HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY MORGAN!

Morgan, happy 15th! Enjoy your day! Sorry I could not be there in person but know that I am thinking about you and miss you very much. Love, Dad

SNORKELING

I finally started working again! Whew! Four weeks off clinically is really too long. I guess it just shows how lucky I am to truly enjoy what I do since I was definitely ready to return to the ER.

My first string of shifts was MLK weekend. The ER here definitely is busier when the clinics are closed so we were busy. Although the acuity is low, the volume was not. Staff and consultants were awesome! I even had a FP doc come in with his patient from clinic to do the LP on them!

All is not work, though, and I have kept up with my workouts, including P90X. I also got to go snorkeling with my fellow ER doc Rob. I attached the pic to prove it.

Take care, and God Bless all the people helping out in Haiti right now, including my fellow sailors and even my "cousin-in-law," who flew some victims to their new home in Iowa! Keep the victims and the workers in your thoughts and prayers.

Brad's in Okinawa now!

Finally in Okinawa. The trip was 24 hours to get here from start to finish. By the time I checked into temporary housing and went to bed, I had been up for over 27 hours! Then I woke up at 0430 Okinawa time! Great. So much for being able to timeshift easily as an ER doc! This week has been busy with orientation. I got my Japanese driver's license but don't know if I really want to drive here. Driving on the left side, signs in Japanese, and a system where you can be criminally prosecuted for a minor fender bender does not sound like something I want to do. And the cars here are TINY. It's like a bunch of smart cars with four seats and "smart car vans!" The vans are smaller than my Honda Civic. The Sequoia is going to seem like a bus after being here for 9 months. The people here are great- both the locals and the Navy personnel I will be working with. The weather, however, is not quite up to the "Hawaii-like" climate I was promised. I had to go out and buy some warmer clothes. Keeping up with P90X (I thought I was in shape until now) and actually found a spin class and a pool. I start work in 2 days after a month off clinically. Can't wait! LCDR Butler

Processing in San Diego

Finally passed my "processing" in San Diego. I was good to go in a day and a half, but my pay account took another 2 days. Teaching me patience, which I definitely need. I will board the plane in an hour, and head to Okinawa via Tokyo. Had my last "real" Mexican food last night in San Diego. I will miss that. Goodbye to all! Brad Brad Butler, MD, FACEP LCDR MC, USN

Brad's going away letters