Thursday, July 24, 2008

Miracles

Wow!!! Can't believe it's been a month since my last post. Bear with me on this one, please, 'cause it's 0200 and I should be headed to bed.

So, life here is going on as usual. The good news is that we just had our boots on ground (BOG) hump day last week, so we are now more than half way done. Woohoo!!!! Seems like time is slowing down though and I just want it to keep moving.

We've been busy here this month. I think I told you in one of my earlier postings that I provide female security for all local national females who enter our base. Basically, I search each female that enters our base.

About two weeks ago, I was called down to the gate to search two females. When I got out there it was a mom and her daughter. My heart broke when I saw the little girl. She's 8 or 9 years old, but looks about 5 or 6. She was in so much pain, she couldn't move on her own and so her mother had to do everything for her. Pain was written all over her little face and her dark brown eyes were absolutely blank. I took them inside the small office for privacy. I searched the mother and then I searched the little girl. I tried to be so careful of the little girl, because I didn't know what was wrong with her and then I felt it. I knew immediately why she was in pain. She had this enormous growth in her abdomen. My heart fell, because I figured that it was a tumor of some sort and probably cancer.

Later that day, our surgeon removed a 5.5 pound tumor from her along with one kidney and one ovary, and part of her pancreas. Our docs figure it's cancer. I forget what kind but it's got a good a survival rate if chemo and radiation therapies are used. She's lucky we're here, because we can make arrangements for her to go to Pakistan or Iran to get the the treatments she needs.

In the meantime we are spoiling her. She got her nails done the other night and has lots of stuffed animals and crayons. The nurses love her and are working with her to get her to eat and move around. She was doing good, but then suffered a minor setback with vomiting and a fever. They had to go back in and repair a hole in her bowel. She now has a colostomy bag and feeding tube, and we'll just have to see how she does over the next few days.

Her mother and uncle come almost every day to visit her. It's a pretty long trip for them, from one side of the province to the other, so it's a big deal for them to get here. At least they get a good meal when they come.

We are able to work small miracles here. Let's hope this one keeps working.