Thanks VS Thank You

Do you know what's the difference between Thanks Vs Thank You?

Honestly, I didn't know. But I do know now.

I once said thanks to people when I am truly grateful for what they have done but I often felt that this word 'thanks' is an understatement of my gratitude and sincerity.

One day, someone corrected me and told me that I should say "Thank you" to people when I am truly truly grateful towards people. I then practised saying Thank you in front of the mirror, using different tones and I realized that indeed, these 2 words actually transmit a heavier sense of sincerity and gratitude.

From then on, I started saying Thank you when I am really thankful for the good deeds people have done for me. Reason why I am sharing this is that today, like any ordinary day in AH, few words of thank you's suddenly set me into deeper thoughts.

Have I told you that I've been in Retail for 4 weeks already? Yeaps. I know that I mentioned inpatient in my previous posts but this rotation ended 4 weeks back and I was scheduled to go Retail for my final training.

I like Retail for various reasons. I have been wanting to have a comprehensive understanding on the products sold in my retail pharmacy, but I weren't able to do so until my retail rotation due to many constraints. Nonetheless, God has equipped me prior to my retail rotation such that when I am finally at it, I am more specific in my learning. I also sense a greater sense of independence.

Truthfully, I think I'm blessed with the best pre-reg training schedule. Started out in OP where I learnt all the operations and simple overviews of disease management and therapies, to Drug Information where I learnt about how to answer enquiries and find answers when I don't know what's the answers for the enquiries, to inpatient where the learning curve is steepest yet I feel that God has staged me well all along. I feel very protected throughout my pre-reg training in fact, it is as if everything just fall into place in the most perfect timely manner.

Oops back to the topic - why I like Retail.

Retail is a very special place. You get to learn about the most basic medicines - the medicines that people often buy. You learn about rehabilitation aids - wheelchairs, walking frames, commodes and their differences. In retail rehabilitation corner, things are priced differently and despite the similar outlooks, they serve different functionalities! So I actually took quite a long time to learn about this rehabilitation aids.

Dressings. You think it's simple? Wait till you see a real pharmacy's wound care corner and you will know it's a grave headache. You need to know which dressings are for exudating/ non-exudating wounds, stoma care, ulcer wounds etc etc.

In Retail, you learn more about feeds and toilet care too.

But what I really love about Retail is the patient interaction. This kind of interaction is different from that you experience in inpatient/outpatient. There is a greater educational component in retail, and I find myself involving more in correcting mindsets, offering non-pharmacological (non-medication) advices and chatting. Yea chatting. :)

Back to my thank you topic.

In the morning, an uncle came to my pharmacy and asked me if I could sell him some omeprazole. He is a very friendly uncle, not very educated but friendly. I could sense that he respects me. I checked in the system and found out that he actually took omeprazole for prophylaxis of heartburn due to some incidence with aspirin. He needed a few more capsules to last till his next appointment.

The first thing that came to my mind was - thank God! Thank God that omeprazole was re-classified to Pharmacy-only medicine 2 months back if not poor uncle has to get a prescription to buy this medicine, which is quite a hassle. Luckily, the amount that I could supply is enough for him to last till his next TCU.

Spent some time talking to him just to find out how he has been taking other medication - he is on aspirin so you can imagine what's on board for him. Clarified some misconceptions and also encouraged him to take his medication correctly. I actually praised him for being such a good patient - to come to Pharmacy to purchase medicines when he knows he doesn't have enough to last till the appointment, rather than choosing to miss the medication for a couple of days.

The conversation was a happy one. After he paid at the cashier, he kept saying "thank you" in the most unclely tone when he walked past my desk.

I felt touched. Really.

I have been quiet lately. Many things bothering me.

But his thank you woke me up.

During noon, there's this loving father who came to me asking for some advices.

He mentioned that his 8 year old daughter fell down yesterday and hurt her knee. The wound looks "raw" and he would like to get some dressings.

I asked a few questions. Mainly on how active is his daughter, how bad is the wound, how big etc etc because they affect what I want to recommend later on. So in the end, I recommended him to use primapore.

He was very happy.

Suddenly I thought of my father. Dad did the same thing before - he went to pharmacy to buy things when any of us were unwell - and he liked to ask many questions :) Hee..

I then advised him what should be taken note of when dealing with the wound. Is it ok to cover it all the time. Antiseptics and washing solution. What if she goes to school etc etc.

When I finally left him, he mentioned "I really want to thank you. You gave me a lot of useful advices. Thank you so much".

I felt touched.

You know, I felt that I could just die after that. Felt as if I can leave with no regrets because I've done all that I could. I felt that all the time after I dealt with patient that came to me. Felt as if I can just die now. Weird huh?

In the afternoon, a lady came to me wanting to buy zyrtec D and Clarinase. I asked why? She thought these 2 medicines are different in their actions. I told her they are the same, just different brand. Same purpose. Price difference of 0.04 cents only.

She then asked me about panadol and menstrual cramps for her daughter.

Spent quite some time with her to clear her doubts. I am really happy whenever I do this - educating. She said Thank You on her way out.

At the end of the day, when i was about to go home, a lady came to buy wheelchair for her father. Her father had a stroke. Spent almost half an hour with her. She told me stories - I actually enjoyed the conversations --> the stories evolving around her father were quite interesting. But it's also through her stories that I asked her to buy the cheapest wheelchair, albeit heavier. Not that she's poor [she drives a big big car!], but because of the environment their family is staying [they stay in the temple, her father was a chinese physician etc], I really do not think the lightweight wheelchair is suitable.

The lightweight one is made of cloth - it's very hard to clean. Though her father lost weights and weighs only 40+ kg, but given the temple setting where there's so much dust, and the dogs running every where, I really think lightweight is not a suitable option. Although it's easier in terms of transport, it may give more problems in many other ways.

I chose the standard chrome wheelchair for it's material - the leather can be cleaned easily and although it's heavier, it serves the basic functionality pretty well. No need detachable arm and footrest as requested.

Lightweight

Standard

I told them my views. She kept telling me how stubborn her father is. She's really quite engaging I must say. In the end they bought a walking frame and the standard wheelchair. When I came back to the desk to take my stuff, auntie kin told me that the lady wanted to say "thank you" to me.

Does it occur to you that I've been doing just one thing today - that's to count the number of thank you's I received?

I don't know why I was doing that. At that moment I really felt that there's a purpose in every thing that I encounter - the people, the matters. I feel useful to be able to provide solutions to people who really need them. The "Thank You"s were just gentle encouragement from God that when I was distracted by things, I should fall back to the blueprint.

I know that these Thank Yous are actually God's attempts to dilute my unhappiness and take away all dread of my problems, and to give me a greater sense of His presence. I am so happy to realize it.

From now on, I just have one thing in mind - to hear His voice instructing me, to draw strength and determination from His words and to live out the Christ in me.

Goodnight :)