A Sliding Door Moment: She Kind of Looked Like Me

I stopped scrolling when I saw her picture. My thumb stopped and I clicked on the link.

We’re both around the same age, we’re both wives, daughters, and moms. We’re both educators. We’re both healthy, well except that she was in the ICU with COVID-19. I've read many stories like this, but this one - she kind of looked like me.

She had plans to get the vaccine before the school year began in the Fall, her mother explained, who is now urging everyone to get vaccinated. Maybe she was waiting for more data. Maybe she was waiting for FDA-approval. We may never know. There are many stories like this, but this one – she kind of looked like me.

Have you ever had a sliding door moment? It’s that moment in life when one decision could take you down a completely different path. Back in the day, I applied to pharmacy schools and business schools. Was my sliding door moment choosing a healthcare degree? Other than that, what was different between me and this woman in the ICU? We’re both educated, we’re both serving our communities, and we both are working in great fields.

This is not a post trying to get the unvaccinated vaccinated. This is my reflection on how sorrowful I feel when I see any COVID-19 victim, but this one – she kind of looked like me.

It made me think about my sliding door moment – what if I chose business instead of pharmacy? What if I didn’t have years of background knowledge on how drugs and vaccines work? What if I didn’t trust science as soon the study is completed?

It made me realize how health care professionals, including myself, could do a better job explaining to non-health care professionals about:

· The process for vaccine and drug approvals

· That non-FDA approved medications are used often. Every day in every hospital.

· Funding for approvals

· Timelines for approvals

· How politics play a role

· How pharmacists play a role

· How healthcare professionals aren’t drug-pushers. That’s not our agenda. Ever.

Maybe this information is out there. Maybe there’s a Netflix special explaining it all in relatable terms. Maybe I could do more explaining. In honor of the woman who kind of looked like me, I’d like to try.

Until next week,

Brooke