Happy New Years!

The British sure know how to party (and this is sober). Work hard, play hard!

What is that?!

I hear little man suddenly start screaming and crying alone in his bed. I walk over to pick him up and he's sitting in a pile of poo... with very large worms squirming about in it. Watching surgery on a double amputee doesn't freak me out... THIS freaked me out. The poor child was terrified that he was pooing small snakes from his body. I did my best to calm him and clean him up (with gloves on), but I'm still suffering from flashbacks, and they keep happening while I'm eating.

Imminent Threat

A girl comes racing through the tents yelling "Put on your vests and helmets!" Adrenaline starts immediately pumping through my veins. Hours went by wearing our gear and wondering what could be happening. Staff in the hospital were even working in their battle rattle.We weren't allowed to leave the area we were in, it was like a ghost town outside. We managed to laugh and joke, but deep down, we were all terrified. Finally word made it to us that we were under imminent missile threat. "What?" I thought to myself. "Why would anyone want to bomb the hospital?" It was weird feeling like a target. There's this invisible sense of safety in our little bubble of the hospital and living area, yet, we are... a target. Apparently there were four missiles pointed directly at us, surrounded by IEDs making it difficult to get to them to disarm them. Well, I'm happy to say that our guys did get to them and we're still here. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers...and Merry Christmas!

My bedspace is looking very festive!

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas!

not so "star" moment

I found my patient lying in a pool of blood this morning.

I had repacked his wide, deep gunshot wound on his hip at 0100. I did vital signs at 0200 and didn't notice anything. I let him sleep until this morning to do vitals again and he was lying a pool of bright red blood. I guess I didn't pack the wound tight enough, or ruptured a vein during the dressing change. I just felt like such a bad nurse this morning, not having caught it sooner. The patient is fine, the doctors weren't even worried about it, they expected it to bleed alot, but I still can't help but feel like I should have known sooner. Its one mistake that won't happen again.

There's a two year old on our floor who lost his leg and both his parents to a suicide bomber. I want to adopt him.

Bittersweet

He was found on the side of the road, a hit and run. He brain was severely damaged, and his organs were shutting down. I had that feeling like I needed to go and check on him. He was taking his last breaths. I held his hand and rubbed his shoulder. The man whom we never knew his name, nor ever found his family, died this morning with only me to say goodbye.

The 19 year old marine has a smile on his face because he was alive. He lost his foot, but by God, he was celebrating victory. I could not understand how this soldier could be so realistic yet optimistic about his journey ahead. That soldier was an inspiration to me today.

Some days I forget

Some days, I forget that I’m in a war zone, that I’m not just a regular nurse going to a regular job.

My patient yesterday suffered a concussion from and IED blast while in a vehicle. He can’t remember his birthday, he can’t recall his wife’s name much less her phone number. His memory should come back in time, it usually does with this sort of injury, but it doesn’t make it less scary for him. Another patient I had last night was blown up by an IED.  He has no skin to the front of his legs, no right arm, and severe abdominal injury. I’ve never seen legs with no skin before, it was bizarre… like seeing a manikin in science class.

As I was walking up to the hospital tonight, 4 ambulances pulled up. The first body came out, they were doing CPR. It was the first time I’ve seen CPR performed on a real person. I just remember seeing his combat boots, he was a soldier, he was fit, he was young. That’s not the type of patient I pictured CPR on in nursing school.

I went to church for the first time today since I’ve been here. It was a great service. I really hope they start having protestant services at the chapel here regularly. We have to use the buddy system if we walk over the marine base, so if I want to go to a protestant service, I have to find someone with my same schedule that will come with me. Having services here (other than catholic) would make it so much easier to go.

I’ve been getting some awesome care packages in the mail! Thank you everyone for thinking of me and sending me little comforts from home! Merry Christmas friends and family!