National Doctor's Day 2011 - My Doctors!

National Doctor's Day honors the work of doctors across the United States, and is celebrated each year on March 30th. It's a day to celebrate the contribution of doctors who serve our country by caring for its' citizens.

The first Doctor's Day was observed on March 30, 1933 in Winder, Georgia, when Eudora Brown Almond - wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond - decided to set a day aside to honor doctors. In 1990, the House and Senate officially declared March 30 "National Doctor's Day."

Traditionally, people celebrate the day by going out of their way to thank their doctors, mailing greeting cards, and sending flowers. The red carnation is commonly associated with the National Doctor's Day.

I grew up in a very small town; our local doctor lived in the community, and took very good care of his patients. They were like family to him! He would see you in his office, at his house, in your house, or wherever he was when you needed him. He always thought about his patient first, and made sure they were comfortable. His name was Dr. S.E. Farmer. When I moved to Nashville, I just knew I wouldn't find any doctors that were as good as him. I was wrong; I've been lucky to find some amazing doctors here in Nashville, and below are a few of the great doctors that I have in my corner.

My Internist: Dr. Travis Pardue - He's my sounding board; most of the time we'll talk through what I'm feeling, and figure out the best approach to the problem. At other times when he's worried, he can be blunt and sometimes he'll just tell me how it is . Robin talked me into going to see him in 1999; he took blood of course, and I started to walk up the hallway in his office. I couldn't make it to the end, I turned around thinking I had saw a chair, but it wasn't there. His Nurse Practitioner saw me, got me a chair, but right as I sat down Dr. Pardue grabbed me before I passed out and fell in the floor. He got me to an exam room where I completely passed out; he watched over me, and even offered to sing to me. He didn't sing to me that day, but later on in years he did. I should have been glad he didn't sing to me on my first visit! Dr. Pardue is someone that can talk the medical language to other medical personnel, but can also explain your situation to you in a way you can understand. If it wasn't for him, I would probably still be too scared to go to doctors. He does need to work on helping me not be scared of needles though!

My GYN: Dr. Brian Beatty - I went to Dr. Beatty many years ago with an extreme pain in my side; other doctors had given up trying to figure out what was happening, and they were just keeping me comfortable. Dr. Beatty never gave up; he didn't like seeing me in pain, and he was going to figure it out. Well, several years after that we got the pain under control. I don't know if we really figured out what it was, but Dr. Beatty stood by me all the way. I remember being scared before one really rough surgery; Dr. Beatty patted my shoulder (Why do doctors always pat your shoulder?), and told me he would take very good care of me. He did, and continues to do that when I let him! Let me warn you though that once Dr. Beatty has made his decision, it's hard to change his mind, and when he's focused on something and you ask him a question, he'll shake his head and roll his eyes before answering your question. He will answer your question though! He cares about his patients, he knows completely what he's doing (Of course, he attended Washington University - Washington DC is where I was born.), and if you're in trouble you want him on your side. I'm glad I have him on my side!

My Chiropractor: Dr. Peter Hinz - I saw a poster on Dr. Pardue's wall; it was Dr. Hinz, a Chiropractor/Acupuncturist. I thought, what do I have to lose? So I talked Robin into trying him out; she went first of course. We started with acupuncture (He must be a miracle worker to have gotten those needles in me and don't tell Dr. Pardue he did!), then we decided to let him take over our chiropractic care too. My previous chiropractic experiences weren't the best; when I would ask questions I usually had to watch a video, and once when the chiropractor was helping me up off the table I fell back. Was I supposed to be able to get off that table by myself; was something wrong, I still worry about that. That scared me enough not to want to get adjusted. I've not been going to Dr. Hinz for very long, but he does seem different. He's listens, watches (Sometimes he watches too much.), and really cares I think. I know that I feel better; I can stand for a long period of time, and my back doesn't hurt as much or my leg doesn't go numb completely anymore. I'm also able to use my wrist more and more without hurting. Although he likes doing exercise demonstrations, he might be able to change my mind about chiropractors!

Thank you Dr. Pardue for just being you, Dr. Beatty for caring so much, and Dr. Hinz for starting to change my mind about chiropractic/acupuncture care. You all are EXCELLENT at what you do, and I know your other patient's feel the same. Other doctor's who have helped me through the years are Dr. Farmer, Dr. Knoll, Dr. Dube, Dr. Herring, Dr. C. Pardue, Dr. Gates and Russell. I have and have had some exceptional doctors!

Thank you to all the doctor's who have stepped up, became a doctor, and who are taking care of all the citizen's of the United States. It's not an easy task!

Happy National Doctor's Day - March 30th, 2011!