2020- the CORONAPOCALYPSE (.....the ENDING)

Home!  After being gone for nearly two months, including fully three weeks in quarantine, I finally got to go home!  Back to family.  Back to our house.  Back to friends.  Back to work.  Back to our life.  Back to running in my wonderful, sunny, hundred degree heat along the canal in Phoenix (instead of laps around the hotel in San Diego).  Back to some degree of normalcy. Admittedly, two months is relatively "short" by most deployment standards to be sure. 

It was humbling to be returning home on Memorial Day, after serving our country helping to combat the "silent enemy" in New York City, which was a solemn reminder to keep those service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in our thoughts and prayers, as well as their families.  Despite the current Coronapocalypse still going on, we still have the honor and privilege to live in the greatest country in the world! Today is a reminder of that fact, and for us to remember those who have come before us, serving our country, and paying the ultimate price to defend our freedom and democracy and our way of life that we enjoy in the United States. To them, I salute you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.....

Steph kept up the tradition and had tied the yellow ribbon around the tree in our front yard.  Upon our return from the airport, I was able to untie it and take it down.  At least for now...

 

2020- the CORONAPOCALYPSE (the QUARANTINE.....)

No, for those of you who keep asking (and/or assuming), I am still NOT back home.....yet!  Although our mission ended over 2 weeks ago, I have been in extended quarantine since then.  Originally, we were going to be allowed to leave NYC for quarantine so I was packed and ready to go!

However, the decision was made that we are required to test (twice) prior to getting to go home. It took us a few days to get organized and get the testing set up.  After waiting two days for our results, we found out our tests were damaged (the tops popped off in flight we heard :) so we had to retest and wait another 3 days for results.  Then we had to wait for travel arrangements.  All the above  =  a week in quarantine already.  While waiting for test results, we were restricted to our hotel rooms in NYC, except to go downstairs to pick up our delivery food. No more runs :(  I did finally have some great NYC pizza, though, as recommended by Steph's lifelong friend Susan who has lived in NYC since we graduated from UofA.  Thank you Susan for the recommendation of Joe's Pizza!

Unfortunately, the week in quarantine in NYC awaiting our test results did NOT count toward our mandated 14 days of Restriction of Movement or "ROM" (which is essentially quarantine to hotel) that is required after leaving a "hot spot" before we can return home.  I did test negative, so I was allowed to travel on to San Diego on Mother's Day to complete my 14 day ROM.

 

 

After a 24 hour, painful travel day, we finally arrived at our hotel in San Diego, our home for the next 14 days of ROM.  Unfortunately, as part of ROM we are restricted to within 100 feet of the hotel, even for exercise.  Needless to say, running 20 laps around the hotel daily is NOT an enjoyable way to exercise.  I did decorate my room again, with both UofA as well as my "gym" for P90X (i.e. a chin up bar:).

 

They did realize, after a couple days, that we were no longer deployed and finally relented to allow us to have a glass of wine or beer with our meals or while relaxing (in a very socially distanced manner) on the patio at sunset.

Lots of working out, lots of reading, What's App'ing with family and friends, working on my Navy "Joint Professional Military Education," watching a few movies, attending teleconferences, keeping up with the news (switching between FOX, CNN, and MSNBC so I don't get too much of the same perspective :), doing interviews for Navy recruiters, and answering emails is how I am trying to occupy my time.  Starting to get old, however, and making me a little stir crazy after over 2 weeks already in quarantine.  Almost done, though! Glad to hear my gym and movie theaters and restaurants are opening up back home.  YEA! Can't wait! See you all soon!

 



 

2020- the CORONAPOCALYPSE (MISSION ACCOMPMLISHED!)

Our mission was accomplished last week in NYC!  Despite some of the press complaining that we did not "fully utilize" all the beds available in the Javits Center as well as on the USNS Comfort, we DID make a huge impact on the CORONAPOCALYPSE in NYC.  See the article below for a great perspective from a local hospital leader at one of the hardest hit hospitals- Elmhurst.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/national/new-york-javits-center-usns-comfort/2020/05/02/55abfe54-88af-11ea-8ac1-bfb250876b7a_story.html%3foutputType=amp


As the USNS Comfort left the dock nearby on the Hudson River on its way back to Norfolk, VA, we were finishing our mission at the Javits Center (JNYMS).

It was amazing to see the crowd gathered outside of the Javits Center, awaiting the discharge of our last patient from the our field hospital that I had helped to staff for the last month.

As every COVID19 patient would leave the Javits Center, 24/7, we would celebrate their success with cheers and clapping by the staff at the exit.  It was truly an awesome experience to take part in and behold.  The smiles on the patients faces will forever be etched in my mind as one of the true highlights of both my military as well as medical career!

My team of dedicated ER providers that served as the DMO's (Director of Medical Operations) at the intake of the Javits Center.  Army and Navy standing together in front of the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier docked at the pier on the Hudson. In all sincerity, thank you very much for my Army brothers that served with us over the last month! Go Navy Beat Army! 

 

2020- the CORONAPOCALYPSE (the injuries.....)

No, the "invisible enemy" did not get me.  However, both my n95 mask as well as the corner of the shelf in my hotel room did!

When we were taught how to "don" all the PPE that we would be required to wear during our shifts, it was suggested to me to try applying moleskin to my nose underneath both the n95 as well as surgical masks that we would be required to wear for 8-10 hours straight (the nurses did so for 12 hour shifts).  After having moleskin on my nose for 10 hours with an n95 and surgical mask and my glasses/eye protection on top of all of that, the moleskin was VERY firmly attached to my skin.  Needless to say, it peeled off some layers of skin when I puled it off!  This, followed by 4 more straight days of a tight n95 mask, surgical mask, and glasses wearing my nose skin down gave me a good start on the classic "COVID scar" on the nose that is so commonly seen on all our hospital workers.

 

 

Another few days, and some spreading inflammation and redness around the blistered and abraded skin, made me start worrying that I would go to the epicenter of the CORONAPOCALYPSE to take care of COVD19 patients only to end up dying of MRSA! How would that be for irony??  Luckily, I have some Bactroban antibiotic ointment with me and cleared the redness/infection(?) and started the healing of the skin....

 

Not to be outdone by moleskin and an n95 mask, the corner of the shelf above my desk attacked me one day when I stood up after working on my computer. I was worried that I would have to go to some urgent care in COVID central for stitches, but luckily, as I looked in my mirror, it was only a fleshwound that responded to pressure to (mostly) stop the bleeding.  However, it was not fun explaining to everyone that saw me and asked just how I received my deployment injury, which was quite obvious with my shaved head...…