During my freshman year in high school, my science teacher assigned us to interview people in the community about how they use science in their careers. Although I don’t remember most of the people I spoke with, I can tell you that I spent meaningful time with a local community pharmacist who changed my life.
What I saw was a man who loved his career and truly cared for his patients. In an instant, I knew that I wanted to become a pharmacist, and I never wavered from that goal throughout high school.
Knowing what you want to be when you grow up at age 14 is unusual, but it is very liberating. I simply had to work backwards to figure out how to achieve my goal of becoming a pharmacist.
After high school, I chose to attend Ohio Northern University (ONU) because it had a unique pharmacy program. Rather than attending college for 2 years and then applying to the pharmacy program, ONU students were admitted to the College of Pharmacy from day one.
Although it was expensive, being in pharmacy school from day one and avoiding the risk of rejection made it worthwhile for me.
In college, I spent a lot of time in the library. Although the classwork was difficult, I did well with one exception: organic chemistry.
I did fail organic chemistry—a notorious “weed out” course—but I successfully retook the class over the summer and graduated on time with the rest of my classmates. Failing a course is a difficult stumbling block, but I stood strong and persevered.
Today, I’m thankful for the wonderful pharmacy profession for so many reasons.
First, I’m thankful that community pharmacists are the health care professionals most accessible to the public. If my local pharmacist wasn’t accessible to me, then I likely would have taken a different career path.
Second, I’m proud of the work we pharmacists do, the diversity of our career options, and the relationships we share with our patients and fellow health care providers.
Pharmacy is a profession that makes a real difference in people’s lives. It certainly has made all the difference in mine.
Chicago, Hospital, Illinois, Nurses, Patients, Silly, USA | Healthy | June 7, 2018
(I don’t know it at the time, but I have a herniated disc and the painkillers they gave me for the pain just kicked in. I am walking out of the bathroom, holding my cup of pee after giving a urine sample. A nurse is standing outside, and for some reason I think she is there to collect the sample. I walk towards her, then realize she isn’t a pee collector, but it is too late; I already have her attention, so I just start talking, much to my dismay.)
Me: “Hi, do I give this to you?” *holding up the cup to her*
Nurse: *stares* “No… just… put it on the table in the room… wherever you came from.”
(I work in a restaurant, so I know the dead “did this really just happen to me?” look she had after dealing with a seemingly crazy person. I’ll be kicking myself for a while.)
Chicago, Hospital, Illinois, Nurses, Patients, Silly, USA | Healthy | June 7, 2018
(I don’t know it at the time, but I have a herniated disc and the painkillers they gave me for the pain just kicked in. I am walking out of the bathroom, holding my cup of pee after giving a urine sample. A nurse is standing outside, and for some reason I think she is there to collect the sample. I walk towards her, then realize she isn’t a pee collector, but it is too late; I already have her attention, so I just start talking, much to my dismay.)
Me: “Hi, do I give this to you?” *holding up the cup to her*
Nurse: *stares* “No… just… put it on the table in the room… wherever you came from.”
(I work in a restaurant, so I know the dead “did this really just happen to me?” look she had after dealing with a seemingly crazy person. I’ll be kicking myself for a while.)
(I’ve gone to the emergency room. I get checked in through triage, and the nurse gives me the appropriate paperwork and sends me to the next waiting area. I drop my paperwork into the tray at the waiting area as instructed and take a seat. There are five or six other people already waiting. Every few minutes, a nurse will call a name and direct that person to an exam room.)
Nurse: “[Female Name that isn’t mine].”
(Nobody responds.)
Nurse: *repeats*
(Still no response.)
Nurse: *looks directly at me* “Are you [Female Name that isn’t mine]?”
Me: *a male, shakes head* “No, that’s not me.”
(The nurse disappears after that. A short while later I’m called by the same nurse and sent to an exam room. The nurse pulls open the curtain and there’s already someone there. She seems surprised by this but directs me to another room and leaves the curtain somewhat open as I sit down. The doctor comes in to see me after a few more minutes.)
Doctor: *reading his papers* “Okay, [Female Name that isn’t mine], looks like you’re here for [not my issue].”
Me: *still a male* “No, I’m [My Name], and I’m here for [my concern].”
(The doctor looked up for the first time and saw me. He was obviously confused, but double-checked his papers and walked out. I saw him go to the occupied room I was sent to initially. I don’t know why they were so insistent on me being that woman.)
Billing, Hospital, Michigan, Money, Patients, USA | Healthy | June 5, 2018
(Shortly before we met, my husband left his job to start a new one, and his insurance lapsed for a month. During this month, he had to get an emergency appendectomy. A year and a half later, we’re down to the last $1,000 of the $10,000 he owes to the hospital. Due to my medical conditions, I’m a stay-at-home wife and mom to my step-kids, so we have had no choice but to stay with my parents during that time. We’re finally able to see the light out of the debt, and the same hospital calls me. This isn’t the first time they’ve called, but the first time I’ve answered.)
Me: “Hello?”
Caller: “Hello, is this [My Name]? I’m calling to discuss your account with [Hospital]. I see here that you owe $200 for a visit.”
Me: “Yes, I’m aware of that. I had a pretty bad bout with bronchitis, and it didn’t play well with my asthma. I fully intend to pay that $200. But since I’ve been paying you guys $10,000 for my husband’s life-saving operation, we were kind of waiting until that was paid off before paying mine.”
Caller: “Uh… I’m going to send out some financial help paperwork to you, and make a note of this. It was headed to collections, but it’ll put a hold on it for you.”
(I’m not sure if the shock in his voice was because I was intending to pay my debt, or because of how much we had already paid them, but it made me giggle. People can be surprisingly understanding if you explain the situation to them.)
Assisted Living, Bizarre, Michigan, Patients, USA, Wild & Unruly | Healthy | June 5, 2018
(I work in the dementia section of a senior living community. We have one resident who is known for her paranoid delusions and her visions of a religious nature. When dementia patients express beliefs that diverge from reality — e.g. that their long-dead spouse is waiting for them in the car, that they are the owner of the facility, etc. — it’s rarely helpful to correct their delusion, because it just makes them more agitated. We just try to keep them safe and calm, and redirect their attention if possible. Sometimes it’s not possible, though.)
Resident: “Did you see them?”
Me: “Did I see what, [Resident]?”
Resident: “The babies. They’re all dead. Satan killed them all, and they’re outside my window.”
Me: “No, I didn’t see them. But I wasn’t looking out the window. Say, [Resident], would you like to join the others in the rec room? We’re having a snack and a singalong.”
Resident: “Attack? Why would I attack you?”
Me: “No, a snack.”
Resident: “No snakes!”
Me: “Okay, how about the chapel? Should we go to the chapel? You could pray for the babies.”
Resident: “Yes, the chapel, that’s good. Let’s go to the chapel.”
(We go to the chapel, which has been known to have a calming effect on this resident in the past.)
Me: “Okay, let’s just have a seat and pray.”
Resident: “TOOL OF SATAN!”
(I turn, just in time to duck the three-foot-long, brass crucifix that is being swung towards my head. The resident, a small, frail lady, apparently snatched it from the altar, and is wielding it like a pick-axe, and her face is contorted in a red ball of rage.)
Resident: “Out! Out, you tool of Satan! You have no power here!”
Me: *knowing that saying, “I’m not a tool of Satan,” isn’t going to convince her of anything* “Oh, s***.”
(I turned and ran. My coworkers heard the commotion, and laughed heartily at the sight of a 6’2″, 250-pound man fleeing from a crucifix-wielding woman half my size. For the rest of my time there, one coworker refused to address me as anything but “Tool of Satan.”)
Assisted Living, Funny Names, Iowa, Patients, Silly, USA | Healthy | June 4, 2018
(I’m a CNA at a local nursing home. I take care of one elderly gentleman in particular that I’ve developed a very good relationship with. He calls me “Sunshine” because of my sunny demeanor, very blonde hair, and love for yellow scrubs. I am chatting with him one evening when this exchange happens
Me: *telling a story* “And my friend said, [My Name], what did you do now?”
Resident: *looks confused* “Sunshine, who is [My Name]?”
Me: *laughing* “[Resident], I’m [My Name].”
Resident: *pondering this for a moment…* “No, you’re not. You’re Sunshine! End of story!”
Extra Stupid, Florida, Patients, USA, Vet | Healthy | June 1, 2018
(I am working the overnight shift at an emergency veterinary clinic. The phone rings and I answer it
Me: “[Clinic]. This is [My Name]; how can I help you?”
Caller: “Is this [Other Clinic]?”
Me: “No, ma’am, this is [Clinic].”
Caller: “Okay, so this is [Owner of other clinic’s office]?”
Me: “No, ma’am. That’s [Other Clinic]. This is [Clinic].”
Caller: “Okay, well, I’m right outside your office at the intersection of [Road #1 ] and [Road #2 ]. My dog has an emergency.”
Me: “No, ma’am, that is [Other Clinic]. They are closed because it is two am. We’re [Clinic], which is right down the road. Head south on [Road #1 ] for about two miles until you go under the overpass, then we’re on your right-hand side.”
Caller: “Okay, are you on the left or the right?”
Me: “We’re on the right-hand side, ma’am.”
(Twenty minutes later she calls back.)
Caller: “I went all the way down to the overpass and didn’t see you, so I turned around. Where is your office?”
Me: “You have to go under the overpass before you can see our office. We’ll be on your right-hand side once you pass the freeway.”
Caller: “Okay, I’ll be right there.”
(It took her another thirty minutes to find our clinic. Her pet’s emergency? He needed a nail trim.)
home, Lazy/Unhelpful, Louisiana, Medical Office, New Orleans, Patients, USA | Healthy | May 31, 2018
(I’m in the early stages of dating my partner, and one night he falls asleep while we are watching television. It’s the first time he’s ever fallen asleep with me present and I almost immediately notice that he appears to stop breathing in his sleep for LONG periods at a time between heavy snores and gasps for air. It’s so long that it scares me, and I go to wake him up, but his own snort/gasp wakes himself up before I can.)
Me: “Did you know that you stop breathing in your sleep?”
Partner: “What are you talking about? I just snore really loudly is all.”
Me: “YES. It freaked me out.”
(He dismisses my concerns and we go back to watching television. Shortly after, he falls asleep again and I pull out my camera to record this time. It’s the weirdest and most horrifying thing to watch his back and neck muscles strain while he stops breathing for up to 45 seconds at a time — yes, I timed it. He wakes up again, and I’m prepared.)
Me: “You have to watch this. You need to go to the doctor to get this checked out. Of the three minutes I recorded, you didn’t breathe for 170 seconds!”
Partner: *after watching* “That’s probably not good.”
(Two months later, he has just finished doing the at-home sleep assessment which is required before the official sleep study at the hospital. Note that he has complained significantly about the test. He had to wear a device on his face and a band on his chest to check his breathing. They also put an “annoying pulse monitor” on the finger, so he complained that he had too many wires going to too many parts of his body for him to sleep at all during the test. Regardless, he meets with the doctor two days later to discuss the results.)
Partner: “Guess what they found out. I stop breathing in my sleep. We went through a lot of hassle to prove what we already know.”
Me: “Ha! You stop breathing while you sleep? I never would have guessed. I thought that the 30- to 45-second breaks in breath sounds were just your lungs taking a nap.”
Partner: “My record was 82 seconds. Champion!”
Me: “Woohoo! Winner! Some people can’t hold their breath that long when they are trying to.”
Bizarre, Patients, Pharmacy, USA | | Healthy | May 28, 2018
(It’s my second day working for a pharmacy at a local grocery store. We have a display near the register that has animal-themed thermometers like dolphins, seals, whales, etc. A woman walks up and picks up a dolphin thermometer, looking at it for a good minute or so.)
Health & Body, home, Parents/Guardians, Patients, USA, Washington | | Healthy | May 27, 2018
(When I was in middle school, I dislocated my shoulder for the first time. Since then, I have dislocated it several times in a few different ways. This is the first time I dislocate it while sleeping. I wake up and realize my arm is not in the right location. I manage to get upright and moving out of my room. I make it to the door to my parents room and knock.)
Bad Behavior, Ohio, Patients, Pharmacy, USA | | Healthy | May 26, 2018
(I work in a pharmacy in a large box store. On Sundays, when only one pharmacist is on duty, the pharmacy shuts down for them to take a lunch break. This story is related to me by one of the pharmacists. The gate is down, but can sort of be seen through, and the pharmacist can be glimpsed through the holes.)
Lady: *at the top of her voice* “HEY! HEY, YOU! ARE YOU OPEN?!”
Pharmacist: “Uh, no, ma’am, we reopen in ten minutes. Please come back then.”
Lady: “IT’LL ONLY TAKE A MINUTE! I NEED SOME BUTT CREAM!”
Pharmacist: “Ma’am, we’re closed! Please come back in ten minutes.”
Lady: “BUTT! CREAM! JUST GIVE ME SOME G**D*** BUTT CREAM!”
Pharmacist: “Ma’am, we’re closed! We’ll reopen in ten minutes!”
Lady: “THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I JUST NEED SOME BUTT CREAM!”
(She finally stormed off… two minutes before we reopened for business.)
Emergency Room, Extra Stupid, Patients, USA | | Healthy | May 24, 2018
(I work at a small emergency department, not far from an amusement park. We get a steady stream of minor injuries from the park most days, but this one is unique. A teenage boy who is definitely old enough to know better is brought in by ambulance after he calls 911.)
Doctor: “So, what made you call 911 today? Must have been pretty serious.”
Boy: “Well, I started getting really dizzy. And I felt like I was going to throw up.”
Doctor: “Hmm, well, that could be any number of things. Did you do anything new or unusual today that might have triggered these symptoms?”
Boy: “I felt fine until I went on the Tilt-a-Whirl…”
Doctor: “I… you… I think you’re going to be okay.”
(Yes, he literally called 911 without asking his parents because he got motion sick. No, he didn’t have a developmental disability that would have explained his decision. His older sister showed up shortly after, heard what he’d done, slapped him upside the head, and dragged him out of the department. His parents are not going to be happy with the bill.)
Australia, Language & Words, Medical Office, Patients, Silly | | Healthy | May 23, 2018
(In Australia, certain medical costs are covered by Medicare for everyone and some only for specific populations. A person with a chronic disease can access some funding for allied health visits through a program colloquially called a Care Plan. Word of mouth from friends or family often makes people aware of this.)
Elderly Female Patient: “My friend told me I should ask you about family planning. “
Doctor: *taken aback* ” Did you mean family planning? Because that’s things like contraception.”
Patient: “OH! ” *laughter*
Doctor: “Oh, you meant a Care Plan!” *more laughter from both* “Unless you did want to have a baby?”
Gym, Health & Body, Illinois, Jerk, Strangers, USA | | Healthy | May 22, 2018
(I have pretty mild Tourette’s syndrome, with my only real vocal tics being a wheeze, a cough, or consistent sniffling. Most people understand once it’s explained to them. I’m at the gym, working on the arc trainer, and my Tourette’s is having a bad day, so I’m making all manner of noises. Next to me are two ladies. I have my headphones on, so I’m pretty oblivious to the goings-on around me, when suddenly I’m being tapped on the arm. I take my headphones off and look over to see one of the ladies standing by the machine I’m on.)
Lady: “Excuse me, but you should be wearing a mask if you’re sick.”
Me: “Huh? I’m not sick. I feel fine, but thanks?”
Lady: “You’re coughing and wheezing and sniffling. You must have a cold or the flu. You shouldn’t even be here, but if you’re going to be, you need a mask!”
Me: “Oh! I’m sorry; I actually have Tourette’s. I’m not sick; those are just my tics.”
Lady: “If you’re sick, you should wear a mask.”
Me: “But I’m not sick. I just told you. I have Tourette’s. It’s a neurological thing. I’m not physically ill.”
Lady: “I’m a nurse! I know what Tourette’s is, and you should be wearing a mask!”
(At this point, I’m more annoyed by the fact this lady is interrupting my workout than her insistence she knows more about my health than I do.)
Me: “If you know what Tourette’s is, then you know a mask wouldn’t do any good. I am not sick. I’m sorry if the tics caused some confusion.”
Lady: “You should be wearing a mask if you’re going to be sick here! I’m going to complain to the front desk!”
Me: “But I’m not sick. And really, if you’re worried about germs, is this really the place for you to be?”
Lady: *after a moment of silence* “You should have a mask.”
(She and her friend then moved down to the end of the row of cardio machines and went back to their workout, and I went back to mine. They kept shooting me dirty looks throughout. The worst part is my Tourette’s gets worse when attention is drawn to it, as I get very self-conscious and nervous. So, thanks. Nice job breaking it, lady.)
Bad Behavior, British Columbia, Canada, Optometrist/Optician, Patients, Vancouver | | Healthy | May 21, 2018
(A customer and her husband have walked in and I go over to help them find some glasses. During our conversation, I ask the wife if they’ve seen an optometrist, as we have one on staff that accepts walk-ins.)
Customer: “Yes, we’ve already seen an optometrist. Several, actually. It took us a long time to find one that we like.”
Me: “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m glad that you found one that you liked.”
Customer: “Yes, they were all so awful. One was so bad that we had to report him to the Board of Optometrists!”
(I usually avoid getting into the politics and gossip regarding other optometrists, so I try to keep my response vague. The wife seems to be getting more agitated the more she talks about it.)
Me: “Oh, I’m sorry to hear about that.”
Customer: “Well, I heard he’s dead now, anyway, so that’s good!”
Me: “Wow… That’s actually really horrible.”
Customer: “Oh. I guess I shouldn’t say things like that, should I?”
(The customer shrugged and turned to ask her husband a question, completely unfazed. I’ve worked all kinds of retail over 15 years now, and I’ve never heard something so awful come out of someone’s mouth before. I left them alone to look and never helped the couple again.)
Extra Stupid, Hospital, Patients, USA | | Healthy | May 20, 2018
(I work in healthcare and am talking to a man in his fifties who is having angina for the first time.)
Me: “You haven’t had a heart attack, but this pain is probably coming from your heart.”
Man: “But I’m only 50-something, and there are no heart problems in my family. Why would that be?”
Me: “You smoke 30 cigarettes a day and drink two cartons of beer per week. That’s not good for your heart. You should think about cutting down.”
Man: “I’m sick of you people telling me that bulls***! It’s a scientifically proven fact that smoking makes your arteries smaller, and drinking makes them bigger! If I keep drinking and smoking, I’ll be fine!”
Me: “That’s not at all how it works, but I see I’m not going to change your mind. You’ll be going upstairs soon.”
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