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Hi there, *oneironaut*!

Nice to be here (actually, it's nice anywhere, but I digress...)

But to your question as to how did I get out of there alive, I can only say it was incredible luck! As noted, I'm the luckiest guy I've ever known! I think that I commented that the doc on duty when I was brought in, told me that Rigor Mortis should have been LEAVING my body when he saw me; and that they gave me 18 pints of whole blood (you only hold between 8 and 12 pints.)

So I was just lucky.

Thank you, amigo, for your kind words and well wishes!

Here's something worth reflecting on.

All of us have, or will have, "stuff" to get through if we live long enough. I have, but I also have lived long enough. If you haven't yet, you will.

Don't let it get to you. Live your life as you would otherwise, and deal with whatever it is that you have to deal with. It will pass.

And that, my friend, is the secret to a happy life! Relax, don't let it make you think that you are all alone, or that no one else can imagine your problems. They probably can't, but then you probably would be equally incapable of imagining their own particular cross.

And when you feel that your burden is so heavy that you just can't bear it any longer; look around. There is always someone whose problems make your's seem no worse than a bad haircut.

I had this wisdom indelibly burned into my mind the first night I was in the hospital at Clark AFB in the Philipines, the second stop on my medevac journey back to the US to be re-assembled. That night, they put me in a room with only one other occupant; a young GI who had been shot through the throat and was unable to speak. That meant he could not even speak to the nurse to ask for pain relief...

And pain-relief was definitely needed. He'd had his right arm amputated just above the elbow, and his left just below. His right leg was amputated just below the knee,and the left just above.

As if that weren't enough to ruin a man's day, he'd suffered (accurate, though grossly inadequate description) 3rd degree burns over nearly 30% of his body. I have never seen such suffering in a man's eye's before or since, and my fervent wish is that I go to my grave without ever seeing it again.

I only spent that one night with him, and I don't know his eventual fate, but I suspect that he did not live another 24 hours.

But the message here is that although I was not in great shape (running a fever over 105 F), seeing this guy made me ashamed that I had even considered feeling sorry for myself. No matter how bad you have it, someone else is much worse off; and usually coping very well.

(Well, that last clause doesn't apply to that lad, but you may trust me, it is the usual case. As in my case. I have no problems living a very happy life, fully aware that it's going to be foreshortened considerably in the forseeable future.)

I'll close this out by observing that the "Oh, woe is me" reaction to adversity is the worst thing a person can do. It programs one to be miserable. Far better to just see it as a normal experience, just (another) rock on the path through life and no big thing. When you have a loss, you always have something left. (Unless of course, you lost your life; in which case the issue is moot) Work with what you've got and let the rest go.

<blockquote data-quote="Red Cat" data-source="post: 3623152" data-attributes="member: 20438">Hi there, *oneironaut*!Nice to be here (actually, it&#039;s nice anywhere, but I digress...)But to your question as to how did I get out of there alive, I can only say it was incredible luck!&nbsp; As noted, I&#039;m the luckiest guy I&#039;ve ever known!&nbsp; I think that I commented that the doc on duty when I was brought in, told me that Rigor Mortis should have been LEAVING my body when he saw me; and that they gave me 18 pints of whole blood (you only hold between 8 and 12 pints.)&nbsp; So I was just lucky.Thank you, amigo, for your kind words and well wishes!Here&#039;s something worth reflecting on.All of us have, or will have, &quot;stuff&quot; to get through if we live long enough.&nbsp; I have, but I also have lived long enough.&nbsp; If you haven&#039;t yet, you will.Don&#039;t let it get to you.&nbsp; Live your life as you would otherwise, and deal with whatever it is that you have to deal with.&nbsp; It will pass.And that, my friend, is the secret to a happy life!&nbsp; Relax, don&#039;t let it make you think that you are all alone, or that no one else can imagine your problems.&nbsp; They probably can&#039;t, but then you probably would be equally incapable of imagining their own particular cross.And when you&nbsp; feel that your burden is so heavy that you just can&#039;t bear it any longer; look around.&nbsp; There is always someone whose problems make your&#039;s seem no worse than a bad haircut.I had this wisdom indelibly burned into my mind the first night I was in the hospital at Clark AFB in the Philipines, the second stop on my medevac journey back to the US to be re-assembled.&nbsp; That night, they put me in a room with only one other occupant; a young GI who had been shot through the throat and was unable to speak.&nbsp; That meant he could not even speak to the nurse to ask for pain relief...And pain-relief was definitely needed.&nbsp; He&#039;d had his right arm amputated just above the elbow, and his left just below.&nbsp; His right leg was amputated just below the knee,and the left just above.&nbsp; As if that weren&#039;t enough to ruin a man&#039;s day, he&#039;d suffered (accurate, though grossly inadequate description) 3rd degree burns over nearly 30% of his body.&nbsp; I have never seen such suffering in a man&#039;s eye&#039;s before or since, and my fervent wish is that I go to my grave without ever seeing it again.I only spent that one night with him, and I don&#039;t know his eventual fate, but I suspect that he did not live another 24 hours.But the message here is that although I was not in great shape (running a fever over 105 F), seeing this guy made me ashamed that I had even considered feeling sorry for myself.&nbsp; No matter how bad you have it, someone else is much worse off; and usually coping very well.(Well, that last clause doesn&#039;t apply to that lad, but you may trust me, it is the usual case.&nbsp; As in my case.&nbsp; I have no problems living a very happy life, fully aware that it&#039;s going to be foreshortened considerably in the forseeable future.)I&#039;ll close this out by observing that the &quot;Oh, woe is me&quot; reaction to adversity is the worst thing a person can do.&nbsp; It programs one to be miserable.&nbsp; Far better to just see it as a normal experience, just (another) rock on the path through life and no big thing.&nbsp; When you have a loss, you always have something left.&nbsp; (Unless of course, you lost your life; in which case the issue is moot)&nbsp; Work with what you&#039;ve got and let the rest go.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Red Cat, post: 3623152, member: 20438"] Hi there, *oneironaut*! Nice to be here (actually, it's nice anywhere, but I digress...) But to your question as to how did I get out of there alive, I can only say it was incredible luck! As noted, I'm the luckiest guy I've ever known! I think that I commented that the doc on duty when I was brought in, told me that Rigor Mortis should have been LEAVING my body when he saw me; and that they gave me 18 pints of whole blood (you only hold between 8 and 12 pints.) So I was just lucky. Thank you, amigo, for your kind words and well wishes! Here's something worth reflecting on. All of us have, or will have, "stuff" to get through if we live long enough. I have, but I also have lived long enough. If you haven't yet, you will. Don't let it get to you. Live your life as you would otherwise, and deal with whatever it is that you have to deal with. It will pass. And that, my friend, is the secret to a happy life! Relax, don't let it make you think that you are all alone, or that no one else can imagine your problems. They probably can't, but then you probably would be equally incapable of imagining their own particular cross. And when you feel that your burden is so heavy that you just can't bear it any longer; look around. There is always someone whose problems make your's seem no worse than a bad haircut. I had this wisdom indelibly burned into my mind the first night I was in the hospital at Clark AFB in the Philipines, the second stop on my medevac journey back to the US to be re-assembled. That night, they put me in a room with only one other occupant; a young GI who had been shot through the throat and was unable to speak. That meant he could not even speak to the nurse to ask for pain relief... And pain-relief was definitely needed. He'd had his right arm amputated just above the elbow, and his left just below. His right leg was amputated just below the knee,and the left just above. As if that weren't enough to ruin a man's day, he'd suffered (accurate, though grossly inadequate description) 3rd degree burns over nearly 30% of his body. I have never seen such suffering in a man's eye's before or since, and my fervent wish is that I go to my grave without ever seeing it again. I only spent that one night with him, and I don't know his eventual fate, but I suspect that he did not live another 24 hours. But the message here is that although I was not in great shape (running a fever over 105 F), seeing this guy made me ashamed that I had even considered feeling sorry for myself. No matter how bad you have it, someone else is much worse off; and usually coping very well. (Well, that last clause doesn't apply to that lad, but you may trust me, it is the usual case. As in my case. I have no problems living a very happy life, fully aware that it's going to be foreshortened considerably in the forseeable future.) I'll close this out by observing that the "Oh, woe is me" reaction to adversity is the worst thing a person can do. It programs one to be miserable. Far better to just see it as a normal experience, just (another) rock on the path through life and no big thing. When you have a loss, you always have something left. (Unless of course, you lost your life; in which case the issue is moot) Work with what you've got and let the rest go. [/QUOTE]