ππ¨πππ² π’π¬ ππππ’π¨π§ππ₯ ππ¨πππ¨π«π¬β πππ²βand I’ve been up since 5 am passing out these handmade cards & red carnations at emergency departments & veterinary hospitals. Want to celebrate with me?
On March 30, 1842 β‘οΈ Back when surgery meant agony, a young man braced for painβonly to feel nothing. Dr. Crawford Long performed the first painless surgery! His inspiration? Victorian ether frolicsβlaughing gas parties! Guests inhaled ether or nitrous oxide, fell, got bruised up, kept laughingβyet felt no pain. Ever had a surgery? A dental procedure? Grateful to feel nothing?
ππ¦ππ π’π§π . . .
Mothers without Motherβs Day
Lovers without Valentineβs Day
Doctors without Doctorsβ Day
Did you know β€οΈ May 10, 1908, Anna Jarvis honored her mom by creating Motherβs Day β€οΈ Feb. 14, 1847, Esther Howland, βMother of the Valentine Cardβ popularized Valentineβs Day β€οΈ March 30, 1933, Eudora Almond honored her physician husband by creating Doctorsβ Dayβchoosing March 30th to remember Dr. Long, the βFather of Modern Anesthesia.β Without Anna, Esther, and Eudora, we might not be celebrating mothers, lovers & doctors.
π¨ πππππππππ πππππ πππ πππ ππππ π ππππ.
In 1933, Eudoraβs first Doctorsβ Day party honored local docs with thank-you cards & red carnations. By 1991, it was a US holiday.
You might not know: π’ Each year approx. 400 US doctors die by suicide π’ Each doc cares for 2,000 – 7,000+ patients (varies by specialty) π’ That means > 1 million Americans lose their doctors to suicideβeach year!
Thousands of hours helping physicians & med students on a free suicide helplineβthe #1 thing I know that’s proven to prevent suicide is a thank-you card.
What docs say:
βI keep every note from my patients. It has definitely prevented my suicide . . .There are days I want to give up . . . But I see the letters, thank-you cards . . . I am reminded that my life is about more than my pain.β
βI was always lifted up when patients thanked me. More satisfying than the money I earned..β
A surgeonβs suicide was prevented by this text: βHey Iβm sorry about your patient. That sucks. Iβm very thankful that we have you as an excellent otolaryngologist to learn from. You take care of so many sick patients and do a marvelous job educating us how to do it safely, skillfully, and compassionately well. Thank you for that.β
ππ’π§π π°π¨π«ππ¬ πππ¬π π π«πππ π©ππ’π§.
Will you join me?
Write a thank-you card to a doc today.
More cards for inspiration:Β
Have fun! π€£
Thank YOU for your vital work.
If 400 doctors treat approx a million patients, and you save the life of some of those 400 who might have committed suicideβ¦well, you do the math.
You probably know of some you have saved, but canβt know how far and wide those waves of compassion have spread to help others save more lives, and the impact of saving those healers lives, and their families and those who love them.
Itβs like magic, turning grief and despondency into hope.
You are an awesome doctor and person.
You are creating good healing karma in a sick, mentally ill world.
Keep up the workβ¦