Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"Only a life lived in the service to others is worth living." –Albert Einstein
Thank You for Your Service
Whether helping a patient to understand an illness or feel cared for, easing pain or an uncomfortable itch, diagnosing a mystery illness, or saving a life, being a clinician is a noble and taxing profession. And while it may be human nature to complain more than we give thanks, many patients are ever so grateful for all that you do, even if they forget to say "thank you." Here, patients have confided in Medscape some of their most personal experiences and the appreciation they feel for their providers.
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"Dr Arash Horizon literally saved my life." –Sarah, RA, lupus, and cerebritis patient
Dr Arash Horizon
"I have the most amazing rheumatologist: Dr Arash Horizon," Sarah told Medscape. "I am a 52-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus. As a patient with disabling, complex, chronic illness, I continue to have hope because Dr Horizon knows me intimately, listens and responds to my concerns, goes the extra mile to provide paperwork I need for disability claims and help with funding for infusions and medications, and always has a new treatment option to suggest when one is not effective." It is not easy for busy physicians to invest so much time, energy, and compassion in every patient, but it changes lives in amazing ways, said Sarah.
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
Chris says his life took a total U-turn after Mayo Clinic doctors treated his epilepsy.
Drs Jamie Van Gompel, Cheolsu Shin, Matt Stead, Gregory Worrell
Suffering from up to five seizures every day, Chris felt "100% hopeless" before he was one of the first patients to undergo brain stimulation surgery at Mayo Clinic. Today, Chris is married, working full-time, and enjoying life. Thanks to his neurosurgeon Jamie Van Gompel and neurologists Cheolsu Shin, Matt Stead, and Gregory Worrell, Chris is now seizure free and incredibly grateful that they took a chance with a lesser-known treatment in hopes of giving him back his life.
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"You truly made me see the light!" –Cataract patient, Ruhr University Eye Hospital, Bochum, Germany
Dr Burkhard Dick
"Patient X" had had weak eyes since childhood, and they had only gotten worse in retirement. When he heard about laser-assisted cataract surgery at Ruhr University Eye Hospital, he boarded the first plane to Germany. His eyeballs were bulging, pointing to his high myopia. He also had cataracts and asked to be operated on as soon as possible. A few days after the surgery, he sent his doctors a picture of himself celebrating the procedure's success—and the gift of sight. On WhatsApp he was reportedly close to tears when he told Dr Burkhard Dick, "You know, Doctor, for the first time in 31 years of marriage, I can see how beautiful my wife is when I wake up in the morning without first searching for my glasses."
(Burkhard Dick, MD, PhD, is on the editorial board of Medscape Ophthalmology.)
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"We found a second family at Memorial Sloan Kettering." –Francesca, mother of Jack, a neuroblastoma survivor
Memorial Sloan Kettering Neuroblastoma Team
When he was 2 years old, Jack was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma. The odds of survival were daunting. But at Memorial Sloan Kettering, a team of clinicians focused exclusively on this disease relentlessly brainstormed every possibility and every strategy, and got him every new and experimental treatment that was appropriate as soon as humanly possible. "I am just so grateful for how hard they work for these kids, so grateful that they never stop trying and that they always care so much," said Jack's mother, Francesca.
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"After 9 years, Dr Michelle Holick finally diagnosed what no one else could." –Kathy
Dr Michelle Denee Holick
Kathy knew that her daughter had special needs from the time she was a baby, but many doctors dismissed her fears. Lexi remained nonverbal as she got older, and other symptoms began to manifest. But doctors were at a loss on a diagnosis, much to the dismay of Lexi's family. Without a diagnosis they had no idea how to help their daughter. When Lexi was 9 years old, the Hansons found neurologist Dr Michelle Denee Holick of Texas Children's West Campus.
"She is the most compassionate, well-educated, and conscientious doctor I know," said Kathy. "Dr Holick is the only doctor who chose to order a specific genetic test that brought our family answers after 9 years. Lexi is 14 years old and diagnosed with Phelan-McDermid syndrome/22q13 and autism. She is a happy child and has made so much progress since her diagnosis." Her family is eternally grateful.
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"I don't think I could have handled the scare without her."–Michelle
Dr Stephanie Lam
"A few years ago, I was told that I might have been exposed to HIV," Michelle told Medscape. "I have never been so terrified. I was pregnant, I had been struggling with eating issues, and I was a single mom. I had no idea what would happen to my family if I were ill. I met the most amazing woman, OB/GYN Dr Stephanie Lam. She talked to me and treated me... She's a very compassionate OB! Out of 10 pregnancies and all of the residents of a high-risk clinic, she is the one who stood out."
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"Raymond Mollica, DPM, made sure I could run the NYC marathon." –Alison
Dr Raymond Mollica
"I have been visiting with a lot of doctors lately, due to mysterious health symptoms," Alison told Medscape. "After a Labor Day weekend run on the beach, I developed heel pain that made it difficult to train for the New York City half-marathon in October. In the past year, I've visited a rheumatologist, neurologist, endocrinologist, radiologist, general practitioner, ER doctor, and, most recently, a podiatrist. While I've received some unhelpful advice, such as 'take some Advil' and 'maybe you're depressed,' Dr Mollica was eager to help," Alison said. "I saw him exactly 1 day before I planned to run 13.1 miles. After taking x-rays and asking several questions, he diagnosed me with heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. Not only did he make me a foam arch support, which he taped to my foot on the spot, he also produced a needle full of cortisone and an anesthetic, which shot right into my heel, providing relief within a couple of hours. I was able to finish the half-marathon the next day, and when I returned to see him the following week, he told me that he had been [thinking about my marathon]. Finally, a doctor who could provide some concrete relief and who was rooting for me!"
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
Steve could finally sleep through the night again after Dr Kendall Lee treated his Parkinson disease.
Dr Kendall Lee
For 10 years, Steve's Parkinson disease was under control. Then one day, his medication simply stopped working. The effects were devastating. He couldn't sleep and movement was difficult and painful. Steve went to Mayo Clinic for deep brain stimulation, a surgery that he underwent while awake. He was better almost immediately, able to move around and feeling more energetic and more functional. His medication was reduced from 12 pills to four or five. "I feel so much better," he said, and is grateful to Dr Kendall Lee and his team for helping him via this relatively new procedure.
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"After years of doctors telling me that my symptoms were in my head, NP Jennifer Lefner actually listens and believes me." –Tamra
Nurse Jennifer Lefner
"I went through four endos and several MDs before finding FNP Jennifer Lefner at Vital Life Wellness Center," Tamra told Medscape. Tamra is grateful to Lefner for ordering the right tests that help explain her symptoms and also for working with her on solutions to her complex health problems caused by a variety of autoimmune issues. "I'd still be sick and miserable if not for Nurse Practitioner Lefner. I'm so happy I found her," she said.
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
"Dr Novelette Thompson talks me off the ledge." –Stephanie
Drs Rohan Faria and Novelette Thompson
My oncologist, Dr Rohan Faria, doesn't talk down to his patients," said Stephanie, who was treated for breast cancer. "He's a real person and tells it like it is. I can't tell you how helpful that is when there is this constant worry in the background—having someone I can depend on for something so incredibly important." Stephanie is also grateful for her endocrinologist, Dr Novelette Thompson. "She cried with me when she told me my thyroid biopsy was suspicious and that I needed surgery a year after the breast cancer. She said, 'Call me anytime if you want to talk.' Both of these doctors know patients by name and make us feel like they care about every one of us—not like we are just a number. I know I'm not alone in my appreciation."
Patients Say 'Thank You!'
Sometimes it's the little things. Or the big. Or the huge.
Happy Thanksgiving
Clinicians go through years of high-stress, challenging, and extremely expensive schooling and residency to gain the expertise needed to treat patients. Being a healthcare provider is rarely glamorous; there are long hours, late nights, sore feet, and heartbreaking stories. But still, you do it. And it makes the world a better place. Thank you.
"Gratitude is one of the least articulate of the emotions, especially when it is deep." –Felix Frankfurter, former Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court
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