August 2017
ELITE Physical Therapy Lagniappe Due Date (318) 443-3311 www.elitephysicaltherapy.us
I am so excited about the month of August! Not only am I honored to be the cover story for this month’s newsletter, but I’m also excited because Stephan (my husband) and I are preparing to welcome our first child, James, into the world at the end of this month. Needless to say, our summer has been busy with honey do’s and preparing our nursery for our baby. When thinking about this article, I came to the realization that none of these life experiences would have happened if it wasn’t for my love of physical therapy. It may sound funny, but I can trace all of this back to a couple of specific moments. My grandmother lived in a small town in north Louisiana without a physical therapy clinic like Elite PT. After her double knee replacement surgery, the doctor and physical therapist gave us instructions on how to help her do her exercises in order for her replacement to be successful. The doctor and physical therapist were in Baton Rouge but told us that if we took care of her, she wouldn’t have to travel for her treatment sessions. It was my first experience with the field, and I really enjoyed encouraging my Gran to do her exercises so that she could get back to the things she loved: tennis, gardening, and fishing. Then, in college, a friend of mine developed a tumor near her spinal cord that made it difficult for her to walk and swim competitively. I’d never seen health issues like this with someone so young, but seeing how physical therapy impacted her life made me realize that this was a profession capable of helping people all ages with all different types of difficulties. It was beginning to feel like a calling. I focused on this during college and applied for physical therapy school in Shreveport. I was accepted and started in May 2010.
both graduated with our doctorate of physical therapy in May of 2013. Originally, I thought I’d be doing inpatient rehab in a hospital and he would be in an outpatient clinic like Elite. But, as is often the case, life is funny: I’m working in an outpatient setting and he’s a few blocks away at Cabrini Hospital in inpatient rehab! Having a
common interest in physical therapy and caring for others is awesome; we get to bounce ideas off each other regularly and share experiences we have with our patients. We have many things in common outside of work, too. We love sports (especially LSU), being outdoors, fishing, hunting, cooking, and being at the camp with family. We are so blessed that our love for physical therapy has brought us to the Alexandria/Pineville area. We have met some wonderful people who have become like family to us. It is going to be a great place to lay down roots as well as continue to grow our passion for physical therapy. As you can see, physical therapy has played a huge role in my life, and I could not be happier!
-Abby LeBlanc
I met my husband during physical therapy school. We shared many of the same goals for helping people get back to the things they enjoy doing. We
Have a great month!
We have met some wonderful people who have become like family to us. It is going to be a great place to lay down roots as well as continue to grow our passion for physical therapy.
Elite PT • (318) 443-3311 • 1
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