Oh, You're a Pharmacist?

Today I went to get my hair cut by a lady who used to cut my hair a couple years ago. She went MIA and I couldn't relocate her until last week. After washing my hair, she asked what I did for a living. I told her I was a pharmacist and I was starting a residency at the VA hospital in town. Upon telling her this, I received her entire life story - including that she is a fetal alcohol baby (mild, but after being told I was able to discern the facial abnormalities) and that her mother is schizophrenic and an alcoholic. She went through every medication in her medicine cabinet and asked me what my opinion was and what side effects she should expect. This actually came in handy for my NAPLEX, which is scheduled for Thursday. I quickly discerned that her mother was not the only member of the family with some mental health problems. The conversation then turned to alcoholism and treatments and schizophrenia and whether I think she has it or not. I referred her to her psychiatrist for a formal diagnosis. I did share with her some schizophrenia facts that I brushed up on last night while studying for the NAPLEX. This seemed to put her mind at ease. I think it mainly helped with the guilt she was feeling for having committed her mother to a hosiptal only last week. By the time she finished styling my hair, the entire beauty shop was staring at us. I think everyone learned a little more about her than they wanted to know. But I also detected a hint of "I want to ask the pharmacist a question" in their eyes. I suppose I just have one of those kind faces that beckons people to tell me their problems. I spent twice as long at the grocery store today because I helped an elderly lady shop. She was looking for something to clean her cabinets and selected a harsh cleanser that would remove the finish on her wooden cabinets. I explained this and ended up helping her with several other things throughout the store. Thank God I didn't reveal I was a pharmacist to her...I can only imagine the stories of bowel regimens I would hear. All joking aside, I enjoyed helping the elderly lady and I found the conversation with my hair stylist informative. For future reference, though, I will refrain from mentioning my occupation unless absolutely necessary.