What we really don't want to look at

I have found the following on JihadGene's blog http://jihadgene-greatreader.blogspot.com/

and I feel the urge to share this with you, because I feel that this is one of the topics where people usually tend to look away and also because I don't think, people can imagine at all, what it's like to be in such a situation. So it may be interesting and good to shed some light on the subject.

But first of all JihadGene's short article:

Rest In Peace SFC Kevin Dupont

On June 17th (Wednesday) US Army Platoon Sergeant, SFC Kevin Dupont, died from wounds received in combat (Afghanistan). He was a fighter and fought death for many weeks at Brooke Army Hospital, Fort Sam Houston. Our prayers continue for his wife Lisa, and all who loved, lived life, and served with him. God be with you.

(Article from BlackFive HERE.)

(Send condolences HERE.)

When you then click on the BlackFive-link and read the entire story, you realize just how long he held on to his body and under which conditions. People often ask me why I seem to be interested in "the dark side of life" or mention some rather unpleasant details in the books that I write... I do that because these things are unfortunately part of our lives. They don't vanish just because we'd rather not look at them. They are and remain there, until we look at them, see them the way they really are and act accordingly!

The story of SFC Kevin Dupont is extremely tragic and what he had to go through was horrible beyond believe, but you know while there are still people out there who are willing to pay the highest price so that others can live a better life... I think the least we can do, is to look at it - look at how they live and how they die.
And as for looking away - everything that we can't face will follow us - for all eternity - until we finally decide that confronting it, is in fact the lesser evil.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not writing this article, in order to rubb this particular message into anyone, this is afterall a health blog. So the connection is naturally health-related and a matter that should be relevant to all of us.

Reading his posted "journal" and the BlackFive-article, it seems that 65% of Kevin Dupont's body had sustained 3rd degree-burns. And the completely horrible thing was, that naturally, having been locked into a vehicle while the flames were eating it up, he also had sustained internal burns - of his lungs - because the air is just so incredible hot when you're in a confined space which also happens to be on fire...!

A condition like that brings along many challenges - it's difficult/impossible for the patient to maintain the body core temperatur, infection is an issue and how his kidneys will deal with the challenge is another. Without even getting into amputations and transplants, I'm sure anybody can see that controlling the patient's pain is a critical and most important issue. Afterall when life is plain hell, why should anybody bother hanging on to his body?

And that is exactly the point of this post: We think we can do anything in life and if it goes wrong there will be medical staff with their expertese, drugs and equipment standing by in order to handle what we then no longer can take responsibility for ourselves. We expect them to be our security net.
But when one takes a closer look at what they actually have to offer and what exactly it is the individual patient will experience then, you're definitely in for a very big surprise!

Many people think that an induced coma means a patient is asleep and doesn't notice anything anymore... well he's asleep alright, having a terrible nightmare from which he can't wake! Not being able to complain about it does not mean that the patient is fine! It means whatever happens he has to endure quietly, without any possiblilty of himself establishing contact with his environment or raising his voice!

There is also the widely spread idea that morphine will solve anything... the truth is, it depends on the patients willingness of wanting to go unconscious. If you do allow a drug to dope you off, well then you can experience some pain relief, but if you're the type who thinks it's most important to stay in present time and hang on to that slim chance of still reserving some selfcontrol over your body and your fait... then they can give you enough for you to stop breathing and you will still be in agony! You will just be too paralized to express it towards your surroundings!

On the other hand, an epidural and other local and regional anaesthetics do actually tend to work quite well...

So what I am calling here for is respect for the patient, respect for the fact that you are dealing with a human being here, a soul that is still there, with all perceptions... even when he/she is uncontious.

Don't dope off people, if there is any alternative at all. Talk to them, adress them as if they were there - because in fact they really are! Though an uncontious person or a person in a coma can not respond, in almost all cases the person is still around, either inside the body or at least next to it. So do addess the person as you usually did, do comfort him/her by all means, do give the patient a chance to respond and express his/her own wishes - f. ex. by saying things that you could imagine would be of his/her concern and then say "For "yes" do squeeze my hand" or "...touch my finger" or "...roll your eyes" - anything at all to give the patient a chance of feeling at least slightly in control of the situation and his/her body!

Don't think that this is a situation you and those you love could never end up in, because you're not volunteering for a tour of duty like Kevin did. Most people end up in trauma-center on perfectly innocent and peaceful backgrounds. Which is not to say, that you should from now on be afraid that it will happen to you - one can prepare for the vast mayority of incidents so they will never happen - if it's only by being here in present time or leading a fairly healthy life...

However... the point here is not to make people afraid! The real message is: treat others like you would like to be treated, try to imagine what they can feel and hear and act accordingly. Much suffering will be avoided this way and the fruits that you will harvest for such kindness are the sweetest you can imagine! Everything comes back to us in some way or another and it's people like that, in situations like those, who have the power to make all the difference and who contribute enourmously to a better world. They are in fact true heros as well as saints - well... at least from my point of view!

And speaking of heros and saints... I am glad that Kevin Dupont's suffering is finally over, even though I really would have wished that he would have pulled through! However at least there's an end to the agony and that is some consolation.

To his so incredibly dedicated and devoted wife I would like to offer my condolences and express my admiration for all that she's done for him - I am not sure if I would have been able to cope with everything she's had to go through while at the same time providing him with all the love and support... This must be quite a trauma for her as well and yet still she found the strength to give and care so unselfishly. All my best wishes and respect for her!

additional info from the CaringBridge-site:

CDC A-Z Index

Learn more about a specific disease or condition by using the CDC's A-Z Index. Just click a letter on the A-Z Index and select a topic from the list.

A-Z Index

A B C D E F G H I J K L M
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Links Recommended by the Author

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5570807

http://www.vfw.org/resources/levelxmagazine/0602_Brooke%20Army%20Medical%20Center.pdf