milestone achieved

I know it has been a while since my last posting but unfortunately I have been deathly ill (or at least I felt like I was knocking on death's door). I was actually in my bed for almost 2 days straight. Now, Andy (aka Dr. Altman) and Jeff may have helped put me in that state with their concoction of medicines and injections. I think that they actually sterilized me from inside out with all the antibiotics they threw at me. During my time of sickness, I think one of them actually made a reference to “typhoid Mary”. What a tough crowd.
Then they hit me with another round of injections and I literally slept for 24 hours straight. In the mist of my euphoria I remember trying to stay awake to text Steph and tell her that I could not stay awake to talk to her that night. I actually have no idea what I said to her but we are still married so I don’t think it was anything bad.

All joking aside, I can't thank both Andy and Jeff for what they did to help me out. They truly went out of their way in helping me. Not only by treating me but also by covering my shift and offering to take call for me. I did end up taking my call and, as luck would have it, the one night that I just rose from the dead and was hoping that it would be quit a kidney stone patient comes in at 1am. I spent hours hydrating him and trying to get his pain under control. Man I knew I should have given that call to Jeff. Next time Tim, our nurse, is getting up as well so he can push the meds and I can write the orders and go back to bed!

Well, there actually is some great news I have to share. After what I consider to be a very long time coming I have been promoted to captain! The process for me actually began back in March when I first submitted my packet. It should have only taken 3 months for it to be processed and approved so I was expecting to be promoted before I was mobilized in August. Well, due to different circumstances it actually did not get submitted till August. The process involved for an officer's promotion is quite long and tedious so I won’t bore you with the details but there are several different steps it has to get through before it lands on the secretary of defense’s desk for final signature. Now, although I certainly think I am numero uno there are many people just like me that are waiting for his signature as well. So this paperwork can sit on his desk for a week or 3. Once you see that your packet has reached his desk then it is just absolutely painful to watch it sit there day after day and not be signed. What can he actually be doing? This is DOD matter. What else is going on in the world that is more important than a bunch of officer's promotion??? I don't know either, but the next thing I know Mr. Secretary of Defense is here in Iraq and not back at his deck signing my paperwork. Umm dude I don't know if you know this but typically you need to be at your desk with all the paperwork so you can sign it. I thought about calling him but then again I thought about actually getting my promotion and not ending up as a private on latrine duty.
Well, he came through for all of us who have been waiting so patiently for the past 85 days. It is finished! I have been promoted! I am now a Captain (if only I were still in the Navy that would mean so much more).