The physician they are waiting to see is also waiting for the results of those lab tests so that he/she can evaluate them, determine a diagnosis, and discuss a plan with the patient. After that appointment, the patient could have multiple other appointments with a specialist, a dietitian, a physical therapist, or an ophthalmologist. All before finally making it to the pharmacy, the usual last stop of the day before heading home. After an already full 6-8-hour day of appointments, they are usually completely tired of waiting.

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Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation 1 Peter 2:2-3

A couple of years ago, I was given the opportunity to babysit my two beautiful God-babies for three days while their parents went off on a well-deserved vacation. At the time, the bouncy baby boy was a one-year-old and the noticeably independent little girl was two.

You have to know that the last time I’d been entrusted with taking care of babies in diapers by myself was…well, never. I don’t currently have children of my own, so I couldn’t draw from personal experience. Maybe you could count my week-long experience volunteering at a daycare 15 years prior or give me credit for changing my then 21-year-old brother’s diapers oh say 21 years ago. But even then, I was never unsupervised. I had my doubts, but their parents had full confidence in me.

One thing I noticed that never changes about babies is their desire for milk. And when that desire comes, they are not shy about expressing it and letting anyone in the vicinity know that it’s time to eat. Their faces contort into this ghastly expression. Their legs start kicking in rage. And the most distinctly horrifying sounds flood from their mouths. A gut-wrenching, high-shrill cry that tugs right at the heart strings.

Maybe you’ve been there. Consoling them won’t do the trick. Distracting them is not a tactic that works. Even a pacifier only presents a temporary solution, until they realize they’ve been hoodwinked.

Babies have but one desire. One interest. One craving in that moment. Milk. And they want it right away. Continue reading

Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

A common theme of 2016 was the constant reminder of the brevity of life. Many experienced personal losses of relatives or friends. News stories reported on mass shootings and terroristic attacks. Social media broadcast fatal police brutality against citizens. Headlines brought attention to targeted shooting of policemen. And then there was the loss of celebrity after celebrity…so many in fact that #RIP found its way into the top 10 hashtags of the year.

It was a constant uncomfortable reminder that our days on earth are indeed numbered. Though that fact may seem daunting, especially in the context of a fresh new year, with the right perspective, it should also bring you hope.

The reality of death promotes a greater value of life.

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After working in pharmacy for several years, you naturally build a rapport with your patients. You recognize their name when it’s called. You greet them with a smile or ask about their children or grandchildren. You notice the change in temperament when they’re in pain. You know who is likely to be friendly, and sadly, who’s likely to get on your last nerve.

There’s a certain comfort with the familiar.

Not so with a new patient. He presents new challenges. She brings unfamiliarity. On approach, you don’t know if she’s a stay-at-home mom with 3 kids or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. You have no idea of his long hours spent building his small business or the financial strain this illness presents to his family. You don’t know whether they’ll be friendly or cantankerous, patient or hurried, inquisitive or uninterested.

“New” brings uncertainty. You can never anticipate what to expect.

But new brings blessings, too. Embedded within new is the chance to impact another life or have theirs impact yours. New presents an opportunity to forge unique relationships. New offers the option to grow and move outside of the comfort of the familiar. Continue reading

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Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13

Rigorous training. Busy days juggling a full course-load. Long nights studying for exams.  Fun and games exchanged for textbooks and flashcards. Sleep deprivation. Significant expense.

But alas, you did it! You graduated, passed your licensing exams, and became an official healthcare provider. Graduated at the top of your class? Stellar! Got inducted into the Honor Society? Outstanding achievement.

But as you know, patients coming in for treatment, aren’t the least bit concerned with our degrees, the GPA we earned to get it, the honor society induction, or the long road of study taken to get licensed. Their top concern is, having gone through the extensive training, what difference can you make in addressing my diagnosis?

Likewise, no matter how many church services we attend, what office we hold in that ministry, how many scriptures we’ve memorized or how close we purport to be to Jesus, those are all rigorous training opportunities. The concern is what differences do those things make on the lives we live and the ones we effect?

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“Scalpel please!” Famous first words used at the start of surgery…at least as seen on TV. Surgeons have the unique task of making the distinction between healthy cells and perhaps cancerous, gangrenous, or otherwise infected cells. A thin line of delineation can exist between what belongs and what must be removed. So they don’t approach the procedure with a dull butter knife. Nor do they show up with hacksaw in hand. The tool of choice for the job is a scalpel, a razor-sharp blade that slices with precision and intention.

It’s interesting to me that the word of God in Ephesians 6:17 is described as the sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12-13 uses even more picturesque language, depicting the word of God as living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division between soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Can’t you just visualize the patient on the operating table “open and laid bare”. Sterile environment. High-beam lights to maximize visibility. Monitors beeping rhythmically in the background. Chest cavity open. Heart exposed, pulsating. And there, in the gown and gloves is the Master Surgeon, the Great Physician with scalpel in hand, ready to operate.

But this surgery won’t require a deep incision through the epidermis, dermis, or subcutaneous layers of skin. No anesthesia, blood loss, stitches, or sutures. This surgery is spiritual in nature. But akin to every other major surgery, pain is indeed involved.

For though there is no physical incision, there is a Bible-shaped scalpel that cuts deeper than any surgical instrument ever could.

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In recent months, the concussion discussion consistently made the headlines. It primarily effected the world of contact sports. Protocols were revamped and updated to ensure proper diagnosis, treatment, and adequate recovery time prior to players returning to the game. Controversy surrounded the Hollywood movie release of “Concussion” starring Will Smith because a spotlight was shined on the subject in the professional arena. Great attention was focused on concussions because of the seriousness of its effects.

Concussions result when injury is caused to the brain, perhaps from an unexpected blow to the head. They are a minor form of a broader topic of traumatic brain injury (TBI), with symptoms usually appearing temporarily and resolving over time. Common concussion symptoms manifest in four key ways:

• Visual: visual disturbances, sensitivity to light, seeing stars

• Auditory: ringing in the ears, sensitivity to noise

• Verbally: slurred speech, delayed response to questions

• Overall mental ability: dizziness/off-balance, confusion, memory loss, headache, temporary loss of consciousness (may or may not occur)

No small matter. It’s no wonder, then, that we are told by Paul in Ephesians 6:17 to take up the helmet of salvation. Helmets were in Paul’s day and still are today a vital defensive piece of the uniform designed to protect the head from injury. Obviously guarding the head from potential impact is important. It houses the control factor of the whole body, the brain.

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Noncompliance. A very frustrating aspect of patient care. Mainly because two primary expectations are at work. Expectation #1: Patients expect to encounter a knowledgeable provider who will not only diagnose their condition, but tell them how to successfully treat it. Expectation #2: Providers expect that having given the diagnosis and treatment plan, the patient will be compliant with the regimen.

So, you as provider collaborated with the necessary services to determine the patient’s diagnosis. You utilized your expertise to design an evidence-based treatment plan. You exceeded your allotted appointment time to comprehensively explain the plan, the importance of taking the medication, what to expect, and the prescribed duration of therapy.

…only to check the medical record to learn that follow-up appointments have been missed.

…only to discover vital medications have not been timely filled or refilled.

…only to find that their labs are worse than before or their vital signs show decline with each new visit.

Or worse, while admitted to the hospital, prescribed care is refused or they elect to leave Against Medical Advice (AMA).  Urgh!!!

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