Burn Patients

I was channel surfing and hit a channel showing a doctor treating burns of a crying child in Haiti. I watched for maybe 5 seconds and changed the channel. I felt very ill and nauseous after seeing this. I wondered why such vivid pictures must be show around the world. Was there a benefit to doing this? Will donations rise because of what we see? Is this for ratings or is it because this is what people around the world want to see suffering? Is this really news that we want to see? I find it so confusing and my emotions get so screwed up.

In March, 1971, the 24th took over as the Burn Center from the 93rd Evac which was closing. This brought in a whole new kind of casualty and something that I know I was not prepared for:

• Being on the chopper pad waiting to pull a burned pilot from and incoming chopper. He had been picked up by this small Loch Helicopter whose pilot was flying wildly as he tried to land. We thought we would be killed by this chopper as it made a wild landing literally sliding across the helipad towards us. The burned pilot jumped out of the door screaming with his arms up high in the air. He was burned on the upper body and had not shirt on. We didn't even attempt to get him on a litter, just ran with him into the ER.
• The experience of getting burned patients off the the choppers and into the ER.
• A burn patient in pre-op who had 2nd and 3rd degree burns who was speaking to us who died early in the morning with a number of us at his side.
• An unconscious soldier in pre-op who will never be operated on due to his poor condition who legs were horribly burned and ashen.
• The smell and look of burned flesh.
• Going into the burn ward each night to retrieve their 24 hour report seeing the patients having their dead and burned skin removed or being turned on the Stryker Frames.
• The high risk of infection.
• The horrible pain and suffering these patients experienced.

Maybe the confusion I feel is that I know what I saw on TV but have had the real experience of being there, participating and have the knowledge of what the patient and those who provide the care are actually going through. It leaves an imprint on your being that you will carry though your life and although it may be deeply hidden, it will rise at the least unexpected moment and feel as if it is happening before your eyes.

I don't know if one can say which type of wound is worse be it a traumatic amputation, head wound, burn, etc. but to me personally I always felt it was the burn patient. However, they are all horrific and they are always in my prayers.