Almost There!

I have been reading other peoples blogs and realizing that I really should update my own. Part of the problem is that I have gone so long without writing that I don't know where to start. I'll try to remember some of the more interesting stuff that has happened...

About three weeks ago I finally made it onto an A/E mission (aeromedical evacuation). This involved going to a class titled "high risk of isolation" and getting the Operations Group commander to sign a letter saying I could go. I also had to get a physical done but since I know the flight surgeon pretty well, he said he would do it whenever I was close to taking my flight. I met up with the flight crew (a pilot, co-pilot and 2 loadmasters). We went to get all of their equipment and then we went to an intel briefing. Since we were flying into Iraq, they talked a

bout all the activity going on around the bases that we were landing in. It was going to be a 12 hour mission with 41 patients and 4 stops in Iraq. We went to Tallil, Baghdad, Kirkuk and Balad before returning to Qatar. It was a long night but very exciting. I got to wear body armor while we were in Iraq which may not sound great to most people but it made me feel like I was actually a part of the war. I was exhausted by the end because we didn't get back to Qatar until 4 am and I had worked all day the day before. I also had to work 5 hours after we landed but I didn't care because it was an amazing experience. I think I am definitely going to apply to

flight nursing school when I get back. I might as well do it while I am young and single. I took along "the Terrible Towel" since it is pretty important to my squadron commander. I left a ransom note that said "the Terrible towel is on vacation, will return soon. Or will it?" He pretty much knew it was me who took it while it was gone but I think it was cool for him that his towel took a trip to Iraq and back. Then one of the nurses blurred my face and sent a picture of me holding the towel on the aircraft at one of our stops and sent it out to everyone in the med group.

I played Texas Hold'em for the first time in a long time last week. Our anesthesiologist arranged for med group poker and 13 people played. I hadn't played for a long time and surprised everyone by coming in second. They didn't expect me to play so well because I hadn't played in a long time and some of the others had been playing at base events. I lost to our respiratory tech but he was really good and had me guessing what he was up to the whole time.

I started packing a couple days ago because I was bored and I figured I will be moving out of my room into the tents in a couple of weeks when my replacement gets here. I only have 12 days left or so, I haven't gotten my plane ticket so I still don't know for sure.

It is 1115 pm and I can't go to sleep but since I worked on Christmas, tomorrow will be my second day off in a row and my third morning to sleep in. Sleeping in is only 7 am since I am so used to waking up early. Christmas was terrible even though I got some really great gifts. We admitted two patients in addition to the two we already had and were busier than we have been since we got here. One patient was an older retired man who had a small bowel obstruction but was really nice. The other was a patient who just got here on her way down range and tried to commit suicide. It was pretty upsetting because she made Christmas suck and she only took Motrin so really she just wanted attention and to go back to the states. They were pretty worried about her for a while because she was really unresponsive and we didn't know what she had taken. We were minimally manned that day but luckily a few extra docs were hanging around and we called in two of our nurses to come in for a while. While the older man was in the hospital I got to talking to him and he told me I should date his son. Seeing as how his son lives 1000 miles away from SA I didn't take him seriously. Then the next day before I discharged him, he reminded me if I ever made it to Scott AFB, where he and his son live, dinner for us both was on him. It was very sweet and then Dr Swasey, the anesthesiologist over heard that and later told me I should go for it because it would be a great story in the future. Ha. If I do end up at Scott (it is one of the bases where A/E nurses get stationed) I would look up my patient just because he was a nice guy and told me his son was the best man he knew.

I really should be getting to bed and stop talking (typing). Thanks for reading and I hope to see most of you in the very near future.

Love, Megan

Kid Rock Live

That's right, Kid Rock came to Al Udeid and put on a show. But before that, he graced us with his presence at the Med Group. He was actually really nice. He shook everyone's hands and posed with us for pictures. The other girl in the picture with me and Kid Rock is Lt Dockery. She got here about three weeks ago to replace one of our nurses who had to leave early. She is really nice and I have had fun working with her.

The show was good, definitely rated R- but he said during the show he could be sure there weren't any kids present. He had Carlos Mancina on before him who is a comedian. His show was pretty raunchy but funny. He made fun of the reflector belts we have to wear everywhere- even with our already highly reflective PT uniforms. He said it would take an idiot to get run over by a car you could see coming for 8 miles. He actually didn't phrase it as nicely as that though.

It's almost Christmas and the Hospital is decorated from top to bottom. We have already experienced an onslaught of packages full of candy and gifts but it is nice to know people are thinking about us.

I recorded a radio interview for a radio station in Iowa with 6 other med group people. It has yet to be posted on-line but my name is listed on their website and if you google Melody McTaggart (according to my mom) the radio's website shows up. I will post the link when I get it.

Hopefully two posts right in a row makes up for my lack of communication but I plan on taking a lot of pictures in the next few weeks as I get closer to leaving.

Megan

Abundant food and green green grass

Things have been moving along pretty well over here. I had a great Thanksgiving. The people who run the dining facilities went all out decorating and had all kinds of food displays and so much food. The picture to the right is just the desert display.

I went downtown a few

weeks ago and had a lot of fun with a few of my co-workers. We did a lot of shopping. This picture to the left is me in the Old Souqs (market). Amazingly enough they had

a Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins but they also had

a lot of venders selling things from spices to rugs.

These pictures are of the Doha skyline. Most of the skyscrapers have been built in the last few years and are largely empty. The people of Qatar have a lot of money and are building like crazy, they are hoping to build their tourism industry.

We managed to find a park that we later found out only allowed families to visit but not before we laid around for an hour on the grass. It was wonderful seeing grass for the first time in 4 months so we took of our shoes and relaxed. The weather was finally beautiful (in the high 70s).