.Medevac Summary
"As those of you who follow the LJ know, I was medevaced from theater this week. Not for anything serious. My left eye clouded over, developing a haze which an optometrist and three ophthalmologists believe is a complication relating to the PRK I had last September. In essence, it has the same effect as cataracts.
I first noticed this in Kuwait, and then after it did not clear, I went to the optometrist aboard Al Asad Air Base (being a naval installation, one is 'aboard' Al Asad rather than 'at' or 'on'). He air evacuated me to Balad for further evaluation.
Note: Further evaluation. I packed a couple sets of clean underclothes and a shower bag and a towel.
At Balad, they decided to send me to Landstuhl. I got to Balad early Friday morning, and by Sunday morning I was on a plane to Germany. Just over 24 hours on the ground in Balad.
Arriving at Landstuhl on a Sunday, the opthalmology clinic was closed. I went in Monday at 0730 without an appointment, was seen by a medic about 0745, and saw the surgeon at 0800.
Those of you with experience with the normal flow of military medicine may take a few moments to recover from the shock.
It took the surgeon roughly ten minutes to decide to evac me to the United States. His explanation was that while the corrective treatment is fairly simple and routine, it is still optical surgery and the recovery time is a minimum of four weeks.
Four weeks."
The Marching Camp
I first noticed this in Kuwait, and then after it did not clear, I went to the optometrist aboard Al Asad Air Base (being a naval installation, one is 'aboard' Al Asad rather than 'at' or 'on'). He air evacuated me to Balad for further evaluation.
Note: Further evaluation. I packed a couple sets of clean underclothes and a shower bag and a towel.
At Balad, they decided to send me to Landstuhl. I got to Balad early Friday morning, and by Sunday morning I was on a plane to Germany. Just over 24 hours on the ground in Balad.
Arriving at Landstuhl on a Sunday, the opthalmology clinic was closed. I went in Monday at 0730 without an appointment, was seen by a medic about 0745, and saw the surgeon at 0800.
Those of you with experience with the normal flow of military medicine may take a few moments to recover from the shock.
It took the surgeon roughly ten minutes to decide to evac me to the United States. His explanation was that while the corrective treatment is fairly simple and routine, it is still optical surgery and the recovery time is a minimum of four weeks.
Four weeks."
The Marching Camp
posted by madtom at 4:11 PM
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