Medication Adherence Challenge

The month of February is dedicated to informing and counseling the community on the importance of taking your medication on time and correctly every day. Wingate University School of Pharmacy has created a committee of dedicated students to go out into the community and talk to patients about compliance. Events range from an information booth at the YMCA, seminar to undergraduate students, information session at a local high school, and promoting P1 students to encourage their "e-patients"to take the pledge at http://www.scriptyourfuture.org/.

Today a few of my fellow students and I went to the local YMCA and talked to patient's about the importance of taking your medications on time. We passed out cards (like the one below) that have the pledge to take your meds, questions to ask your pharmacist, and a chart to write down a list of your medications. This card is easily stored in your wallet and serves as a reminder and tool to take your medicine!

Script Your Future is an amazing website that has tips and tools to help patients remember to take their medications. There also is information about common diseases states such as Diabetes, Hypertension, and Asthma. You can sign up for text reminders and join a community that will help encourage compliance.

Taking your medications on time is very important. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about what to do if you miss a dose. Taking your medicine at the same time every day allows a steady quantity of the medication in your body - so that it can work effectively. When you miss a dose, take a dose at different  times every day, or just don't take your medications at all - you are putting yourself at risk of toxicity, adverse effects, or cause the medication not to work and further complicating your disease.

January 2013, I was diagnosed with Hoshimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune hypothyroid disease, that requires daily medication for the rest of my life. Without taking Levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone, my body would not produce any active thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones work on almost every part of the body. When I was told that I would be taking a medication every day for the rest of my life - I was in shock. I know that things come up, get busy, and schedules change - but it is extremely important you take your medicine correctly and on time every day. It was hard for me at first to remember to take my medicine every day, same time, before any meals. I set an alarm on my phone, out the medication on my night stand, and wrote reminders on the fridge. Soon, it became a habit and I don't even think about taking it every day. Make taking your medication a habit and keep yourself healthy.

Counseling at patient at YMCA about taking the Pledge

My friend Julie is a Nurse Practitioner in Orlando, FL and said, "You have no idea how many people who come to the hospital because they are not compliant! Especially with important medications like Coumadin! We need more people out there going out and making a difference so that people will take their medications!"

Don't be nervous to talk to your local Pharmacist about compliance and tips to remembering to take your medications on time and correctly! Your health depends on it! Take the pledge online at http://www.scriptyourfuture.org/pledge.

Weekend Recap

HAPPY MONDAY!!! 

How was your weekend?

I had a great fun packed weekend! It was exactly what I needed after a long week of studying for my 5th exam this month. Luckily, this week is our LAST exam for a couple weeks. October has been no joke. I need a break!

My classmates and I went out in Uptown Charlotte on Friday night to a piano bar called Howl at the Moon. It was a great opportunity to bond and get to know each other outside of the classroom. We all had a great time. We definitely need to do this again sometime soon!

The FSU vs Miami came was a tad bit stressful and ugly but somehow we pulled out a win. I hope that we play well against Duke at the Homecoming game this weekend. They had a big win against UNC and will be coming out with confidence to Doak. We better show up and fight! SCALP 'EM Seminoles!

On Sunday, my phi mu sister, Jackie, invited me to go to the Carolina Panthers game against the Dallas Cowboys. It was a perfect day in Charlotte, weather in the 70s and sunny. For a while there I thought we were going to pull ahead with the win against the cowboys. It was a close game!

I decided that Charlotte is probably where I will end up. The city, people, and environment is right in line with my personality. I love the southern hospitality meets city slickers. It is such a fun city and I am looking forward to the next four years exploring the city!

Have a great week! It's almost the weekend again :) 

{blog world} Fill In The Blank Friday!

CHEERS TO THE FREAKING WEEKEND!! 

I have been singing this song all day. The weekend is here. THANK GOODNESS. This week was definitely better than last week but I am just so ready to be done with exams. I can't wait for Tallahassee next weekend. It is the light at the end of the tunnel. 

My plans this weekend:

Friday: Howl at the Moon with some classmates to celebrate surviving our Calculations exam today.

Saturday: Habitat for Humanity deconstruction with NCAP (a club I am involved with) and the FSU vs. Miami game at 8:00pm! GO NOLES!!

Sunday: Church and a study dinner party at my friend Lili's apartment. Good food, friends, and BSI.

What are your plans this weekend?

1.  One thing I plan on doing to relax this weekend is  taking a bubble bath and painting my nails. I have had a rough couple weeks, I need a relaxing weekend. 

2.  A big pet peeve of mine is  when people say they will attend or do something and then don't follow through. I think this pet peeve started when I started taking leadership positions. If you say you are going to be there - then be there. 

3.  I am really loving  the weather in Charlotte. It is beautiful. I love being able to roll down the windows and put on the heat seaters. I LOVE FALL.

4. The rain is   is amazing when you don't have to leave your house and you can snuggle in bed watching movies all day. But, when you have to actually do something, it is pretty annoying. 

5. My favorite girly indulgence is  chunky necklaces. I may not be the most fashionable when it comes to clothing but I am a beast at adding chunky necklaces to outfits! 

6. A song I always get stuck in my head is  "Call Me Maybe". It is so catchy and always seems to get stuck in my head. 

7.  The best cure for stress is going for a drive, with the windows down, music blaring. Sometimes I sing, cry or scream. Either way it is a great way to release built up stress without anyone knowing. 

HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND :) 

{blog world} Oh How Pinteresting!

Don't you just love Wednesdays? You are half way through your week and can see the weekend approaching. Wednesdays are one of my shorter days and I usually am able to eat at home, nap, study, and watch television ALL IN THE SAME DAY. Yes, my life is exciting. 

But today I have a new activity to add to my routine - kickball! I have my first WAKA kickball game tonight at 7:00. I joined the Charlotte WAKA Kickball Organization after hearing success from one of my sister in Tampa, FL. She said it was a great way to meet people, have a good time, and exercise. I think it will be a great break in my week and give me a little interaction outside the pharmacy world during the week. I am excited for my first game :)

For this week's post, I thought I'd share my new obsession with Pugs. I don't know if you have seen this amazing tumblr all about pugs, but it is one of my favorites and honestly gets me through some of my hard days. SO I thought I would theme this post funny pug pictures. I hope this puts a smile on your face - because how can you not love such a cute face! The sources for all these photos can be found on my pinterest page

Have a great rest of your week!

Great Grapes Wine Festival

How to survive pharmacy school? Reward yourself with fun events on the weekend with good people. I have been working very hard in school lately. October is an exam/quiz packed month. In order to make it through I have to give myself goals and rewards. 

I found out about the Great Grapes Wine Festival from a classmate who has attended for the past couple years. I am a festival junkie. I think they are so much fun and there are so many different types of festivals out there. I knew that a couple of my classmates would jump at the idea of attending a local wine festival! So we organized a group and bought our tickets!

Great Grapes was at the local park in Charlotte and had dozens of local wineries that came together to show off their product. We went around to most of the booths and tasted until we found our favorite bottle. We each bought different wines and settled down on a grassy knoll, shared, chatted, and laughed. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon. 

My favorite wineries that I tried were Southern Charm and Autumn Creek Vineyards. Southern Charm Vineyards specialized in sweet reds, which I normally don't care for, but they were very delicious. They had a seasonal christmas wine that was infused with cranberries and a delicious sangria. Autumn Creek had a white blend (pino and moscoto) called Diamond Girl that I really enjoyed. The two wines balanced each other out and created a clean, crisp wine that is very drinkable on a hot afternoon. 

I think I want to visit a winery for my birthday. They are all over the state and look like a lot of fun! North Carolina has so much to do! I am having a great time and can't wait to stumble across another fun festival.

Here are some photos from the Great Grapes Wine Festival:

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

A couple weeks ago I went to one of the best concerts I have ever attended. If you aren't a music junkie then concerts are just something that are fun. My best friend Rima is usually the one to pass on the great music and introduce me to new bands. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals was something that I discovered on my own. I fell in love with her style, her sound, and her strong independent attitude. 

I started listening to Grace Potter one night studying at the Phi Mu house. She was being promoted on Pandora so I just decided to add the station and take a listen. I immediately fell in love. Her raspy voice, real life lyrics, and stage presence instantly drew me in.

I started tell my friends to listen to her and spread the music love. I was so excited to hear that she was coming to the Charlotte area to perform. I screamed to my roommate "OMG! GRACE POTTER IS COMING TO CHARLOTTE. WE ARE GOING!" I was beyond excited. I posted it on my class facebook page hoping to find other Grace Potter fans. Turned out that one of the girls that I am quickly becoming great friends with (she is also a Phi Mu!) is a HUGE Grace Potter fan and jumped at the opportunity to see her live.

The concert couldn't have been better. It was a cool clear night under the stars with the skyline as our backdrop. We ended up scoring a fantastic spot on the lawn right up front. I was cheesing ear to ear. The best part of my night however was when I got to go up to the second row and snap some photos. I couldn't stop smiling. I got a few awesome shots and right when I was about to head back to my seat, she started to play one of my favorite songs "Stop the Bus". I was on cloud nine. I was so close and it was like she was singing to me.

As I explained before, I enjoy music but I have never really been passionate about a band. Besides Britney Spears of course. I finally understood what Rima was talking about when you see a band live that you religiously listen to on a daily basis. A band that speaks to you and that you support and love. This was my night and it couldn't have been more perfect. 

Here are some photos:

Corrine and I before the concert

Jilyan and I quating it out before the concert

Betsy's first tailgate 

Downtown Charlotte in the backgroun

{blog world} Fill In The Blank Friday

Thank goodness it is Friday. This week has been super tough for me. I have found myself so beat up and exhausted. We have had 3 exams in the past week. School is kicking my butt. There is just SO much information. You can never stop studying/preparing otherwise you will be very very behind.

This weekend I am:

Friday - giving a tour of WUSOP to applicants for the class of 2017, taking a very very long nap, getting Pho with a P2 friend, and hanging out with some guy friends.

Saturday - going to Charlotte Phi Mu Day, watching the FSU vs BC game at the Seminole Bar, going out in Uptown with some girlfriends from class.

Sunday - sleeping in!, going to church, catching up with friends, and getting caught up with BSI.

What are you doing this weekend?

1.  My favorite flower(s) are  sunflowers, daisies, gardenias and hydrangeas. They are each so beautiful in their own way. I am starting to fall in love with peonies thanks to pinterest and of course I have a love for the rose colored carnation (LIOB). 

2.  You should never talk about  getting wasted. I know that it may be funny stories but it really just makes you look bad. I also think that politics, specifically opinions and bashing other parties, should be talked about sparingly. I know that the election is coming up and it is a hot topic. But there is a difference in expressing yourself and being obnoxious. Please respect other people's views and opinions. There is no right or wrong answers in politics. Just be informed and respectful if you talk about it. 

3.  My favorite discovery as of late is Fago greek yogurt. It is so much thicker than the other yogurts and the non-fat plain is not tart. It is perfect for breakfast with pumpkin granola or for desert with carmel syrup. 

4. This fall you will probably find me wearing    anything mustard colored. I am currently obsessed with all things mustard yellow. I have a cardigan but I am in search of pants or a pencil skirt. 

5. I wish I were  sleeping/drinking/taking a bath/home in texas. 

6. My favorite TV show currently is   Revenge. I am obsessed with this tv series. I am so glad it is back! This season should be good. All of the actors look great this season! 

7.  This weekend I want to  relax, hang out with friends, and get caught up with school work and friends. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!