News from the Front

[DCJenn]

I was going to post this in the military spouses section but I think it's important for all.

I just spoke to the spouse (male) of our friend who is an Army pediatrician who is currently in Iraq. She was able to come home for 2 weeks a few weeks ago and he reports that it's going to take her "a long to to get over this, if ever." (He's a psychiatrist, (former AF) who was sent to Bosnia so he knows what he's dealing with, luckily for them both)

She brought pictures back of her standing in in the surgical suite surrounded by gurneys of soldiers who have had limbs blown off, or severe head injuries or severe burns or all of the above. She's a pediatrician, let me remind you. She is now functioning as an er doc because the "humanitarian" missions mean that she is brought to a community, and then the Marines who are there to "protect her" leave to "acquire" information on the insurgency. She would love to be treating the children, but not without protection.

and everyone who thinks that specialists aren't being sent, we know of a pulmonologist, a nephrologist, a cardiologist and a neonatalogist who have all been sent. Plus several psychiatrists and every Army pediatrician except for the ones who have been pregnant or in fellowship from my husband's residency class.

Meanwhile, back at Walter Reed, there has been a massive influx of head trauma and the numbers of people missing limbs continues to mount. The neurological suite is right next door to the ortho suite and you know, it's kind of depressing to see teenagers wheeling themselves around with their wives/girlfriends/mothers trying to keep the brave face in public.

So, in addition to the nearly 2000 soldiers killed, please remember the 15,000+ who have been injured and those who are there supporting them. We don't need another generation of veterans who think no one cares.

Jenn

[SueC]

Thanks for the reminder Jennifer--it is all too easy to focus on the politics of it all and forget that these are real young adults over their risking their lives and either not coming back, or coming back with some pretty big physical and/or mental impairments.

[Meenah]

Thanks. My daughter (college student) spent her entire semester's $$ on an airplane ticket to Seattle to see her very close friend before he returns to Iraq for the second time (they are 20 years old).
Luanne

I agree Jenn. People always talk about the "casualty" number, and only refer to those who've died. But because of our advanced front line medicine, more and more injuries that would have increased the casualty number are now surviving (usually a good thing), and their numbers kind of get lost in the shuffle. Additionally - we don't really think about the others - medical and otherwise - who are their witnessing the carnage.

It's all a mess. Thanks for the post.

[Phoebe]

This is just terrible. DH was telling me about a neonatologist they just interviewed for their group who was getting out of the army and had done a tour in Iraq. This woman was the highest ranked medical officer in her unit over there and had to give the final orders on patients when she works with sick babies. Most of the time he said her response to the NPs and lower ranking officers was "I concur".

I can't even imagine. At least she came home.

Jennifer