Finally, my time has come to an end in QWest, Iraq, and it was time to say goodbye. Our replacements were a little late, but arrived in time for turnover and in time to get us out so we can get home by Christmas.
A few "lasts" in my last few weeks in Iraq.....
The other ER doc and I took call every other week for 6 months. The radio, went turned on, would chirp out loudly "ZONE ONE!" I still have no idea what that meant, but it was starting to give me PTSD after taking call for so long every time I heard it. During my call week, I would have to take it with me everywhere, even on my runs. Not a light radio..... It was nice to have my last run with it and when I was finally able to put it in the charger for the last time.
Our last MASCAL (mass casualty) training event was awesome, as all we had to do was oversee our replacements performing it. That was a great feeling! No more patient care!
A few "lasts" in my last few weeks in Iraq.....
The other ER doc and I took call every other week for 6 months. The radio, went turned on, would chirp out loudly "ZONE ONE!" I still have no idea what that meant, but it was starting to give me PTSD after taking call for so long every time I heard it. During my call week, I would have to take it with me everywhere, even on my runs. Not a light radio..... It was nice to have my last run with it and when I was finally able to put it in the charger for the last time.
It was an even better feeling when CDR Rios and I were able to "permanently" turn it over to our replacements!
Teaching the Iraqi medics was a large part of our work here in Iraq. It was nice to be able to hand out coins and CE (Continuing Education) certificates to the Iraqis we trained on our last day with them. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to them at our last class, though, as we learned a lot from them as well. We will miss them!
Cleaning out both my spaces in the ER was quite a chore, including my "drawer", but I eventually got it done in time for us to leave!
Cleaning out my living space in the tent was even more of a chore, however, as I threw away my shower shoes, crocs, running shoes, some socks with holes in them, snacks I had not eaten in 6 months, etc...........
Our last MASCAL (mass casualty) training event was awesome, as all we had to do was oversee our replacements performing it. That was a great feeling! No more patient care!
Our "last" OR case (which also happened to be our "first" traumatic injury OR case), happened our last week in Iraq. A contractor put his hand in the propeller of one of the drones, shredding his fingers. Our orthopedist, my roommate, was happy to finally get to operate after 6 months of nothing...…
Probably the hardest thing to leave and say goodbye to, was my "home away from home," the gym! My last spin class was one to remember, and my class made it special by signing a card for me, thanking me for leading them for the last 6 months of workouts. I will miss them and miss teaching the classes as well as our dinners following class three times a week.
I will miss my elliptical (literally "MY" elliptical- Kenneth from the gym would actually "reserve" it in the morning for me with a bottle of water and a towel and occasionally a note, like my last one here) which I spent hundreds of hours on, allowing me to read over 50 books while here in Iraq.
Bye, bye gym. Bye, bye 7 hour-a-day workout sabbatical...…
And then we were off to begin our long journey home!
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