A visit to my neighbour.

ok, this is the second post of today, but I really want to share this post to all my vcp druggies.

Just now I paid a visit to my neighbour, who is turning 96 years old in January 22nd (2009). His wife told me that he had an heart attack for the first time in his life a few weeks ago when he was away on a trip to his daughter's 70th bithday in Townsville. Now he is back in Melbourne after beign in hostipal for 3 weeks there.

So i decided to take some time and visit him today.

He seems pretty healthy, which is a good sign. And i am glad he is better now. He told me it had been an awful night for him when that happened. He was sent to Townsvlle hostpal and then was transfered to a cardiovascular specialist. He didn't have an operation but a lot of injections, which was terrible, he said. "and i had these insulin injections....for...i think my blood sugar level"

Then he showed me this calender pack for his medication. It comes in one week dose. Monday to Sunday; and is divied into " Morning. Lunch. Dinner. Bedtime" He said this is a brilliant idea coz all he had to do after is meal/before bed time is to get a glass of water, open that particular foil on the package according to the day and time, and take the meicines! { Guys! our adherence lecture :P }

"Well, you see, I am on 14.5 (FOURTEEN and A HALF) tablets each day. I have no idea what I had to take so many, it gets pretty confusing sometimes. I used to take Beta blockers too but now they discharged me with these other 10 medications. *sigh* its just too many tablets!..."

I turned to the back of the pack and realised he's on loop diuretic-frusemide, digoxin, aspirin, simvastatin and some other generic forms of blood pressure and cardiovascular medications. I felt sorry for him. Sometimes its very hard for an eldery having to take so many medications each day, not knowing what they are exactly.

I guess we all have to understand what they're going thro, and let them unerstand that "No matter how many medicines you're taking, even tho you're on a lot of medications, as long as they help you in you life, they make you feel better. Thats teh most important thing" (This is something I heard my pharamcist said one day when I was working)

Counsell them, provide them with the information they missed out on the medications. Be there for them, sometimes all an eldery wants is to have someone to talk to. Let them know that there are people here who cares for them.

They might be cases or things we heard in our pharmacy practise lecture; but when it comes to a real patients with real situations, it feels slightly different ( Thats what I feel anyway ).

Still 3 years to go IF i dont fail my exams this sem.

The linger I am in ths couse, the more I feel that I Am studying not because I want to please my relatives or parents; not because of the stable/flexible and highly respected career or the money that I will earn. (Maybe it will become more important when I hv my own family, but not for now). I study because I love it; I love to communicate with people and I want to do the best for them. It is not just my job and responsibility, but something I truly love to do.