One more month down... woohoo! Only 10ish left, but who is counting?

The big news, of course, is the moustache's for March. We have already had more than a few people drop out of the contest due to the fact that they look absolutely horrible. But I am staying strong and going for the 15 March deadline, no matter how bad I look. It is a measure of dedication to a cause to suffer through with it, but I am willing.

As most of you have probably heard, things have continued to quiet down a little throughout the country and thankfully Mahdi Army has extended their cease fire another 6 months. Hopefully this lull in violence will be a lasting thing. It is interesting that with the decrease in violence we are seeing more and more medical problems in the ER - it is almost starting to feel like a small ER back home - aside from walking around with the M-16 thing.

I recently had to fly a patient to the Air Force theater hospital about 20 minutes from Baghdad in Balad. It was quite an experience. I have flown plenty of patients in helicopters before just always in civilian helicopters, and never wearing my full ballistic armor and carrying a weapon. The Blackhawks go a heck of a lot faster and a lot lower to the ground then the helicopter back at UMass. The flight there was focused on the patient, so didn't really get to see the surroundings so well. The trip back took a little longer with a few stops along the way which gave me a perspective of what is actually surrounding the IZ and Baghdad itself. From the sky at night, it really looks like any other small city - lights on everywhere. Major difference is that the roads were not filled with traffic at night - quite literally only convoys of trucks and military vehicles moving around after curfew. Flew over "The Mother of All Mosques" - which was a really impressive site. This is an internet picture that I stole to give you an idea of what it looks like. It is in about the same stage of construction as in the picture because all work stopped during the initial invasion and now most of the construciton supplies have been looted.

Unfortunately it was at night, so no real pictures from the trip back (flashes aren't really appreciated by the pilots in their night vision gear). On the way back, we stopped at a few of the outlying FOBs to pick up patients -- made me really appreciate where I am deployed to, compared to pretty much everywhere else. Being in a real building, with streets, and even trees is world's away from these other outposts. Definately helped put things in perspective for me.

Some of you may know my friend Gary Dufresne - he recently got back from Iraq after 15 months long months over here with 1st Cavalry Division. If you come across him, please buy him a beer and have one for me - you can put it on my tab. PS - Gary you were right, Taji is a dump.

Also just got a tour of the new US embassy over here - of course no pictures were allowed, so picture if you will a small college with sandstone buildings, surrounded by 15 foot walls and patrolled by heavily armed Peruvian contractor guards. That is essentially what it looks like - with an indoor pool, gymnasium, cafeteria, helipad, fire control center - you know, the usual stuff of a college campus. They haven't moved into the compound yet - I am sure it will be quite busy when they do move in.

Other than that, passing time in the usual fashion - running in monthly races - and actually finishing them. Playing games of world domination and of course continued training to maintain our flexibility.

Hope you all are well. Until next time.

VD day

Well Happy Valentine's Day! The pics are... http://jaycosdesertvacation.bogspot.com/ The best part of Valentine's Day - is that February is now halfway over. If you don't count the rest of February, and then subtract out R&R, then can't count the month I come home - well then there are only 9 months left for me here in Iraq. That is countable on two of your own hands. Slowly chipping away...

Not all that much new and exciting here recently. The weather is warming up a bit, actually a pleasant 70 most of the time right now. From what the preventive medicine people tell me, the perfect breeding time for the next season here in Baghdad - the bug season. I can't wait. Maybe I will get some exotic disease from one of the bugs and become famous by having some rash published in some journal somewhere. Dare to dream.

We have been passing time in the usual fashion here - working, gym, sleeping, hippity-hop. Yup, hippity hop races through the ER in the middle of the night helps to pass the time, and our patients quite enjoyed the spectacle we were making of ourselves - one even joined in a race. I was unfortunately defeated in the first heat (cheated out of it more accurate), but I am not bitter as a good time was had by all.

Some of our docs here were only here for 6 months and just rotated home (not me obviously). Sad to see some of them go, not so sad about others. But it is another marker of the progress of time. The good part, though, is that in the transfer, we inherited some bicycles form the outgoing docs. So yes, put on your kevlar helmet and mount your M-16 - we went combat bicycling around the international zone. It was fun and we will definatley do it again. Besides, it does save a lot of time in getting to the PX and back.

We haven't seen anymore straws in bladders - for all of you guessing on how it got there, the soldier said he didn't know - but there is only one way for it to get there... I have gotten to see a few interesting medical things that you don't get to see back home in the past few weeks. Including a little girl who just flew to Boston on the tab of some charity to be treated at Shriner's burn hospital for 50% burns basically from her navel all the way down the rest ofher body. Hopefully she will make a good recovery and have some semblance of a happy life.

As a means of gratitude for some work that we did - one of those Special Forces medics that I talked about on the last email brought us an entire cooler filled with fresh'ish' steaks. We were able to hobble together a grill and 'acquired' some charcoal and had ourselves an old fashioned cookout. It was even complete with beer - well non-alcoholic beer. Something was definately missing without that alcohol part.

Meanwhile back home, the girls seem like they are doing well.

Sara sang me the entire alphabet last night and Naomi is now walking around and popping out some teeth and says 'Hi Daddy' on the phone (or hi doggy, can't really tell). Amy is hanging in there.

Last, but definately not least is the news of Moustache March. All the guys (and capable women) in the ER have decided that we will have a hairy upper lip for the month of March. That way we can all look like hillbilly pedophiles together. At least no one can grow a mullet... Stay tuned for the updates as they develop.

Well, it is finally almost over. The month of January that is. It is bordering on the longest month in my life. It will be a great day on the first of February, for quite a few reasons, not the least of which will be the end of the mud rain. That is one of the more endearing qualities of this place, it quite literally rains mud. The water just mixes with the dirt in the air, on the buildings, and everywhere else. Just adds to the ambience. It also means that I am less than one year form coming home. We can actually count the days on a single calendar now.

Not all that much has been happening here. Things have continued to be a much more 'reasonable' pace in the CSH. As I am sure most of you have heard, most of the fighting has shifted to the northern reaches of the country. The other 'piece' of our hospital, which is up in Mosul, has been getting busier from their usual slow pace. As it stands now, I am scheduled to head up and relieve the sole ER doctor up there in a few months so he can go home on R&R.

On the fun side, we did get some 'range time'. We spend some time in the ER training Special Forces medics and keeping them fresh on Emergency Medicine kinds of stuff. (Don't read this part Mom and Dad) In return, they 'teach' us some things and give us, well unique experiences (you can contact me seperately if you want details). It was a lot of fun and a nice diversion from the usual daily grind. Other than that, the best entertainment is the daily 'chicken dance' by the ER nurses.

Things on the home front have been a bit more exciting. Naomi had her first birthday, followed shortly by her first teeth. The girls have been giving Amy a run for her money as you might expect. Though they've been having some fun - going to the PA State Farm Show, and of course getting tooled around in the new Cohen minivan.

I guess in the side of interesting cases - we did have one soldier who had some abdominal pain - and after finding a strange looking object in his bladder on CT scan - went to surgery and found that he had a full size McDonalds straw inside his bladder. The kid denied knowing how it got there - you can leave that part to your imagination. He did say that there were a couple of nights of heavy drinking that he didn't remember what happened. A great lesson to teach our kids about not drinking too much...

Other than that, not much new and exciting on this end. Other than the great letters and care packages. All of us in the ER appreciate the extra pounds we are putting on thanks to everyone back home. They are awesome and very appreciated.

I miss all of you guys and hope you are doing well. 11 months to go...

Is it still only January?

Happy January 16th!

Wow, time does seem to go slowly over here. It is hard to believe it is still January - except for the fact that it is colder here than it is back home - oh yeah and the snow. First time it snowed in Baghdad in 70 years. It didn't accumulate at all - but still, the white stuff came down on us. And as far as I know, nobody ate any yellow snow. Although, some people were caught running around like little kids - catching snow in their mouths. Although we did have one guy slip and fall on some blue "porta-pottie" ice.

I know Amy is happy to hear that I have almost run out of places to visit in the International Zone. No it does not mean that I will be visiting places in the 'Red Zone'. Just that I will likely not be doing much exploring around here - just 2 or three places I haven't been. Then I will have nothing to do but watch movies and read in my spare time. I guess that is not such a bad thing. Just boring. Although we do have some range time coming up - always good for a little fun.

To help pass the time, we have the occasional 'VIP' come by and visit for some reason or another. They tend to want to visit the ER and see how things happen there. Depending on how you view things - sometimes a positive/sometimes a negative. Entertaining when we get a sick patient in while a 3 star general and his entourage are clogging the entrance in the ER and a lowly Captain can yell at them to leave - I was pretty surprised when it worked, too.

The overall flow of casualties has continued to drop off from what we had when we first got here (with occasional spikes)- thankfully. Although we still have job security. A lot of people back home have been asking if we had received casualties from a few days ago when we lost 9 soldiers, but unfortunately we did not as most did not survive the initial blast. It was a blow for us to get the news of their loss, as even more a tragedy for their friends and family here and back home. Another horrible reminder of what we are here to do and the horrible price people are paying for us to be here.

If you area religious person - I can only ask that you pray for those they left behind, and offer thanks for what you have.

Sorry for such a downcast email, just one of those days.

Most of you know I am not really a sentimental type person, but one of patients gave me a copy of this poem and I thought I should send it out - a little out of season - but not to bad...

A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Take care.

cohen

Happy New Year!

I know, I am a little behind and all. No excuses except not a whole lot to email about. Things have continued to slow down here clinically (about 30% less than what they saw last year at this time). Which is great, although there was a pretty bad attack yesterday where we lost another two young soldiers. It is interesting that now that clinically we have slowed down, the non-clinical (admin) people have been looking for things to do - making new policies, changing things around, just to keep busy and usually to the detriment of patient care. Fascinating that it happens even in Iraq in a combat zone.

Had our own little new years celebration at midnight on new years, complete with noise makers and non-alcoholic beer. Including 'beer' chugging contests and the like. I guess you make due with what you have. The celebrations in the DFAC where the same as for Christmas, so nothing new there to report.

Iraqis have a strange way of celebrating - they fire their weapons straight up in the air in celebratory fire. I guess they are so happy, that they forget that th rounds still have to come down at some point. For about 15 minutes following midnight, we heard quite a few weapons being fired. Followed by the sound of raining metal on the pavement outside and on the roof. We had been warned to expect it, so the hospital was actually on "lockdown" during the period to prevent anyone from going outside without their full IBA (Individual Body Armor). Unfortunately some of the locals didn't figure this out right away and well... back to work.

The pics above are pretty typical of our traumas, kind of like organized chaos. Actually runs pretty smoothly now - everyone knows their job and what needs to be done and just makes it happen. For the medical types, I can share pics of some of the injury at personal request. Not the kind of traumas we tend to see in the states.

For most of December, we had an AP photographer/reporter 'embedded' with us. It was an interesting experience - for one, because we could get as much information from her as she took from us. So learned a little about what life was like outside our little FOB, what the soldiers are actually going through and how the locals seemed to be reacting. It was also nice to be able to interact with a civilian in a normal manner, not have to worry about rank, and what position they are and all that. Anyway - her name is Maya Alleruzzo - and she has a fair number of pictures published (best way to find them is to look in Yahoo news images, and search for her by name - there are about 30 of her pics from the CSH published in various sources that pop up). Unfortunately/fortunately, I am too ugly for the camera and did not make it into any published ones, but many of our nurses, medics, and the two other ER docs did (Todd Baker and Marti Roellig). She gave us copies of all her pics that she took when she left and made a small collage that is below - I can send people the PDF if you can't see the collage.

The big excitement back home is that the Cohens are now a minivan family - much to my dismay - when I return I will be driving a blue minivan. Laugh all you want, but well, I would laugh at me too. But I guess it is practical and makes things easier for Amy. So we will blame it on her.

Anyway, just thought I would put the new years pics up - let me know if you can't get to them. I hope you are all well and having a great new year.

Miss you all - well, except you Yiram. Happy New Year.

cohen

So my friend Ben (Hagan - Thank you very much) has set up this blog for me. I didn't realize the images I was sending were clogging up people's emails and really slow. So he came up with the idea of blogging - which, I admit, is a new one for me. I thought I would give it a try in celebration of the new year. If anyone is not able to view the blog, let me know, and I will email the pics to you. In the meantime - give this link a try.

http://jaycosdesertvacation.blogspot.com/

It is a work in progress.

So to catch you all up, Christmas came and went without much of a hitch. Only one left to go... woohoo. Things have been relatively quieter over the past week. The hospital is still plenty busy with run-of-the-mill ER stuff - delivered my 5th baby this afternoon. Not really what you would expect from a COMBAT Support Hospital, but we have to take care of the people who show up at our door. The mood on Christmas was bittersweet as I am sure people wished they were home with family, but there were still some festivities to be had with the commadn group wandering around the hospital charolling and all. That's what happens when people have free time, they put on funny costumes and sing apparently. I would prefer to sleep.

The dining facility (or DFAC) was decorated in the same bizarre style as Thanksgiving - attached some pics of some of the decorations - Abe Lincoln appeared again, but no George Washington this time, maybe next year.

Got to do a little more exploring of the IZ, unfortunatly, I think I have exhausted all the places I haven't been yet and we still have over a year to go. Oh well, that's what movies are for I guess. There are several communications towers in the IZ with commanding views - made friends with the key holder for one of them, and my friend Dena (Family Practice doc) and I got to explore to the top. Well worth the 250 steps up.

Other than that, not much new and exciting to report here. Stil mostly enjoying the people I work with - really am lucky to have such a good team of people here in the ER. The surgeons get on our nerves - but hell - they are surgeons and get on everyones nerves. Besides, they rotate out in a little over a month - they only have to be here for 6 months at at time and they showed up 3 months before us.

So here are the pics for this latest instalment...

Convinced a couple of my goyim (if you don't know what this means - contact me privately) friends to come with me down to Saddam's palace for the last night of Hannukah. It was an experience having one of the 7 Jewish Chaplains in the Army lead us in Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel under a giant "Merry Christmas" which itself s surrounded by the words "Saddam Hussein" imprinted into every 50th brick.

Courtesy of my mother-in-law, the inflatable palm trees to decorate our relaxation spot on top of the hospital - also some pink flamingos. We got a little tired of trying to blow them up by hand, and decided to utilize some of the local... supplies... oxygen cylinders blow up palm trees nicely. A little bit of a fire hazard, but what is life without risks...

Ahhh... yes, the DFAC is decorated to clebrate the... uhmmm... The Bangladeshi interpretation of an American interpretation of Christmas. I am not sure what or who she is, but who am I to ask.

Yup.

This picture is from that tower - looking out into downtown Baghdad. Immediately next to us is what happens when a few 500 pound bombs meet one of Saddam's palaces. Essentially the entire inside of the building has caved in with actually relatively little damage to the outside. In the distance is the river that is the natural boundary between the IZ and the "red zone", or the rest of Baghdad.

Finally - we get all sorts of cards from schoolchildren all over the country, which is really cute and entertaining as you might imagine. Usually letters of support or encouragement, but this one caught the eye of our staff and now holds a place of honor on our medication lockbox, for all to see...

Hope you are all well. Have a great New Year and thank you for everything.

12/14/07

Happy belated Hannukah!

I guess two weeks have gone by since the last update - time for the next. Thank you again for your emails... truly appreciated.

Things here are pretty much status quo. I have to admit I am pretty happy over a month has gone by. I try not to think how many are left, though. Only one more Thanksgiving and one more Hannukah away, though.

A few other docs and I have started to explore the International Zone a little more. We went to a hotel within the International Zone and had some local food - very good. Fresh hummus, lamb and chicken kabobs - we have been getting pretty sick of the dining facility food and were willing to risk the dysentery to try something different. Besides, one of the docs I went with is an Infectious Disease specialist and if he felt comfortable eating there, I guess I should also. We also went to some of the other local FOBs (Forward Operating Bases). They are based in various bombed out palaces and each have a unique flavor to them. One place has giant man-mad ponds that people (now US soldiers) fish in. Not that I would be willing to eat the catch of the day, though.

Got a tour from two people - first guy was head of all the guards for the International Zone(IZ), second guy was the head PA for the State Department here. Went to the top of the al Rashid hotel - the only hotel in the IZ. Actually out on the roof to get a view of all of Baghdad. Then down to the 'Crossed Sabers' parade ground where the speed bumps are actually dead Iranian soldier's helmets (some with bullet holes in the helmet's). Saddam was really lunatic. Took pictures imitating him firing his rifle in the review stand. The Iraqi government is planning on taking down the Crossed Sabers as soon as they can - as they are really a monument to Saddam's idiocy.

Hannukah here in Baghdad has been an experience as well. Forgot to pack my menorah - so one of the nurses made one out of syringes and needles (see the pics). It has beena point of conversation for many people who happen by the ER, especially when the candles are burning. The last night of Hannukah was spent down in the Embassy with a 6 foot electric menorah they had erected. There were supposed to be latkes also (traditional Hannukah potato pancakes), but the burner was 110 volts, and the only available outlets were 240. Oh well, maybe next year.

My frieds back at the clinic at Fort Monmouth also sent me my first Christmas tree ever (thanks Jose). It is actually a live tree and is one of the biggest hits this hospital has seen. You wouldn't believe the number of people who stop by just to smell a piece of home. They also sent decorations and ornaments that were put up on the tree and all over the ER.

So Baghdad is still Baghdad and Iraq is still Iraq. There has been an increase in our work recently due to a bunch of different things. The end of some of the local cease fires/pacts, and a general feeling of wanting to disrupt the holiday season and the return from the Haj which is taking place. A few days ago, a local oil refinery was hit with mortars - even though it was almost 10 miles away - the entire hospital shook and some glass actually broke. It woke me up 10 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off - and I really like my sleep.

Well back home Amy has had her hands full. Naomi just got over a week of gastroenteritis just in time for Sara to get Croup. I think both girls enjoyed Hannukah though and still have no idea what to do with all the presents they got - and they stil have Christmas ones coming.

I hope this email finds you all well and you are enjoying your holidays.

I have attached the usual pics - my friend Ben is trying to set up a blog for them so that you all don't have to download all the pics if you don't want on a slow connection. More to come.

Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas.

cohen