Kristin is Amazing

Day 5

2011-11-15T10:13:00.000-06:00

The Euphrates at night.

Rammla.

Sajad. 9 months.

Dr. Rao doing an Echocardiogram on my patient.

Conference room at the hospital.

Baby Hussein and momma.

Rammla. One of my favorites.

Me with Rammla. You can see that she's pretty malnourished. It's not lack of food here, but lack of education. She's 18 months, but her mother is still breastfeeding her. Her mother's milk must have run out a while ago. We have been working hard with her to make sure Rammla gets the nutrition she needs. She will probably be a little delayed because of her weight.

Sajad. I spent most of my day at his bedside. He's pretty sick, but doing better.

Day 8. Half Day!

2011-11-15T09:27:00.001-06:00

Reading a CT scan in Iraq.

Add caption

Sajad is extubated! His mom is so happy.

Hospital from the roof.

Ruqua (pronounced Ra-kay-a) during surgery.

Nisiriyah from the hospital roof.

Nina in the OR.

Sajad sleeping. He looks so good with his breathing tube out.

Day 7 - Day off!!!

2011-11-14T21:25:00.001-06:00

Nina (Nurse Anesthetist from Belarus) and I rocking our head scarves.

Armed guards.

Market part deux.

The guards checking out the ziggarat to make sure it's ok for us.

Souvenir shop.

Day 6

2011-11-14T21:01:00.001-06:00

All hospitals are run by the government (the state) in Iraq.

This sign says, "Wash your hands before and after touching your patient." Seems like common sense. Here in Iraq, it is not.

Entrance to the OR. Or as the British say, "the theatre."

Osei, a doctor from Chicago, putting a central line in my patient.

Mohammed. This kid loves soccer. I can't wait to get him up and running.

I have no idea what this is.

Iraqi Food

2011-11-12T00:53:00.000-06:00

Trip to the Market

2011-11-11T18:30:00.000-06:00

Trash everywhere.

More guns.

In Iraq women can be uncovered on their wedding day. There were tons of stores devoted to the dream of the 80's wedding.

Day/Night 4 (Very Tired)

2011-11-11T01:13:00.001-06:00

Day 3 (Arabian Night Shift)

2011-11-10T01:20:00.002-06:00

Day 2

2011-11-08T13:52:00.002-06:00

Name tag

The Pediatric "ICU"

Pt on by-pass. Closing the chest.

My first patient.

Day 1

2011-11-07T10:41:00.002-06:00

The area between Basura and Nasiriyah is where most of the Gulf War took place.

100's of Iraqi vehicles gathered and set on fire by US troops at the end of the gulf war

If you look closely, you can see that there are the leftovers from 2 other towers that have been bombed down.

The American soldiers are pretty much gone, but the infrastructure still exists. We went through about 20 traffic stops like this one on the way from Basura to Nasiriyah.

Everywhere there are guys with guns, smoking, and doing little else.

Dubai

2011-11-07T10:28:00.000-06:00

The lady told me, "You just walk to the end of this hall, then turn right, then walk to the end of that hall, then turn left, then take the stairs.....

I'm sure my gate is in here somewhere....

Some things never change.

Shavers? In the women's bathroom? For mustaches?

Howl-o-ween

2011-11-02T21:59:00.001-05:00

Heather and I go to the Farm!

2011-10-06T22:14:00.000-05:00

Slowly unpacking

2011-09-17T17:42:00.000-05:00

Washington Park Rose Garden

2011-09-16T17:54:00.000-05:00

Moving Day!

2011-08-13T21:43:00.000-05:00

Rabbit sitting

2011-08-10T22:28:00.000-05:00

We've been taking care of a rabbit for the past couple days. He's cute, but he doesn't do much.

Alaska to Oregon is a long way.

2011-08-05T21:57:00.003-05:00

Beautiful British Columbia!

Bison crossing the road.

Just like Liard Lily!

Meghan's Garden

2011-07-15T22:27:00.000-05:00

Chilkoot Trail

2011-07-04T01:07:00.000-05:00

Dinner the first night.

The trail is kind of swampy the first few miles, and buggy we soon discovered.

1st day, at the trailhead.

Ray making sloppy joes in "the ruins of some old fast food restaurant." There were lots of ruins.

Day 2. Lunch of champions before the summit: whiskey, cheese, bread, and TP.

Ray showing off his calf muscles.

Alaska.

Canada.

Yay! Summit.

Leaving happy camp on the 3rd and next to last day.

Happy Camp, the first campground after the summit.

Lake Bennett, almost to the end of the 4th and final day.

Me on top of the summit of Chilkoot Pass, on the border of the US and Canada.

Our first hot meal after hiking 33 miles, some dinty moore stew, bread, and pie. Oh yeah and black coffee, just like the gold miners drank! Mmmm.

Our train car, brought to you by the 1940's.

Tired and very, very dirty.

We referred to the after meal as "the eating contest." Ray digs in to bowl number 2. We probably would have eaten anything as long as it was hot.

Katchemak Bay Kayaking

2011-06-20T23:49:00.003-05:00

Haystack Beach, 2nd night and 3rd day.

g
n

Showing off my awesome parking know how (and reading ability).

China Poot Bay. We spent the first night in a yurt here.

Ray shows off his kayak skills.

Ray and his brother, Shane.

Lauren, is all that beer for you?

That's my boyfriend.

Gull Rock. Largest bird habitat in the area.

Lauren, a fellow ER nurse from Houston, TX.

Unloading the boats. Heather, Danny, and Ray Reeves plus the boat driver, also from Texas.

Chicken Fest!!!

2011-06-11T23:16:00.005-05:00

Josh Low, Rama, and Ray.

My tent.

My neighbor, Amanda, Josh, Rama, my friends Erica and Zach, Ray, and Theresa and Carlyle.

The Chicken Gold Dredge. They make money by having people pay to tour it. We snuck in.

Rama and Ray enjoying some Tok Thai food from the Tok Thai truck, located not in Tok as you would expect, but in Glenn Allen, several hours south of Tok.

Kodiak, AK: Crab Fest

2011-05-27T23:28:00.002-05:00

The US Coast Guard swimming across the harbor in their survival suits. There were about 20 teams that had to run down the dock, put on neoprene survival suits, and then swim across to the rescue raft. The coast guard was the only team to do it in under 2 minutes. Burrr.

This town is all about fishing.

Cruise ship in the bay.

Did I mention fishing?

Biking the Knik Glacier

2011-03-26T22:56:00.001-05:00

Scott and Allison ditch their bikes and walk the rest of the way.

The Knik Glacier.

Allison walking her bike down the Knik river. We had a lot of crashes trying to ride on the ice.

Dr. Welkovich (Bruce) shows off his "muscles," while his girlfriend, Allison finishes packing up.

My friend Scott and Bruce in the distance.

Oosik Classic Ski Race: Talkeetna, Alaska

2011-03-19T23:39:00.003-05:00

Beautiful, downtown Talkeetna.

My friends Amy and Kate.

Ray, Clare, and Ashley waxing skis pre-race.

Oosik is a native word for the bone found inside a walrus' penis.

Iditarod: The official start in Willow, AK

2011-02-28T22:43:00.002-06:00

This is my co-worker, Melissa, acting silly.

Melissa, her husband Troy, and Tiffany, another co-worker.

My funny co-worker, Sandra, and her Canadian cousins root for the Canadian Iditarod teams.

Nome, Alaska

2011-02-20T23:44:00.002-06:00

Don't blink, you'll miss it.

Detroit January, 2011.

2011-01-20T19:08:00.004-06:00

Patrick drives us to Canada.

A place only a mother could love...

Josh Olson and Kimmy and I got together for dinner in Mexican town.
Josh was one of my good friends in nursing school. He works at Detroit
Receiving now in the Cardiac ICU. He likes it a lot. It was good to see him.

It's still there.

Andrew comes to visit

2010-08-15T01:37:00.001-05:00

Sea lions on a rock.

Resurrection Bay - the bay outside of Seward, Alaska. 2 hrs south of Anchorage on the Kenai.

Fox Island, where we at lunch on our boat tour.

Wildfire near Fairbanks.

Glacier.

Downtown Fairbanks.

Foreign relations, Alaskan style.

The Alaska Pipeline.

I think you know these two.

No thank you.

Summer Summer Time

2010-06-27T01:53:00.001-05:00

Views from the top of Bird Ridge along Turnagain Arm.

Sitka, Meghan's dog, taking a nap on the guest bed. Bad dog!

Waterfall campground near Glenn Allen.

I have no idea who these people are. They invited us over to their campsite in Talkeetna and we took pictures with them. Crazy kids.

Ski for Women

2010-02-07T02:00:00.001-06:00

Co-workers, Arika, from beautiful Gallatin, TN, Melissa, and Betsy.

It's hard to ski dressed like a potato head.

Moose!

2010-01-22T02:08:00.001-06:00

I came home from work to 2 moose eating a pumpkin in the front yard.

AS seen on television.

2008-07-29T20:30:00.007-05:00

OMG!

2008-07-06T17:15:00.002-05:00

The new Sigor Ros is amazing.

Anouncements

2008-07-06T03:19:00.002-05:00

1) my login to the hospital computer system is kristinho. yeah. I know.

2) I went clubbing tonight. Worst experience ever. I strongly dislike the serious lack of dive bars and music venues in this town. I miss Nashville, Detroit/Ann Arbor, and Anchorage and every other town where the inhabitants aren't so self-absorbed and appearance conscious.

3) my parents rock. I now have curtains and furniture. My room looks f-ing awesome.

4) I'm ready for my brain to hurt a little less when I leave work. There's so much to think about and remember.

5) I'm glad I get to sleep in tomorrow.

NCLEX

2008-06-28T10:52:00.001-05:00

Less than 48 hours.

I can't seem to get this out of my head:

2008-06-28T01:05:00.005-05:00

"...and I wish i could touch you
if I wasn't miles away
we could talk it all out
in your clean white place

now I've done all the waiting I think I can stand
and I want you to know
yeah, I want you to know
I want you to know
I think you've found your man
yeah, I'll be your man
yeah, you've found your man
come home to him."

Sennett, Blake. (2006). I'll be your man recorded by

The Elected. On Sun, Sun, Sun. Seattle, WA: Sub Pop

Records.

No news is good news.

2008-06-23T22:47:00.012-05:00

I just found these photos from fall 2006. Jesus, that feels like a lifetime ago.

2008-06-17T17:44:00.007-05:00

It rained today. Just for a minute. I really miss the rain.

Laaay-z.

2008-06-16T18:21:00.004-05:00

So I'm supposed to be working on an NCLEX practice exam right now. In fact, the clock is ticking as I write this. Whatever. I'm a ball of stress over this test. It's ridiculous. I will either pass or fail. Either way, life will go on. I've been here 3 weeks tomorrow. Things are going as well as expected. I move into a house closer to work on Sunday. I've made some friends. It's all hunky dory. I can't help but feel like I'm just going through the motions, though. Settling in, making a life... I think that's what most of our time as little worker ants is spent doing. Moving dirt from one side of the yard to the other and then back again. Until we die. WOW that's depressing. I always tell people that if you really think about your life, or life in general, and the complete, absolute monotony of it, you will, more than likely, want to shoot yourself in the head. But that is just my personal opinion and you in no way are required to endorse it. Me? I try to think outside the box. I try to make my life interesting and to create wonder and value in the experiences I choose to engage in. I guess my major frustration this week is that I am being forced to spend my time inside studying and not out doing. Arrrghh.

Drop your g's and lengthen your vowels.

2008-06-12T23:55:00.002-05:00

My southern accent has returned with a vengeance, y'all.

R-E-S-P-onsibility.

2008-06-09T20:00:00.000-05:00

Today I joined a gym. I believe this is by far the most adult thing I have ever done.

Rash.

2008-06-05T07:00:00.002-05:00

Guess who's got two thumbs and has poison ivy. This girl!

Let the good times roll.

2008-06-04T22:22:00.000-05:00

So I've updated the radio pre-sets in my car. I made the following selections:
1) NPR, of course.
2) Spanish polka
3) Spanish rock
4) Alt. Country
5) Honky-Tonk (badonkadonk)
6) and the "Delilah" station

I feel like in order to really get to know the animal I'm dealing with, I need to totally immerse myself in truly Texan culture. And assault my ears apparently.

I'm here.

2008-06-01T08:19:00.000-05:00

So I've been in Texas since Tuesday. I'm not really sure how I feel about it yet. Last night I hung out with a few cool people. I now have some new numbers and e-mail addresses. That's a good thing. I can't help thinking that I might have left my heart in Nashville, though. We'll see if I find it.