Team Pharmacy (posting from the road)

This isn't a story about an adverture or mishap of mine (there are plenty of other posts for that). This is about a few of my amazing coworkers that I could never say good bye to, it will always be "see you later"...

Every now and then you get a chance to work or travel with a group or people and just mesh. I was fortunate this group to be able to weasel my way into that group, the pharmacy team.
Some of you who know me are surly thinking - wait a minute other than taking drugs, you know nothing about pharmacy - and you would be right. But the pharmacy is the only team that gets to organize little bags of pills into big hanging shoe bags, something I happen to love to do. Plus I get to help design the flow, which changes everyday...all areas that play to my strength of being bossy. There are actual people trained in the area of pharmacy for the details, all of them are equally extraordinary.

Gary - good natured, disturbingly laid back and probably the humblest person I have ever met. I don't even know the half of what he has done but I do know that this entire trip could not have taken place without his generosity. He is a trained pharmacist and would revel in my shock as he identified pills by taste. Allowing the 'junior' pharmacists and myself to run the department, this left Gary out in the waiting area explaining to the people how and when to take the medications. Although an interpretor was available, by the end you could hear this thick Texan accent, spouting out Spanish directions as cute Guatemalan women would gaze at him with a bit of a crush. This is one of the best people I have ever encountered.

Kristen - tiny, initially shy, painfully thin vegetarian. One day poor Kristen became sick and I worried as she literally has no reserves to draw from, but she proved to be strong. And snlike most people in the world who seem to speak just to hear themselves talk, Kristen spoke very occassionally...but when she did it was a fantastic combination of insightful, thoughtful sarcasm. She does an amazing British accent and could give seminars in bug spray application.

Megan - I have to say if she weren't Gary's daughter I would hate her. She is beautiful and has this annoyingly dazzling smile. She is also kind, smart and funny - wait it gets worse - she works hard and has a devious side (I am referring to the clown eyes here Megan). We had that connection where we could galnce and each other and the joke could pass unsaid. She is everything that I have always wanted to be. So I remain jealously in awe of her.

Charlie - Gary isn't his Dad but he reminds me of a younger version - he's that good. He can make me laugh by his facial expressions alone. His fear of clowns kept the rest of the team amused for days and despite our constant torment he never once broke - and we worked clowns into every aspect of a pharmacy possible. Plus with a name like Charlie and that You Tube video, "Charlie bit me", coupled with the fine British accents of my coworkers - well, you can see how I am amazed he never snapped.

I am thankful that I had a chance to go to Guatemala, meet and treat some of the many people in need there. It truly is an honour that I know many of you would do if you could. What made it amazing for me this time was that I was able to go with Team Pharmacy. From the daily struggles of where to string our rope versus the correct placement of the PUMP hand sanitizer, Guatemala would not have been the same without you. There is only one word for you guys that sums it all up..."massage".