MESSAGE FROM DOC
ABOUT " EARNING IT "
From: Howard Bell
Subject: ER Doc
I am a doctor specializing in Emergency Medicine in the Emergency
Departments of the only two military Level One trauma centers. They
are both in San Antonio, TX and they care for civilian emergencies as
well as military personnel. San Antonio has the largest military
retiree population in the world living here because of the location of
these two large military medical centers. As a military doctor in
training for my specialty I work long hours and the pay is less than
glamorous. One tends to become jaded by the long hours, lack of
sleep, food, family contact and the endless parade of human suffering
passing before you. The arrival of another ambulance does not mean more pay,
only more work. Most often it is a victim from a motor vehicle crash.
Often it is a person of dubious character who has been shot or
stabbed. With our large military retiree population it is often a
nursing home patient. Even with my enlisted service and minimal
combat experience in Panama prior to medical school, I have caught
myself groaning when the ambulance brought in yet another sick, elderly person
from one of the local retirement centers that cater to military retirees. I had not
stopped to think of what citizens of this age group represented.
I saw Saving Private Ryan. I was touched deeply. Not so much by
the carnage in the first 30 minutes but by the sacrifices of so many. I
was touched most by the scene of the elderly survivor at the graveside
asking his wife if he'd been a good man. I realized that I had seen
these same men and women coming through my Emergency Dept and had not
realized what magnificent sacrifices they had made. The things they
did for me and everyone else that has lived on this planet since the
end of that conflict are priceless.
Situation permitting, I now try to ask my patients about their
experiences. They would never bring up the subject without the
inquiry. I have been privileged to an amazing array of experiences
recounted in the brief minutes allowed in an Emergency Dept
encounter. These experiences have revealed the incredible individuals
I have had the honor of serving in a medical capacity, many on their
last admission to the hospital. There was a frail, elderly woman who
reassured my young enlisted medic trying to start an IV line in her
arm. She remained calm and poised despite her illness and the
multiple needle-sticks into her fragile veins. She was what we call a
"hard stick." As the medic made another attempt I noticed a number tattooed
across her forearm. I touched it with one finger and looked into her
eyes. She simply said "Auschwitz." Many of later generations would
have loudly and openly berated the young medic in his many attempts.
How different was the response from this person who'd seen unspeakable
suffering.
A long retired Colonel who as a young USN officer had parachuted
from his burning plane over a pacific island held by the Japanese. Now
an octogenarian, his head cut in a fall at home where he lived alone.
His CT scan and suturing had been delayed until after midnight by the
usual parade of high priority ambulance patients. Still spry for his
age, he asked to use the phone to call a taxi to take him home then
realized his ambulance had brought him without his wallet. He asked
if he could use the phone to make a long distance call to his daughter
who lived 70 miles away. With great pride we told him that he could not
as he'd done enough for his country and the least we could do was get him
a taxi home, even if we had to pay for it ourselves. My only regret
was that my shift wouldn't end for several hours and I couldn't drive
him myself.
I was there the night MSG Roy Benavidez came through the Emergency
Dept for the last time. He was very sick. I was not the doctor taking
care of him but I walked to his bedside and took his hand. I said
nothing. He was so sick he didn't know I was there. I'd read his
Congressional Medal of Honor citation and wanted to shake his hand. He
died a few days later.
The gentleman who served with Merrill's Marauders, the survivor of
the Baatan Death March, the survivor Omaha Beach, the 101 year old
World War I veteran, the former POW held in frozen North Korea, the
former Special Forces medic now with non-operable liver cancer, the
former Viet Nam Corps Commander. I remember these citizens. I may
still groan when yet another ambulance comes in but now I am much more
aware of what an honor it is to serve these particular men and women.
I am angered at the cut backs, implemented and proposed, that will
continue to decay their meager retirement benefits. I see the
President and Congress who would turn their back on these individuals
who've sacrificed so much to protect our liberty. I see later
generations that seems to be totally engrossed in abusing these same
liberties won with such sacrifice. It has become my personal endeavor
to make the nurses and young enlisted medics aware of these amazing
individuals when I encounter them in our Emergency Dept. Their
response to these particular citizens has made me think that perhaps
all is not lost in the next generation.
My experiences have solidified my belief that we are losing an
incredible generation and this nation knows not what it is losing. Our
uncaring government and ungrateful civilian populace should all take
notes. We should all remember that we must "Earn this."
