allo again bloaks and birds (or fit birds if you're attractive).

I had another chance to use the internet, yay! I'm learning so much every day. I'm learning about the British culture, their healthcare style, and about our particular mission. I'll start with British-American differences.

When you hold a peace sign up with your palm towards your body, you are basically flicking someone off. This came about because back in the day, soldiers used bows and arrows as weapons and if captured, would have their first two fingers cut off. When they held up those fingers, it meant "F*** you", and still does. Alternatively, the British often point using their middle finger... because it's longer I suppose. I have no idea what our history is behind that sign. "Dicked" means to be picked for something; Being dicked is not derogatory. When and American is drinking beer from both hands, we call it "double fisting". This is extremely bad, don't ever tell an English person to double fist, I'll just leave it at that.

On the nursing side of things, the British have socialized healthcare so alot about it is different. For one, much of their best equipment is outdated to us. Conveniently, though, all of there forms are standardized so its the same from facility to facility, and they are pretty simple and easy to understand. Everything is paper charting, which I'm looking forward to learning. I was taught in nursing school, but never actually had to do it because everything is pretty much computerized in the US now (big hospitals at least). The biggest shocker to me is that British nurses don't do Head-to-Toe assessments. Assessments are the biggest part of an RN's job in the US, to hear that we wont be doing them was startling. Nurses don't use stethoscopes! They aren't trained to listen to heart, lung, or bowel sounds. Everything is focused assessments, observation, and vital signs. I'm ok with it after the initial shock, but its still going to be an adjustment for the US nurses. We basically give meds, do dressing changes, bath patients, and turn them. I guess that's kind of what I imagined nurses did when I first decided to be a nurse anyway. Some days, if the ER is filling rapidly, we become OR holding, so that will be our more traumatic days. Everything is usually neat and tidy by the time they get to us. Coalition forces get in and out of our hospital pretty quickly, but local nationals don't really have a healthcare system so they stay with us longer. You can imagine what the majority of our patient population is...

Regarding our mission.. its what we call "high visibility". We already have 2 generals planned to come see us. I'm still hoping a certain Prince might come say hi! We are easily the heaviest trauma center in the world currently. I am sooo lucky to have been hand picked for this mission. Yes, I said hand picked. Each and every one of the nurses and doctors were combed to ensure quality and preparedness. WOW! We have with us the best trauma surgeon in the Army, LTC Oh. He is famous for finding an RPG in a soldier while performing surgery. He asked only essential staff to stay and instructed everyone else to evacuate and continued caring for the patient. When EOD arrived, he personally handed the RPG to them. I now know this man personally! I also learned today that the military has a special way of landing a plane in a battlefield. I can't say more than that, but whoa am I in for a ride of a lifetime!

Friends and family, thank you for all your support and love. Every word you write is encouragement for me. Love everyone and I'll write again when I have a chance.