Smooth Operator!!!

Hey Y'all,

I know its been a while since my last post, but we've been very busy lately. I've done much since my last post but I'll just fill you in on the exciting stuff. Some of the class were tasked as needing drivers training for their deployment; not because we needed remedial driving training but because we needed to learn how to -drive up-armored humvees! They are NOT like those gas guzzling highway hogs you see on the roads here in the states...no...These humvees have a TON of armor and bullet proof glass on them and are acutually designed with warfare in mind rather than driving to the mall for a latte and some designer shoes before heading out to sushi on a friday night. Once we learned the finer points of driving these heavy machines, we got the opportunity to get qualified on driving them on the US Army's definition of sushi on a Friday night: At midnight, off road, in a forest, on a narrow trail WITH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES!!! It was AWESOME! And we only had a couple of drivers lose their bearings and try to pit their humvee against a pine tree. Now these vehicles are tough, but even they are no match for a huge pine tree! Anyway, there wasn't too much damage done and I'm happy to say that me and my homies from room 339 all performed flawless manuevers during the mission. Night vision takes some getting used to in order to move properly. Your focus is limited under 10 feet, and your depth perception is reduced from the NVG lenses. I found that the way to correct for these changes is to drive faster and just relax. After a few mins, we were cruising along with no problems and loving every minute of it.

Now for the part you've all (Nina) been waiting for: Combat Life Saver class. If you are not familiar what this class I'll give you a quick run down. It basically teaches battlefield medical techniques. Our main goal is to get an injured team mate off the battlefield and on to a Medivac chopper or humvee as quickly as possible, as stable as possible, and with a heart beat (very important that they have a heartbeat). This includes, but is not limited to, providing effective treatment under fire, performing assessment of any variety of battlefield injuries, moving the causality to a safe area, and administering appropriate medical care to prolong their life until higher medical personnel can treat them. Believe it or not, the vast majority of actual deaths in combat are not preventable my ANY means. Basically this means that an injury could take place right outside the operating room, and the wounds would be too great to repair. On the flip side of that coin, about 98% of traumatic battlefield injuries that would have killed a solider in WWII are now prevented by medicine and in particular battlefield medicine. Basically, about 98% of trauma on the battlefield can be treated and lives saved. So now to the good part: Hands ON!!! Some of the tasks we learned this week included: treating a sucking chest wound with entry and exit wounds, identifying the symptoms of head trauma, treating a traumatic pneumothorax (collapsed lung), inserting a nasal pharangeal airway device to assist labored breathing (you gotta see this one to believe it: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=1818750), applying a tourniquet to nearly EVERY part of the body including the neck, splinting fractured limbs, how to treat traumatic amputations, and the one everyone has been looking forward to...Inserting an IV and establishing a saline lock. I was pretty worried about this one since we were informed that each and every one of us would have to a) get stuck by our buddy and b) stick our buddy in return for the favor. Some short history: One of my earliest memories was of going to the doctor with my mom and sisters to get some immunizations. I remember the nurse saying "who should we start with" and my mom looking at me and saying something like "you're a brave boy aren't you Trave?". I responded to this by making my mom give chase to my ass for about 10 mins as I ran for my life throughout the waiting room (much to the other patient's delight and my mom's embarrassment). Now, skipping to the present, I can honestly say that getting a shot doesn't bother me too much...but I still don't like to watch. Now I'm here and you're telling me that some dude who's had about ONE FULL HOUR of instruction and ONE practice attempt on a dummy arm is going to shove a 18 gauge needle into my arm and advance a catheder? Worried was an understatement...although I didn't show it. NEVER let them see you sweat right? So I grabbed my bunkmate Chris (aka Steve-o, Jeff, and Gulf Alpha Yankee) and promptly said, "you stick me first, but just remember that whatever you do to me I'm gonna return to you!!!" I still couldn't look, but he did a great job and got it right the first time...on his THIRD ATTEMPT. I swear my arm looks like a heroin addict. Suprisingly, though, even while he had the needle in and the medic was helping him 'fish' for my vein under the skin, it didn't hurt too much. The third attempt was smooth, and once Chris got into the vein, he was a total pro. He didn't even drop another drop of my blood...just like we practiced...it just took him some time to warm up!!! So now its my turn and I've got bad intentions. Actually, I was impressed that he got it so quick and wanted to 'step to the plate' and prove I had the stones to do it as well. Since I'd never done anything like this before, I didn't talk much smack like I usually do, just in case it was ME who saw some blood an passed out. Also, considering that someone in the class passed out the day while watching the 'nose tube installation', I figured my odds were about 65-35 that I'd man up and make this thing work. So what do you think? Y'all know me pretty well right? Well here it goes: I set up the IV bag. Laid out the tube and cleared the line. Swabbed the IV site with Iodine in a circular motion and cleaned off the vein with alcohol. Opened up the needle 'east to west'. And then I went right in! I figured since Chris stuck me three times, I could concentrate less on the pain I may inflict on him and worry more about just getting it right the first time regardless of how it felt. I mean no matter what, the only person who would feel it would be Chris! As soon as I went in, I got a flash of blood in the needle, which meant I hit the vein. Then I lowered the angle of the needle and pressed about 1/8 of an inch more into the vein. Everything was going well so I just grabbed the catheder, and pushed it into the vein to the hilt! I then grabbed the IV line, and while I held the vein above the IV site, I screwed the catheder to the IV. Once I taped it down, that was IT! I turned on the saline flow and it was over!!! ONE STICK ONE KILL!!! If you look at the picture, you'll notice that I didn't spill a single drop of blood...the dark color is iodine. It was clinical clean! I got a serious rush once it was over and felt so proud of the job I did. I consider this a great accomplishment in my life. I was nervous about the whole thing, but overcame it, believed in myself and performed flawlessly. And from what Chris said, it didn't even hurt. I rode that wave for the rest of the day. It was a good day at fort Dix...but not for my left arm. I did it Nina!!! And I didn't even pass out and take the patient and table with me! Goodnight Cleveland...you've been great! I'm OUT!!!