| This week I had a visitor |
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This week I had a visitor. I didn't recognize him immediately because it had been over two years since we had last met. He was in Jerusalem for a wedding and just came by to say: "hello"._option_option_option_option
Even though we have had a total of 26 Piguim in Jerusalem alone since November 2000, leaving so many dead, 1604 physically injured and so very many of us traumatized. All these ‘events' remain etched in my mind; some are still more sharply remembered than others. I try to commit to memory one person, one family constellation, from each of the ‘experiences'. I guess it is my way of not letting these horrible ‘occasions', their horror, life and death for so many, become diminished and vanish in my memory. Over the years of working as part of the first response staff in times of MCEs (Multiple Community Events/Injuries), I have developed a means of coping with my own sorrow, exhaustion and weltsmertz, I put pen to paper (or fingers to computer) and in so doing find that these thoughts are ‘out of me' and on the paper. I may not have recognized my visitor immediately because his third degree burns had healed wonderfully, but I did remember Saturday Night, Moetzei Shabbat, 01 December 2001. 11:30pm I heard a loud bang. As is the habit of most 'hypervigilant' Jerusalem inhabitants, I waited a few seconds to hear the after sounds of a jet, signifying a sonic boom, and dreading the eventuality of the sirens, connoting a bomb. 11:45pm, I heard the wailing sirens, checked that all my ducks where in place (all my kids and grandchildren were at home or otherwise accounted for), started to get dressed for the hospital, when my beeper went off with the dreaded '99999' code, signifying a call to the ER trauma support team. 12:00 am, The ER was popping, with ambulances coming and going back to the scene of the two terrorist bombing attacks. Center city on a Saturday night is full of kids. As so it was gurney after gurney wheeling in young teens. Our hospital received close to 90. Some seriously wounded with the nails and screws that were embedded in the bombs, and some with 'minor wounds' of shrapnel (and nails etc. ) with gouged out 10 agurot and 5 shekel (dime an nickel) wounds in all parts of their bodies. One young man was 'fortunate' to have the pointy part of the nail 'just' pointing out of his head, others, were less lucky. Many were not physically hurt, but saw images that are not readily erased from ones mind. Limbs, blood and much more (or less). The ER team unfortunately is very experienced and went into 'automatic pilot'. Doctors and nurses of all specialties doing whatever was immediately needed. The people who normally work as carpenters and the like, doing the 'ER jobs' as gurney pushers - to x-ray, to surgery and the like. The Social Workers set up an emergency briefing room for families, that is hooked up with the other three Jerusalem hospitals identifying each 'arrival' with an emergency number. This number is matched with their identifying signs, and names if they can speak to entry personnel. As information on the patient's condition and whereabouts (surgery, x-ray, etc.) are known, it is added to the computer station hookup. This enables each hospital to have the information that helps family members get to the right place, without undo delay. The psychiatric and psychological ER staff, talk to those whose have been 'triaged' and are waiting for the next stage in their care. Helping, in this case, kids contact their parents. It always amazes me, how someone barely in control of their fears, tears and panic, will pull themselves together when a cell phone is put to their ear and their parent is on the other end. "I'm okay, but come quickly", was heard again and again, the extent of the speakers wounds not impinging on the clarity of the voice. As all the inhabitants of Israel have been in a constant state of 'alert', when this type of horror occurs, it is in fact a form of 're-traumatization', not just trauma in itself. So with each succeeding 'event' we see more and more traumatized patients, those wounded and in 'shock' and those with no 'external' signs, but unable to speak, flat out on their back. And then each person, each gurney, brings a family constellation to the ER. Some more helpful, some less, some in need of help for themselves. At 5:10 am the last of the ambulatory go through the final 'check out' arrangements, one last check up by a physician, and after that final talk with a psychiatrist or psychologist and a social worker. This last part is to prepare them for medical follow-up care (casts changed/off- orthopedics, hearing loss- ENT, etc.). The Psych/Social 'check-out' drill, includes educating for acute stress and trauma symptoms, and checking that there is a home and someone there to go home to, as well as giving them information and recommendations for therapy, at least for the first month. This therapy is covered in cases of 'piguim' by the National Insurance (governmental) Agency. 9:00 am, I just heard the news. A bomb went off in a bus in Haifa. More dead more wounded. The horror continues, and the hypervigilance that we all live with does not abate. Selfishly, I was happy that it was not in Jerusalem. This is what I remembered two and a half years later. |
