When we have a headache or a backache we tend to pop a pill. Usually the drug of choice would be Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is an NSAID which stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. These drugs help with reducing inflammation in the body. It can help with any back pain , muscle pain or anything that ends with -itis . NSAIDs are great at relieving pain. Pain is sometimes something so hard to treat because for one , pain is caused by many different reasons. And pain is also very difficult to quantify or measure.

There are some prescription NSAIDs but there are also available over the counter. Though they are easily available it is important to consider some side effects. One thing to keep in mind is that NSAIDs can cause some serious GI problems. So for those with a history of ulcers or have any IBD or IBS or similar diseases should be wary of NSAIDS. These can cause some serious stomach bleeds.

It is also important to be careful when pregnant. NSAIDs can have serious effects on the unborn baby. But there are also some studies that say it may also lead to miscarriage.

People with high blood pressure should also stay clear of NSAIDs. This is important to keep in mind because sometimes high blood pressure can cause tension headaches. Most time people reach for ibuprofen for headaches , so it is important to pick the best pain reliever in regards to your health.

Overall NSAIDs are very helpful, but it is important to verify if it should be your first choice.

Where do I even begin ? Let’s start with my own personal story . Though it is not quite as horrific as others I have heard , it truly made me think.

I remember after I got my last three wisdom teeth removed and I was coming out of anesthesia. I was being woken up and escorted to another room to sit . I felt a little woozy and the dental tech was holding on to me saying

“ no no you are stronger than this come on let’s go”. Even though my anesthesia did not completely wear off , I had an unsettled feeling. Since then I wondered why a complete stranger who does not know me came to the conclusion that I should be able to walk straight after having surgery and being high off of anesthesia. That did not sit well with me. And it actually slightly frightened me. What if it was a different situation? What if I was giving birth and I was in pain and no one believed me?

You may think my thoughts are outrageous but they are true. Black women in the United States have three to four times higher risk of death from childbirth than white women . Black babies are twice as likely to die from birth than white babies. And Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer even though we are less likely have it . Black women are also less likely to receive pain medication when needed.

There was a story of a woman who went to the doctors office because she was constantly wheezing . The doctor told her she was wheezing because she had asthma and that she should stop eating so much and lose weight . This black woman knew it was something different . Later she was rushed to the ER admitted into the ICU to find out that she had congestive heart failure . She then found out that the wheezing and sudden weight gain was due to fluid building up in her lungs and lower extremities .

A 19 year old black woman who was engaged to her now husband were expecting a baby . Her white doctor very much assumed it was a teen pregnancy. This black woman was constantly throwing up and could not keep anything down . She went to her doctor's office and was told to toughen up and that it was normal . She kept going and was given antiemetics which did not work for her . She ended up losing 75 pounds and became weak . She lost strength in her legs and was then bound to a wheelchair. She was told that her legs were numb because of the size of her baby. This woman found out at 28 weeks that she miscarried at 5 weeks and that she was sick because her body was fighting an infection. She had muscle atrophy on both legs and was not able to walk the whole summer . The interesting thing is that she had a white friend who had the same issues and went to the same hospital and was admitted right away. Though her child was born prematurely, her child was given the fighting chance to live .

Serena Williams who is an all star tennis player winning 23 Grand Slams was not immune to the unfair treatments of black women . She herself had a traumatic birth experience which nearly ended her life due doctors not listening to her.

These are the horrors that some black women may face . The women who are more educated in health field , or around resources may be able to prevent some of the situations . But no everyone may have those opportunities. Being in pharmacy school, I realized black people in general are more likely to have most known health conditions . Many factors are the cause of this , one being systemic racism .

Just like my last article I wrote , I want to emphasize on the importance of advocating for oneself . As a Black woman, I feel like if I was white my Ulcerative Colitis would have been caught sooner or taken seriously . As a black woman I believe our voices are just as important as anyone else’s . The health of our bodies and minds are essential for not just ourselves, but our family , friends and community . I believe the meaning of being a strong black woman also means , pausing and taking care of yourself . Being able to admit to not being mentally ok , not being physically ok or emotionally ok . We need to take care of ourselves and this system needs to take care of us . I urge my sisters of color to please always speak up , educate yourselves and others around you . And for those not of color, speak up and also educate yourself to be able to support when being in the presence of such injustices .

Resources for black women :

• Therapy for Black Girls
• Black Mental Health Resources - The Women's Center

I never knew what loneliness felt until the pandemic. I know for sure I am not the only one. I remember right before the lockdown I was working two jobs. I worked as an Intern at a retail pharmacy and a secretary at a physical therapy office. I missed breakfast so I decided to go next door to Panera Bread. As I was walking I stopped and realized the silence. Then I looked at the road and there were no cars. It was the weirdest silence I ever heard . It was actually kinda eerie . I stood there and felt for a second like I was the only one left on earth.

Many people struggled with the lockdown. Many of use were separated from family and friends. Our social life was cut abruptly which made me realize, that humans are truly not meant to be alone. More than ever people were seeking companionship including myself. Though I had family members around , I wanted something to focus my energy on. During that time , I had to take time off school due to financial issues so I really desired to find something to do besides work.

I often thought of adopting but I had to consider those I lived with . I would watch videos of pets playing with their owners and even sometimes getting cuddles. Me being an avid dog lover began to create a small spot in my heart for cats. I still inquired and what I noticed was that there was a surge of pet adoptions. It came to the point that waiting lists were created due to the influx of people wanted exactly what I wanted. A small study concluded that there was a surge of animal adoptions specifically dogs following the pandemic. I would have to agree with the study. I recently watched videos of people talking about mental health improvements due to their pet. I was glad to see that animals were being adopted and owners were in a way happy. Human and pet companionship is known it help reduce stress , anxiety and social isolation. Depending on what animal you have , it may encourage increased physical activity which has tremendous benefits to not only your mental health but physical health. Animals may also be of assistance with people with disabilities. Pets are just amazing !

Though things aren't back to normal , the world has begun to move again. Still many have not returned to the office and business have gone virtual. The need for companionship is still there. I know it was for me. What I learned is that I am grateful for pets. I am grateful for their unbiased love , and the moments they make us laugh helping forget the terror of our world.

P.S ,Though it may be 2 years after the pandemic, I finally got my little Kitten ..Luna [picture above :-) ]

Due to the pandemic , we are now more than ever seeing a shift of people working from home. I am sure in the beginning for everyone it sounded like an ideal situation . Being able to roll out of bed and not worry about wardrobe was something that the majority were quite fond of . Working from home did not only allow you to work in your pj’s , but it opened up opportunities that were not there before. Spending more time with family was on the top of the list. Working parents were able to spend some quality time with their children . Married couples saw a bit more of each other than they did before.

People were also able to attend to things they couldn't before. One major one was self-care. More people were able to work on their hobbies and take the time to mentally enrich themselves.

Another positive outcome of working from home was the fact that there was no more long commute. People saved a tremendous amount on gas spending because they were not driving anywhere. And let’s not forget that this had a positive impact on our environment !

Though there are many positives from working at home, it was not all that it seemed. The honeymoon phase did not last very long.

Loneliness ,anxiety , depression and uncertainty has plagued the minds of many. We sometimes look down on routine , but lack there off can sometimes have negative effects. Not everyone has the luxury of having a separate work space , especially if you were not ever planning on working from home. So distractions of all kinds including working right next to your bed could be quite diffcult.Living with other people also became burdensome . The increase in anxiety could be due to many factors. Fear of the Covid-19 virus,and overall uncertainty put many people on edge.

A spike in marital issues and divorce was also observed. Though it is great to spend a lot of time with your significant other, a lockdown was a new concept . In modern society we are so consumed by work and such things that we complain about having little time. With the lockdown couples were lockdown with each other. In a way it was putting their relationship to test.

Many people felt lonely even though they were not living alone. I know for myself even though I did not work from home, I felt waves of loneliness even though at the time I lived with my whole family. I think it was the fact that I no longer saw as much of the outside world and I missed seeing people and noise. I decided I wanted a cat to adopt and who knew everyone had the same idea. Animal shelters and animal adoption sites were being flooded with people just like me looking for a companion. I did not get my cat then , but I eventually get my little kitten Luna!

Though I often envied those working from home during the whole pandemic , I realized that in a way , leaving the house kept me sane and knowing I was considered an essential worker gave me a sense of pride .

Working from home has now become almost the norm, and my hope is that we find a way to be able to balance life and work in our comfortable environment.

Being in pharmacy school was very vigorous. I assumed my symptoms were stress induced. I was constantly anxious, not sleeping , my stomach hurt and I was constantly in the bathroom. I figured that once I got through the hard parts , my symptoms would subside , no biggy ! I kept going on with my days not paying any mind to my body until one day I saw the scariest thing…blood.

It was time to get checked. I went to a Gastroenterologist who spoke very fast and wrote off my symptoms as minor. He said that we would do a follow up and the nurses would give me a call to set something up. A few weeks past by and I did not hear anything . I continued to suffer from increased stomach pain and increased bleeding. A month flew by and still no call. I decided to call them back leaving a voicemail in hopes for a callback. Another month went by with still no response to my attempt.Things started to become serious when I was missing classes due to not being able to leave the house in fear of having an accident.I reached out my to my PCP who made another appointment with the specialist. A few months later I finally went back and he asked me if did we do a follow up yet ? Trying to hold back a wave of anger , I expressed that I did as he asked and waited without any response. He pushed it aside and booked me a colonoscopy. Fast-forward to after the procedure , I was told I had moderate Ulcerative Colitis . He showed me a picture and showed me where my inflammation was. So he put me on medication .I heard the nurse ask if I should be given diet consult with a dietician which he said was not needed.

As months progressed ,I became better with the medication than later became worse. I went back and was told I am healing but he switched my meds again to help with the symptoms. I just felt like I was not being heard. I was constantly being tossed around and told to call this person and that person. No one was trying to work with me to get down to the bottom of my problem. I realized that if I did not become my own advocate I would constantly be in this situation.

I started speaking up , and asking many questions. To my luck that doctor left the practice and a new one took his place. When I went to see him , I made it clear that I did not want a repeat of my last experience. I also decided to not rely on solely on my doctors for information. So I began to educate myslf.My experience this time around was exactly what I needed. I tell this story because me like so many others depend on our healthcare providers for all aspects. It is true that it's their job to provide healthcare. But me being a healthcare worker and student , I know how crazy it can get sometimes. Many factors can impact the quality of your healthcare experience. First, I believe that we must be involved in all aspects of our own health.

Understanding what kind of insurance you have and coverage may help you make decisions and also reduce surprises such as cancelled appointments and outstanding balances on medical bills. If you are taking medications , It is important stay on top them making sure you are refilling and paying attention to changes that a doctor makes. I know sometimes we put all our faith in our healthcare providers, but we must understand that they are people just like us. They may forget or sometimes be overwhelmed because the healthcare system as I believe is “messed up”. So , I do encourage to ask questions, a lot of questions. It does not matter how dumb you may think you sound, but it is better to know everything then to assume when it comes to your health. Being a pharmacy student myself , I go into the doctor's office with a blank slate. I ask all the questions I can as If I do not already know. Which brings me to my next point which is asking for a second opinion. If what you heard does not sit well with you , do not be afraid to get a second opinion. This is your health and you want to make sure you feel confident in the decisions you are making.

There are many resources out there to help with language barriers, disabilities and many more. I believe that when we advocate for ourselves it is not only helping us , but helping our healthcare workers know how to help us .

I am currently a pharmacy student within an accelerated program. Let me tell you, I have a lot to say. The pharmacy program in general is no walk in the park. Wether it is accelerated or not, it is a program that you will have to sacrifice plenty for. There will be a lot of restructuring and organization of life during those years. Nevertheless, choosing the right path, I feel can have an affect on your journey to graduation.

The difference between an accelerated program versus the traditional is quite simple. The Traditional path is 4 years. And the Accelerated path is about 3 years. Simple right? Well lets dive deeper.

Once upon a time, I was an engineering student. This definitely helped me with my sciences and my mathematics. I would say I was pretty strong in the STEM part of academia. Wouldn't this make me a great candidate for the accelerated path? To be honest, not really.

Here are a some of my pros and cons for doing an accelerated pharmacy program:

Pros

You have a continuous flow of education. What I mean is, you get less breaks. Breaks sometimes can set you back if you are not consistently refreshing your memory. I know I wasn’t the type of student to study during the spring break. Another great thing is that you reach graduation a lot faster and save time. Yay!

Cons

You have no breaks! I know I just used this as a pro. However, I feel that having less breaks, increased my stress levels. You also have to learn much more material for a shorter amount of time. That is never a good thing.

Being overwhelmed and stuck is a constant feeling within the accelerated program. This could be due to the fact that the curriculum is so condensed. Some may say the quality of eduction in a 3-year program might not be as prodigious. It might also be assumed that the 3-year path is much cheaper. If you really think about it, shorter does not always mean better. In a 4-year program you have the time and luxury of being able to work decent hours. Not so much in a 3-year because you wont even have time to blink.

Accelerated pharmacy programs are definitely doable. Many have graduated and have started their lives. Yet, many have indeed struggled. One example is me. One thing you should do before starting any pharmacy program is do a self evaluation. See how you handle stress and tasks under short periods of time. Figure out what is the best fit for you according to your strength. You may want to do extensive research as well. Look into the structure of the program and what the school will do to make sure you succeed. I can’t tell you how important this is. Lastly, do not be afraid to ask questions. Try to seek advice from a professor or a former student of your chosen institution.

Until next time,

Mimi

PharmD Student

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Accelerated Pharmacy Programs: Worth It? was originally published in Rx Radio on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.