the attack...

posted by: emilie

there is nothing like waking up to gunfire and sirens to remind you that you are in a warzone! I wasn't quite sure what to do this morning at 5 a.m. when i heard gunfire that sounded like it was literally just outside my door. I didn't really hear any of my neighbor stirring, so i decided to just lay in my bunk until i got further directions from somewhere. then one of the medics came busting into the dorm and i heard "Dr. Stickley....they need you at the aid station, there are already 3 injured soldiers". so i jumped out of bed and geared up as quickly as possible. I stood by the door and waited until the "incoming" siren stopped sounding for a minute, and then made the dash for the aid station (which is fortunately just a couple of buildings down).

i am amazed by the bravery of the warriors i am stationed with. most of them had minor shrapnel injuries, and every single one of them pleaded "get me back out there doc!" Before they were even fully assessed they were asking to go back to the wall and fight.

I am certainly not a war strategist, but i fail to understand the technique of a few random bad guys running up to a big army base and throwing grenades. it just seems to be very poor strategy when there are a whole bunch of soldiers standing on that wall reading to shoot bad guys.

anyway, we stayed busy in the aid station...in the morning we treated all the tough guys who were getting shot at, and in the afternoon we did some minor procedures. Part of me wishes Cris could come out and practice war time medicine because i know he would just love it. Today we drained a subungual hematoma (blood under the fingernail), which was a first for me (i did have my "procedures in primary medicine" book opened to the appropriate page and read the directions right before...haha! don't you just love the idea of the doctor reading the directions before doing the procedure :) but i guess that's what you get when you send a gynecologist to war!