As a pharmacist by trade, I have been an inventor and an entrepreneur my whole life. Long gone are the days of independent corner drug stores, but working in a drug store as a teenage girl inspired and shaped me in so many ways. I was constantly challenged and encouraged by managers and mentors to use and leverage my creative abilities to further my career path. Whether it was increasing patient satisfaction or negotiating contracts for soda and candy items, every challenge that I faced in my pharmacy career allowed me to reflect and taught me something new.
In business school, I continued to increase my skillset and collaborated with diverse groups of people all over the world. I have helped negotiate, innovate, and streamline drug-dispensing mechanisms. I have published and otherwise worked to enhance public awareness and outreach around numerous industry- and health-related topics.
Educating patients and providers around the world on valuable healthcare resources has become the compass of my mission. To gain the necessary perspective and foundation, I have listened carefully to the stories and concerns of my patients, and this is the reason we strive for excellence. Helping patients is the ultimate objective in my profession, and it is for the patients that we aim to maximize value—value in helping patients to access effective medications and in providing high-quality care that will extend their lives.
Compounding in the Kitchen
I met an amazing nurse who was a writer for a major national newspaper back when I was actively discovering my passions. Born an old soul, family recipes were memories that energized my spirit and storytelling. Dusting off old recipes and compounding in the kitchen led me to her, and I submitted a holiday cookie recipe to an annual contest she was judging.
Although I didn’t win that contest, I did gain a friend. She had experienced a full and rewarding life as a nurse/writer/judge/wife/mom. She was incredibly warm and authentic. I saw and felt the genuine connection right away, and as we talked, listened, and learned, she gave me an opportunity.
My new friend wrote a story for her newspaper about my nostalgia for the simpler things of the past and highlighted my award-winning jam-making skills. Back when this article was published, making jam was not considered artisan or hipster. Now, jam making is popular and practiced by Royalty, who get $15 a jar.
My gratitude for this nurse/writer/judge/wife/mom has not waned over time. I often think about how special she was for honoring my passion, how she honestly loved my jam (it is very good), and how lucky I was to meet a fellow polymath. The beautiful thing about social media is that it allows you, even loosely, to stay in touch with the past so it always feels present. I have been able to see this wonderful woman share her life over the years as she has raised 2 intelligent and handsome boys and published her own series of books. She is an amazing individual and every time I saw her posts, I couldn’t help but smile.
As humans do, my heart broke when I found out that she has a rare form of lung cancer known as invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. I reached out to her and listened to her talk about her diagnosis and the complexities she faced. I hated hearing of her numerous challenges managing and getting information about her rare disease. I hope she felt my compassion and sympathy when she shared how some in healthcare have lost their bedside manner.
Rare diseases are often called zebras. In a way, it is ironic—my old friend is a zebra. So raw and honest with her ways and words, so unique and special in this world. Thankfully, this story isn’t over. No one stripe is alike just as no story is the same. She has an ancestral journey planned to Ireland, and I hope to talk to my friend again about it once she’s home.
The Value of Hope: Bucket Lists
Years ago as a pharmacist, I introduced my patients to bucket lists. Listening to others helped me connect and learn what people valued in life. Through my passion for cooking, baking, and traveling, for example, to Ireland where I visited a lovely rustic kitchen, I had opportunities to feed people, to write, and to share my memories. Most importantly, I was able to make people smile and feel heard. I offered hope.
I have a feeling my friend’s bucket list of ideas also includes that lovely rustic kitchen table I sat at in Ireland. Bucket lists are often prepared when people are faced with a life-changing fork in the road. Yet, we tend to forget that we should not fear death but fear never being alive. Delaying life is the biggest waste of life. You take today, which is in your control, and give fate and fortune your tomorrow. Bucket lists do not need to be grand nor do they need to be abandoned entirely when specific tasks become unattainable. Just making a daily list of goals can help people live in the present, keep spirits alive, and remain optimistic regarding what lies ahead.
The pandemic halted much of our ability to socialize and forced us to pivot and reflect. The world became more connected virtually but temporarily less accessible. Bucket lists grew yet also became more simple. Climbing Mount Everest was whittled down to trying a local Nepalese restaurant to experience a new culture or watching more documentaries. Going to a Michelin star restaurant became something as lovely as trying new recipes and cooking in one’s kitchen and laughing with family.
These vignettes, these bucket lists, are personal insights into souls and passions. They are the deep lovely parts of someone where they carry hope. I share these stories to inspire you and to find hope knowing someone is always listening and willing to take you on a journey.
