Passing out

It is rare that a medic should need to b e treated, far more often it is the medic doing the treatment. Last night, was a different story for me. I had done three LONG missions that day, and finally waiting for EOD on a possible IED site i just lost it, got real dizzy and next thing i know SSG D is over me trying to wake me up. So how did it happen? Well here's how



1) it's on average 120 F in Baghdad.



2) The vehicles we work in have no a/c, although the new Uparmored humvees were designed with a/c sadly they are broken. Seeing as the armor baisically retains heat, it's hotter INSIDE than outside.



3) sometinmes the mission come first. so yea. nuff said there



The ride back was if anything worse than anything else. I realize now that i was REALLY out of it. I was about to flip out when i saw the tall grass flying by my window. At one point i became coherent enough to notice a petrolium smell. I rather stupidly said "gas I smell gas" I saw something sloshing, and then dripping down from the turrent. SSG D was like it's only CLP. Well it was good to know it wasn't gas but CLP. Why gas would have splashed all over me from the turrent is one of those questions you don't ask the delerious.

I also remember SSG D's face was REALLY fuzzy. In between the cramps and everything else, when i tried to focus on him it was like i was drunk and i couldn't see strait. NOT GOOD. In the end, when i made it back, Stern hooked me up and all was well. Almost. I got dragged in, they didn't even try to let me walk. But at that point i was both lathargic and delerious. It took my mind a long time to work out things. when asked what day it was it took a few seconds to answer "the 2nd?" well 3 IV bags later i felt a little better, but i wasn't really out of the woods yet. I had to agressivly orally rehydrate before i just finally crashed out.

Recovery is a bitch. I don't care what you are recovering from. A simple cold, surgery, Gunshot wounds, dehydration. Recovery is sometimes worse than the actual injury or illness. I didn't take too long to recover, BUT it took too long. i felt like shit the whole time. Not much to do there but sit it out. But guzzling water like an ethopian, really not fun. Good news, i'm all better.