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
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