Ever saved a Doctors life?

Sitting in the ICU, minding my own business and all of the sudden I am saving a doctors life. WOW.
There is something about food in your airway that just makes it hard to breathe.
Life can throw you it's little curves and you've just got to react in the way that you see fit.
Excitement can come when it is completely unexpected.

A post from Greg (Brian's Big Brother)

Its amazing the amount of control you can take when you are the webmaster for your little brother's blog. For Example I get to post right on the home page...

For those of you who haven't seen or talked to Brian in a while and were under the impression (read that as fooled) my little brother was all grown up, I thought I would share a picture with you to let you know the real Brian is still there. I know the military is doing great things for him, and I am proud of what he is doing, but he will always be my little brother.

Merry Christmas Brian!

gsb

The Heat of the Moment!!!

I don't honestly know what makes the reaction so quick. I don't know if it is the word or just the idea that a life depends on it. MASS CASUALTY all hands report to the hospital. There is nothing more dreaded and feared than the words Mass Casualty. In my experience stress levels are raised, tempers are flairing but at the same time people that need help are getting taken care of. It is what I like to call "controlled chaos", if there is such a thing. From the outside it looks like a big mess, but take a look at it closer. It is a choreography of people getting the job done. Litter teams doing a "grab and go" getting the patient off the helo (helicopter). Triage docs doing their 30 second assessments to place the patient in the proper place of treatment.

All have a job, and all do it like clock work. Get um in, get um treated, get um out.

It is amazing that even though something so catastrophic has happened things can work so well. I am a part of that and I am still amazed at it. It is an honor to do what I do on a daily basis. I am thankful for these opportunities I have of making a difference in someone else's life. Something I have always wanted to do. I get moved every time I think about where that motivation came from.

Johnny, he is in my heart and in my thoughts. I am thankful that he was in my life, otherwise I wouldn't have been inspired to do what I do. He showed me that it is a great thing to make a difference in some else's life. He did this by making a difference in my life. I hope that one day I can be an example to another, in the way he has been to me.

Christmas in the sandbox!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas. Or at least that is what they are telling us. I look outside and see sand. One grain of sand for ever snowlake that is supposed to be in it's place. I don't see bundled up children in their boots and snow suits. I see men constructing buildings. I see people getting ready to leave up north.

Today I saw some people that were christmas shopping for their amily back in the states. They were so excited to get the presents sent to for their husbands and wives. It made ne excited fir christmas just watching them. Even though I can't be home I can still be with the family that I have here. No way that this place can get me down on the greatest freakin holiday there is!!!

Training, Training, and More Training!!!

It seems that evertime I wake up I am hearing that we have to do more training. Whether it is something that we have done twice before or something that we have never heard of. Helo training, personal protective equipment training. Or sometimes we just have to learn how not to be friends with anybody here, because that would be considered fraternization.

Sometimes the training is worth it though, and is actually useful. Learning how to read an EKG, learning about the cardiovascular structure. Learning all the different ACLS ( advanced cardiac life support) drugs and what they do. Knowing the diference between an ACE inhibitor and a BETA blocker. Training that seems like is going to help in the future.

But there is also training going on that really is more of a subconscious thing. I am starting to become more independent. Learning how to take care of myself. I am also learning to cherrish those that are close to me more. I am learning that being with those people is such a luxury. Here being so far away from everthing that is familiar, I realize just how much that I have taken for granted. It just makes everything that I hold dear to me, that much more special.

Far away

A month in, 6,500 miles away, and nothing to do. Actually the latter is quite the opposite. I have so much to do and in so little time. Report to work 1830 (630 PM) take report from the off going shift, doing my first assesment of the night... document everything that I have found. Now it is time to pass meds. What the deck (floor) needs to be swept and swabbed? "I'm on it." Time to take out the trash.... and then restock the supplies. Ok it is is 2000... time to have some chow.

It has been fun so far, but the new is wearing off and it is time for the long haul. The barracks isn't that bad, and the living isn't bad either. I am really happy with everything here, I don't have anything to complain about. I have learned more in the last month than I think I ever learned in Corps school. With Nurses and Doctors that are really interested in teaching, it makes the situation so much better.

I miss home, but at the same time I wouldn't take this back for anything. It is good experience that will help me and make me appreciate a lot of things more. I don't know many 20 year olds that get to do the things that I am doing. I don't know of many 20 years olds that have the responsibility that I have. I am not trying to boast, I am more amazed that I have been allowed to do these kinds of things.

It always helps to have the support of those people that love me. I am able to call on them when I have something that needs to get done... especially what I can't take care of from here. I have a wonderful family who at the drop of a hat will do anything for me. I have a girlfriend who is more supportive than anyone that I have ever encountered. I am lucky to have her and I am thankful every second for the support that I have recieved from my loved ones.

I never understood what separtation really was until I came here. It takes a lot of effort to stay in touch, and life isn't as it was in the states. All the amenites that I had in the states I really took for granted. I really think that now I am going to appreciate verything that I had much better.