News from Forum Participants

[kmich]

Returned. Alive, Working towards being "well," however that may be defined....

I completed orientation in Lviv at the end of March. Upon a review of my background and my Russian language abilities, I was sent to the east of the country to practice and to train and support Ukrainian physicians and army medics in emergency medicine. I was frequently tasked to help set up, staff, organize, and facilitate logistics for emergency medical units for soldiers and civilians.

I had been around explosions from grenades, explosive shells, and an occasional tank round on missions during the Second Sudanese Civil War, but the use of missiles, air strikes and the heavy artillery of this war provided new experiences for me in many locations. The shockwaves from these large explosions that pass through the body I found particularly unsettling. Living with existential dangers creates mutually supportive, enduring bonds and those developed while I was there. I have managed to stay connected with my Ukrainian colleagues. An emergency service supervisor whom I became good friends with was crushed to death under rubble last week after a Putin missile targeted rescue workers extracting the dead and injured from a recently destroyed apartment building.

Putin's army knows how to shell, bomb, and turn communities into rubble, decimate; pillage, deport, rape, torture and incarcerate populations, but that is about it. His soldiers are not really soldiers but a poorly trained, poorly equipped, incompetently led assortment of undisciplined mercenaries, some professional but mostly amateurs who are recruited from Russia's vast, impoverished hinterlands and penal colonies. Ukraine is full of Russian atrocities, some of which will be discovered in the following months, but many will be uncovered only many years from now if at all.

To be fair, the two Russian POWs I was briefly acquainted with were simply scared, clueless young men who only wanted to return home to their friends and families and didn't really know why they were there in the first place other than to make some money to send back home. Both were left behind by withdrawing Russians and picked up and treated by Ukrainian medics. Russians typically leave their dead and seriously wounded behind.

One was blinded and disfigured when he made the mistake of peeking over his fortifications to watch the destruction of Ukrainian lines by an expected Russian artillery barrage that fell short in front of Russian positions and blew up in his face. He lost both eyes, his nose was gone, his face was embedded with pebbles, dirt, and shrapnel. He sustained a brain injury and did not regain consciousness for one hour. Other than the loss of maxillary front teeth and a section of upper lip, his maxillary and mandibular structures were mostly spared, permitting him, often painfully, to communicate and to eat. His zygomas, orbital bones, frontal bone and other facial structures received multiple fractures. I am not a plastic surgeon, but I did what I could to pin, screw, and wire his facial structures together and to debride and repair his wounds. He will require extensive plastic surgery follow up to undergo a series of grafts, revisions, implants, as well as a cranioplasty for a section of frontal bone to make him recognizable.

Unfortunately, these are unlikely with Russia's marginal health infrastructure. A fabricated mask to cover his disfigurements and a cane to find his way will have to do. The Russian military and government leadership have a long history of indifference to their disabled war veterans particularly if they are repatriated POWs who are typically treated with suspicion. Of course, he reportedly can be compensated with a sum of rubles for his service and sacrifice. Since he has significant impairments from his TBI, he will need someone to assist him. That person, if he/she is willing and able to assist, together they could fill out numerous, redundant government forms, submit themselves to the will of countless bureaucrats, discreetly dispense an occasional financial incentive, endure endless investigations, interrogations and delays, and in the end, they might just receive some rubles to help his family back in Khakassia. Maybe.

The wounded and disabled are not useful for war propaganda and that is the only potential value they could have to the Kremlin. A man blinded and disfigured by misdirected Russian artillery certainly would not support the triumphant bombast of state media for Putin's "Special Military Operation." The other Russian POW had a perforated bowel from a gunshot wound. A temporary skin-only closure was performed in the field. When he entered my care, he was hemodynamically stable and alert, but understandably complained of severe abdominal pain. I conducted a laparotomy to remove the AK-74 projectile and repair the bowel with the assistance of a first-rate Ukrainian surgical team. Unfortunately, he was already developing diffuse peritonitis. After the laparotomy, he was immediately placed on IV antibiotics and drains were placed for his infected peritoneal fluids. Despite our efforts, he died of sepsis.

I was in various locations in the east until the end of July and was sent back west after I was injured running in the dark into a Kharkiv shelter when a missile struck nearby and exploded, the shock wave shaking the building and throwing me off my feet and down the stairs. It was just as well. I was burning out from all the meatball surgery, and I felt totally spent after the amputation I performed that afternoon of a burnt, gangrenous left arm of a 14-year-old boy while hearing his mother crying, cursing, and screaming outside the operating room.

After a few days in Kyiv, I traveled to Lviv to work with casualties from the Ukrainian military and civilian populations. Surgery in the AM, and the rest of the day into the evening remotely performing consultations with surgeons around the country. Other than the large volume of departing and returning refugees, Lviv seemed like a normal European city. Air raid sirens and attacks were rare. When the U.S. Embassy once again urged US citizens to leave on August 23, I finally decided that it was time to plan my return home.

I have mostly recovered from my injuries of late July, but I still need to use a cane to walk any distance. My daughters appeared shocked when they greeted me at the airport. My usually playful grandchildren hid behind them and their husbands. I didn't ask, so I don't know what they were reacting to. Maybe it was the cane or perhaps I looked much older somehow. I did lose significant weight and likely appeared frail. My wife greeted me with her characteristic kindness and equanimity. The rest of my family then cautiously embraced me. Their greetings cheered me, but their tearfulness troubled me. I cannot forget the countless I left behind.

My Ukrainian friends gave me a departing gift of the first 1988 Russian edition of Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate. I am trying to re-read this great novel, but I frequently end up staring into distant space instead of reading. Sleep poorly, can't get the sirens out of my head and I startle and jump at sudden noises. The worst is when it is dark and quiet. I often see what appears to me as a hooded, black figure crouching in the corner of the bedroom at night. The voices, screams, noises, groans, and cries of the past months then arise from that presence until daylight. Images, scenes, and faces appear out of the dark.

I often check around the house late at night for fire since I keep smelling burning rubble. Even the sickeningly sweet smell of drying blood occasionally drifts by. Dread going to sleep due to the nightmares and an irrational anticipation of air raids. At least my wife was able to talk me out of sleeping in the basement. Although not this bad, I have been through this sort of stuff before, and it usually just ran its course unless I made it all worse for myself and everyone else by attempting to make it all go away with frequent shots of vodka. I have been a witness to many awful situations and listened to countless deeply tragic stories over the years, but what I saw and heard in Ukraine will haunt me the rest of my days.

I suppose my faith was never there to make any sense of the pointless tragedies and cruelties of this war or the complete meaninglessness of all the suffering I witnessed. Through what I have experienced over the years, I have learned that it is foolish and dangerous to assume one understands God's plans and intentions. I am just grateful that God granted me the grace to do what I could to help relieve some of the suffering despite the existential darkness I experienced and protected me from the seductions of the Devil's ever dutiful handmaidens of cynicism, indifference, or despair.

Don't have anything else to say here. The experience of war is difficult to describe to those who, to their good fortune, have not been there. I've seen enough. I pray now only to spend the rest of my life in peace with my ever patient and loving wife, my family, my grandchildren, and my orthodox faith community

[Parodite]

Welcome back Kmich. Thanks for sharing your experiences. You are a hero. I don't know anyone with more courage and heart.

[Nonc Hilaire]

God bless you, Kmich.

[Doc]

Glad to see you back Kmich. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your experiences? If you ever do I will buy a copy, as I would certainly like to read it.

[Doc]

Where I grew up at

[Miss_Faucie_Fishtits]

A month hiatus spent looking after my dad after his cancer surgery. His Medicare ran out when he needed more hospice care to go back to living independently, so I stayed with him watching too much TV until he recovered his legs enough to negotiate his apartment and make his own dinners..........

[crashtech66]

Your dad is fortunate to have someone to care for him at such a vulnerable time.
Nice to see you still around, and thanks for the TV tip, I love SF.

[Miss_Faucie_Fishtits]

Your dad is fortunate to have someone to care for him at such a vulnerable time.
Nice to see you still around, and thanks for the TV tip, I love SF.

Thank you.....^^......

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

We've had a new Italian market open nearby. I love it.

The place we normally shop cut back on a lot of their Italian products. Now we have a market (fairly) comparable to that found on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Arthur Avenue is the real Little Italy of New York.

But it amounts to little. The real find is this:

In the bakery, besides the Italian pastries, they make the best glazed chocolate donut I've ever tasted. It's not even close.

Firm but fluffy. Not too sugary, perfectly glazed. I guess like a homemade old-fashioned donut.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

I've screwed up something in my right calf.

Back in late July during a game of basketball, I went for a ball while pushing off my toes, and I felt an immediate burning sensation in the middle of the calf area, and, less certain, I might have heard a pop. It didn't hurt and I was still able to walk and run.

I took things a little gingerly for a while but it still hasn't gone away. I'll feel it a randomnly and stretching does nothing for it. I can't pinpoint what triggers it. While I've jogged with it since, and have even tested going full speed, I tried to do some cross-foot lateral movements the other day and really felt it.

[kmich]

I've screwed up something in my right calf.

Back in late July during a game of basketball, I went for a ball while pushing off my toes, and I felt an immediate burning sensation in the middle of the calf area, and, less certain, I might have heard a pop. It didn't hurt and I was still able to walk and run.

I took things a little gingerly for a while but it still hasn't gone away. I'll feel it a randomnly and stretching does nothing for it. I can't pinpoint what triggers it. While I've jogged with it since, and have even tested going full speed, I tried to do some cross-foot lateral movements the other day and really felt it.

You probably have a medial gastrocnemius strain "Tennis Leg", or perhaps a tear. Strains usually recover within 6-8 weeks. Since you have had this issue since July, I would recommend consulting with your physician and perhaps receiving a referral to a sports medicine practice. All the best, and I hope you get well. If it hurts, don't do it.

A month hiatus spent looking after my dad after his cancer surgery. His Medicare ran out when he needed more hospice care to go back to living independently, so I stayed with him watching too much TV until he recovered his legs enough to negotiate his apartment and make his own dinners..........

Well Miss_Faucie_Fishtits, I really hope your Dad has continued his progress and functioning independently. Your presence will be very helpful
as he enters the final stage we all face. Bless you in the compassionate efforts you can offer...

Welcome back Kmich. Thanks for sharing your experiences. You are a hero. I don't know anyone with more courage and heart.

Thank you, Parodite, for your kind support. I just did what I could with the talents and energies I have been given to ameliorate the sufferings I witnessed in Ukraine. Nothing heroic, just being responsible. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). I see nothing exceptional or heroic about working to be a good steward of the grace and talents God has given me. I well know that you are not religious, but simply being responsible to the life you have been given by applying one's abilities for the sake of the benefit of our human community should be the rule, not the exception. To paraphrase Camus, by attributing over importance to praiseworthy actions one may, by implication, be paying indirect potent homage to the worse side of human nature. For this attitude implies that such actions shine out as rare exceptions, while cynicism and apathy are the general rule.

God bless you, Kmich.

I didn’t sneeze.

Glad to see you back Kmich. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your experiences? If you ever do I will buy a copy, as I would certainly like to read it.

I don’t know, Doc. I am doing my best to get on with life and place all that darkness behind me right now, although I will probably have to find my way through it all in time with the support of my family and religious community. I have no wish to inflict any more of my experiences upon others.

[Doc]

I've screwed up something in my right calf.

Back in late July during a game of basketball, I went for a ball while pushing off my toes, and I felt an immediate burning sensation in the middle of the calf area, and, less certain, I might have heard a pop. It didn't hurt and I was still able to walk and run.

I took things a little gingerly for a while but it still hasn't gone away. I'll feel it a randomnly and stretching does nothing for it. I can't pinpoint what triggers it. While I've jogged with it since, and have even tested going full speed, I tried to do some cross-foot lateral movements the other day and really felt it.

You probably have a medial gastrocnemius strain "Tennis Leg", or perhaps a tear. Strains usually recover within 6-8 weeks. Since you have had this issue since July, I would recommend consulting with your physician and perhaps receiving a referral to a sports medicine practice. All the best, and I hope you get well. If it hurts, don't do it.

A month hiatus spent looking after my dad after his cancer surgery. His Medicare ran out when he needed more hospice care to go back to living independently, so I stayed with him watching too much TV until he recovered his legs enough to negotiate his apartment and make his own dinners..........

Well Miss_Faucie_Fishtits, I really hope your Dad has continued his progress and functioning independently. Your presence will be very helpful
as he enters the final stage we all face. Bless you in the compassionate efforts you can offer...

Welcome back Kmich. Thanks for sharing your experiences. You are a hero. I don't know anyone with more courage and heart.

Thank you, Parodite, for your kind support. I just did what I could with the talents and energies I have been given to ameliorate the sufferings I witnessed in Ukraine. Nothing heroic, just being responsible. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48). I see nothing exceptional or heroic about working to be a good steward of the grace and talents God has given me. I well know that you are not religious, but simply being responsible to the life you have been given by applying one's abilities for the sake of the benefit of our human community should be the rule, not the exception. To paraphrase Camus, by attributing over importance to praiseworthy actions one may, by implication, be paying indirect potent homage to the worse side of human nature. For this attitude implies that such actions shine out as rare exceptions, while cynicism and apathy are the general rule.

God bless you, Kmich.

I didn’t sneeze.

Glad to see you back Kmich. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your experiences? If you ever do I will buy a copy, as I would certainly like to read it.

I don’t know, Doc. I am doing my best to get on with life and place all that darkness behind me right now, although I will probably have to find my way through it all in time with the support of my family and religious community. I have no wish to inflict any more of my experiences upon others.

I understand. Though if you ever change your mind please let me know so I can buy a copy. I hope you get past the darkness soon.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

You probably have a medial gastrocnemius strain "Tennis Leg", or perhaps a tear. Strains usually recover within 6-8 weeks. Since you have had this issue since July, I would recommend consulting with your physician and perhaps receiving a referral to a sports medicine practice. All the best, and I hope you get well. If it hurts, don't do it.

Thanks for the advice. Funnily enough, since posting about it, I've actually noticed a marked improvement as there's only been a single flare-up.

That being said, I'll still be seeing a doctor about it when I get a chance; it also goes without saying I will not be jumping up and down, hopping or running in anything but a straight line anytime soon. Sadly, it could be the end to my very amateur basketball playing. I can't afford to be fooling around like that and blow something out.


==============

I also didn't know there was such a thing as "Tennis Leg". I had a few occasions of "Tennis Arm" from baseball.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

So the national (do all states actually participate or is it like 35 of them?) Powerball reached 1.9 billion. The drawing of the numbers was supposed to be at 11 PM but they are having technical difficulties and are saying they do not know when it will be drawn.

Talk about instilling confidence.

We're not gamblers here in the slightest but when getting gas tonight, we ended up buying a ticket for the 1 in 400 million shot of winning.

The minute the guy behind the counter printed out the ticket, I looked at the numbers, turned to the missus and said, "This one's a loser. It's full of loser numbers. Many folks are saying, it may be the most losing ticket in the history of the lottery."

No one appreciated that; the clerk looked personally insulted. So the joke ended up being a dud too.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

Now that everyone's asleep, placed everything under the tree and got stuck finishing up the laundry.

We were without power for most of yesterday due to the weather over the states; all in all, we had the best of it considering how bad it seems west of here.

We also lucked out that the power went out when it was still 50 degrees and but was up and running again before being affected by the single digit temperature.

Right now we are sitting at 11 F (-11.6666667 C)

[Miss_Faucie_Fishtits]

Now that everyone's asleep, placed everything under the tree and got stuck finishing up the laundry.

We were without power for most of yesterday due to the weather over the states; all in all, we had the best of it considering how bad it seems west of here.

We also lucked out that the power went out when it was still 50 degrees and but was up and running again before being affected by the single digit temperature.

Right now we are sitting at 11 F (-11.6666667 C)

Went down to visit Dad for the holidays when a furnace unit went out in his apartment block. The day after Christmas it went down to 6°Fahrenheit which is brutal cold for Norman OK at any time of the year. The apartment manager spotted us a space heater in addition to the several we had and the heat from neighbouring apartments kept us from freezing. Two days later temps shot up to 60° and the furnace was fixed.......

Spent much of the time playing wordle and setting up the new flat screen TV and stand.....'>......

[Doc]

Now that everyone's asleep, placed everything under the tree and got stuck finishing up the laundry.

We were without power for most of yesterday due to the weather over the states; all in all, we had the best of it considering how bad it seems west of here.

We also lucked out that the power went out when it was still 50 degrees and but was up and running again before being affected by the single digit temperature.

Right now we are sitting at 11 F (-11.6666667 C)

Went down to visit Dad for the holidays when a furnace unit went out in his apartment block. The day after Christmas it went down to 6°Fahrenheit which is brutal cold for Norman OK at any time of the year. The apartment manager spotted us a space heater in addition to the several we had and the heat from neighbouring apartments kept us from freezing. Two days later temps shot up to 60° and the furnace was fixed.......

Spent much of the time playing wordle and setting up the new flat screen TV and stand.....'>......

So who was naughty and who was nice?

66625.jpg (231.95 KiB) Viewed 39889 times

[Miss_Faucie_Fishtits]

Now that everyone's asleep, placed everything under the tree and got stuck finishing up the laundry.

We were without power for most of yesterday due to the weather over the states; all in all, we had the best of it considering how bad it seems west of here.

We also lucked out that the power went out when it was still 50 degrees and but was up and running again before being affected by the single digit temperature.

Right now we are sitting at 11 F (-11.6666667 C)

Went down to visit Dad for the holidays when a furnace unit went out in his apartment block. The day after Christmas it went down to 6°Fahrenheit which is brutal cold for Norman OK at any time of the year. The apartment manager spotted us a space heater in addition to the several we had and the heat from neighbouring apartments kept us from freezing. Two days later temps shot up to 60° and the furnace was fixed.......

Spent much of the time playing wordle and setting up the new flat screen TV and stand.....'>......

So who was naughty and who was nice?
66625.jpg

Interesting conjecture. It got down to 64° in his apartment and he complained how bitterly cold that was, and I was tempted to tell him that's how warm I heat my home and I just put on an extra sweater and add another blanket to my bed.....'>.....

I pay the penalty for my prideful posturing when it's time to take a shower.....;P........

[Doc]

Now that everyone's asleep, placed everything under the tree and got stuck finishing up the laundry.

We were without power for most of yesterday due to the weather over the states; all in all, we had the best of it considering how bad it seems west of here.

We also lucked out that the power went out when it was still 50 degrees and but was up and running again before being affected by the single digit temperature.

Right now we are sitting at 11 F (-11.6666667 C)

Went down to visit Dad for the holidays when a furnace unit went out in his apartment block. The day after Christmas it went down to 6°Fahrenheit which is brutal cold for Norman OK at any time of the year. The apartment manager spotted us a space heater in addition to the several we had and the heat from neighbouring apartments kept us from freezing. Two days later temps shot up to 60° and the furnace was fixed.......

Spent much of the time playing wordle and setting up the new flat screen TV and stand.....'>......

So who was naughty and who was nice?
66625.jpg

Interesting conjecture. It got down to 64° in his apartment and he complained how bitterly cold that was, and I was tempted to tell him that's how warm I heat my home and I just put on an extra sweater and add another blanket to my bed.....'>.....

I pay the penalty for my prideful posturing when it's time to take a shower.....;P........

"Cold" don't get me started ;p

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

Now that everyone's asleep, placed everything under the tree and got stuck finishing up the laundry.

We were without power for most of yesterday due to the weather over the states; all in all, we had the best of it considering how bad it seems west of here.

We also lucked out that the power went out when it was still 50 degrees and but was up and running again before being affected by the single digit temperature.

Right now we are sitting at 11 F (-11.6666667 C)

Went down to visit Dad for the holidays when a furnace unit went out in his apartment block. The day after Christmas it went down to 6°Fahrenheit which is brutal cold for Norman OK at any time of the year. The apartment manager spotted us a space heater in addition to the several we had and the heat from neighbouring apartments kept us from freezing. Two days later temps shot up to 60° and the furnace was fixed.......

Spent much of the time playing wordle and setting up the new flat screen TV and stand.....'>......

If you don't mind me asking, how is he doing post-cancer?

[Miss_Faucie_Fishtits]

He's actually doing pretty well, but we made the difficult decision not to pursue further treatment. At his age, recovery is problematic. Therapy now is a quality of life issue and he'll continue to use the straight catheter as he's done for the previous several years.......

The TV is programmed to his satisfaction and the daytime temps peak out at sixty degrees. Furnace is fixed and no space heaters. Meanwhile, I had to shovel two inches of slush and be at my job at 9:00 am......'>......

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

There is this bagel shop nearby I very occasionally go to.

Great bagels but if I don't get there before 6:30 AM, there is a 100% chance they screw up my order. It's been years of it now; kinda impressive factoring the number of people over the years who've contributed to getting it wrong.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

Fingers crossed that we miss the snow heading this way.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

The Canadian wildfire smoke wafting over the northeast US is wild.

Here is CT everything smells like campfire. Reports say it comes from a place called Quebec- never heard of it, frankly if I could read a map through this dense smoke, I'm not even sure I could find it.

Two days ago, when I rolled out of bed the sky looked slightly odd and it smelled like my neighbors were using their fireplaces, but I didn't think anything of it until I made may way down the mountain, turned on to the main street and noticed the Apocalypse Now orange haze.

I stopped to get gas and went inside to ask the clerk what was going on. I thought there was some local fire or something.

[Nonc Hilaire]

Respirator availability?