Iraqi War: The Heros, The Healing

The December 2006 issue of National Geographic contained an article, "The Heroes, The Healing - Military medicine from the front lines to the home point" by Neil Shea.

If anyone here is a fan of the word, War, I strongly recommend you to read this article. It must have been a heartrending experience for both the journalist and photographer covering this story. Caught in the heat of action, cramped on route in a Black Hawk helicopter, rushing against time to medevac a critically wounded soldier is seriously no joke.

The pictures are depressing, terrifying, especially for families, friends of soldiers in the Iraqi War.

More than half of the injuries care caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), roadside bombs and booby traps. There was this coverage on a female soldier, who had no pulse upon arrival to the hospital, managed to pull through. A doctor pumps blood into the woman; it runs out her shattered leg. To save the life, the limb must go. Her husband was by her bedside after the entire ordeal, he served in the same unit. His wife made it on Valentine's Day 2006.

The article also talked about the medical procedures to help save and prolong a soldier's life on the battlefield, the healing efforts of all medical staff, the stories of wounded soldiers and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a result of internal brain injury caused by the impact of explosions. Impacts of TBI include reduced cognitive functions, such as memory loss, and behavioral changes, including depression, anxiety, aggression, sleep disorders.

A refreshing read for me, a sad one though.