Happy 4th of July!

Happy Belated 4th of July from Woodland Hills Pharmacy!

Bleed Purple For Lupus Awareness

Purple is an incredibly unique color. The most beautiful flowers in my opinion are a deep dark violet color. I had a purple wedding dress because I adore the color. How can you not? Purple isn't just unique and beautiful it's a symbol. It represents lupus awareness.This month is lupus awareness, so to show your support you could educate yourself and others about lupus and don't forget to wear purple! 1.5 million Americans currently have Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can possibly damage any of part of your body including skin, joints and organs. An autoimmune diseases suggest that your immune system does not know the difference between evil invaders and your healthy tissues. Generally, women ages 15-44 get lupus, but men,children, and teenagers can get lupus as well. Lupus symptoms can last for several years and it can be hard to diagnose as the symptoms mimic minor illnesses. 

Lupus symptoms consist of:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Joint Pain
• Stiffness
• Dry Eyes
• Headaches
• Butterfly-Shaped Rash On Face
• Fingers and Toes turn white or blue when exposed to cold or stressful periods
• Chest Pain
• Shortness of Breath

Can you imagine what it would be like to have a difficult to diagnose disease?  Ian Harding, the actor in Pretty Little Liars, tells us about his mother who has lupus. Mary Harding was diagnosed with lupus when Ian was six years old. Ian recalls the days when his mother's hands swelled and how she contently wore hats in public to protect herself from the sun. In several interviews he explained that as a child, he did not understand Lupus, but understands it more now as an adult. Ian Harding has always supported his mother, and has been working with the Lupus Foundation of America for the last two years to raise awareness.  His mother would talk to her children about Lupus as it evolved in her life. Her children did not know until they were older that Lupus was possibly a fatal disease. Ian had a stronger emotional sense of the world than most of the children his age and his mother's illness affected him greater because of it. His mother explained, "As a parent, I didn't need to be the perfect mom, but wanted to be apart of it. I needed to show up and do the things I needed to do to raise the kids. I didn't want my kids to grow up to think their mother was fragile." Mary Harding did not let Lupus get in the way of being there for her family. Ian told an interviewer about his opinion on Lupus awareness and finding a cure, "I think with any chronic thing no matter how strong or strong willed you are, there comes a time you just wish it wasn't there. The more I got involved in lupus foundation and see doctors speak on it, it feels like we are so close. I have this feeling that if we care about it a little more that would be the final push over the top."

There are a variety of different medications that can help with signs of lupus disease. 

• Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is used to treat symptoms of lupus disease including fatigue, muscle pain, and joint pain. LDN helps the immune system, lowers the inflammation, and releases natural endorphins. 

• Quinacrine is an Antimalarial medication used to treat lupus and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Quinacrine reduces inflammation and helps control skin rash in people who have lupus. This medication also may help releive muscle, joint pain, fatigue, and fever.

• Chloroquine is an Antimalarial medication used to treat Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. This medication treats auto-immune diseases to help suppress over activity in the immune system and limits inflammation. It also helps reduce signs and symptoms of Lupus such as pain and swelling.

• Hydroxychlorquine is an Antimalarial medication used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. This medication is used to decrease the symptoms of lupus. It helps relieve inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain. 

These medications help lupus disease patients stay healthy and cope with their disease. If you are looking for these types of medications, or someone to speak with, the staff at Woodland Hills Pharmacy might be a good place to start!www.WoodlandHillsPharmacy.com/contact_us

Jennie-Your Undercover For Everything Pharmacy

From Parking Tickets to Prescriptions

Would you believe me if I told you I wasn't always a Marketing Director for a high-ranking Pharmacy in Los Angeles? There was a time when all I did for work was try to stop theft in a store. Can you believe that?

After I graduated from California State University Northridge with a master's degree in Communication Studies, I had trouble finding a job. I began searching for an office job that fit with my moral compass. I wanted to work for a company that I could believe in and a company that treated their employees well. After endless hours of searching and several interviewers telling me that I was their second best choice, I had to resort to a job that did not utilize my degree. A friend told me about a security company that was hiring, and I applied. I received a call and was hired on the spot. A few days later, they called me back and I began the security training. I wasn't at the job a month before I began to dread going to work. 

My supervisors were rude, uptight, and inconsiderate. They didn't care if I had a fever, they wanted me at work whether I could stand without puking or not. They wanted me to catch people stealing but I wasn't allowed to do anything once they stepped out of the store. Would you try to stop a full-grown drugged-out customer sprinting for the store exit just for stealing one $5 item? This job clearly did not fit my moral compass.

The supervisors at the grocery store were rude and got mad if I did not catch someone stealing. The rules at the store made it hard to catch people. And it doesn't stop there, it wasn't the people who stole from the store that were the worst. I decided I needed a new job when my employers failed to show any care for my well-being at work.

One day I had come to work, a bit more stressed than usual. I didn't think much of it until I began having incredible chest pain. The chest pain was not going away and it was getting worse. I called the nurse and she told me I needed to call 911. It was an excruciating pain that I had never experienced before. I called 911 and called my supervisor and told him to find someone else to cover me. The paramedics told me that they did all they could and now all I could do is rest. 

That moment made me realize I do not deserve to be in a profession that makes me so stressed out. I need a job I enjoy; something that I can wake up loving everyday. I wanted a boss that considers me an asset, not an annoyance or problem. 

So I began searching Craigslist. I made sure that I found companies that were similar to my own moral standards. I came across an office job that was at a mail order compounding pharmacy. As I looked at the ad, it sounded like it went along with what I wanted to do and what I believed in. I sent my resume and prayed that I got called.

The same day I applied the owner, Steve Levin, called me and wanted to set up an interview. I interviewed for the job, liked the owner and all the employees, and everything about it. Within two hours of my interview, Steve called me to tell me he filled the position that I applied for, but was creating a position for me. This was the first time in a while that I felt really appreciated. 

Finally I found a company that fits my standards, morals, and my personality. I have creative freedom here which I did not have at my last job. I am appreciated and I love the people I work with. I am finally making a difference. The pharmacy is supplying hard to find medications to their patients and saving lives. They make an effort to do everything they can for every patient. They go above and beyond any pharmacy I've seen and I'm proud to work with, and for them. This pharmacy is my new home and  I fit right in.

Jennie-Your Undercover For Everything Pharmacy