Finding humor in situations that are anything but funny can relieve some of the fear, anxiety, and dread associated with threats to our well being.
I was planning a post about medical humor when I found an article about that very subject. JAMA published the article November 6, 1920.
No, that is not a typo, it was 1920. But since I wasn’t around then to read it, I’m glad they republished it November 3, 2020 in a feature called JAMA Revisited. (JAMA is the Journal of the American Medical Association.)
In it, the unidentified author refers to another article published in 1920 titled “Two Medical Humorists”, one of whom was Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes who he describes as
a master of style, all of his work illuminated
with numerous flashes of wit.
Oliver Wendell Holmes’ son Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., served as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1902 to 1932. Holmes Sr. was a physician and poet in the 1800s.
The author claimed that “a bit of humor now and then is welcomed by every class of thinkers, no matter how serious minded may be their daily routine”, and I agree, although I know people who seem to have no sense of humor, at least about some things.
According to Merriam-Webster.com “some common synonyms of humor are irony, repartee, sarcasm, satire, and wit….”a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement”.
And from the JAMA article –
Humor is a lively sense of the incongruous (out of place) in the world and in life.
What’s funny about illness?
Most of us find nothing “funny” about being sick, injured, disabled, or dying. But illness and its treatment can create situations that prompt “incongruous” reactions that can be funny, ironic, and satirical. Finding humor in situations that are anything but funny can relieve some of the fear, anxiety, and dread associated with threats to our well being.
Nothing will so quickly relieve the strain with which most laymen confront the physician as the kindly directed remark accompanied with a smile and a sense of humor.
In the novel MASH, and the subsequent versions, Dr. Hooker used dark humor to depict the doctors, nurses, and other staff coping with practicing medicine in a war zone. Their pranks, wise cracks, and self deprecating humor distracted them from their loneliness, anger, and sense of failure when soldiers died despite their best efforts to save them.
We need humor in the profession. It is one of its necessary virtues. For who save ourselves live in such a milieu of disharmonies?
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Playfulness in a pandemic
Medical humor helps us fight the unexpected, unfair, and disruptive circumstances of disaster and disease , helping us cope with feeling powerless.
In 2020 when the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic sparked fear,confusion, and uncertainty, people took to social media with memes, cartoons,photos, and videos that testified to our resolve to overcome. I liked this video a high school principal produced and starred in. By taking a lighthearted approach to a serious situation, he demonstrated resourcefulness and resilience.
But let us also cling to humor, the antiseptic of life.
Friday Funnies
share humorous medically related cartoons on my Facebook page every Friday. I choose them carefully, because I don’t want anyone to think I take their health issues lightly. I don’t, ever.
But I agree with Merriam-Webster in thathumor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.
If you don’t already follow me on Facebook, please do. Besides Fridays, somedays I share a Saturday Smile.
In medicine, humor is a virtue.
Unless otherwise noted, the quotes are from Some Medical Humorists which you can read at this link.
sharing the HEART of laughter
always LOL, Dr Aletha
Describe the funniest meme you’ve seen lately, or leave a link in the comments. Family friendly content only please.
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
President Joe Biden announced the impending end of the public health emergency due to the significant drop in COVID-19 deaths. The response to the pandemic involved various federal agencies led by the Department of Health and Human Services, as outlined in Biden’s 7-point plan. The plan addressed testing, healthcare, economic support, global response, and climate change integration.
update February 10, 2023
In his State of the Union speech February 7, 2023, President Joe Biden announced the public health emergency will end soon.
While the virus is not gone, thanks to the resilience of the American people, we have broken COVID’s grip on us.
COVID deaths are down nearly 90%.
We’ve saved millions of lives and opened our country back up.
And soon we’ll end the public health emergency.
But we will remember the toll and pain that will never go away for so many. More than 1 million Americans have lost their lives to COVID.
Families grieving. Children orphaned. Empty chairs at the dining room table.
We remember them, and we remain vigilant.
President Joe Biden
This 2020 post reviewed Mr. Biden’s plans and proposals for managing the pandemic once he took office. The information came from his campaign website.
The Department of Health and Human Services ,through the President’s cabinet member head, manages the response to COVID-19. Other Cabinet members and their Departments are involved as well.
The agencies most involved in the COVID-19 response include
Health and Human Services-HHS
Federal Emergency Management Agency-FEMA
Centers for Disease Control-CDC
National Institutes of Health-NIH
Federal Drug Administration-FDA
Small Business Administration-SBA
Veterans Administration-VA
Department of Defense -DOD
Treasury Department
State Department
The President leads the Executive Branch of the government, including all of the departments and agencies headed by the Cabinet members, including the Department of Health and Human Services.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris-7 point plan to beat COVID-19 and get our country back on track
the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, responsible for causing COVID-19- photo used with permission, CDC.GOV
December 31, 2019-China reports the coronavirus to WHO-the World Health Organization.
RESTORING TRUST, CREDIBILITY, AND COMMON PURPOSE
We must immediately put scientists and public health leaders front and center in communication with the American people in order to provide regular guidance and deliver timely public health updates, including by immediately establishing daily, expert-led press briefings.
Ensure that public health decisions are made by public health professionals and not politicians
Immediately restore the White House National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense,which was established by the Obama-Biden Administration
MOUNTING AN EFFECTIVE NATIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE THAT SAVES LIVES, PROTECTS FRONTLINE WORKERS, AND MINIMIZES THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
Ensure that every person who needs a test can get one – and that testing for those who need it is free.
Task all relevant federal agencies to take immediate action to ensure that America’s hospital capacity can meet the growing need
Prepare to stand up multi-hundred-bed temporary hospitals in any city on short notice
Expand CDC surveillance programs
Instruct the CDC to establish real-time dashboards tracking
(1) hospital admissions related to COVID-19, especially for ICUs and emergency departments, and
(2)supply chain information for essential equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Give all frontline workers high-quality and appropriate personal protective equipment . Issue guidance to states to prioritize first responders to receive PPE, and educate the public on reserving equipment for professionals.
Ensure the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority are swiftly accelerating the development of rapid diagnostic tests, therapeutics and medicines, and vaccines. NIH must be responsible for the clinical trial networks and work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on trial approvals.
Instruct the CDC to provide guidance and resources about containment and mitigation to schools, health care facilities, higher education, and school administrators, and the general public.
Work with businesses to expand production of personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves, and additional products such as bleach and alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Establish and fund a U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Reserve Corps to expand medical and public health capacity.
Expand staffing for the Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program for fire departments can increase staffing. As Vice President he secured an expansion of the SAFER Act.
Increase federal resources to cover all necessary federal costs, and create a State and Local Emergency Fund to meet critical health and economic needs to combat this crisis
ELIMINATING COST BARRIERS FOR PREVENTION OF AND CARE FOR COVID-19.
Amend the PHS Act to cover all testing, treatment, and preventive services necessary to address a public health emergency for an infectious disease. All commercial plans and public plans-Medicare, Medicaid, VA, etc- would be required to cover services.
Fund and expand authority for the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to reimburse health care providers for COVID-19-related costs not covered by insurance.
Secure maximum Medicaid enrollment for currently eligible populations
Provide explicit authority for the HHS Secretary to approve the commercial price of vaccines developed in conjunction with federally funded research
PURSUING DECISIVE ECONOMIC MEASURES TO HELP HARD-HIT WORKERS,FAMILIES, AND SMALL BUSINESSES AND TO STABILIZE THE AMERICAN ECONOMY
The immediate economic measures in Biden’s plan include
Comprehensive 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave envisioned in the FAMILY Act and 7 days of paid sick leave in the Healthy Families Act. The paid leave plan will cover 100% of weekly salaries or average weekly earnings up to $1400.00 weekly.
Reimbursements to employers up to 14 days of paid sick leave, in addition to existing employer paid leave
Ensure unemployment benefits are available to those who would be denied due to rules that should not apply in a crisis
Employment relief for reduced hours, work-sharing arrangements, domestic workers, caregivers, gig workers or independent contractors with reduced pay and hours
Expanded food relief for hard-pressed families and children, creating a federal-state partnership to expand SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) relief
Increase Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for the state administered Medicaid program
Establish a temporary small and medium size loan program to address unanticipated shortfalls in revenue
Support for child care and remote student learning by expanding assistance to federal child care enters and Title 1 schools
Relief or forbearance of federal student loans and federally backed mortgages
Protect union health funds
A state and local emergency fund for governors and mayors to respond to their communities’ needs including
Mortgage and rental relief for impacted workers
Employer assistance for job maintenance
Interest free loans for small businesses
Cash assistance or refundable tax relief
RALLYING THE WORLD TO CONFRONT THIS CRISIS WHILE LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE
Direct the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in coordination with the State Department, DOD, HHS, and the CDC, to mobilize an international response to assist vulnerable nations to address COVID-19
Empower the State Department to ensure the U.S. plays a major role in all global decisions about the outbreak
Create a Global Health Emergency Board to harmonize crisis response for vulnerable communities, ensuring a coordinated health and economic response globally
Bolster CDC and DOD’s disease detection and protections programs to protect America’s troops and deployed citizens, providing testing and treatment, and evacuation when necessary
Expand the Global Health Security Agenda to mobilize the world against the threat of infectious diseases (established under the Obama-Biden administration)
Fully staff all federal agencies, task forces, and scientific and economic advisory groups focused on health security.
Build a global health security workforce by investing in the education of public health professionals, including the CDC’s training programs Fight climate change as a driver of health threats; fully integrate climate change into our foreign policy and global health security
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