Living With Diabetes: A UT College of Pharmacy Students Perspective

At the age of 12 I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. My carefree life suddenly changed to a life full of finger sticks, carb counting, and insulin shots. The previous two weeks I had all the classic symptoms--I was drinking everything I could get my hands on and having to use the restroom every 15 minutes. I lost about 30 pounds, my eyesight got worse, and I had problems focusing my attention. The day I was diagnosed, I was so weak that I couldn’t stand or even sit up. Yet, diabetes never crossed any of our minds. My doctor took one look at me and ordered a blood glucose level. It didn’t take long for him to come back in and tell me that I had diabetes. At 12 I didn’t understand what this meant. I thought it just meant that I couldn’t eat sugar or candy. Was I in for a rude awakening! I spent the next three days in the hospital getting a crash course on diabetes from doctors, nurses, nutritionists, and social workers. In the midst of all the overwhelming information, they were telling me (someone who was terrified of shots) that I would have to learn how to check my blood sugar and give insulin injections to myself several times a day! I didn’t think I could do it, but I had no choice. This was now my life. I would just have to deal with it.

I had to change my whole life around to manage my diabetes. I could no longer sleep in, I had to wake up to take my morning insulin and eat breakfast everyday at 7:30 a.m. I could no longer eat what I wanted, when I wanted. I had to eat the same amount of food at the same time every day. With time it got easier, and now it’s just a part of my life which has become routine and sort of a second nature. I now wear an insulin pump, and sometimes even forget I’m diabetic. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t still difficult some times. There have been times where I asked, “Why me? Why do I have to go through this?” But I know God does not give me anything I can’t handle. Now I try to make the best of it and use my personal experiences to help others. When diabetics come into the pharmacy, I know what they are going through. I know what struggles they have and how hard it is to manage their disease. I know how you can do everything you are supposed to do and still your blood sugar goes high. I have the same fears of kidney failure, blindness, and neuropathy all diabetics have. It’s not as easy as some healthcare providers make it seem. It’s a complicated disease, and no one really knows how truly difficult it is to be a diabetic unless you live with the disease yourself. That’s why I feel it is important for the diabetic patients that come into the pharmacy to know that I personally understand the challenges that come with managing their diabetes.

Beth Black

Guest Blog: Aamir, International Exchange Student from India, Studying at Roane State and Currently on Internship at Mac's Pharmacy

At Mac's Pharmacy we have several partnerships set up with area schools where we host students for a month and they come to Mac's Pharmacy to gain experience in the unique setting that is independent community pharmacy. Some students are in pharmacy school and others are taking pharmacy techinician courses, this month we were fortunate enough to host an international exchange student from India. Aamir is in the pharmacy technician training program at Roane State and is working towards getting into pharmacy school. It has been a great experience for all of us at Mac's Edgemoor Pharmacy to have had Aamir around for the last three weeks. He is a very hard worker and a fun person to have worked with. Aamir was nice enough to type up a blog entry on his experience from his unique perspective. Here is his blog. Enjoy! - Mike

Hi, I’m Mohd Aamir Firoz, an exchange student from India studying at Roane State Community College under Pharmacy Technician program. I’m writing this blog to help other people deal with the aspects, by bringing the two sides of coins together with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of starting to gain something different and new in life while still running on old one. Well, this blog is about my experience here in United States, enlightening the difficulties I faced, the differences both in culture and education system. It’s been around 8 months I m here is states. And there is a lot I have gained and seen since then. The culture here is a lot different to which I used to. I was selected by the state department of US on scholarship basis through a program called Community College for International Development (CCID), and for me it is a wonderful opportunity to learn something new, different and challenging. So far I have a wonderful experience out here. Prior to come here, I already completed 2 years of my Pharmacy (usually called D Pharm – Diploma in pharmacy) and 500 hours of training at hospital pharmacy (both In-patient and out-patient). Being a Pharmacy Major, I’ve seen lot of difference in my field of study. In India the system of medicine is totally different from what I’ve seen here so far. In here authorities emphasize on Customer satisfaction, Inventory control, controlling regulating and circulating drugs etc. In my home country authorities do emphasize on all these aspects, but the way I’ve seen them here is outstanding. Advanced robotics and computerized systems in pharmacies makes it easier and more efficient, reducing a lot of manual work, which is good, but here comes the problem. Incorporation of these advanced system makes it efficient, and chances of making mistakes are about 99.9 % which is a good part, but what I think is by doing this the chance of unemployment is increased.
The education system in here is so smooth and I like it, which is in a way lot different from which I’ve been studying from past 16 years. I did not do much research on that part but what I’ve seen is that here the students are emphasized on a lot of different thing all together since they are little, like - studies, sports, music and arts etc. etc. and the way of living is in “co” with what they study. This does not put a lot burden on them. But the education system in India is not like that, not all but most of the students just emphasis on either studies, or sports or music or art thus in their field of interest they feel like having a lot burden especially in studies.
My life in US is really good so far. I enjoyed being and studying here. In this program, I worked as a student intern at Methodist Medical Center (Oak Ridge, TN). Then I moved to gain some experience at Kroger’s Pharmacy (Oak ridge, TN) for some time and right now I am working as an intern at Mac’s Pharmacy (Claxton, TN). I enjoyed working with the people here; well they are so nice, helpful and satisfying; some funny also. Its been a pleasure for me to work with such a wonderful group of people.I learned a lot and during my internship so far. This program is an awesome opportunity for me. Before coming here I was just involved with my studies and my way of living. I did not thought of studying abroad, but now I do. But one thing what I don’t like is if you come from a country with lower currency, then for you it is difficult to study, because it is quiet expensive unless you are able to take care of it. It’s important to find that difficult balance between having confidence in your work and studies and not expecting instant success. If you don’t get what you like then like what you get, this is a key to success or rather excellence.
By:-
Aamir