It's Well Worth It

Yesterday was a busy day at the Optometrist office I work at. The phones were ringing one call after another, and in the midst of it I answered one from someone with very broken English. As I had her repeat everything she first said, I silently said a prayer inside... "Lord, help me understand." She eventually slowed down a little and I began to pick up threads of what she needed. 

She had a prescription called in for eye drops last week and when she went to pick them up at the pharmacy she was charged $100. She was looking for "cheaper", as she put it.  After I talked with the doctor, he said she should make sure she was getting the generic brand of the drug, not the name brand. I called her back and left the message on her voicemail. 

When she received the message, she called back confused and I tried to explain that she needed to simply go to pharmacy and ask for the generic. We went around and around, and clearly we were getting nowhere. She didn't understand the concept of a generic drug. Eventually, she was willing to give it a try, but asked would we please help her if she went to pharmacy and needed help to explain. I said yes, and then told her I wouldn't be at work any longer that late in the day - but there are other ladies here that will help you. 

She wasn't too happy, but bravely said, "Okay." 

After hanging up, I faced a choice. Keep plugging away at the work in front of me or try to do something further to help this dear soul. She had given me the street address of pharmacy she was going to, so I looked it up online. I gave a call and was able to ask the pharmacy tech to change the prescription to the generic brand. Within moments it was done and she confirmed the copay would only be $10. 

I called the patient back. When I gave her the news that it was all straightened out and would cost her $10, she was elated. I couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying or both at the same time. In the midst of her celebration, she asked, "What your name? What your name?" After telling her, she repeatedly thanked me, using my name over and over again. I was touched that she wanted to know who I was so she could express her appreciation fully. 

Something that was so simple for me meant the world to someone else. 

Living our best lives means pausing long enough to really care and go the extra mile. Sometimes it means you won't get everything done or you'll have to stay late to do it. And you know what? It's well worth it.