January 4, 2007
by Lonnie D. Story
The excerpt below is from the manuscript that I'm currently working on - Without a Shot Fired: The Dustin Brim Story -The story is about Dustin Brim, who was a 22 yr. Old U.S. Army soldier that died shortly after being deployed to Iraq - and some stuff called Depleted Uranium.
"April 6, 2004, Morphine IV 2MG/ML SYRN; MED 2MG Q3-4H."
That's what it is like.
ACETYLCYSTEINE-PO 200/ML INHA/ MED: 60 MG BID 06 APR 2004.
Do you want to know what it is like? Do you really? This isn't the flag of America in the hand of a five year old child. It isn't the jovial words of an administration floppy giving words of "spin." This is the world, pain and suffering of an American soldier, an American family and the silent death of Dustin Brim.
METOPROPAL- PO 50MG TAB MED: 50 MG BID. 06 APR 2004.
There are names that go with this recount of the record. For the record let's put a time capsule to it:
Walter Reed Hospital:
Better known on the records as CHCS-NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA 26 Jul 2004@1623
Personal Data- Privacy Act 1974 (PL 93-579)
Do you know what "CHCS" is? What it means? Where it is? Well, it must be somewhere within the "National Capital Area" according to the reports.
Of course that is obvious from the "NCA" heading on the medical report. Some problem here though. The medical reports are incomplete. It would not be too arduous to transcribe the page from which this information was derived. However, to transcribe the medical records, (so far incomplete,) would take at least six months in transcribing from the best of firms.
It isn't the notes themselves that would require such time consumption, but, the annotations, explanations, examinations and exploration of all that the records indicate to "tie" the medical, biological and physical applications to what was happening to this 22 year old body that just wanted to say "I am ok, I will be ok and don't worry, it will be over soon."
FENTANYL-IJ 50MCG/ML/AMP; MED: 100 MCG NOW GREENSBURG INP
(Article Continues Below)
Yes, the first indication of a name that is attested to the treatment of Dusty. Dustin Michael Brim. The one receiving this immediate med on 06 APR 2004.
In case you don't get the "picture," don't want to get "the picture," it is nevertheless the truth, in the records and in your face.
ENOXAPARIN-SQ 80 MG/0.8ML SOLN; MED: 80MG BID 06 APR 2004 PENG INP.
Does this repetition start to bore you? The sadness is that these records go on for some 80-100 lbs. Of paper. All medical records of the day-by-day account of Dustin's destiny from April 1, 2004, his 22nd birth date, to September 24, 2004, his death date.
Can you imagine yourself, being a mother or father, sitting by that crisp white linen sheeted bed, your handsome, solemn, slumbering child, (no matter the age,) trying to focus on his eyes? His hands? His feet? His toes? His breathing? His every twitch, movement? Watching his mouth hoping his lips will move with motions that indicate he knows you are there, he knows you care and wants to say "I am trying."
Can you do that? It takes a very strong imagination and a very strong stomach to digest this information. But facts are facts, and Dustin Brim lied in a hospital bed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center sending those same messages to his grandfather, his best friend, his mother, his grandmother and his father. The message conveyed that "I am a fighter, that's what they taught me, and I am good at it." The whispered words of the American trained soldier. Dustin was no different than the hundreds, thousands and post a million before him in wars fought from 1760 to 2004.
040612-00283 LAB MAGNIUM-WARD/CLINIC COLLECT BLOOD-CORVAC-SST ON 12 Jun 2004@155 BACTCHN 12JUN@155.
A comprehensive metabolic. You know, you're here this all the time right? "So my daughter is four years old and she has some lymphatic enlargements and they want to do a comprehensive metabolic on her, I am not sure exactly what it means but it must be good because it sounds like it will get to the problem of the situation and then they will know exactly what to do and what to give to make her all perfect again, right?"
20/591-64-8066 BRIM, DUSTIN MICHAEL ORDERS: 01APR1982 M 06 JUN 2004-JUN 2066@2359 [AE4]
LAB:
AVEDIL,
AVEDIL,
BATCHN
BATCHN
MOAWAF
MOAWAF
10JUN@2338........@0059, COAG, CANCELLED DUE TO DISPOSITION; CULTURE COLLECT WRMAC ONLY, STAT DIFFERENTIAL MANUAL, PHOSPHOROUS CORVAC SST; MAGNESIUM CORVAC SST. COMPLETED.
"Ma'am, he's sleeping fairly well, don't you want to take a break? Mrs. Brim? Lori? He's sleeping and probably will for at four or five hours, hon, you should take a break for yourself and get some sleep. We will let you know if he wakes up, ok?"
The nurses and Walter Reed went beyond the "call of duty" for every single patient they had. Dustin Brim was a cute one so the "girls" on the floor put him on the website "hot or not" and watched his scores. He did well. Nine as a fine number for a guy on that site. Seven is doing well, Dustin was still in the top of the crowd for some very simple, yet, fortunate, reasons; He had eyes! Eyes that made every person he met smile. And with that, he had a smile. A smile that made people laugh. He didn't have to tell a joke, make a jester or re-tell an old joke; his smile made you laugh, not smile, laugh. What a gift.
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Lonnie D. Story [send him email] is the author of "The Meeting of Anni Adams
" and is working on "Without A Shot Fired: The Dustin Brim Story" Write Mr Lonnie D. Story at 1339 Center Avenue, Holy Hill, FL 32117.
