ER Rotation

So I've been on an Emergency Room rotation at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH) at Fort Campbell for the past week and a half. I only get a total of 2 weeks of training/experience in the ER to prepare me for my deployment to Egypt in January. In case you were wondering, that is not nearly enough time in an ER to get prepared. Unfortunately, because of our unit's training schedule and the upcoming EFMB, that is all the time we have been afforded.

 

Also, unfortunately, BACH is the worst ER in Central Tennessee. When I say worst, I mean, when people have free health care (like you do in the Army), they will go to the ER for EVERYTHING. EV-ERY-THANG. When someone checks into the ER, their chief complaint, name and SSN get entered into a tracking system that you can see on the computers. Just so you know whose it each bed and whose waiting to be seen in the waiting room. Some of the chief complaints that show up are absolutely ridiculous and should under no circumstance be considered ER worthy. Such as:

 

o possible broken toe

o scabies x6 weeks

o rash

o child in fight x2 days ago

o abscess x4 weeks

 

I feel really bad for all the civilian health care providers out there who are waiting to see if ObamaCare is passed. Once health care is cheap/free for the general public, the ER waiting rooms are going to be packed for the same dumb, time wasting bullshit that military ERs see.

 

Just because it's free, doesn't mean you need to abuse it. Go to sick call. Suck it up. Be responsible.

 

On another note, one of the cooler things I've gotten to do in the ER is remove this toenail that was stubbed so hard it ripped the toenail up:

 

 

Gotta love toenail removals. Unless, of course, you are the removee. No one likes to be on the receiving end of that mess.

Obama Is My Homeboy

After the much anticipated slaying of Osama bin Laden, President Obama came to Fort Campbell, Kentucky to talk to and to congratulate the Soldiers. It was a pretty small gathering of Soldiers chosen to hear the president speak, and what do you know? I got chosen to go!

Air Force 1 loomed over the air field on Fort Campbell as we entered the hangar where we were to hear the president speak. It was standing room only by the time I arrived. Approximately 800 Soldiers sat in bleachers and crowded around the tiny stage at the front.

I waited 2 hours. There is always a lot of unnecessary waiting when it comes to any Army operation. The hangar doors closed, we all cheered. We waiting another hour. 800 breathing, stinking Soldiers wallowing in their own sweat. When President Obama finally entered the stage, he wasn't wearing his suit jacket. I wished I could downgrade my jacket!

President Obama spoke to us about how proud he is to be in command of the World's greatest military. He promised a withdrawal of 100,000 Soldiers out of Afghanistan this autumn. He pumped us up and motivated us.  It was so cool to get to hear my Commander In Chief speak. It was the first time I'd ever been in the presence of any president.

After he was done with his speech, he came closer to the crowd. A lot of Soldiers turned and tried to get out of the stifling hot hangar leaving a ton of open space near President Obama. Always the opportunist, I marched myself right up to the side of the stage, extended my hand and what do you know? He grasped it. He looked at me, smiled and said, "Thank you for your service."