Good Health - NOT taken for granted.

While working in the pharmacy this week, I filled a prescription for a 55-years-old patient, who was a diabetic, with high blood pressure and cholesterol, and who was also experiencing depression. I listened as the pharmacist counseled her on her medications, understanding only tid bits of their conversation, based on my humble knowledge of Spanish words & phrases.

My encounter with this patient really made me stop to think, and feel grateful for the good health that I am currently blessed with. I could not imagine how difficult life must be for this patient; having to endure the pains and symptoms that accompany her multiple health concerns, having to make numerous visits to the doctors' offices to ensure that her conditions were stable, and finally, having to take the numerous of pills that she needed to take at every meal, on a daily basis.

I am guilty of taking my health for granted, but I feel that I am, now, MUCH more aware of how much of a blessing great health can be. I am more motivated to live a health lifestyle, and to make more of an effort to take care of myself, and my loved ones. My first attempt of becoming more fit started just the other day, when I ran a total of 3 miles from my apartment on Hermann Dr. to UST, and back! :)

Counting...

I began volunteering at the San Jose clinic last Spring, and spent much of my time there helping the clinic staff with housekeeping tasks that needed to be taken care of following their big move from the old building to the new one on Fannin. I also helped with the big "thank-you" project, in which I made cards for all those who helped make the clinic's annual "Art with Heart" fundraiser a great success!

Over the summer, I began using my pharmacy technician certification to help out in the clinic's pharmacy. I found myself counting what seemed like an endless number of pills, filling one prescription bottle after another, from the time I stepped into the pharmacy at 9:00am until I left the pharmacy, shortly after 1:00pm. Despite the incredibly fast pace working environment of the pharmacy, I enjoyed having the opportunity to be in the pharmacy, because I had the chance to interact more directly with the patients. Many of the patients that come to the pharmacy are Hispanic, non-English speaking patients, and I was amazed at my pharmacist (who is a middle aged Vietnamese woman), and her ability to fluently communicate with the patients in Spanish. Since the summer, I am proud to say that I have been able to pick up a few Spanish phrases, in order to answer some basic questions that patients may have. :)

For this semester's service learning project, I will continue to volunteer at the San Jose Clinic's pharmacy. I look forward to continuing to provide aide to those in our community who are in most need of our help, and to also learn more about patient care and the clinical environment through this experience.