NEWS FROM IRAQ

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Just in case you're feeling overburdened, down and out, like the whole world's against you...You know, that pathetic pity party we attend every once in a while...Here's an excerpt from an e-mail sent to me by my surgeon friend who is on a short tour in Iraq...

"I know that I may not have e-mailed in a long time. Sorry for that but we have intermittent commo. Life here just became a little worse. On Mon. at approximately 0600 I went running with my usual running partners. Earlier that same morning we had taken care of an Iraqi soldier who was shot in the leg at about 0300. He had a horrible open with exposed bone, comminuted tib/fib fracture, had he gone to an Iraqi hospital would have necessitated an amputation. Back to the run, about 3/4 of a mile into it at 0605 we took an incoming rocket. We ran to the nearest bunker and 2 more rockets were fired. There we were without our Kevlar helmets or our body armour. Then a pause, so we ran back to the Forward Surgical Team FST to prepare for casualties. 3 more rockets were fired into our FOB Forward Operating Base. A total of 6 107mm rockets were fired at us; 5 of them landed inside our FOB which is only 600x400 meters. We took 2 casualties and loads of minor injuries. We lost 2 tents and the laundry; no lives were lost. So to all of you who have been praying for our safety, we are grateful. We hope that you will continue to remember us in your prayers. The last couple of days have been a little rough, but getting better. That's what I have been up to How bout ya'll?
Thanks for all the packages the unit is grateful. Day 57/90 Take care MJ"


So tonight, when you lay your head down on your fluffy pillow and nice clean sheets...remember-there are men and women, living in tents, in the desert, in the middle of a war zone-saving lives-while risking their lives...for all of us.

After reading this, I can't think of one thing to complain about. I feel only immense gratitude.

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