Here's the patient area

 My room in the clinic...an actual room space!

 The view of the mountains from the clinic and look...carpentry stopped to pose!

I even get a desk!

Company day!

Today was a great day. I had company! I love entertaining. To prepare I mopped the clinic floor twice and dusted the furniture and made everything look pristine...then I got patients. WTH! I usually have to track them down to get them in to see me on any given day. I never get patients. They don't care how sick they are or how much pain they're in. They will not seek medical attention. They believe that all medical people are here to send them home. Sometimes it can not be avoided. A broken rotted, infected tooth for example. It will never get better on it's own and I am not equiped to pull teeth- so yes, home you go. Get your stuff done before you come here. Why is that my fault? It's rough and rugged here, bare minimum desert medicine. So on my special company day, here come the patients. I think that they like me here, but I'm thinking...Oh No! not today! They track in the dirt and sneeze and and get their whatever's all over the place. ..and scrub away I continue. At last, I thought to myself, this is a losing battle to keep the floor clean and show off the clinic and then I recall why it is that I am here. It's all in a days work. And I really love my patients. Bring me your achy backs and runny nose, yuk, yuk!

The company Care Counselor took a little side trip to visit this tiny little base and me! I had met him before and he's a great guy, so I had a chance to visit and show him around and introduce him to everyone. Thankfully he brought pamplets to hand out later because he falls under suspicion too. But, he's fun and he even knew someone here in no man's land, good sign of personability! We stayed up well after 8pm talking and me telling stories...well, he did too -good times! Speaking of bedtime...Isn't it crazy that back home I would easily stay up until 1-2 am and still get up around 7 am. I can't do it here and I don't know anyone that can.

The day ended in a crush of despair when we got the news of the tragedy at Kandahar. Bombs, suicide bombers, blah, blah...I almost forgot I was in the middle of a war and that there's talibaddie's to worry about. It just makes you want to go out and kick some a- -! And now that I've been around to a few places, visualizing the sites where the destruction happened make it more real. We don't get any information on anything. It gives a whole new meaning to head in the sand- that's us! We get our info just like you do...via CNN- unless we're right there as it's happening.

I'm having a blast on this tiny FOB. There's just enough activities to do everyday. We take walks around the base which would take all of 10 minutes if we didn't go up to the guard shacks and visit and explore the areas that have been bombed out and fortified. It's a really tight squeeze in some areas. Sometimes we view the province (look over the walls) and see what the locals are up to. There are architectural sites that are within our line of vision and that we don't talk about and can't visit, because the talitubbies might get us. They're like the bogey man with IED's and other bad toys. Then there's meal time which is social time, so I never skip that and it's starting to show. I'm committed to doing less eating and more coffee drinking and more hitting the gym.

Picture time of the clinic that I'm at temporarily manning...unless I can figure out a way to throw Frank under the bus and stay permanently...Just kidding Frank!!

I'm really missing my base too.

Just another day (1/15/2012)

A ground attack and I could hear the Talitubbies yelling! They never got in, but it was exciting! I thought about taking pictures of the action, but since they were shooting over the wall trying to randomly snipe us.. I thought better of it. Where I'm at, there not much separating us from them. I'm actually less than a Detroit block away from houses on the other side. Fortunately that's where the wealthier people live, so I shouldn't have need to worry.  The weather is freezing here, so I can't understand why the terrorist are heating up. Shouldn't we all be taking well deserved siestas? The troops were so funny. They are here to serve and protect and that means even us dumb contractors. They were so nice to come over and make sure I wasn't afraid. I did do a little shiver for their benefit...keep up moral and all that. But the terrorist seem to be all over the place right now. My buddy about an hour away also got hit, or the base that he's on did. Happens to be the same place that I slept thru an attack...funny coincidence.

We had a true storm complete with very loud thunder and sky illuminating lightning and it was so loud that I was thinking that maybe it was still the bombs going off. I really thought that I was going to lose my tent at one point with the howling winds and torrential rains, but I was tired so I rolled over. I keep my stuff close to me now, (just in case I do wake up). I have a bugout bag for my medical stuff that weighs quite a few pounds. In the mist of rushing to grab what I thought was important, reaching for that bag nearly broke my arm. Once we got the "All Clear" I lightened that baby up! I thought to myself, how many IV's am I going to be doing anyways? I kept a couple on hand anyway- I hate to say never.

So we are still on blackout and with the full moon the night should've been quite romantic. Too bad all the guys my age are in bed sleeping at 8 pm. Oh Well! Me, I like to live big and watch some TV shows that I have on my hard drive or read a book while I snuggle up alone. So I think I'll do just that before another alarm sounds. Rule #3, 4, 5 for deployment: Never pass up a bathroom, never miss a meal, never miss out on sleep! The last one was difficult for me to get used to. My saying used to be, "I'll sleep when I die."  Well one nighter in the cold, smelly bunker took care of that!  I'll sleep when I can - thank you very much.


 

Not on my watch. Not in my home!

Today, I saw on the news that 4 Marines were caught urinating on dead bodies. Imagine that! Why would they do that? And what fool filmed this act then leaked it? The Taliban are using it for recruitment purposes... think maybe it could of been them? Even not, who's side are you on? It's just too bad that our politicians and media can't be more supportive. And this is forthright with the American people? OK, so shame on the Marines that did that. That's not "how we do it" in the USA. We are more upstanding and dignified and the Marines are held to a higher standard than that. But imagine in an alternate universe where the Super Heroes rush in to rescue poor, downtrodden, hurt victims of a hateful gang of thugs. Meanwhile the rescued, while smiling in the defenders faces, shoot them in their backs. Am I'm talking about the Afghani's? NO! I'm talking about the people back home that join our media in finding fault with anything that happens here in Afghanistan and can't write a shred of support for the effort here.

In my neighborhood back home in Michigan, a guy tried to break into my home in the middle of the night. I watched as the guy tried to open the screen of first my bedroom window and then my daughters room. Being a poor, helpless, single women, did I think he was looking for money to buy drugs? He was known as the neighborhood drug dealer. So why pick the single mom's house? The answer, fear and intimidation- easy to get my stuff. I eventually called the police who caught him on the next block. They stated that he wasn't caught doing anything more that walking down the street at 4:00 in the morning, so they did not arrest him. He had a good time telling his peers about how he got away- shame on him! Break-ins continued and my neighborhood lived in despair. Did I cower in fear for the next time. No Way! I took a stand and said, No! You will not threaten my family! Not on my watch. Not in my home! I demanded and took action! I spent the next week knocking on doors and organizing a "War on Drugs" in my neighborhood. Without going into detail, the targeted bad guy with his buddies left our area within a couple of weeks and peace was restored... and crime fell in the neighborhood. It was a win-win for us all.

The World Trade Center happened and we all watched in horror, helpless to do a thing to help as our fellow countrymen died and the life that we knew changed before our eyes. We watched as the terrorist came to "our house" to destroy us and annihilate our way of life. Fear and intimidation. Every single one of us wanted vengeance. The American people demanded action! Never forget the reason for our presence in Afghanistan. They have found a haven here and in Pakistan to hide, to organize and destroy us. So why change the mood now. Do we want another 911 to happen or do we want to stand together and command, " Not on my watch. Not in my home.

I can't change the world. I'm too old to join the Marines or any branch of the service. But, I do my part in protecting those that I love. Each one of us can make a difference and together as a nation. So what that we're hated for it- we are our strength. That's what separates us from them. We are willing to sacrifice for each other. We come together in times of need and champion the underdog and protect our own in our homes, in our country, in our world. Every soldier and every person that is serving here in Afghanistan knows that at any moment we could face death- Yes, we could die. This is a war and piss on the ones that try to harm us every second of every day. I understood that display of pushing back and granted it was grouse. Next time guys keep it zipped up or the camera off. That you killed a few terrorist was enough for me. Thank you very much for serving!

We must all remain strong, standing together and commanding that terrorism will not happen- Not on our watch. Not in our homes!

Good games and bad ones...

I've been MIA for a week with good reason. I was assigned an itty bitty base (FOB) for my buddy who left for a little R&R. This is the cutest little base. You could walk around the perimeter in 10 minutes. Everyone is nice and very welcoming. It's one of those places that are helping the locals learn to sustain themselves through agriculture and education without depending on the US or the Taliban. It's in sort of a populated area and I still can't get outside the wire. Imagine that! I did go take a little peek at "THE" Afghanistan. My buddy is also a little stinker, so he didn't mind showing me the best spots for my viewing pleasure. Here on the bases it's mostly like being in the US. The grub is good and there's always so much to choose from with dessert. And just like back home you can go to church and worship Jesus or anyone you choose to without being strung up. We meet, but they don't have any clubs going here yet. Gimme some time and let see what talents I can make use of to keep everyone out of mischief. Speaking of...I can't remember most of the peoples names yet and I sort of remember faces...but I went strolling into my tent to my individual room (Ha!) to move my stuff into the clinic room where I'll be staying. I was taking my time setting up the new room because I brought too much crap (as usual) and there's no use in me getting winded by going back and forth all at once. So, I went into the old room and thought I heard a noise. I clearly asked if there was anyone there? No answer...maybe a dumb cat. The second time I went in there was a light on. I grabbed some stuff and left. But, then I had forgotten to grab my bedding so I immediately went back, opened the door and was run down by some very embarrassed young man. I thought...maybe a worker, (you know I can be oblivious). Then I saw the girl... snickering and I knew that there was at least one game going on in town!

At another small base where I visited my buddy Cory once (the time I was dumped off at the wrong place). I got to check out his operation/ clinic and he was very ready for the "BIG" one. His clinic is in a very small space, but he made the best use of it and was prepared for a mass casualty and could set up and be ready in seconds to care for many people. It was amazing. This is a guy who was well trained. Well, a couple of days ago a bunch of soldiers joined together to play a pick up game of soccer. They had spectators and among them some ANA (Afghan National Army). One of the ANA guys picked up his automatic rifle and sprayed the soldiers/soccer players. Why he did that no one will ever know. He could've been bought by the Taliban or just went postal...who knows???  He had to die and he did! Two soldiers died, several wounded... senseless. I pray for the friends and families of those guys who suffered this tragedy. I was saddened too. This is a war zone, but I can picture them laughing and the area that they were playing in having watched them play when I came onto that base. Cory was the only medic on the base and there was a small hospital with a doctor and nurse, corpsmen...first timers out.  Cory, who I am proud to say was once a Detroit Medic and is exceptional at his job, he worked with the team and was able to organize, relay and move them out. That's what we do!

So on this note I will end. Support the Troops and our effort here in Afghanistan!

The pictures are of my bedroom with barely enough room to walk into it, but I do have a mattress and it is private.
My buddy Frank at a very old well that still functions
A very old guard tower...maybe from the Russians or even Alexander the Great. He is still the only one who has ever conquored Afghanistan.
My peek of Afghanistan...                                             

A Grinch who almost stoled Christmas story (Late post 12/27/11)

Christmas, my favorite holiday. At home I would spend all day at one church or another and with my family of course. I'd go to the Rescue Mission and donate my social skills or what ever they needed and then hit up 2nd Chance Ministries services. It's a great little church in the Old Train Station area, on Michigan Ave. plus they serve meals at every service and even pick up the homeless at shelters to partake. I also go to my church, United Freewill on Pardee in Taylor or the Latter Day Saints on Rotunda and Pelham.

This year started out great. In the morning I go to a barrier (huge cement block) when I rise for my wake up smoke as the Afghanis come on base to work. On Christmas morning, there I was as usual, shouting out a morning greetings, but this morning it was "Merry Christmas"! A couple of men smiled and said, " Merry Christmas" or even "thank you" back. Then a couple of the younger (20-ish) guys came up and shouted/sang "Merry Christmas," to me. They are Muslim. This is a big deal and what an ice breaker. So I thought with the sun shining and the temperatures reaching 50 something... what a beautiful Christmas day.

Then the bomb dropped in the form of a higher up. Why do people insist on wrecking a perfect glorious day. The one positive thing is that when I was losing my cookies, I went to the church to pray and got a chance to talk to the new pastor. Very nice guy! I wrote briefly about him in a past blog. He has all of this energy and optimism and hope...it is so contagious. So we prayed for strength and tolerance and I received the Lord's grace.  I should've stayed longer.

So now after all these years, I may be forced to live with a man. That's right. The new guy in town does not like his digs so they are moving him in with us girls. Unbelievable! Construction has to be done to accommodate this move, so it hasn't happened yet. All I can say is... where on earth were you in the 70's when I wanted to live with my boyfriend so badly.... and then I had to marry him to get it done...way too early...not good. So all righty!  Course the kid is half my age and it's just a little creepy having a mommy person sharing a tent with a young man. Not that he has the mommy complex, I really think the young man in question is a great kid, but why is moving him in with 2 women an option? Housing is tight- it is all over, but the decision was made at 8pm, well after working hours and a chance to explore other options. And that's the best that could be done. I've lived in some pretty crappy places. I had no idea that you could work your way to the big guy and complain. I thought this was all part of the experience. Ok... but I warned you. Old ladies look a lot different at night than they do during the day...

  I volunteered to find another room elsewhere...but no! Because, I have to learn my place as the underling that I am and this is a war zone...so OK, no problem! Lesson learned: You may complain about the housing you get but not voice thoughts about why it could possibly be a bad idea to move this guy in with the girls. Noted and filed away... not my business.  Again I think, why can't we all just respect each other. Here's a concept...why not work at exceeding expectations and get rewarded for that!

Whew, now I feel better and what a coincidence- the sun is shining again!

Picture time...Look at what I found on my porch!

You may as always drop me a line at angeltwins1@hotmail.com

I've slept around too! (1/2/12)

                Today I read a funny article titled, "Slept around" about the many different bunk rooms EMS people have had to put up with. It was pretty funny and  I want to continue that thought with my own hilarious stories of my adventures in sleepland.

 

Once upon a time I had to share a tent with 10 other women from different parts of the world. We had 2 unofficial room mom's that made our lives hell until my southern belle princess friend got her gander up and took over. We constantly clicked the temperature remote for air conditioning against the Kenyans who liked it 140 degrees for sleeping in the summertime. Then there was mom #1 who pushed all the beds down from the front to the backside of the tent so that she could have a bigger area. (and thereby filling it with more crap).  I slept in the next bunk so this benefited me immensely.  I did not understand why none of the other girls did not push the beds back giving them walking space in between their bunks. I'm not one to be noisy, so I let it be.

 

I also slept in a tent that leaked right above my head when it rained. Fortunately it didn't do that much and I wasn't there for the rainy season, because I could not move the bed. I believe they put it in there and set it with cement. The cement didn't extend to the flooring however, which was un-sanded plywood...must remember to wear shoes. This was also a good reminder as Afghanistan does have scorpions and you never know when one will visit. I actually swept the walls once a week because sand would cake on them. Did you know that Tarantulas burrow in sand? You never can be too careful. No temperature control in that bunk either. It was hot during the day and the breakers would blow sometimes before midnight for no heat the remainder of the night. Thank you God for my super duper sleeping bag.!

 

In another camp, I was also given a room right next to the outtake ventilation (cold air return). That hose is about 2 feet in diameter and in it's cycle; sucks all of the cold air outside. The heat sensor realizes it's getting cold and heat is distributed throughout again to get the temperature to whatever it's set at. Easy right! I slept in front of that very loud air tunnel and it was windy and cold. I was always sick. To combat my discomfort, I placed my luggage with me on the bed standing up next to the tunnel. It helped greatly...my bunk mates complained how cold they were getting at night, so I hid my barrier/luggage under my bed during the day. This lasted a few weeks, then because the management could not find the problem with the heater we were all moved to a different tent. And I got a better room!

 

I also lived in general population where my bunk mate- the girl in the top bunk, was making a midnight bathroom run and hung herself from her dog tags. Luckily they broke! I couldn't understand why she was kicking me awake. The bunks were so high that a ladder had to be made because only a 7 foot tall giant could get into them. I had to sleep on the top bunk twice, but I was lucky that someone pushed me up. My foot would not reach the rung as I attempted to pull myself up. Me and my sheets landed on the floor more than a couple of times.

 

I have a cozy room in the clinic tent now...just a bed and a few nails pounded into the wood that make up my walls. Where patients can come pounding on the door all day and night and break up the monotony of another Ground Hog Day. Poor EMS with their heated rooms and TV's and refrigerators and microwaves and homes to go back to. I want to say boo hoo for me, but I get the check...cha- ching!  And it's all part of the adventure....   

 

In the photos; my room in the clinic today and my past room and mates Natalie, who's a dead ringer for Cristina Ricci and the southern belle princess friend LaDona                            

My signs part 2 (12/29/11)

Signs are a waste of time unless they get the message across clearly and concisely. My signs despict a message and get the point across...no tap dancing around it...." I should've been in pictures wa, wa."..

Would you wash your face with potable water or anything ever again after seeing my sign?

The drowning rat picture cracked me up! I just had to share! If I saw one of those in the pot, I would never use that one again.

Also, the smoking picture has multiple uses as it could also be displayed at the burn pit, and the hooka dens!

And the finger picture is another one of mine from the handwashing campaign as a preventative measure for disease.

That was my funtime! Thanks for reading.

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign..... (12/29/11)

So I figured an upbeat message is long overdue. Since I'm showing off signs today, I thought to show off the church and it's sign- cute isn't it! But, there are  a few signs that I find funny over here in Afghanistan.

Let's start off with my favorite, the signs in the bathrooms that tell you not to stand on the toilet. Why are they also in English? I can't imagine anyone in an English speaking country (USA) attempting to potty train Susie while doing a balancing act on the commode, can you?

There are signs in the port-a -potty's (Green Machines), with directions to the nearest squatty potty...also in English. I never even heard of these conveniences until I left the USA. Thankfully, I lived a sheltered and privileged life and I never knew what some had to go through until I started to travel.

Next are the big ol' smoking signs that glow in the dark. Granted, I am on on a blackout FOB, (only starlight and the moon illuminates) but there are few smoking spots so most of the people here have made there own little oasis close to their confinement. Most are courteous not to smoke next to the highly flammable tents, (I said most...there is also the Romanian area, my personal favorite smoking area because there's always a friendly face hanging out and they all have know enough English to get me through a cigarette thanks to "The Young and the Restless"). I'm still looking for the Bosnian spot as they stay up all night chatting, smoking and drinking coffee. Nothing like a double dose of stimulants to break up the monotony around here.

Then there's signs in all of the bathrooms telling you not to drink the portable water that flows freely from the faucet. What's it used for, you might ask? In response I say that you wash your hands in it and those same hands touch your face 20 times an hour or so. So, I guess as long as you keep your hands out of your mouth, you're OK...I have gotten out of the habit of putting my hands anywhere near my face. It's gross here! You also use the water it to rinse out your nose, shower and wash your hair all with your mouth shut!. Nice visual ay? Speaking of water, my "get the chlorine out shampoo" is a big hit and everybody wants to borrow it. It works great and removes all the chlorine build up...too bad we rinse with more chlorine and it's all a vicious cycle, but I'm still not as frizzy.

At some places there are so many signs that they are on top of each other and taped in rows, for your reading pleasure ...all in English.

And signs that teach bathroom etiquette while helping out the sanitation crew, very considerate!

"So I got me a nice search engine and I made up my own little sign...