A Doctor's Letter Home

Dear Friends and family,

I wish I could tell you that the new year has brought a lasting peace to these troubled lands, but I can't.  The trauma cases that we have taken care of this month have been among the worst of the entire deployment.  Last week we stayed up most of one night caring for four severely burned coalition soldiers from eastern europe.  A Fifth died on the helicopter flight to our facility.  This week we have cared for two Marines with really horrific amputations.  We saved them both here, thanks to excellent teamwork and massive transfusions of whole blood from the volunteer blood donors on our FOB, which includes essentially everyone.  Time will tell if they survive the many flights and surgeries on their way home.

I'm not sure that any of us are fully processing the emotions of these experiences.  We try to keep the spirits upbeat and the mood light in between these moments of intense focus and effort.  I can sense a current of evolving strain in myself and my teammates out here.  Truth is, each major resuscitation is exhausting and not always for the obvious physical reasons but for the burden of painful little details.  One of our recent triple amputees was three days shy of his 20th birthday.  Another Marine had no personal effects except for a wallet-sized picture of him with his newlywed wife.  One coalition soldier that i cared for had severe facial burns and had lost his right eye in an explosion, but kept making a thumbs-up sign to me and groaning, "very good, very good."  I had to remove the rosary beads that he was wearing around his neck to put him in a cervical collar and they fell off the strand and spilled across the floor.  These details somehow often overshadow the mutilated amputations, the blood, and the heavy stench of battle trauma.

We have been skillful, fortunate, and/or blessed enough to save every Marine and Soldier that has arrived on our doorstep with a pulse.  On the other hand, we have been unable to bring any patients back from pulseless arrest, despite maximal effort.  These men we honor by carefully preparing their remains, covering them with the flag, and formally marching them to the awaiting helicopters, our path flanked by every Marine and Soldier and Sailor of the FOB, standing at attention.  These HERO ceremonies are very somber moments for us all.

The trauma bell is ringing again.  I will finish this later.

Another brutal day.  A small town bazaar 15 KM north of us was hit by a suicide bomber.  The targets were a small group of Marines that regularly patrol the area.  We were just finishing the surgeries for two local Afghan soldiers who had been shot multiple times, when the call came in declaring a mass casualty.  All four of our medevac helos took off immediately and we waited for an update which never came.  Instead, two birds showed up unannounced and off-loaded five critical patients.

I'm going to spare you the details, which for the the last 12 hours have been crowding my thoughts and staving off sleep.  It's enough to say that the blast wave caused horrific injuries: full-thickness burns, fractures, head trauma, chest trauma...the whole spectrum.  We kept everyone alive, including a little Afghan 4 year old with an injury to his head and a Marine with the worst burns I have ever seen.  Our upline hospital took 8 more patients and I still have no idea how many died in the town.  The Dustoff medics said it was a terrible scene.  I feel fortunate to have avoided witnessing that first-hand.

I would ask those of you who pray to send off some petitions for all people ensnared in war, and especially for our Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers who put their lives on the line every day out here in the dust.  They sacrifice so much in their service to our nation.  I ask myself what will we all do to earn that sacrifice?

Chris 

Bubble Gum Alley (Charming In An Icky Way)

Every now and then, as we travel around we come upon things that are so strange and, may I add, in such bad taste that we feel a need to pass them along for your considered opinion. Because in some instances, bad taste pushed far enough takes on a perverse charm all its own . Take the case of this alley in downtown San Luis Obispo, California. 

Whoever first stuck their gum to the wall started a trend followed by thousands and thousands of others. The result is a couple of gooey Jackson Pollock walls that probably have more DNA per square inch than anywhere else in the US.

Any thoughts?

Music Man

Every Saturday in this city there is a wonderful farmers market. In addition to the exquisite produce, various musicians show up, some good some not so, to play and sing a wide range of music. The owner of this guitar sings upbeat catchy children's songs. Usually after a few minutes he is surrounded by mothers and their kids who jump and clap happily with the beat. (The little ones usually do the jumping and clapping but every now and then a young mother will join in too.) It's a lovely sight to see and he earns every buck that comes his way.

Coming to Ten High Street (Maybe)

When it comes to a sculpture made of granite, 12 feet tall and over 5 feet wide; the decision to show the piece is as much a factor of logistics as aesthetics. This new piece by a young master stone carver fall squarely into a category called: "I like it but will it fit." We'll see.


(By the way the glowing balls are made from beautifully hand-carved marble.)

Standing In The Light

A Video of Ten High Street (and us)

Bill Parker Hindsight Media is a charming videographer based in Massachusetts who specializes in intimate documentary films of people and small institutions. For my birthday, Sarah hired him to tell the story of us and our individual journeys that have now merged to become life here at Ten High Street. As envisioned, the video will include interviews not only with us but also with friends who are artists, collectors and curators.


Bill came up yesterday to start work. We had a terrific time with him. First, he sat us under hot lights doing an extended Q & A and then he wandered around our house and barns letting us point out things that held particular personal significance. All in all it was a fun and enlightening experience. Talking about ones life in front of a camera helps put things in perspective and the view, though somewhat disconcerting at times, is most certainly interesting. 


Talented Mr. Parker will be back soon and the journey will continue. Stay tuned...

Bedding Down Our Last Show Of This Season

At this time of year we start to button up Ten High Street Gallery. The T. Allen Lawson show we had in August was a "barn burner". A rousing success in every way. (largest crowd to attend an opening, most sales etc.) Serious collectors came from all over the US to attend the kick off parties which included not only the traditional Friday afternoon reception but a gala dinner for the artist afterwards. 


However, as gratifying as the popular and commercial successes of the show were, what brought us even more satisfaction was the constant stream of visits to the exhibition by Tim's fellow artists who would linger for hours (no exaggeration) studying his paintings, taking notes and discussing among themselves the bravura excellence of his craft. When artists flock to a show of one of their peers that is the highest compliment of all.


So now all we have on the walls of of our gallery are reverberating memories of a wonderful 2011 season as Ten High Street hunkers down in a chilly fall rain. That said, our thoughts are already turning towards the new year.


We are now designing a new web site and Sarah and I are about to take off on a trip to the mid-west which will turn south along the Mississippi to New Orleans. We intend to buy some inventory of small pieces for the antique side of the business as well as give Sarah some book research opportunities and a chance to attend a conference on ceramics in Baton Rouge. As for me, as I said, I'll be planning next season. Stay Tuned!