Since I'm rather new here, I still have a few inprocessing things to check off on my laundry list. This includes going to briefings about this, that and the other. These briefing, of course are during the day, so while I work nights, that means little sleep. We had a mid-day briefing yesterday and the day before so I was working on rather little sleep. Granted I could have gone without some of the stuff we were briefed on, but some of the safety and OPSEC (operation security) stuff was important. Like yesterday we were thoroughly briefed on IED's to include suicide bombers. Well, what do you know?! Last night we received 4 of the 6 wounded, but not killed from the suicide bombing at Camp Chapman. We also received one of the Canadian's from the IED explosion. It really brought it home. All, I can say are still alive and soon to be on their way to Germany for further care. While I hate to see those kids, and I say kids because, most have been much younger than myself, hurt, it has provided me with some clinical experience I would never get otherwise. A guy with shrapnel traversing his brain and lodging itself in the back of his brain has a good prognosis all because of lots of medical support teams and a neurosurgeon who I saw remove a portion of his skull, clean out the damaged brain tissue and remove further bits of bone. It was amazing.
What is frustrating and confusing to me is how I want to react to all this mess. We not only treat our service members at our hospital, but we treat local nationals as well. There are local nationals who translate for us and work in housekeeping. There is the sweetest little Afghani boy who is recovering from a brain abscess who thinks he is just the most special thing when 15+ people come to round on him each morning. He just laughs and giggles and points which is followed by everyone else in the room smiling and laughing as well, including the other Afghani patients in the 8-bed. I just can't imagine one of these Afghanis aiming an RPG at our MRAP's when they KNOW we're trying to help, that we've saved this kid's life. We're trained to be very cautious around the local nationals, that anyone could be a threat and that makes sense, but I feel like I'm forced into becoming prejudice, that I can't treat them the same for the single reason that they are Afghani. It is so contradictory in what we attempt to do at a hospital.
Alright, enough of my soapbox. I really should get some sleep.
Oh and Happy New Year to all. I'll be working tonight (hopefully without casualities).
Whoa! That is some really scary stuff to have seen. Give my love to all the wounded and to that little Afghani boy. He sounds like a real sweetheart! Happy New Year Sally!
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