Oncology Service Project Reflection

Today I was part of a group that helped to hang the banners for the Denver Race for the Cure.  The race is actually tomorrow, and hanging banners was the best way I could find for me to help with my schedule and living in the mountains.  

When I contemplated walking the race last year, I discovered it was going to be far too emotional for me, and I wasn't ready even though I was planning to walk it with some very supportive friends.  My cousin, Jenni, had passed away only 8 months prior, from breast cancer, and my uncle, dad, and sister had recently been found to be positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation.  I was still waiting to be tested, so felt there was too much going on, and oddly I felt like I didn't know where I'd fit in, in the race. 

This year, in light of the Oncology service project requirement, I found that, again, I am not ready to walk in the Race for the Cure, amongst the throngs of survivors and loved ones of those who have not survived.  My sister is facing a prophylactic mastectomy and beginning of reconstructive surgery this coming Tuesday, and she was (and has been and will be) very much on my mind, as were my cousin, and my aunt who passed from breast cancer in 1984.  Thus, there was a fair amount of emotion as I contemplated even helping hang banners.

I am not sure how this will affect my practice in pharmacy, except maybe in light of putting myself out there, interacting with strangers for a common goal.  I was open for whatever the experience brought my way.  What I found was that I amongst a group of very nice, very different from one another, in terms of background, but in terms of heart, very similar people.  Amid the seeming chaos in the world, it helped to restore a bit of faith in humanity, and working together with such souls was rewarding.  This will likely be a handy understanding to have as I work in pharmacy, in accepting each person as a child of God, and remaining open to their unique gifts they have to share, whether it's a patient or a coworker.

A life lesson that was apparent in our activities is that each of us had unique talents or aspects to ourselves that came in handy when coordinating with one another to brainstorn some tricky obstacles we came across in our hanging the banners.  I had the opportunity to lean on some knowledge I've gained from being a quilter, others were able to use their height to an advantage, others their tenacity to walk distances and remain cheerful.  We are all unique, as I am sure I will experience (and have experienced) in my life and pharmacy practice, and we all have something to contribute to this thing called Life.  One person doing that job alone would have been a disaster and taken forever, thus another good life lesson is that we are here to help and love one another, and any job can be quickly done, and be fun, with a creative cooperative group effort.

I am grateful for this experience.

P3 Year So Far

It's crazy to think that our class is already this far.  Seems like yesterday we were all meeting for the first time either at our interviews or at Welcome Week.  Every session we have I meet more of my class members and I am excited about that.  I feel sad when I think of the class members who are no longer in our class for whatever reason, but I know that life happens and our plans often get rearranged to suit a bigger purpose, even if it doesn't seem that way at the time. 

As for me, I keep plugging away.  The amount of work this year is even more than last year, however I find that I am enjoying, or have the capacity of enjoying, (there really isn't much time to consider enjoying) the classes more this year as they are more applicable to clinical practice and bringing all of the bits and pieces we've been gathering over the past two years, together.  I notice that our current therapeutics chapter on hypertension is written by Dr. Joseph Sasseen, from the pharmacy school at the University of Colorado.  He was my interviewer there.  He was very personable, enthusiastic, comfortable, open-minded, and seemed excited to hear more about my "interesting" background in Chinese Medicine.  He helped me feel that CU would be a good place for me, and I felt encouraged.  I was accepted there several weeks later, and was trying to figure out my life and my huge commute across town every day, etc., while I awaited the news from Creighton, which was offering a more flexible (and far more expensive, yet balanced) program.  I was wait-listed at Creighton, so CU was truly my most viable option at the time.  Oregon State U. and Regis University had also accepted me, however both offered their own challenges to attending.  OSU was out of state, and I still had my youngest son at home, and that would have been a difficult year away, for both of us, as much as I love Oregon and their little pharmacy school.  I would have been in Regis University's first graduating class, and a pharmacy school cannot gain accreditation until it graduates its first class, and the pharmacy boards cannot be taken until a student has graduated from an accredited PharmD program.  I'm sure that Regis U will have no problems getting accredited for their first class, but I so did not want to be a guinea pig after my experiences with Chinese Medicine school(s).  I knew I needed to be at an established program.  Creighton is the oldest pharmacy school in the country, and the only one that has an accredited Distance program.

I was finally accepted at Creighton and at that moment my whole life shifted into bigger and greater things.  My life is great with my new husband and having the ability to live in the mountains.  I am very grateful for the program at Creighton.  I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like had I ended up at CU.  I know I would be spending MUCH more time in my car commuting, and wouldn't have had the time and energy to commence and develop the most amazing relationship I've ever had. 

I diverge a bit from the topic of the P3 year, I guess I'm just astonished that it's going so quickly, and before we know it we're going to be on rotations.  I am looking forward to rotations, even though I don't know much of what to expect.  I look forward to getting out there and interacting with the 'in person' world of pharmacy and gaining more information so that I have a better idea of what I will do with all of this new knowledge.

This reminds me of an awareness I had earlier this week on the way to one of my exams.  I was listening to an NPR story about prescription medication addiction and the prevailing problem it is without apparent answers.  The day before this story aired, we had a lecture on Lifestyle Modification to help patients to learn how to better take care of themselves through diet and exercise and stress-relieving activities, in order to decrease their chances of developing chronic preventable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.   My weird entreprenurial mind kicked in and I began envisioning a clinic where one focus is helping patients with their addiction to pain medication through Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, and other modalities, but also within the context of being a pharmacist with the knowledge of the medications and hopefully being able to work with doctors and other health care workers.  Dr. Chen, who was the L.Ac. and PharmD who taught a workshop I took over the summer, said that one of the biggest niches that an acupuncturist could work in would be in pain medication addiction.  I know, too, that if Lifestyle Management could also fall within the scope or realm of pharmacy, then that's another area to consider creating a clinic of focus utilizing the complementary medicine modalities I have in my toolbox, but also the drug knowledge I'm learning in pharmacy school.  On top of this it would be very cool, once I'm comfortable, to provide a compounding service to the local community.

Up until this point I was mainly contemplating finding a pharmacy job after graduation to give my entrepreneur a rest (which she is a little bit while I'm in school).  It seems like a good idea to have a job, an income, etc., and not have the stress of starting and running another business.  However, if I were to work full time, I'd have little time for practicing acupuncture and Chinese herbs, which I love to do.  My wonderful husband suggests a happy medium:  Work part time in a pharmacy that I enjoy and that could support my entrepreneurial endeavors.  He's a smart man, and seems to know me well.  I also realized that I can create what I want to do with a PharmD, so that it's in complete alignment with my self. 

I have a dear friend who has just completed her degree in Chinese medicine and is in that wonderful waiting period post-graduation and pre-licensing.  I enjoyed this period, as it was a truly creative time as I explored and created my first clinic.  I am looking forward to this time, again, to have the time and freedom to explore the possibilities.

Right now, though, it's about succeeding in/passing these demanding classes, as this takes pretty much ALL of my time, and MOST of my energy.  I can pretty much, honestly, say, that this is my final degree.   I can see taking classes in the future that utilize the other side of my brain, like drawing, painting, or basket-weaving, but all just for fun and likely one at a time.

The end is in sight, and "they" promise that the 4th year is worth the wait and hard work.

Half Way Through: May 2011

It is impossible to realize that two years of pharmacy school are behind me, with two more to go.  We really have only one year left of the didactic course work and then a full year of rotations before graduation in May, 2013.  Once I graduate in 2013 I can sit for the NAPLEX pharmacy board certifying exams, and then obtain my state right n license to practice pharmacy.  These last steps seem very far off to me right now, however, considering how quickly the past two years have screamed by, I think they will be here before I know it.

The classes have been a LOT of work and often very trying.  Overall, I feel I am obtaining lots of pertinent and interesting information for my future, and it still seems, at this point, very piece meal.  I am hoping that the P3 year pulls it together with all of the pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, dosage forms, pharmaceutics, and the myriad other classes our class is making its way through.  Through the process I am learning lots of self-acceptance, and continuing to let go of whatever perfectionism might remain from past programs. Over the last two semesters I've sacrificed some A's in order to try to pull C's up to B's.  B is for Balance, I say.  I know the program is not about the grades, for the most part (unless I want to be competitive for residencies after graduation).  I do always want to perform the best I am able, and with seven courses, that is difficult for me to do  most of the time.  I am glad that I survived the P2 year in pretty good shape, grade-wise and everything else-wise, and have most of the entire summer to rest and recover before plunging into more intense schoolwork.  

It's funny how we kept hearing how the P2 year is the most difficult year, and this year we heard that it's the most difficult year until we get to the P3 year.  I know I will make it, but I feel if the program were any longer, or any more difficult, I would be completely second-guessing this decision.


It was three years ago,  in 2008, that I set this whole back-to-school PharmD thing in motion.  I'm glad I did, and I'm happy with the choices I've made along the way, including the program of study and school in which to study.  I had several options presented to me in 2009, in terms of where I could attend school and how, and I love the story of how it all fell into place with the right timing. 

It still feels as though obtaining a PharmD is a wise career decision, and I know that the path I take with it once I've graduated will be clear when I get there.  I know I have been Divinely led to this program, and am being Divinely led through it.  For now, I am enjoying the process as much as I can, continuing to find as much balance a I can through it.  The past year has been  a blur, well, actually the last two years have been a blur, and nothing specific comes to mind to blog about, so, for now I will let the year rest.  Some new and exciting career ideas are presented in my last blog from earlier today.

Compounding Possibilities

Dissolvable troches

I just completed a two day "boot camp" training at the Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA) in Houston, TX.  I really enjoyed this, because 1) it was well-taught and organized, 2) it provided lots of hands-on opportunities to create unique dosage forms in a lab.  I always enjoyed my general and organic chemistry laboratories during my undergraduate years, so this was a nice practical confluence of old and new.  Also, 3) it provided a spark of a thought of and idea of a possibility of where I might be able to utilize and combine my knowledge of Eastern and Western medicine. 

My lab station at PCCA

A few of the compounds made the first day of boot camp

Suddenly a vision of a compounding pharmacy appeared where I could provide not only unique and creative dosage forms for patients who are challenged by the manufactured pharmaceuticals, either through allergies to drug components, or not having the correct dose available in the traditional forms, but also I'd be able to proved Chinese herbal remedies, either in the traditional decocted tea formulations, or capsulized powders, or also utilizing the compounding methods I've just learned.  With this new awareness in mind I have done some research and have found another Chinese medicine practitioner who also has a PharmD (aside from Dr. John Chen who also has a PhD, OMD, etc. and writes some of the textbooks for Oriental Medicine - I'm taking a workshop from him in July).

Setting up to make lollipops

Part of the museum at PCCA

Throw back to when pharmacy was mostly botanicals

The woman I found in Edmonds, WA, offers compounded medications (such as bioidentical hormone replacement, pain relief, veterinarian needs, etc. with a physician's prescription) as well as herbal remedies, and combination of the two for the optimal therapy for each patient.  I really like this idea, especially the individualization of the dosage forms, and the aspect of direct patient care.  Check out her site: The Compounding Pharmacy

Me in the compounding pharmacy museum at PCCA

 
I will be doing more research, especially visiting local physicians and veterinarians and see how receptive they are to something unusual.  If I were to open my own pharmacy, this is the type it would be.  We have plenty of regular community pharmacies in our little town:  King Soopers, Safeway, Walgreens, and WalMart, and it seems it would be pretty silly for me to spend the money, time, and energy to set up something that isn't unique.  


The entrepreneur in me gets excited about these ideas, and I know that when it comes to starting whatever I'm going to start, I will be approaching it differently than I did when I began my Chinese medicine practice.  I have learned much in the last seven years in practice in Chinese medicine.  I still have a couple of years, at least, before I plunge into a new venture, so I have lots of time to explore possibilities and develop a business plan (or business plans) and tweak it as new knowledge is gleaned and life events happen that change and mold dreams.

What is Esoteric Acupuncture?

I wrote this awhile ago, but it is not in a blog.  So, here it is.  I love this level of acupuncture, and for those patients who are in a balanced state, there are tremendous rewards for enhancing connection to their spiritual selves.  I definitely enjoy helping people with the more "standard" issues like pain, digestive and hormonal issues (and more), but the esoteric is especially rewarding.

So, here's part of the scoop:

Esoteric Acupuncture:  This is Dr. Sankey's first book on the subject.  It is a great read for more than acupucnturist, it's mainly for anyone who is interested in learning how to heal and balance and connect in the spiritual realm.

 

Esoteric Acupuncture:  What Is It & How Can It Help Me?  

Esoteric Acupuncture is a form of acupuncture which utilizes the principles of Sacred Geometry, Hindu Chakra System, and the Qabbalistic Tree of Life to assist us in our own spiritual practices and development. Its aim is not that of treating physical illnesses as such but instead to balance us on a deeper level. Esoteric Acupuncture assists us in becoming conscious of and able to live in progressively deeper and more profound spiritual energies or levels of consciousness. The patterns of Esoteric Acupuncture assist and support our own inner work, whatever form this may take.  Sessions of Esoteric Acupuncture can be very powerful and feel quite different from a traditional acupuncture treatment.

What should I expect on an energetic level during and after a treatment?

As Esoteric Acupuncture is directly concerned with assisting our own spiritual evolution the effects can be very profound and unusual both during a treatment and afterward.   During a treatment many people are able to sense the spinning of the points contacted by the needles. Many perceive the building of a geometric structure around them or within them. Many report experiences which are highly visual in nature.  Some report observing energy movements in their chakras or central channel. Others report simply 'knowing' and understanding a new perspective. Some individuals have reported being aware of other beings in the room guiding the treatment or assisting their own understanding of the Pattern.

The effects following a treatment vary from individual to individual and depend upon what inner work a person regularly performs. Generally speaking, people report that things in life which previously were 'issues' or 'blocks' are either resolved or much reduced in their effect. Others report new perspectives in their meditation or magical work. Some people have experienced profound levels of insight and the awakening of psychic powers. Others have simply felt safe and protected in times of trouble. 

One aspect which is often reported is that the effects of treatment often ripple out into one's life and the theme of the pattern will commonly be reflected back at you by events in your life and changes within yourself. This synchronicity is something very commonly experienced with Esoteric Acupuncture, on many levels.

It is important to remember that Esoteric Acupuncture doesn't do the work for us. Dramatic effects during and following the patterns are usually based on a considerable amount of prior inner work. Esoteric Acupuncture can open many doors for us and show us new insights but it still for us to walk through those doors and to integrate these insights into our daily lives.

Esoteric Acupuncture is the work of Dr. Mikio Sankey. Working together with Djwhal Khul and other Ascended Masters of the Wisdom, Dr. Sankey is taking Acupuncture information to the next step for our new Golden Age. 

I trained directly with Dr. Sankey in 2007.  It was a wonderful treat to do so!