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Hello and welcome to this very special
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episode of the Domy podcast. This is
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sponsored by Southern Cross Health
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Insurance. It's called Out of the Blue
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because health complications always come
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when you least expect them. Out of the
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blue. And our guest today is someone
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that has experienced this firsthand.
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Some unexpected complications with his
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hip. Out of the blue. Ryan, welcome to
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my podcast. Thank you for having me,
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Dom.
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>> This is cool. This is something very
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different. First time we've done this on
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the Dom Harvey podcast. So, first of
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all, um, let's start at the very
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beginning. Tell us a little bit about
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yourself. Where are you from? What are
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you studying? What do you like to do
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outside of uni?
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>> Yeah. So, hello. My name is Ryan. I'm
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originally Palestinian, but I've been
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living in New Zealand for six years now.
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Um, really loving it over here. Uh,
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while I'm studying, I'm currently in my
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final year, actually, final placement of
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physiootherapy. So hopefully could be
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qualified in the next few months. So I'm
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very very looking forward to that. Yeah.
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>> Amazing. Amazing. I'm I'm a big fan of
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physios. I'm a distance runner so
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they're a big part of my life.
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>> So I'm sure I'll see you in the practice
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in the future
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>> at some stage. And you'll ask me on my
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return visit if I've done the exercises
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and I will lie and say yes.
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>> Yeah. I I'll pretend that you've done
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that too.
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>> I appreciate that. Um, what age did you
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become a Southern Cross health insurance
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member?
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>> I've been a Southern Cross member since
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I was uh really young. My parents have
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kind of always reinforced that we need
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we need this just in case things took a
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turn from for the worst. So, yeah, I
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think a big big part of Southern Cross
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was making sure that you always have
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something that something that has your
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back or someone that has your back.
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That's that was a big part of it for why
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my parents reinforced it.
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>> So,
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>> yeah. and it's paid off big time for you
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already and we'll get into that. But is
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this is this something that's quite
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common or or really uncommon for people
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your age like in your friend group? Is
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it is anyone else insured?
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>> I think most of them have health
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insurance. Does there's obviously a
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select few who we haven't swayed but um
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there I think most of us do and I think
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they understand because a lot of my
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friend group are physio students or are
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healthcare in some way shape or form. So
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they are they're all very their health
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literacy is all very good and they
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understand the importance of having it.
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>> So yeah it's it's quite a common thing
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amongst I think people who have gone
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through the degree and have an adequate
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amount of health literacy. I think
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that's a that's a common theme around
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us.
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>> Oh that makes sense. Now you're clearly
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someone that values um physical fitness.
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What does a typical week look like for
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you in terms of your training and
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staying active? Yeah, a typical week is
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on a good week where I'm not feeling
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lazy. I I do love the gym. I do love
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going on um hikes. Do love um just doing
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outdoor stuff. I do love spending a lot
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of time with my family. We do this. We
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have every night. It's a a theme. We all
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make a pot of tea and we all sit and
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talk about our day and it's just that
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it's the small things I really enjoy.
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But I also physical fitness is something
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that's really important to me,
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especially after everything that's just
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happened. I think it's important that
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that me move and I just I don't know. I
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I'm just not someone who can sit still
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as I'm sure you could tell me just
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rocking my legs this entire time.
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>> I'm the same. I'm the same. Yeah. Um
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Yeah. What does exercise mean to you?
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What does it bring to your life?
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>> Yeah. I think exercise is just it
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basically for me I I think exercise is a
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part of it but movement is we need to
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really count our blessings on that.
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Movement is such a thing that's so
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undervalued and once you've lost it like
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yes you can regain it but it becomes a
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little more difficult. I think for me,
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exercise is just a way to kind of it's a
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way for me to work on myself, a way to
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address your holistic well-being. That's
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a that's a big part of it. It's yes,
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your physical health improves. Yes, your
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squats improve your deadlifts, all that
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type of stuff. But also, it's how that
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improves your mental health and how that
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improves your like everyday life. And I
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think that's something that's so that's
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so important with exercise is making
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sure that or at least having that
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improvement in your mental health.
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That's that connection for me is been a
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game changer.
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>> Yeah,
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>> I agree. It's not something that's
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talked about often enough. Like everyone
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knows about the benefits of exercise
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from the neck down. Um but the mental
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health benefits associated with exercise
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um are just incredible.
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>> Yeah. Yeah. It's it's not something I
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feel like it's not something you can
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know, but you won't really understand
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until you've like been in the gym or
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been exercising or been doing kind of
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your physical hobby. You don't
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understand kind of the impact it has on
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your well-being
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>> in lots of different aspects. You just
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feel you wake up feeling a little
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better. You wake up feeling less brain
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fog. You wake up
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>> actually wanting to get out of your bed.
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You know,
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>> I I it's it's really un it's always
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something that you hear people say, "Oh,
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yeah, you should go to the gym. It's
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good for your physical health. It's it's
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good for your mental health." But once
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you actually realize that that kind of
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that rhetoric is actually correct, it it
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actually does make significant changes
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in your life.
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>> Yeah. the self-esteem boost you get, eh?
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>> Um, yeah, getting sick sucks for
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anybody, but when you're a person that
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um values and prioritizes their physical
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health, it it sucks even more, I think,
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when it's something that's taken away.
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How was your mental health over that
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time when you got unwell
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>> w with my with my hip issues? I think it
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was it was a it was progressive. That's
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what it was. Like it just once I noticed
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my physical health decreasing, I started
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noticing like I'm withdrawing from
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activities. I'm I'm not doing things
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that I used to do. I'm not getting up um
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not getting up as much as I used to. I'm
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not going to the gym, not having that
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motivation. It's kind of like I felt
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like as my function deteriorated and as
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I started noticing uh the pain and
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debilitation a lot more, I started
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noticing that I was Yeah. It just
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started getting worse than mental
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health. And
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>> I guess at that point I was you kind of
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you kind of miss that you were able to
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just get up and run. You miss you're
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able to just get up and go to the gym.
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And now I was finding like set sitting
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to standing really painful. And I every
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time I'd walk I'd just get this ache in
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my hip and it would start locking and
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I'd start tripping over. And I'm like
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I'm at the time I was like I'm 20 years
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old. But I'm not I'm not in my 80s, you
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know.
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>> So I think the effect it had on my
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mental health was quite significant to
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be honest. Yeah.
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>> Yeah. Cuz the things that you would have
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taken for granted your entire life that
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suddenly you can't do anymore.
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>> Yeah.
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>> So um yeah, what happened? How did it
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all begin?
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>> I think it all began with me realizing
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in the gym that I could never squat as
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much as my mates. So I know that's it
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seems a bit funny to have that
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competition and stuff
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>> in terms in terms of the the amount of
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weight or in terms of the depth
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>> in terms of the depth. Okay.
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>> My mates were always more flexible. It's
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like it was this ongoing joke that I
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have no flexibility and all that stuff.
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And I think just over time the more I
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went to the gym the more I noticed like
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okay um something isn't entirely right.
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and my hips just started hurt. the left
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hip started hurting
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>> quite a lot over I'd say 2023 that's
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probably when it started when I started
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actually fully gyming properly like
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frequently and
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>> I I think that the pain just
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progressively became worse and the
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amount I could tolerate became worse and
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I'd say start of 2024 I started seeing
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the massive changes in okay wow it's
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actually why is it hard to get out of
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bed and then Over time, it just became
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more and more like, oh, why is why is
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walking hard? Why is why am I finding my
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squats getting worse so my mates are
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winning? You know, that that that type
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of thing. And I think it it didn't it
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wasn't until I'd say mid2024 when my
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physio was reassessing my left hip that
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he was like, "Okay, um, something's not
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right here." And I think that validation
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was huge that, okay, there's something
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not right. It's not just it's not just
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your brain. It's not just in your head.
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And that's when we went off for
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specialist opinion. And by the time that
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by that time of the specialist opinions,
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that's when my function had gotten to to
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its worst. I just started every time I'd
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go in a little even jog for a second,
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the pain would just skyrocket and stay
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there. or when um I'd do a weird
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movement or when I'd you know it it was
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just it was quite like quite like well
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why I why am I moving so so like it
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unorthodox? It's it wasn't
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>> it just wasn't it wasn't normal. That's
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what I was saying. And I noticed it
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wasn't normal and that's when I started
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just every day became it became a chore
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to go in a walk. it be gave it chore to
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even get into the car and do those
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movements to get in and out of the car
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and that was it was all just really
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painful
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>> and eventually once you get the
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validation that okay there is actually
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something wrong here um it's it's not
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mental you there's something we can
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actually do
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>> that's that's when I feel like things
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started going back up the trajectory
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started improving
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>> yeah how how long do you think you were
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suffering in silence
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A lot of my mates won't say it with
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silence because
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but but yeah
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>> you know what I mean before seeking um
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you know some some professional
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opinions.
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>> Yeah. I think I think it was a good
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solid year because I it was kind of like
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intermittent in and I'd say in around
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2023 time around 2024 it became
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constant. I think it was a solid year
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where I wasn't really doing much and
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yeah, I I just think it took it took a
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turn for the worst. So, it took me quite
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a while, I'd say, to to get it checked
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out because I was like, I'm young. I'm
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fit. Surely it will go away. Surely when
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you're younger, your healing abilities
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are better. That that type of thing. But
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it just actually didn't get better. And
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I remember one of the surgeons saying,
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"Look, look, man, it's not going to get
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better by itself. This is something that
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needs to be treated." Like it's that I
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think that that really hit hit home and
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I was like, "Oh, so if I just left it, I
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would have just been in the same boat as
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I am in now."
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>> That's what it's kind of what the
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thought process was at that time.
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>> And the diagnosis, um, yeah, that must
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have been a relief.
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>> Oh, yeah.
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>> If if I was you, I'm probably here, but
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my mind would have been just going
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crazy. I would have been like googling
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symptoms. And that always takes you down
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a very dark and dangerous hole.
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>> Yeah. I was I was googling non-stop
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going back to my lecture slides. I was
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even using chat GPT to Google my
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symptoms like chat GPT for my symptoms
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and yeah I I think a big thing of being
00:11:31
a healthc care student and actually
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knowing about conditions a big thing of
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it is catastrophizing and
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catastrophizing once you're in that
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feedback loop from hell you're stuck in
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it. So I feel I always kept telling
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myself, "Oh yeah, it could be a
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fracture. It could be this. It could be
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this." But actually I I needed someone
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to look at it. So that's when I once I
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found myself in that loop, I was able to
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take a step back and be like, "Okay,
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that maybe we need a prof professional
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opinion, not some at the time, not some
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thirdyear student who's who's just read
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things off a textbook kind of thing." I
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>> I think that cat catastrophizing thing
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is human nature.
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>> Yeah, definitely.
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>> Across the board. So what were you
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diagnosed with? What's the name of the
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condition?
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>> So I initially had had a laboral tear in
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my hip. So lab is just kind of like that
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shock absorbing gel-like structure in
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your hip and it just kind of stops the
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shock from being transmitted to kind of
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like your bones and stuff.
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>> And then I also had some cartilage
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damage. We we call it medically it's a
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condra flap lesion. But I also had
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something called femoraset tablo
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impingement which is just like a bone
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bone growth on your hip from like
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repetitive traumas or can be from birth.
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I'm pretty sure imagine my supervisors
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listening to me on this being like
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that's so wrong. So I'm really trying
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here.
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>> You're sounding really knowledgeable.
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>> I'm glad. I'm really glad.
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>> Hopefully you don't fail your papers
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because of this podcast.
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>> Yeah. I hope not. Surely they sure
00:13:01
they'll understand. It's off hours. But
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um yeah, there there's that. And I also
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so I did I ended up getting my my labum
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repaired. I ended up getting a bit a
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debridement just a wash out of like the
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damaged pieces. And I also had an
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osteoplasty where they basically
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reshaped um my hip so it can have well
00:13:21
the top of the hipbone so it has good
00:13:23
better movement. And I am honestly the
00:13:26
left hip's probably better than the
00:13:27
right hip right now
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>> which is which is crazy considering
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>> wow
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>> what's happened?
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>> Yeah.
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>> Yeah. So so why physio? Where where did
00:13:38
your passion for physiootherapy come
00:13:39
from? Was there a moment or experience
00:13:41
that led you down that career path? I
00:13:43
>> I think that um a big one was my
00:13:46
experience with that. I growing up I had
00:13:49
like these dizziness balance problems
00:13:51
and I I went and saw um a vestibular
00:13:55
physio which is like nobody knows what
00:13:57
they do but
00:13:59
>> I've I've literally never heard what's
00:14:00
the V word
00:14:01
>> vestibular like it's like your inner ear
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stuff.
00:14:04
>> Never heard that word before in my life.
00:14:05
>> Yeah, it's like your inner ear
00:14:06
disorders. We went and got treated by
00:14:08
one and I saw how just like honestly the
00:14:12
technology I can't remember like
00:14:15
specifically what the names of the
00:14:16
technology were but there were these
00:14:17
technologies that could give them like
00:14:19
real time feedback on what I was doing
00:14:22
and I I just found that like so cool to
00:14:25
use that technology and I thought in the
00:14:26
future how cool I'd look if I was using
00:14:28
that but also I think how the exercises
00:14:33
what they the exercises they gave me
00:14:34
were just a simple thing put your thumb
00:14:36
there and kind of put your eye there and
00:14:38
just just shake your head while looking
00:14:40
at it. Stabilize on that. And I just saw
00:14:43
how that actually completely shifted my
00:14:45
quality of life. Yeah, it was like it
00:14:47
was arduous the whole process. But I
00:14:50
just saw how like I became better. I was
00:14:53
able to go to school without feeling
00:14:55
well like crap basically and I was able
00:14:57
to go and I was able to run and do all
00:15:00
that sort of stuff. So I think at that
00:15:02
point I saw how it improved my quality
00:15:04
of life. And I think for me it wasn't
00:15:06
about curing things for people. It
00:15:08
wasn't about coming up with this and
00:15:10
being in a lab pouring potions together.
00:15:12
For me it was what can I do? What
00:15:15
relationships can I build that can help
00:15:18
people get back to what they were doing
00:15:19
or get back or or get to do what their
00:15:22
goal is.
00:15:23
>> I think for me that was that was why
00:15:24
physio medicine was too hard. So I had
00:15:27
to find an in between as well. I think
00:15:29
just to put that on there.
00:15:30
>> Oh, it's it's a really cool really cool
00:15:32
occupation in the respect that you are
00:15:34
literally like improving someone's
00:15:36
quality of life and unlike a lot of jobs
00:15:38
like when you when you lose a patient or
00:15:40
you stop seeing them um it's a good
00:15:42
thing because it means the job's done.
00:15:44
>> Yeah, I know. It definitely is a good
00:15:45
thing. And I've I've had experiences on
00:15:48
placement where you've just helped
00:15:49
people get to the bathroom when
00:15:51
previously they were just stuck in the
00:15:53
bed, you know, and even something as
00:15:56
simple as that is like just helping them
00:15:58
walk up to the bathroom. That is so
00:16:00
rewarding. And you see the look in their
00:16:01
eyes when they've done something they
00:16:03
haven't been able to do. And I think
00:16:04
that kind of the basis of our species is
00:16:09
being social butterflies. And I think
00:16:10
that
00:16:11
>> plus my personality and plus with what
00:16:14
I've experienced that's I felt like it
00:16:16
was the perfect role for me.
00:16:18
>> And especially seeing post-operatively
00:16:21
with my hip and everything, seeing how
00:16:23
much my physio helped me and how how
00:16:26
good my function is now. And I think
00:16:29
seeing seeing what he's done has just
00:16:32
make it's just it just further
00:16:34
reinforces what I want to do. I want to
00:16:36
be able to get someone from walking and
00:16:39
tripping over because the hip isn't is
00:16:41
keeps locking and and just being in all
00:16:43
that pain to, wow, they're actually
00:16:45
doing hops. They're actually doing
00:16:47
jumps. They're actually going on hikes.
00:16:50
I I don't know if I mentioned already,
00:16:52
but I went on a hike the other day. It
00:16:54
was Kangahake and I just like I think I
00:16:58
mentioned I saw I saw the light at the
00:17:00
end of the tunnel and there is a tunnel
00:17:03
there.
00:17:04
So you literally saw the light at the
00:17:06
end of the tunnel.
00:17:06
>> Yeah. Yeah. I I just clocked that. But
00:17:09
yeah, we did walk in the tunnel. Yeah.
00:17:11
Yeah, it was it was cool that. But I was
00:17:13
like I remember walking we went on one
00:17:15
of the mountain walks and I just
00:17:17
remember being at the top like
00:17:20
>> wow like physio played a massive role.
00:17:22
What I'm doing is going to get people
00:17:24
from literally hobbling around to
00:17:27
walking up mountains. And I just think
00:17:29
it was so surreal in that moment
00:17:31
>> when I was just looking out looking out
00:17:33
at um the view. I was actually I was
00:17:36
actually frightened as cuz I don't like
00:17:37
heights. But I also was looking out at
00:17:39
the view being like I wouldn't have been
00:17:42
able to do this a year ago. Like this
00:17:44
completely that wouldn't even be out of
00:17:46
the question if my mate before they even
00:17:48
finished the sentence of do you want to
00:17:49
go on a hike? It would have been no. And
00:17:51
now I'm walked up 3 hours. I know it's
00:17:54
not the hardest walk in the world,
00:17:55
right? It's no like Mount Rae who walk
00:17:58
but it's for me that was so so
00:18:01
lifechanging just doing that walk up the
00:18:03
mountain. So that's kind of like where
00:18:05
my passion came that you can get people
00:18:07
to doing things that they never usually
00:18:09
used to do or that they're finding
00:18:11
difficult to do you know
00:18:12
>> through your training as a physio. Were
00:18:14
you familiar with the condition? Like is
00:18:16
this something that Oh, you'd studied
00:18:17
it.
00:18:17
>> Yeah, that that's why it was weird.
00:18:19
That's why it was weird. I I literally
00:18:21
remember the lecture where I'm just
00:18:22
sitting there and I'm like h like that's
00:18:24
a it's an unfortunate condition. Like
00:18:26
I'm just reading through it and the type
00:18:27
of operation and it kind of just goes
00:18:29
over your mind. It's it's kind of this
00:18:31
weird reality when you're like oh I am
00:18:33
what that what that lecture is saying or
00:18:35
I am what that condition is. Like you
00:18:38
that's a thing when you go through any
00:18:39
healthcare degrees like you look at all
00:18:41
these different conditions and you never
00:18:43
think that you're going to have it. You
00:18:45
never think that you're going to suffer
00:18:47
like that if you know what I mean. You
00:18:49
never
00:18:50
>> It's always someone else.
00:18:50
>> Yeah, it's always you're always thinking
00:18:52
of someone else. But then when you
00:18:53
actually have that condition, you're
00:18:55
like it's it's such a trippy feeling.
00:18:58
It's it was it was weird. So I actually
00:18:59
knew the condition. I was quite well
00:19:01
verssed in the path. We call it
00:19:03
pathologies.
00:19:04
>> I I kind of I understood it but
00:19:06
>> like you don't think about the usually
00:19:08
you're just like okay this person might
00:19:10
have this this and this symptom X Y and
00:19:12
Zed. But then with with me, I'm like,
00:19:15
"Oh, I have X, Y, and Zed condition."
00:19:18
And that was Yeah, it was it was a
00:19:20
really weird experience to actually feel
00:19:22
the symptoms that they were feeling
00:19:23
because the empathy changes then. So now
00:19:25
when I see someone who's who's having
00:19:27
hip problems, the empathy is always
00:19:29
going to be different now because of
00:19:31
what I've gone through.
00:19:32
>> Oh, 100% deeper level of understanding.
00:19:34
Yeah.
00:19:35
>> So what role did your Southern Cross
00:19:37
Health Insurance play in your journey?
00:19:39
Honestly, every the way that they all
00:19:42
all the health care professionals
00:19:43
interacted with each other, the way that
00:19:45
they funded the surgery was a really
00:19:48
Yeah, that was that was a game changer
00:19:50
because it surgeries aren't cheap, you
00:19:53
know, like they nobody ever claimed that
00:19:55
they were they aren't they aren't cheap.
00:19:57
So I think them helping out by funding
00:20:00
it was it actually just got the ball
00:20:04
rolling knowing that okay well this
00:20:07
who's going to pay pay this massive bill
00:20:09
it's not going to be us. So I think that
00:20:12
was the first step was that but also
00:20:14
kind of the care that the providers that
00:20:17
there was just so much so much passion
00:20:20
in what they do the providers and
00:20:22
Southern Cross helped with
00:20:24
post-operative physio as well. So like
00:20:28
it was very it was a big part of my
00:20:29
journey and that's why I was like I was
00:20:31
happy to come and talk about it.
00:20:34
>> Such a relief.
00:20:36
>> Oh massive.
00:20:37
>> Yeah. And how quickly were you able to
00:20:38
get you know scans see specialists and
00:20:41
get the surgery done?
00:20:42
>> I think it was it was relatively quick.
00:20:44
The scans like X-rays and stuff but they
00:20:47
were quite easy to get.
00:20:48
>> Um you could kind of like just refer
00:20:50
walk in. The MRI does require
00:20:52
specialists to do it. So yes, the wait
00:20:55
was still a few weeks, but people who
00:20:58
have have my condition wait a year or
00:21:01
sometimes a really long time to get to
00:21:04
get the appointment to get those MRI
00:21:08
scans and all that stuff. So it's the
00:21:09
fact that that process was sped up for
00:21:11
me.
00:21:12
>> I think that was I think that that made
00:21:14
my life a lot easier in the long term as
00:21:17
well. And also just timing wise when the
00:21:20
hips started getting really painful and
00:21:24
like debilitating.
00:21:26
That's when first placement the year
00:21:28
nearly started again. So there was the
00:21:29
question of am I going to be able to go
00:21:32
and do what I'm passionate about go do
00:21:34
my final year get my degree or am I
00:21:36
going to have to take a year off to
00:21:37
focus on recovery and all the Southern
00:21:40
Cross providers made that process
00:21:42
easier. It's like it's why I'm here
00:21:44
today to be honest.
00:21:45
>> I can I can tell you how grateful you
00:21:47
are. Yeah, it's yeah, so grateful. It it
00:21:51
really Yeah, not everyone gets that
00:21:53
opportunity. So, I was I feel I feel
00:21:55
really lucky to have been able to go and
00:21:58
do what I really I want to do. And I
00:21:59
want other people to have that ability
00:22:01
as well.
00:22:02
>> That's the thing.
00:22:03
>> Are any or many of your mates the same
00:22:05
age insured?
00:22:07
>> I think most of them are insured. It's
00:22:09
just some I think some people don't
00:22:12
really have the understanding of what
00:22:14
health insurance is. It's it's
00:22:15
immediately seen as like this this taboo
00:22:18
this oh it's expensive but if you kind
00:22:20
of look at the pros and the cons I feel
00:22:21
like for me I know I have a bit of bias
00:22:24
towards that but for me the big the pros
00:22:26
and the cons the pros outweigh them
00:22:28
completely
00:22:29
>> like it was
00:22:31
>> it was it was just such a it was such a
00:22:33
handy experience and the fact that my
00:22:35
quality of life now is better than it
00:22:38
was then and they facilitated this
00:22:41
journey I I do recommend it but yeah
00:22:44
some most of My friends do have it,
00:22:45
which is thankful.
00:22:47
>> Are all your friends like, "Yeah, Ryan,
00:22:49
we get it. You stop going on about it.
00:22:51
That guy in the friend group now."
00:22:53
>> Yeah. Honestly, just that guy who's
00:22:54
like, "Okay, we we got it. You had the
00:22:56
operation. Why is it still being brought
00:22:59
up?"
00:22:59
>> Yeah. Okay, Dad, leave us alone.
00:23:01
>> Yeah, it's exactly that.
00:23:03
>> Have you thought about how different the
00:23:05
experience could have been without
00:23:07
Southern Cross Health Insurance?
00:23:08
>> Yeah. uh given that way too much thought
00:23:11
a lot of like sleepless nights went into
00:23:14
when I was like am I going to be able to
00:23:16
get this operation or not cuz I don't
00:23:18
think I can do this fun I don't think I
00:23:20
can function with this much pain and
00:23:23
debilitation anymore. I I was I think
00:23:26
there was if I didn't have Southern
00:23:28
Cross I definitely would have missed
00:23:30
this year of placement have had to
00:23:33
prolong the degree for a year and then
00:23:35
not had something to work with. I think
00:23:36
it's for me it's very important that I
00:23:38
have something to work towards a big
00:23:40
overarching goal whether that's uni or
00:23:42
back in the day whether that was school
00:23:43
or whether that was or in the future
00:23:46
whether that's getting good at the job
00:23:47
and progressing towards things. So
00:23:49
>> I feel like that goal wouldn't have been
00:23:51
able to be achieved without like
00:23:54
Southern Cross's intervention.
00:23:56
>> I really don't think so. So yeah, I
00:23:59
definitely would have just been at home
00:24:01
been my quality of life would have been
00:24:03
better from the operation, but
00:24:07
you know, it's it's it's hard to say
00:24:09
what would happen, but I don't think it
00:24:10
would have been as good of an outcome as
00:24:11
it is now.
00:24:13
>> Yeah.
00:24:13
>> And you're back at the gym now doing all
00:24:15
the things you love.
00:24:16
>> Yeah, I'm happily back at the back at
00:24:18
the gym. Back I I did a hike the other
00:24:20
week. Um don't if you know the Karanga
00:24:22
Hake Gorge.
00:24:23
>> Oh, do I know it? Yeah. Yeah. By Pawa.
00:24:26
It's beautiful. It's awesome. Wow.
00:24:28
>> Yeah, I did that walk. I know it's not
00:24:29
the the hardest walk in the world. But
00:24:32
for for me, like I remember saying to my
00:24:34
two mates when we were on there, I was
00:24:35
saying, I'm actually doing this like a
00:24:38
year ago from now would that that
00:24:39
wouldn't even have been a like I
00:24:41
wouldn't even have like given it thought
00:24:43
to do it. And here I am actually going
00:24:45
up the mountain. It was honestly that
00:24:48
was that was so different. And then you
00:24:50
take I think for me it was that this
00:24:52
actually worked. Everything worked out
00:24:54
well and there's always that light at
00:24:56
the end of the tunnel and for me while I
00:24:58
was walking up I was like I was not in
00:25:00
pain in my hip. I was like keep mostly
00:25:03
keeping up with them.
00:25:05
>> Yeah, mountain walks are tiring. So
00:25:09
>> ironically in the uh the gorge you're
00:25:10
talking about there actually is a tunnel
00:25:12
with a light at the end.
00:25:13
>> Ironically. Yeah. Yeah. I didn't even I
00:25:16
didn't even clock that. Yeah. We
00:25:18
actually walked through it. Yeah.
00:25:19
>> So you literally did see the light at
00:25:21
the end of the tunnel. There actually
00:25:22
was a light at the end of the tunnel.
00:25:23
That's
00:25:24
>> And what about your your squats? How's
00:25:26
your you back doing leg day at the gym?
00:25:28
Must have been nice for a while having
00:25:29
an excuse not to do leg day.
00:25:30
>> Yeah,
00:25:32
leg day was Nobody likes leg day, but
00:25:35
>> but no, it's been it was weird for me
00:25:37
cuz now leg day's become my favorite day
00:25:39
because you you ne I neglected it so
00:25:41
much last year to the point where I'm
00:25:44
like I I can't lift a heavy squat
00:25:46
anymore. Can't do that. But now it's my
00:25:47
favorite day. I'd go do it every day if
00:25:49
I could, which is unpopular opinion,
00:25:51
>> but it's just when you're deprived of it
00:25:53
for so long, you start being like, "Oh,
00:25:56
it's actually not that bad and all
00:25:58
that." It's not
00:25:58
>> Yeah. a new appreciation for it.
00:26:00
>> It is like even for something as
00:26:03
something as awful as leg day, you start
00:26:05
being like, you know what, you're not so
00:26:06
bad. It's not so bad.
00:26:08
>> You know,
00:26:09
>> has this experience um changed how you
00:26:11
view your own health?
00:26:12
>> I think so. Yeah. I think it it kind of
00:26:15
show I think we had a little chat about
00:26:16
it beforehand that like exercise
00:26:19
actually has such an such a positive
00:26:21
influence not just on rehab but everyday
00:26:24
life. It's kind of it's made sure I do
00:26:26
my physio exercises. Yeah, I know.
00:26:29
>> No one does the physio.
00:26:30
>> Nobody does. But it actually made me
00:26:33
want to do them constantly. And now
00:26:35
every time I get an exercise I make sure
00:26:38
that I'm doing it. And I think
00:26:40
>> it just showed me that movement was a
00:26:42
blessing.
00:26:43
>> It like there's there's a lot of things
00:26:46
to appreciate in the world, but the fact
00:26:47
that we're able to move, the fact that
00:26:49
we're able to kind of just do small
00:26:52
things, get up and get a glass of water,
00:26:54
it it's so it just made me appreciate
00:26:56
every small thing in my life because I
00:26:58
saw how much it changed. can't imagine
00:27:00
someone who's in a worse situation
00:27:02
>> than I was and like it's just it just
00:27:05
makes a mess of makes you really count
00:27:08
your blessings like oh I've just got
00:27:11
I've got up out of bed to to like go up
00:27:14
to the bathroom and to go get water and
00:27:15
it's that not everyone can do that.
00:27:17
People require like full-on support to
00:27:20
do it require full assistance to do
00:27:22
those things. So I'm very grateful for
00:27:25
Yeah. very grateful for movement. So
00:27:27
like the message is continue moving even
00:27:31
even small amounts is the message.
00:27:33
>> Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. It's still it's
00:27:34
still quite fresh for you but yeah you
00:27:36
you want to hang on to that gratitude.
00:27:37
Eh yeah
00:27:38
>> and never never forget this feeling
00:27:39
you've got now.
00:27:40
>> Yeah. I want to be that that like I want
00:27:42
to be one of those 90-year-old guys that
00:27:44
are just walking around without any
00:27:46
aids. That's kind of it's kind of like
00:27:48
where I want to be in the future. I want
00:27:50
I want to make sure I prioritize my
00:27:52
physical activity because it's it's not
00:27:53
just good for your physical health. your
00:27:55
whole psychosocial well-being gets
00:27:57
better just from physical exercise as
00:28:00
well. And yeah, that whole that whole
00:28:03
concept of kind of, you know, tifata,
00:28:06
that whole holistic well-being is very
00:28:09
important.
00:28:11
>> Yeah. Yeah. I feel the same way about my
00:28:13
running. I mean, all all along, all
00:28:15
through my life and all through your
00:28:16
life as well, we've always been aware of
00:28:18
the um the benefits of exercise from the
00:28:20
neck down. Yeah.
00:28:20
>> Um but the mental health benefits e
00:28:22
>> Yeah.
00:28:23
>> Incredible. It's that yeah it it's game
00:28:25
changers for your mental health if you
00:28:27
can get up and move
00:28:28
>> as much as you can.
00:28:29
>> Uh what you've been through the last
00:28:31
couple of years um how has it shaped
00:28:33
your future as a physio? Like do you
00:28:34
think you'll approach patients
00:28:36
differently now?
00:28:36
>> Yeah, I think obviously I have to get
00:28:39
some experience first. But I think it
00:28:42
would just make me believe in what
00:28:47
they're saying and have empathy towards
00:28:48
what they're saying that even if you're
00:28:50
not if I don't have the same exact
00:28:52
condition or the same exact pain or
00:28:54
problems in my life, I can take a moment
00:28:56
to sit and empathize with them and show
00:28:59
them that like yeah, I do I do get what
00:29:02
you're saying. something similar has
00:29:03
happened to me and I've turned out well
00:29:06
and I'm not the most athletic or most
00:29:09
most sporty person ever and it I had
00:29:12
such a good outcome. It's kind of it
00:29:14
just changes it will change how you
00:29:17
>> see people and how you see that it's not
00:29:20
just a condition or a problem. It's the
00:29:23
person behind the problem that what is
00:29:25
the condition? What is it causing? Is it
00:29:27
causing are they not able to do their
00:29:29
everyday activities? and they're not
00:29:31
able to do their hobbies, that type of
00:29:34
thing. So, makes you see them as a whole
00:29:36
person rather than as just a condition.
00:29:38
That's what this whole experience has
00:29:40
shown me.
00:29:41
>> Yeah.
00:29:42
>> Yeah. Even though it's an awful thing to
00:29:43
go through, it it does kind of in a way
00:29:45
put you um at a position of advantage
00:29:47
over your peers. Eh,
00:29:48
>> yeah.
00:29:49
>> Having gone through this.
00:29:50
>> Pros and cons.
00:29:51
>> Yeah. Pros and cons. Yeah. Obviously, I
00:29:53
would prefer not to be put under
00:29:55
anesthesia, but
00:29:56
>> No, it it definitely does. It gives you
00:29:58
kind of like puts you in their shoes.
00:30:01
That that's that's the best way to
00:30:03
explain it.
00:30:03
>> Yeah, that empathy piece that you talked
00:30:05
about earlier. And
00:30:06
>> what's next for you professionally and
00:30:08
personally?
00:30:08
>> Yeah, I think professionally what's next
00:30:10
for me is seeing where once I finish the
00:30:12
degree and if I once I get registration.
00:30:15
I was going to say if I'm going to be
00:30:17
positive once I get registration and
00:30:20
start working for a bit. I think but
00:30:21
next for me is I think it's going to be
00:30:24
a long shot. I know a lot of my mates
00:30:25
are going to be laughing when they hear
00:30:27
this, but I I do want to do a marathon.
00:30:30
>> Maybe hopefully 2026 can be they'll
00:30:32
start with a half. I'll be realistic
00:30:34
with it. But I think to do a half
00:30:37
marathon is probably my next thing. I I
00:30:39
think that that's a good goal to go up
00:30:41
to. And even just small things like
00:30:43
getting into summer footy again, getting
00:30:46
into getting more time in the gym,
00:30:49
getting more time doing hikes. I think
00:30:51
I'm going to make the best of my
00:30:53
movement and best of like the blessings
00:30:56
I've got with my body.
00:30:57
>> Yeah. A life without restrictions. How
00:30:59
good.
00:31:00
>> I know.
00:31:00
>> And um finally, what would your message
00:31:02
be for anyone who thinks they're too
00:31:03
young, too fit to worry about health
00:31:05
insurance?
00:31:06
>> Yeah. I think if if you can, these are
00:31:10
conversations you can have with like if
00:31:13
we're talking like young people can't
00:31:15
help like support themselves who aren't
00:31:17
self-sufficient. I think it's definitely
00:31:19
something that that it's conversation
00:31:21
you should have with your with your
00:31:23
caregivers because it just your your
00:31:27
world's your avenue and if you have
00:31:29
resources to kind of take those
00:31:32
different turns I think definitely take
00:31:34
it and to people who I guess my age a
00:31:37
bit kind of young adults um if you're
00:31:40
self-sufficient I know that it's like
00:31:42
expensive but also at the end of the day
00:31:47
that your health comes first, your
00:31:50
physical, mental, like everything comes
00:31:54
before other things. It's not a material
00:31:56
I think people view health insurance as
00:31:57
a materialistic thing. It's it's really
00:32:00
not really. It's a
00:32:01
>> it's a very I feel like it's a necessity
00:32:05
to make sure you're well equipped for
00:32:07
the worst case scenario
00:32:08
>> for if it does happen.
00:32:10
>> Yeah. I'd say instead of asking
00:32:12
yourself, can I afford it? Ask yourself,
00:32:14
can you afford not to have it?
00:32:16
>> Yeah. Oh, that's a really nice way to
00:32:18
think of it
00:32:19
>> actually. Yeah, there's someone cross
00:32:20
health insurance can use that. That can
00:32:21
be their new life.
00:32:24
>> I hope they're taking notes. So,
00:32:26
>> yeah.
00:32:27
>> Hey, this has been great. Um,
00:32:29
>> yeah, it's been really nice connecting
00:32:31
with you today and I I you know, I can
00:32:32
see there's been a couple of occasions
00:32:34
where I've seen your eyes light up and
00:32:35
it's where you're talking about um
00:32:37
>> the physical activity that you do. Yeah.
00:32:39
>> And it's also where you talk about work.
00:32:42
>> Um, so I think you're going to be a
00:32:43
fantastic physio
00:32:44
>> hopefully. Um, and I'm pleased that um,
00:32:47
thanks to having Southern Cross Health
00:32:48
Insurance, you're back doing the things
00:32:49
you love again as well.
00:32:51
>> That's so cool.
00:32:52
>> Yeah. Thank you for having me on anyway
00:32:53
to talk about it.
00:32:54
>> Oh, no. I appreciate it. What are we
00:32:56
doing now? Should we go to the gym?
00:32:57
>> Yeah. Oh,
00:32:58
>> do some squats.
00:32:58
>> Oh, if you want to, we can go do a leg
00:33:00
day.
00:33:01
>> I'm going to make you go deep. Yeah,
00:33:03
>> we're going to go parallel to the floor.
00:33:04
>> Oh, no. If As long as there's no pop
00:33:06
again, I think I'm happy.
00:33:08
>> I appreciate it, Ryan. You're a good
00:33:09
man. much.
