What have I been wearing?

MANY HATS!


Here is an update on life...


Yes, it is true, I QUIT my job in March and have not worked since. I reached a point where I felt if I continued in that environment, then I would walk away from the pharmacy profession ENTIRELY. So, I had to ask myself, "What do you love to do and how are you going to do it?"


Answers:


1) PHOTOGRAPHY: it is the first thing that comes to mind. I love portrait sessions in particular- capturing people in natural light, natural "poses", honest, real, and raw images of beautiful people. (I got to do this recently when I did a photo shoot with 3 of my sisters, then just last week with my Grandma and her 2 sisters). I enjoy helping people see their own beauty through their portraits, especially women. I strive to capture the best original photo; I do not use Photoshop. But, honestly, the money is not there. I need to be able to support my family. So I can do this on the side.


2) TALKING TO PEOPLE: my favorite part of my job as a pharmacist is talking to the patients. I enjoy hearing their stories, listening to their concerns, and bestowing my knowledge and "wisdom" on them. (I say "wisdom" because that is a term usually reserved for folks older than I am but, I have long dreamed of being labeled as WISE- the idea that I have something of worth/value to give to another person). Well, I cannot spend all my time talking to patients at any retail pharmacy, corporate's rule, not mine. And seeing how there is a need for a pharmacist to spend more time with patients, that is what I need to do. Well, that has never been done before. So I can start my own company.


And that is what I did.


"The Medicine Mentor" was born out of a desire to teach patients what they need/want to know about their health condition(s) and what THEY can do to help improve their health. I emphasize THEY because often times, patients "blindly" follow a doctor's orders without question (although they may have them, just have not voiced them) and doing so, feeling like they are taking a medication or going to therapy because their DOCTOR wants them to. I have heard this so many times, even my Grandpa on what would be his last trip to the hospital said "Gotta do what the doctor wants." This simply is not true. YOU HAVE OPTIONS! So from this I have developed a consultant service for patients and doctors with plans to teach classes, conduct seminars, and help doctors provide better care for their patients.


Speaking of teaching classes, I have also become an Adjunct Faculty member with National University. I will be teaching a course in July, the subject: PSYCHOPHARM. I am looking forward to having a batch of students to teach about medications used in school-age children for ADHD.


Speaking of students, I now have a MENTEE. I am a mentor to a student at University of the Pacific (where I am an Alum). I LOVE conversing with her about her past, present, and future- goals, her path, choices, interests, passions...just another way I feel I am fulfilling my role as a TEACHER.

I feel God has given me this passion and it may be coming out in slightly less conventional ways, but that IS how I do things- always making my OWN path to where I want to go, not following the paved road someone else has set up. (The Medicine Mentor is no different- this particular concept and design has never been done before! I am off the beaten path with that one!)


And finally, speaking of Grandpa...Grandpa went into the hospital April 18th, had his 81st birthday there the next day, went home on hospice care April 22, and passed away 15 hours later completely comfortable at home on the morning of April 23rd. We are so comforted by knowing that Grandpa went to live with Jesus, yes, he got to experience EASTER in HEAVEN. (We know this because Grandpa prayed for Jesus to be his personal savior a few years ago and at the age of 79, was baptized!) His services were April 30th and the family has really strengthened its' bond by coming together to help Grandma with all the things that need to be done when a loved one has passed.


Grandpa is on EVERYONE'S mind, including my little Audrey. At Target the other day, I had my first experience with her bringing up the subject to a stranger. I had loaded the kids in the car and was looking for a place to put my cart when another mother said, "You have the same problem I do, kids in the car and you don't want to have to go that far to put the cart away!" It was true! So I said, "I will take our carts and leave the car door open." (She was buckling her children into their carseats on the right side of her car next to the left side of mine, where I had left Audrey's door open.) I put the carts away and came back to see/hear the lady talking to Audrey. She said, "And now he is not sick anymore. That's good!" And little Audrey's voice say, "Yeah!" My heart hurt as I realized that out of no where Audrey had told this stranger about her Great-Papa that went to live with Jesus in Heaven...I have heard of children doing this but, to have it be MY child was quite chilling. Her little mind was still processing the concept of where her Great-Papa is now and when asked a generic, "How are you?" her first response is to talk about him. I have been on the receiving end of that answer before and it is shocking to hear a three year old talk about death. But, just as the other mother said, and as we know the Bible teaches, Great-Papa is not sick anymore.

God is glorified by each thing that we do, even if it means making lemonade out of lemons (as in, seeing the good in a bad situation).

May I not forget God is in control of what happens in my life and may I remain sensitive to His calling and guidance. I have not made these recent BIG decisions alone! ;-)