Merry Christmas!!

 It's Christmas Eve in Afghanistan and I was feeling a little bah humbug about it. It's the same day here everyday...Ground Hog Day. I stumbled into the Christmas Eve service at the Chapel, late as usual. We sang Christmas carols and prayed and praised the Lord. Then something amazing happened. As I listened, there were no missile attacks, no gunfire, no helicopters overhead. Just peace and harmony and brotherhood. There were also no loved ones and no presents to open. Just the sound of a congregation praising Jesus for his wonderful gift of peace between us and God so that we may have eternal life with him. And as I looked around the chapel at all of the faces illuminated by candlelight (firesticks), the pastor asked us to pause and reflect and remember this moment.... and I realized the wonderous gifts that I had been given in my life: People that believe as I do and that are sharing this day with me praising Christ in a far off adventure and a muslim country to boot- Ha! Afghanistan. The loved ones, friends and family that wait for me back home and that pray for my health and happiness and support anything that I do no matter how crazy it is- like going to Afghanistan and Cambodia and Timbuktu when I get there. Thank you for that! I love you too! I will never get another moment as this in appreciation for my life and loves and sharing the love of Christ and the day of his birth with strangers brought together by his amazing love. Those are my gifts. What a special once in a lifetime Christmas. Memories that I will cherish forever. Now go have yourself a loving Merry Christmas!                      

Who don't do that? Friday 12/23/11

Just when I thought I had enough...I woke to 17 below zero today and we don't have heat in our tent. I want to sing that ol' song..." Who needs heat when we have each other".  Have you heard of that ditty?  NO!?  Because I just made it up.  I'm freezing!  So what, I'm from Michigan and I should be used to it.  Who by golly gets use to the freezing cold?  And there's no one here to snuggle up to anyway.  I'm in a mood today.  I thought to go to the DFAC (chow hall) and cozy up to someone, but it was warm in there and I got hungry and ate, then I was comfortable and had a delicious chocolate chip cookie all warm and gooey, and then I got sleepy.  So, I wandered back, forgetting I was going back to the North Pole - (well, turn left and stop halfway to the equator.)  Now I'm back in the arctic tent with icicles hanging from my face...Ha!  You thought I would say from my nose - girls don't do that.  Girls also don't fart or leave an odor in the bathroom especially when they're there an extended length of time... (hint- light a match.) Girls don't burp or make underarm noise.  Go ask your wife or significant other...I can wait.  I'm in a mood.  I'm in Afghanistan.  I have nothing but time to wait and freeze to death.  Here I thought the Taliban would get me...oh no.  I'm screwed down in the cold.  This poor little Michigan girl is going to be done in by the Afghan winter.  I can hear the laughter now....no one does it better than Maria!

 Now that I've had time to feel sorry for myself and vent, I am going to commit to being thankful for what I do have.  For one, that I brought a coat, scarf, mittens and long johns (I am from Michigan after all and our motto is, Be prepared for the cold!)  I stood outside, (smoking of course), and watching as the locals came on base with their blankets wrapped around them.  No coats or any kind of warm clothing.  HR was good enough to donate hats to them.  I went to buy mittens or something warm for them, but there's nothing to be had. Everything flew off the shelf the minute the temperature dropped and with no supplies flying in due to weather...

For two, that I have my family, friends and readers to be thankful for. Thank you for supporting me through my travels in Afghanistan. I hope that I make the reading interesting and worthwhile. Merry Christmas to all of you!

Speaking of worthwhile...I started a hand washing campaign.  It's in response to some nasty infections in tiny wounds that we've been getting in the clinic.  It's amazing how fast gangrene can sink in. No one comes to the clinic until something is ready to fall off.  They think they will be sent home.  Well, guess what? Not only will you get sent home for being stupid and letting the infection set it, but you will be leaving without parts too. Try and pick your nose now! (girls don't do that either).

So in the spirit of Christmas, I have included my campaign pictures...Nobody does it better! Include these as your Happy New Years Eve party favors and ...

 Wash your hands!  (Girls do this...they also dance and karaoke!)

Merry Christmas!

Feel free to comment or write to me at angeltwins1@hotmail.com

 

                                               

Pox and other stuff

Gang! I wrote this for the company newsletter, but it may get dumped because I'm just a goof. I'll try to do serious another day, so check it out!              

In the countryside of Afghanistan on a quiet night on FOB Lagman all heck broke loose when a little guy from Indian walked through our clinic door. He said he was itching and felt sick with fever. His boss that came with him said,” It looks to me to be Chicken Pox.”  Now why did I spend all that money on education?  His boss was right!  So, we started our battle against Varicella Zoster.

With Casey as our fearless leader who stayed up all night writing a plan of attack and containment we gathered all potential clients who may have been exposed either by shared living quarters or by shared ventilation.  We came up with 17 contestants that were not thrilled about what they might have won.  Oops!  There were 16-one got away to KAF before we knew about it!

Next, each snatched a screening questionnaire - like it might get them out of homeroom, that asked about recent illness or blister like rashes and if they got the vaccine or had a history of  Chicken Pox. You guessed it - they all said they had them as a child in relief.  Fortunately, the 8 DynCorp employees really did have proof of their shots and were spared the horror of 2 weeks of isolation. We don’t use the word quarantine around here as that might cause a panic - like “Chicken Pox” wasn’t enough to cause them to run in horror.

We were then left to contain 7 non-DynCorp men and as space is a problem everywhere, they were left in their separate rooms.  Thankfully, we only had to daily monitor 2 of the men who had travelled together and had recently arrived to Lagman.  With only one with active pox a plan was made to see not only to his disease process, but also his daily basic needs.

Special thanks needs to be given to the many on Lagman that helped during this difficult period:

Jason, “boss man”, who pitched in and gathered meals for “Pox Ville” as the guys like to call themselves.

 Thanks to the cooperation of all the DFAC workers and especially Supervisor L who gave special permission for take-out food.

Billeting, the PAX terminal, the cleaning crew (Ecolog), the library who generously donated activities and books that they knew they would never see again, (decon darling) HVAC and Electrical crews that came running when the isolation tent lost power.  To all the men and women who stayed out of the way (and out of the guys only “private time” facility), I humbly thank you all.

To the FST Military men and women who gave their valuable resources, (the washer and dryer for bleaching clothes and linens) and donating replacement items for our detainee…very appreciated.

Lastly, I’d like to give a standing ovation to Camp Lagman who proved that “We Are Family!”

We are the proud DynCorp Medics: Casey, Marilette and Anna “Maria” who make it happen!

                            

Pox, poop and other stuff (Mon 12/19/2011)

   Well, not to sound smug or anything...but there's a Chicken Pox outbreak at the big base. Not that anyone wanted to help us out with a plan to attack and contain. No! So we are sending the hard worked out plan that Casey stayed up all night to write up and I hope he gets a pat on the back. He's a good hardworking guy! Now I just wish he'd get his ass back here and take care of Poxsville. Don't worry Casey. I'm handling it. And I better not get Chicken Pox. (You did say I had them as a kid- right Mom?)

    The boss called and asked if we wanted anything from the big base. HO! Ho! That's a loaded question. How about some respect and kind words. If you can't give me that, how about some Varicella vaccine. Oops, none to be had. Oh well, nothing for me.

Today, I spent the day collecting poop and testing. Fun for all! That and the paperwork is really making my day. Someone, somewhere at sometime had better come in really sick pretty soon or I am going to scream! I am not made for secretarial work. That's why I choose the classy career of Paramedics. They get to sleep in between calls and sometimes that's all night! We can sneak into the drive-in and most outdoor events and everybody thinks your job is cool. I hear, what's the worse call that you've  ever had, like we're some kind of saints. Actually, the worse call I ever had is not the one you want to hear about. It's the one where I did everything right and they still bit the dust! Not that I'm complaining here. And It's not like I actually have to go fetch the poop myself. It's just that Paramedics don't do poop and they certainly don't need to type. But, I can say that my typing is coming along. I can type fairly accurately with my left hand and I'm still pecking away with my right.

    But I can research! I was working on a new surface for the Operating Room and Triage floors with the construction team. It's got to be stuff that is on hand, because the Pakistan border is closed, (the trucked in route for some supplies) and to order stuff to use would take 6 months.  I can't wait to see if they use my idea. I also worked out a plan for giving oral presentations on hand washing.   A huge deal here because a little cut one day turns into major surgery the next. So, I give my speech first to the Dining hall and then...the world! Ha! Ha! I'm keeping myself busy. The little social butterfly at her best! Not to sound smug or anything.                 

Compassion for itchers (Sat 12/17/2011)

    While you  are all getting ready for Christmas, I am having my own kind of fun. It's Chicken Pox at the ol' base. Too many kids here did not get their shots and now will be isolated for 4- 10 days. Well, it's actually only one guy with actual pox, but he's been doing the chicken dance around here for 2 weeks spreading these little gifts to his buddy's who also did not get shots, so they will all suffer. These buggers are extremely contagious. Since there is no space anywhere, they get confined to their rooms for the time. We've had to arrange for food, showers, bathroom time, laundry, and funtime (so they don't go stir crazy), and we now make house calls. Wait, wait, wait...not me. They happen to be all men. Go fiqure. No women allowed in male tents. Thankfully our guy medic is on the ball. He has had to write guidelines on how to handle this mess and he did a fabulous job- though I did help a little. I'm the research queen!

    So last night after doing research on every patient that I've had thus far- because it's Afghanistan and no one just gets the sniffles, I went to feed at the trough- (good word, doesn't that make me sound very tired?). It's Friday! Steak Day! And also seafood day: Lobster, Crab legs, Shrimp, Scallops and MY FAVORITE!! Don't my family know it. We always have some seafood for Christmas and special events... and I'm so allergic. But they really take care of the food here. If you lose weight, it was only because of the extreme effort and sacrifice on your part. So I got my steak and I thought about trying just a little crab legs (No, No, No) just to see if I'm still allergic here too, when all of a sudden the cook puts scallops on my plate. I have never broken out from scallops before and they are the poor man's lobster, so how could something so cheap sounding be so bad for you- right? They where wonderfully breaded and deep fried and it was only 4 (giant) scallops. So I furtively stashed away with my bounty. I looked at them through most of the meal before I took a little bite and chewed....nothing. And swallowed.. I waited for 5 minutes for the familiar ear itch that let me know that I screwed up again...nothing. We all know how this story ends... after 2 scallops, the ear itch started and I stopped. By the time I got back to the office, the rash started. I took myself off to dreamland with my 2 little pink pills full of renewed sensitivity and compassion for my fellow itcher in time and a reminder to never do that again.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!            

I'm back!

I work in a clinic where we do Occupational Medicine, which means sick and injured at work folks. Nobody's dying in our clinic. It's a different line of work for me. We examine the patient and give them medication or whatever. I stumbled around a bit at first because I had to learn to downshift the care that I'm used to giving.
 Tonight, just when I was going to bed, a mass causalty came in to the Army hospital. We got a page, "need extra hands." (excitement coursed my veins) I don't want to be glad about others pain, but medically speaking- hurray!!! This is what I came for. It was Afghani's in a car accident and I am so sorry to say that one is dying from incredible head trauma. He will be sent to lie in wait with his loved ones at his side. (I'm so sorry for him and for his family) No visitors here. This is a very secured facility.
I was able to finally put my talents to work. I was not fumbling Maria in the ER. I did what I do best! I got to cut off clothes in record time and it was even remarked on. I heard some soldier say, how'd she do that? I said, practice, lots of practice (wink). I was able to calm a patient as they worked on him. This is a talent that the Lord gave me like no other and I will boost in his glory because I can! And I still have my IV skills. It's just like riding a bike. No one could get this one kid and I was feeling around without a tournique and blocking with my hand and I asked if I could give it a try...BAM! First try! The Michigan medic at her best. (The crowd roared! Ok it was all in my head, but I still got it.) Actually, I would have strung up the rope myself and jumped if I had missed or hid myself under a huge rock for the rest of my contract if I had embarassed myself. Please don't tell me that I can get bilateral lines in minutes in a rocking, bumpy, going 80mph ambulance and I can't get a line on a patient lying in a bed. We do have days when we miss and I thank the good Lord today was not one of those days. The stuff I saw was really amazing. I equate it to watching Nascar as they change the tires in seconds, so did the team work on these patients as one unit and they were generous to make room for the new girl. They performed exams, X rays, IV's, wound care and bandaging, put bones back in place, so many things and I just hopped right in and grabbed stuff and assisted and knew what was needed next. For a change, I was in my element. I watched while a man's acetabulum was set back in place or (in plain english), his thigh was out of the hip socket and it was popped back in place back by 2 doctors and a nurse, not an easy feat. The pop as it went back in was like a champagne cork. I saw some amazing stitching and so intricate and quick. This emergency room is just that; ER, surgery, (stabilization at it's best), and then the patients go elsewhere to other hospitals for further care and recuperate. We were done with 5-6 critical patients in an hour and out they went. Amazing. It's just what I needed to get my groove back. Can I scream out Thank you Jesus just one more time!

Give me a hand

My first patient from FOB "The little city that could" has been a nail biter. He came in with pain to his little finger, possible joint pain, after enduring it for 3-4 days. (#1. Why don't people seek treatment day  one?)  At first, it looked to be a strain. Maybe he bent his finger back and then slept on it, and then did it for 3 more days. (It could happen!) He had no breaks in his skin, so it couldn't be an infection- right? I looked through different magnifying glasses on different days looking for something that would give me a clue to what is happening to his hand. He kept coming back day after day...swelling increased, more pain...

Right in the middle of my storytelling electrical comes in and states they will be shutting off the power city wide....Stay tuned! With the power off, I type in the dark. See how dedicated I am to my task!

To continue, we are lucky here with Military resources. What great guys! We should not take advantage of their kindness, but occasionally they will have mercy on us and do an X- ray on our patients. So it was. We had my patient X-rayed. No breaks, nothing showing up and nothing like a dislocation. So I treat him according to what I see, muscle strain. I spoke with the patient and it seems as if he wants to go home. Sometimes that happens that the workers will come in for a fake complaint to go home. So go home! No one is keeping anyone against their will. It may be an issue of saving face- I don't know. Please just leave. We get paid here. We are not in chains. This patient has a little baby and a youngster at home and has been home once already and hasn't been here that long. But he is not faking an illness.  Still I view his hand and it's now swollen and turned black. (WTH?) We again truck over to the military for a second opinion and that Dr. is perplexed as well. The recommendation is to try him on antibiotics for an internal infection of unknown origin. The doc here approves that. This is keeping me up nights. I have done so much research and studying of different diseases. I worry for the poor patient, eventhough I can't be sure what his angle is and he tells me that I have 2 days to fix him. (Yeah, OK...). Today, we are finally making headway. His hand looks better. Yeah! Only in Afghanistan... My success is short lived...  Another patient walks in with discoloration to his hand. Maybe it's something else. What is this crap? Disease is rampant here in Afghanistan and you just never know what you will find...Unbelieveable!