn't know what the future was gonna hold. I knew I was ready and I knew I could do it. I just know I was terrified because Kessler's Kessler. I mean, y y you I people even now go, you weren't a Kessler? That type of thing. Okay. John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: You know, and and I will tell you when I read that, when I had read the questions that you had sent me, and I got to the last one, and Dan was sitting next to me, I go, this is a tough one. Because there are so many emotions involved in this, John. You know, this is home. This is something, you know, this is I who am I? I I did, and I I'm I'm a therapist, and and that's who I am. So the answer to your question, I John McAleavey: Yeah. Of course. Of course. You grew up here in a lot of intents and purposes, yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: think when I really thought long and hard is when I'm going down that hill is I'm gonna feel immense gratitude. Gratitude to my family who allowed me to do John to do a job that I love for 42 years. Who can say that that I love there wasn't a day that I would come home that if I had a bad day, that I still didn't have a great day. Okay. So gratitude to them for John McAleavey: Yeah. Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: You know, for days when I would say, okay, you know, I gotta go to Kentucky this weekend. Okay, or I got, you know, I'm gonna be late, or I gotta go early, or I gotta work Saturday and Sunday, that they weren't like, okay, allowing me to bring the kids in so that they can see what I do. I mean, that's amazing. You know, gratitude that I've known so many amazing therapists and and doctors and nurses that are top-notch, that you can't ever replicate that type of of John McAleavey: Yeah. Maureen Pfeiffer: personality and that that that type of dedication, you know, and and the hours that I was able to work so that I could balance that work life. You know, kids talk about that all the time. We didn't have to talk about it because I was I was allowed to do it with the hours that I work. You know, and then also gratitude that I'm able to now move comfortably to the next level. But I will never forget the patience that touched my soul. You you tell me Maureen you you did so much for people. John McAleavey: Yeah. Sure. Maureen Pfeiffer: It doesn't even come close to what those patients have done for me and how much of a better person that I am for having known all of you guys is unbelievable. And I'm gonna miss that. That I'm gonna miss. John McAleavey: Yeah. Well, on behalf of all of those folks who I'm sure if they knew, you know, many of them probably don't know that you're leaving or they've moved or they're the i i had they known there would be a lo a conga line going up the the hill to to be able to to thank you for all you've done for us over the years, you know. I I want you to know when I said in the beginning that you were my therapist, but you were a psychiatrist, you really you helped and not just me, you you do it with everybody. And and so on behalf of all those people, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you and we wish you nothing but the best in the future and we hope that you're not a stranger, whether it's, you know, the the per diem thing or if there's a happy hour down the road, we we just have to keep keep some Maureen in all of our lives because you've touched us all in in ways that, you know, you you really don't you don't know how how important it's been to all of us again. Maureen Pfeiffer: Thank you, John. Thank you. I'll be there. John McAleavey: And I just want to thank you and wish you the best in the future, my friend. Maureen Pfeiffer: Thank you, John. Thank you so much.