The Myths…
There’s this belief – some might even call it a superstition – that death comes in threes.
But supposedly, so does luck (good or bad). Then there’s “third time’s the charm”, and “three strikes and you’re out”. Today happens to be exactly one week since Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (It’s also raining right now – a thunderstorm actually – another phenomenon known to be associated with death.) There are multiple thoughts as to the origin of the power of three’s, and we as physicians are not immune from wondering about it every so often.
We Expect the Threes…
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When a patient dies, even if he/she was chronically ill or even terminal, we subconsciously prepare ourselves for the other two to follow. Yes, it’s quite morbid, maybe even a bit insensitive, but we see death on a regular basis. We continue on our daily grind, waiting for the proverbial “other shoe” to drop.
“Oh, so-and-so died?? Wow, that’s sad. Their family is not going to take the news well at all… I wonder who’s going to be next?”
Professionals trained to have a fact-based scientific approach should not be ascribing to such illogical thinking, right? But, like any other human, we try to make sense of it all, to compartmentalize and rationalize the deaths; like any other human would.
Connecting the Dots…
This is even more important for us, because as physicians, an experience with death is inescapable. We will find a way to make the connection – whether those unfortunate three were assigned to a specific service, or were on a particular ward, or had similar diagnoses, or died on the same day. If we really liked the patient or if the deaths were sudden or unexpected, this was especially true.
As far as we’re concerned, those patients fell victim to the rule of threes. It helps us to replace feelings of helplessness in ultimately preventing death, with the thought that a higher supernatural phenomenon was responsible. This provides a sense of calm in what is generally a distressing situation.
Death is a Part of Our Lives…
Each time someone dies, we are reminded of our own mortality, and that unfortunate outcomes are possible despite our training, skills, and passion for the well-being of our patients. We need that mental cloak. Death is a “normal part of the job“, but a part that still hurts.
So, does death really come in threes? Who knows? But if we need a number to help us to feel better, then so be it.
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