Wednesday, February 3, 2010

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been five days since the last time I wrote on this blog. Every night, I try to write something, but for the last four nights, by the time the day is winding down, so is my ability to even think, let alone write.

Tonight, I just quit. As the last two meetings of the evening wound down, I looked around and no one was there with something I needed to do. I could have gone looking, and I probably should have, but I told myself, “If I can make it to my stateroom without the tyranny of the urgent grabbing me on the way, I’m going to go straight there and try to write something for the blog. Well, I made it! So far, the day has been 15 hours. I’ll spend about an hour trying to write this (and get it loaded to the net which is whole nother problem!) and maybe I can get a good night’s sleep.

But even as I’m typing this, we just went to Flight Quarters.

I’ve said this before, but it is so strange to experience the changes to the space-time continuum that has happened over the last two weeks. Two weeks, it can not possibly be only two weeks since we arrived here in Port-au-Prince. So much has happened, so much has been done: We’ve treated over 700 patients, every one of them severely injured. We’ve done over 500 major surgeries including 38 today. We’ve sent over 300 people who came to us broken, bleeding and dying back home to their families. And we’ve stood by 21 souls as they’ve torn this earthly veil and joined the hundreds of thousands of their brothers and sisters who fell victim to the power of nature to shake our world.


Several days ago, I took pictures of some of the other ships here serving in Haiti. I don’t know which ones they were exactly, but we’ve had ships associated with two ARGs ( I think that’s Amphibious Ready Groups, but I’m not sure. We live and die by our acronyms and all I ever call them is ARGs) lead by the USS NASSAU and the USS BATAAN. We also had one CSG (That’s Carrier Strike Group) headed by the USS CARL VINSON. The VINSON and her escorts have left us now.



There are also a number of Partner Nation ships here. This is a picture of the French ship SCIRACCO (sp?). Her Captain and Senior Medical Officer came to the COMFORT for dinner with our ship’s Master, Captain Holley. Tonight we had a visit from the leader of a group of Colombians here rendering assistance to the people of Haiti.


Our Intensive Care Artist has given us two more drawings that I am sharing with you. They really are telling of the scope of this tragedy.



Tonight we’re getting a shot in the arm! We have been overwhelmed with major Orthopedic Surgery cases. Broken femurs, broken legs and feet, broken pelvises, shattered arms, broken backs, broken necks, and broken skulls. We left Baltimore with one Orthopedic surgeon onboard. We received several more when we were plused up after our arrival here, and today, we’re receiving 10 more! Six of which are Orthopedic Trauma surgeons. We plan on running three OR’s 24 hours a day doing nothing but Orthopedic surgery to burn through the hundreds of surgical patients who have been waiting since the earthquake more than three weeks ago for a chance to have their broken bodies repaired.

We also have some new equipment that we’ve received to help them do the voodoo they do: Three C-Arm Fluoroscopy machines. Complete with tech rep to get them up and running and two Radiation Physicists to calibrate and certify them safe for use. These expensive pieces of equipment weren’t ordered until after we arrived here in Haiti. So in less than two weeks, the Naval Medical Logistics Command in Frederick, Maryland turned around a request for these machines, got the quotes, wrote the contracts, got them shipped, then the Supply team got them hop scotched from Jacksonville to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, out to the BATAAN and then yesterday, finally lifted to the COMFORT. Purely amazing!

OK, that’s enough for tonight. It is getting late and I need to finish this and check to see if that tyranny of the urgent is waiting outside me door!

And Debbie, I love you so much! We’ll be home soon! Well, someday!

7 comments:

  1. Congratulations, your ship is doing wonderful work to help these people. Thank you for spending the time informing the rest of the world.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I shared your blog information on mine, and received this comment:

    Jan..thanks for sharing this insight. If you have connections, I am interested, and I believe others are too, in knowing first hand from those that are helping how best we can help from back home. Are there charities that they feel are more effective, are there areas more in need than others, are there specific ways quilters can help? Is there a way to send Lori items that she could put to use directly, to help those in need?

    Non-filtered news, or non-filtered insights from agencies that focus on fundraising by dispair, makes it so much more insightful to know how to effectively help (and trust monies and items donated will help). Love to hear your thoughts, as well as those from Lori on this matter.

    In the meantime, bless Lori and all her co-workers for helping those in need in Haiti.

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

    If you can answer SewCalGal's question, that'd be great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also miss you Jody. I am so proud of you and happy to share you with the wonderful people of Haiti. It is time for me to take your cute little dog for a walk with Izzie.
    Hugs,
    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Jody,this is Tom Taylor, Jackie's son. My son Jeremy is on the ground there with the 82nd Airborn and I will be there February 20th. Thanks for all you are doing. You are a great blessing to those hurting people.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jody..
    Uncle Dick here..We're all proud of your efforts to help down there. May you have a safe journey back home when its time to depart.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello Capt. Larnerd,

    My nephew, Capt. Michael Hendee, passed your blog along to me. My husband and I are Trustees of a small private children's Foundation and have supported various projects in Haiti over the years. Fortunately all our people are accounted for. Many are involved in local clinics and doing their part to ease the overwhelming suffering you describe. We know the good work of the USS Comfort and have a local doctor friend who has volunteered on board. Our prayers are with you as you work your way through the effects of this terrible tragedy. Kit Chamberlain

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think it is wonderful how you were able to do so much and still write such a beautiful detailed page for the effort. Not to mention the fact that you remembered to send love to your wonderful wife! I am truly proud to call both of you my friends.

    Dusty Kohler

    ReplyDelete