I love working here - Oct 23 (late post)

    Any kid of contractor can really make some really good kind of dough when they go out of the good ol' USA. That's was a motivation for me!  Those tax free dollars and debt free dreams are stuff that gives you the warm fuzzy's and makes you sleep like a baby- right? Wake Up!!! Get your head out of the clouds. This is not champagne wishes and caviar dreams. There is no such thing as free.
My ears are now tuned to the, "if you do this____, ( fill in the blank) then you will get sent home. I spent the day walking around and listening to the threats... if you smoke in non- designated areas..., if you wear the wrong shirt..., if you fo dee do do..., if you are too cheery..., if you get caught in the lady's compound (men only)...and the ultimate nail biter, fear raiser threat- if you get sick....you get the picture. So suppose we get food poisoning. At home I'd be raising all kinds of hell and letter writing, but here you have to think. You do the "light fandango" as you race for the basin, because we are all friends and we are all in this together. So we heave chunks on the sly in the name of our good buddies or the faces that we see everyday. There are many good people here just trying to etch out their living and do well for their families. Hard working men and women who really deserve a break today. But, it is a military contract. Our bread and butter, and rules must be preserved for the general good of all. So the dilemma goes...

 

    I love working here. I am cramming so much new information in my head that I think every night- I can't take anymore! Then the 'morrow comes and I'm back to learning and studying and practicing. I do my walk back and forth to the DFAC (chow hall) and back and forth to the smoking shack. That's all the available free time for me. I watched a required movie that I am now requiring all of you to watch, " Camp Victory, Afghanistan." It shows some of the conditions and the atmosphere that we live in, (don't forget the sand...in fact, I bet it will take me a year to get it off my stuff when I go home.) and it was good movie too. Sometimes it's very hard to remember that I'm in the middle of a war zone. Then there's other times...but I always try to make the best of it. In fact, I was very sick yesterday. While running to my favorite private spot, I ran into someone I knew not at all. I said ,"excuse me", as I ran past her. She yelled out, " what's wrong with you, you are always so cheery." I was shocked that anyone noticed.

 

 I try to be a positive, motivating influence on everyone. I always have talked to everyone and anyone, which is serving me well here. It is amazing how many people that I have met and group with that are Christians. We draw each other like magnets....just saying. Never is it more evident than when I'm far away from home with so many different nationalities from so many different countries. I am still keeping up with my Bible studies, but more -keeping him before me. Also, we are in the middle of Muslim-land, ( they are all over), and I have yet to see anyone at prayer, (what is it, 5-6 times daily?) There is a mosque here...never seen anyone in it. Isn't that strange.... Just another point to ponder.

 

Miss you all and I get all of your comments even though I cannot see my own blog. So write! Is there anything that you would like me to write about? Or just drop a Hello to me!

See ya!

Stupid Me!‏

The owner of the company stopped by for a visit. I was excited to see him again as I had met him in training and he was nice and funny...really interesting and down to earth. However, I should've known. Let's title this blog- Stupid me! We had to clean house until it shined, not a big deal in the middle of the desert when you have to clean everything everyday anyways, but it would've been nice to have some normal cleaning supplies. We used itty-bitty wipies for surfaces and there was nothing to wash the floor with. We have some guys that come in daily to do this stuff, and they have all that stuff stashed. If I had a stash of cleaning supplies at my disposal, my 4X6 area would sparkle. But alas, I make do with alcohol wipes, tiny wipie's and brown paper towels swished around by my feet. Hey, it works! Never again will I take Mr Clean for granted. Never would I think a clean space would be so important to me. But we are in the middle of the desert and the sand is so fine that I even have to wrap my laptop in plastic. It's getting so bad (or I'm getting used to it), that the other night after a loooonng work day my southern buddy says, "let's go shower and hit the hay", and I replied- what for, we only get dirty again the minute we walk out of the showers. Thank you God for my nettie pot! A clean nasal passage is a definite "must have" here.

And snakes! I was so excited not to have seen a snake here yet. Then, I was walking in the dark without my flashlight and complacent, (Stupid me!) and BAM! I walked right over one. I was talking so I didn't notice right away, ( does that surprise anyone?), but then it registered and it had already slithered away. My buddy wants to check me in for hallucinations.

And back to today...perfectly nice people became raging maniacs, rude, above us all, when the bosses are around. Boy, I feel as if I'm back in Detroit at Joe Shmo ambulance company. Everyone was on edge. I made a quick get a way with my buddy for lunch. Busted!!! We were later told that we HAD to go with the group to dinner. Then, I almost missed the bus!!! Ha! Ha! But again I was busted, yelled at like the 2 y/o that I am, and away I meekly went. Ha! Ha! Ha!

 

So I don't have to rely on all the Linda Blair's of the world, I have my friends- well just LaDona who laughs with me all day and is in on the secret. So we went out to my favorite hang out spot- the smoking lounge. It was great fun as the Bosnians were having a party, it being Monday night and all. They seem to have these random parties for any reason and they are very nice. So we popped it and were given "near beer" and they had bought some snacks and I laughed so hard. There was even almost a fight! Good times!!!

 

I'll post some pictures at a later date.

 

Remember me in your prayers always!

Silly Patient Tricks 10/22

We are never, ever to divulge patient information...but I can tell you of all their silly little antics!

Trick #1: Today, a patient came back as ordered for further treatment. He was a really sick guy. Sick people usually cry and scream for their mommy's, or they're quiet. This was his case. He was very quiet and we caught him crying because he thought we would send him home. He is the only bread winner in his family, from a very poor country. His English is almost non-existent. So today it was a total shock, as I was evaluating him...and him saying how much better he was, that he told me of a mid- back pain that he suffered last night. I went and checked the side effects of his medications and returned to him to get a more focused idea of what was going on. I touched his back in the area he was describing and I said," does it hurt here"? He said no,"up more". So I rubbed the area up higher, and said,"anywhere here?" and he says, no,"up more". Now I see him moving his shoulders and I realize that he's trying to con a back rub out of me and I said," are you trying to get a back rub out of me?....He said yes! And then he laughed hilariously...

Trick #2: Today I missed my big chance... some really hot Bosnian guy came in. I have found that most guys from Bosnian are really hot. Unfortunately, they are also too young for me. Actually my fish pond is growing smaller by the day. (him, haw).. So anyway, I took him since LaDona was busy, but I really needed to run to the ladies- like yesterday! He said he needed to be seen for... a cough? He goes into the exam room and asks if he should take his pants off. I laugh and say, if that would make you more comfortable... (Hey, I'm old, not dumb). Well I do my utmost to be professional and evaluate him, (with pants on) but he seems to think it's playtime in the romper room and I can't laugh anymore without embarrassing myself, so I hand him off to LaDona. On my return, he is taking his shirt off...even LaDona doesn't know why, so I go in to ...help out...That's my story and I'm sticking to it! She's busy checking out his...nasal passages, his lung sounds on his chest...and he says," if you touch me one more time  I might have to grab you and love you." That southern girl has never been at a loss for words before. And I know she has never blushed in my presence before. But, as the clinic erupted in laughter, she did both of those things.

 

Trick #3: There are patients that really step over the boundary that is drawn between medical people and patient. For LaDona who has been seeing a BIG guy since we got here, He has come in for a number of legitimate complaints and returns with extremely useful gifts. I get some too! Problem is...I'm afraid in his little puppy dog state that he is going to do serious harm to himself. Not that he is purposely injuring himself...he's not. But he is so happy to have to come and see her. She joins me at the smoking shelter and he hops on down too. I'll laugh if he takes up smoking.

 

We are the motivation team. We sometimes get asked medical questions as we wander the compound, like- It hurts when I put my thumb like this... and I answer, don't put your thumb like that.

And we get those Don's who tell us that their hearts hurt every time they see us...I'm taking that as a compliment, 'cause I figure the other end would hurt if it wasn't meant to be.

The benefits!!! Everyone is so nice!