Brad has sent out fliers around the base about the DVD program. He has been interviewed about the project and continues to be thanked by people who are really enjoying the program. As of right not it is a closet filled with 250 DVDs on the honor system with soldier sign outs. He has received donations from the soldiers there who brought movies with them and in the mail from friends.
Our church began a collection and the basket is filling up! Justus will be doing a skit on one of the Sundays coming up, should be fun! Thank you for helping and following along with this project!
244 DVDs
+22 Brad's boys
+ 4 Airmen
+ 6 me
= 276 DVDs
Looking ahead, Brad's birthday is on April 28th, I am going to be asking a lot of you to send him birthday cards since he will be spending it in Balad.
Good news for us! When Brad returns the 2 of us will be spending a few days in Catalina! We are going to scuba dive and relax so Brad can decompress some.... Airfare and hotel only ran us about $450 per person!!! Great time to vacation. If any of you have been there and have suggestions please drop me a line.
Also, if you are looking for his mailing address (it is a regular 42 cent stamp) it is at the bottom of the blog, he really enjoys getting mail!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The DVDs will be rolling in...
The Social Concerns group at our church is helping to get the word out about the DVD drive Brad is undertaking in Iraq. They have been generous enough to provide a collection site for the DVDs and post project information. Justus and I went and talked to the group about the DVD drive, they were so excited about it! We already made it to 230 DVDs! I am sure we can hit 1000 with there help.
Brad has reported that the guys are so excited (and quite impressed) that Brad pulled this off so far. So many of you have been generous with sending him care packages and DVDs, a huge thank you to all of you!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
DVD update 2-16-09 244 and counting
145 DVDs
+ 20 me
+ 10 Jerral and Jen - thank you!!
+ 12 Senior Master Sargent Shute
+ 52 Soldiers Angels and other airmen
+ 5 from Max's Montessori teacher = 244 DVDs
So many of you are helping with the DVD project! A big heartfelt thank you!
Brad was recently interviewed in Iraq about the DVD project, I will post it once they publish it. The soldiers are excited about having the DVDs. Thank you all for your help!
+ 20 me
+ 10 Jerral and Jen - thank you!!
+ 12 Senior Master Sargent Shute
+ 52 Soldiers Angels and other airmen
+ 5 from Max's Montessori teacher = 244 DVDs
So many of you are helping with the DVD project! A big heartfelt thank you!
Brad was recently interviewed in Iraq about the DVD project, I will post it once they publish it. The soldiers are excited about having the DVDs. Thank you all for your help!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Stevens Hospital doing an article on Brad-- I got a sneak peek
Many of you know Brad had to undergo multiple surgeries before he left for Iraq. After the experience he commented about his care on a survey card, some time later they called Brad for his story. Steven's Hospital interviewed us both shortly before he deployed. Here is the story...
When It’s More than Just Snoring
When Brad Sharp realized his severe snoring concerned his fiancée, he had enough reason to see a doctor. But when he learned he actually had sleep apnea and it had the potential to end his life and his 17-year Air Force career, Sharp had to take more drastic measures.
“Just like everybody else, you don’t know you have sleep problems until someone tells you about it,” said Sharp of Edmonds. “There’s a huge misconception about snoring, it doesn’t seem like something that’s indicative of any major problem, it just seems like it’s indicative of a hard worker, a virile man in some respects.”
According to Sharp, what convinced him to go to his doctor, Dr. Kevin Harrin of Mill Creek Family Practice, was that his fiancée had such a heartfelt concern about his snoring. His doctor referred him to Dr. McCoy at Stevens Hospital.
When he was referred to Stevens, Sharp questioned his doctor and was assured that Stevens was the place to go. After his experience at Stevens his perception of the community hospital completely turned around. “I was a little worried about Stevens because it’s not Seattle,” said Sharp. “I was hoping for it to be ok but it was fantastic. It’s so anomalous to be treated that well, across the board.”
In his initial consultation, Dr. McCoy presented the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask, a system that delivers a stream of air to the nasal passages keeping them open, as the main treatment option for sleep apnea. Sharp explained to Dr. McCoy that he would soon be deploying to Iraq and that the CPAP mask was not an option for him. In fact, he found out the Air Force considers sleep apnea an incurable problem. If Sharp had to rely on a CPAP machine he would likely be discharged from the Air Force. “I was up against a wall,” said Sharp. “I have put 17 years into the Air Force and I don’t want to lose all that service because I snore. It was huge; it was going to take away the biggest part of my life.”
The first thing Sharp needed to do was complete a sleep study but the idea of doing that created a lot of anxiety for him. “The anxiety level was off the Richter scale for me,” said Sharp. “I couldn’t have had any higher anxiety walking through the door.”
After coming to the Stevens Hospital Sleep Center, Sharp admits, “It was kind of unfair to the Stevens people because they had no idea how much anxiety I had and how quickly I would have bolted if just one person would have given me just one raised weird eyebrow. I mean, I was looking for a sign. But the Stevens technician was great.”
Sharp had a lot of questions about the machines, what was monitored and what it all was going to mean. Kristen Asterhan, the Stevens Sleep Center technician, took time with Sharp to really explain the process.
“I felt like I got a first rate education about what was going on,” said Sharp. “I had no idea walking through the door what was going to happen except that I was going to be hooked up to some monitoring equipment and sleep.”
After getting the results from his sleep study, Sharp felt like he had some validity. “There is a huge amount of anxiety because it’s happening when you are asleep,” said Sharp. “It’s the weirdest thing to be diagnosed for something that you have no cognitive idea of what it’s really about.”
Because of the Air Force, Sharp’s only option for treatment was a series of five highly unpopular surgeries. Adding to that, Sharp was scheduled to deploy to Iraq in five months which meant that he would have to face all five surgeries, which are usually spaced out over months, at the same time: adenoids, tonsils, soft pallet, uvula and nasal reconstruction. Dr. Mueller of Everett Ear Nose and Throat was hesitant but agreed, telling Sharp: “Look, I’ll do it because you’re young and you care… but if you want me to hit a home run you better be fit to bat.”
“We kind of pledged to each other that he was going to do his best and I was going to do mine,” said Sharp. “Lifestyle changes are key. I took up running, became a vegetarian and other things that contribute to a higher success rate.”
Nearly 75 stitches, an intense two weeks and 48 pounds later, Sharp recovered from the surgeries and was cured of sleep apnea, saving his Air Force career. Typically, these surgeries are successful in relieving sleep apnea in only 40 to 60 percent of patients. Sharp attributes his success to a great surgeon and his commitment to the necessary lifestyle changes.
After having the surgeries and enduring recovery Sharp believes that it’s important to share his story with others. “There are a lot of misconceptions about sleep apnea,” said Sharp. “People don’t really take it all that seriously and the spouses adapt to it over time. If your spouse is waking up more than twice a night, I’d say you have a problem and you need to get it fixed.”
When It’s More than Just Snoring
When Brad Sharp realized his severe snoring concerned his fiancée, he had enough reason to see a doctor. But when he learned he actually had sleep apnea and it had the potential to end his life and his 17-year Air Force career, Sharp had to take more drastic measures.
“Just like everybody else, you don’t know you have sleep problems until someone tells you about it,” said Sharp of Edmonds. “There’s a huge misconception about snoring, it doesn’t seem like something that’s indicative of any major problem, it just seems like it’s indicative of a hard worker, a virile man in some respects.”
According to Sharp, what convinced him to go to his doctor, Dr. Kevin Harrin of Mill Creek Family Practice, was that his fiancée had such a heartfelt concern about his snoring. His doctor referred him to Dr. McCoy at Stevens Hospital.
When he was referred to Stevens, Sharp questioned his doctor and was assured that Stevens was the place to go. After his experience at Stevens his perception of the community hospital completely turned around. “I was a little worried about Stevens because it’s not Seattle,” said Sharp. “I was hoping for it to be ok but it was fantastic. It’s so anomalous to be treated that well, across the board.”
In his initial consultation, Dr. McCoy presented the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask, a system that delivers a stream of air to the nasal passages keeping them open, as the main treatment option for sleep apnea. Sharp explained to Dr. McCoy that he would soon be deploying to Iraq and that the CPAP mask was not an option for him. In fact, he found out the Air Force considers sleep apnea an incurable problem. If Sharp had to rely on a CPAP machine he would likely be discharged from the Air Force. “I was up against a wall,” said Sharp. “I have put 17 years into the Air Force and I don’t want to lose all that service because I snore. It was huge; it was going to take away the biggest part of my life.”
The first thing Sharp needed to do was complete a sleep study but the idea of doing that created a lot of anxiety for him. “The anxiety level was off the Richter scale for me,” said Sharp. “I couldn’t have had any higher anxiety walking through the door.”
After coming to the Stevens Hospital Sleep Center, Sharp admits, “It was kind of unfair to the Stevens people because they had no idea how much anxiety I had and how quickly I would have bolted if just one person would have given me just one raised weird eyebrow. I mean, I was looking for a sign. But the Stevens technician was great.”
Sharp had a lot of questions about the machines, what was monitored and what it all was going to mean. Kristen Asterhan, the Stevens Sleep Center technician, took time with Sharp to really explain the process.
“I felt like I got a first rate education about what was going on,” said Sharp. “I had no idea walking through the door what was going to happen except that I was going to be hooked up to some monitoring equipment and sleep.”
After getting the results from his sleep study, Sharp felt like he had some validity. “There is a huge amount of anxiety because it’s happening when you are asleep,” said Sharp. “It’s the weirdest thing to be diagnosed for something that you have no cognitive idea of what it’s really about.”
Because of the Air Force, Sharp’s only option for treatment was a series of five highly unpopular surgeries. Adding to that, Sharp was scheduled to deploy to Iraq in five months which meant that he would have to face all five surgeries, which are usually spaced out over months, at the same time: adenoids, tonsils, soft pallet, uvula and nasal reconstruction. Dr. Mueller of Everett Ear Nose and Throat was hesitant but agreed, telling Sharp: “Look, I’ll do it because you’re young and you care… but if you want me to hit a home run you better be fit to bat.”
“We kind of pledged to each other that he was going to do his best and I was going to do mine,” said Sharp. “Lifestyle changes are key. I took up running, became a vegetarian and other things that contribute to a higher success rate.”
Nearly 75 stitches, an intense two weeks and 48 pounds later, Sharp recovered from the surgeries and was cured of sleep apnea, saving his Air Force career. Typically, these surgeries are successful in relieving sleep apnea in only 40 to 60 percent of patients. Sharp attributes his success to a great surgeon and his commitment to the necessary lifestyle changes.
After having the surgeries and enduring recovery Sharp believes that it’s important to share his story with others. “There are a lot of misconceptions about sleep apnea,” said Sharp. “People don’t really take it all that seriously and the spouses adapt to it over time. If your spouse is waking up more than twice a night, I’d say you have a problem and you need to get it fixed.”
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Elections, the Superbowl and an email from Brad
Another election has come and gone in Iraq, relatively free of violence...it is a good thing...or is it. Brad said the mortar attacks are almost non-stop (those coming into the base). They are so prevalent that Brad gets very little sleep. We set up a series of code words for attacks. I imagine there is still a lot I don't know day to day.
On to Brad--- He sent an email, I am going to share it here.
Iraq life continued, January 28, 2009
So I find myself musing about different things while I am here in the great sand box. I hope you like reading about the funny little things I see and feel here. I hope as always that I am not sounding like I am complaining but this place is like no other.
I work from about 11pm to about 11 or 12 am. It is not too bad except that night is day here on Iraq. By that I mean we do most of our work at night as it is safer. Also, it is cooler in the summer months and that is better on us “poor Americans who can’t love the heat”. So, with that in mind I work the busy time of the day/night. It also means that if I walk outside my bunker I see the sun set and rise each day. It is odd but if it is overcast at all it turns everything a shade of orange. Not sure why it does this but it sure makes me feel weird when everything looks orange.
There is one thing that is hard to get used to. It is the noise here. Here are the noises that go all the time. I mean all the time, like 24/7. Phones, Radio’s (military), helicopters’, F-16’s with full after burners, cargo planes that never shut down their engines, huge generators, air conditioners, copiers, printers, talking, refrigerators, trucks, busses, doors slamming, forklifts, predator drones, sirens, explosions, controlled explosions, metal on metal, televisions, radios, and a host of other miscellaneous noises I can’t seem to identify. What you never hear; kids laughter, dogs barking, birds singing, people speaking softly, silence. I hear that one of the hardest things to get used to when you get home is the lack of noise. Sometimes it is so hard to sleep, think, and be calm but you can’t figure out why… then it hits you; I just need a moment without noise but it never comes. I bet the people who live just outside the wire hate all the noise we generate. I might if I lived there. Maybe that is a reason they are not so fond of our presence in their land? Maybe we are just too noisy? Final thought on this.. No colors but tan. Boy I could go for some green anything.
Here is the big news for me. I changed jobs here, which is a big deal because they don’t like to move people after the last rotation/bucket go home. I spent 5 of my last 7 weeks in the states taking all the classes to be certified as an Air Force Load Planner. Then, due to the critical nature of the job and my lack of real experience they decided to put me in to Inbound Cargo section. That was fine till they realized they did not have enough Load Planners (LP) so they moved me. Now, a load planner is the guy who looks at everything here that needs to be shipped and takes it from the cargo grid and plans it on the air frame. I also have to physically verify it is all air worthy and safe. This includes all the hazardous material, mail, human remains, signature service cargo, rolling stock, soldiers, passengers and anything else the AF may feel needs to be shipped on a plane. This requires that I be an expert on the air frames and not exceed a single plane limitation while utilizing its ability as much as possible. I also build a model of the plane in a drafting program and balance the aircraft so it will fly. Also, I prepare all the documentation for diplomatic clearances and for the people who fly it, control its movement, load it and ensure it is safe. I can assure you it is very stressful and hard, hard work. I have to work from 2 computers just to keep up and have 5-20 screens open at all time as well as 5-7 documents in front of me all the times. I have to be 100% accurate, because if I make a mistake with any 1 aspect it has a domino effect and can injure people or we could lose a air frame. When a plane goes down anywhere in the world they pull the load plan and the maintenance records in the first minutes of notification. We are on par with air traffic control as far as responsibility and stress. So now that you know what I do, you can imagine I did not want to have to do it with minimal training but what fun what that be? So here I am scared to death that I will screw up and making the best of it in a war zone. Now when I get this down I am the alternate Tender. The Tender is the guy who offers things for sale to the lowest bidder for air transport. We offer it by the pound to companies that fly here for other then military reasons and don’t want to leave empty. If they can make some money on the way out it is a win-win. Tender is about as hard as Load Planner so as you can imagine I am buried all shift. I miss the 40 hour work week over the current 90 hour week. Good news though, they will be cutting my work week back to 78 hours starting next Wednesday. I plan to use it to sleep and then sleep.
Food continues to be an issue. I don’t want to eat meat at all during this deployment but it is very hard. They have an amazing selection of good veggies if I could just figure out how to get to them. They have only had chicken and potato’s or rice for the last few meals. I am getting my on what Mollie sends me or what I can find in the break rooms. I am talking with my boss to see if anything can be done to get me some type of non-processed veggies. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Super bowl! Anyone who knows me knows I don’t really follow sports. I hate all the commercials and hype. Well the huge news is that they are going to let everyone here in Balad get 2 beers and watch the game on 5 televisions positioned in locations on the base. Guess who got stuck moving all the beer on planes into a Muslim country? Yep, we did get the job. Guess how much beer that is? 1,780 cases of beer for drinking during the big event. The General and his staff came to our holding area and got a photo with all the beer. Everyone is so excited. It cracks me up to see everyone acting like they are turning 21 on Super Bowl Sunday. Even if you are just 18 you get 2 beers. Can you imagine? Mollie and I have discussed this and I figure I am going to sell mine for about 10 dollars each if I can get away with it. Ha-ha!
I got a hair cut the other day. Who cares right? Well I do because it is like an outing to me. You go there and some Iraqi guy cuts your hair for about 30 minutes and does your ears and then gives you a nice neck message. Wonderful experience to have while in Iraq. Cost me $3.50 which he gets none of so I tip them $3.50 which is a lot for here. Man, you want to see a guy smile, just tip him 100% of the original cost. Best part of my whole day is seeing that genuine smile and gratitude.
Mollie signed me up for Soldier Angels program and I get lots of mail from people all over the country. These letters are often amazing, heartfelt testament to the goodness of people. I often pass them around our work area when they come then I take them to my pod and hang them on my locker. I write them all back and tell them how much I appreciate their taking the time to write me. Makes me wish I could meet them all and tell them thanks in person. This place is an island in the center of the Sunni Triangle and one of the most violent places on earth. Nice to have a piece of sanity in your hands to remind you that the world you knew is still out there waiting for you to return. Mail is a prize here even though we can and do get email. Real mail says that someone stopped their day and took time just for you. It gets put in the center of the room for everyone to see till you take it. You can feel the meaning of the process.
I have begun to notice that the flood gates back home are beginning to burst for many of us here. I think that the families hold back on everything due to the shock of the member leaving and then a few weeks go by and things build up then the member calls home and it sounds like all hell has broke loose as our love ones feel comfortable sharing all the things they felt bound to hold back. It seems true for just about everyone I work with. We already had to send one guy back due to family issues. Sadly we had one of our Security Police who protect me commit suicide right outside my door (just 22 years old) and one of our Senior NCO’s had to be taken to Germany for telling someone he was considering suicide after bad news from home. Now, don’t think we are all depressed because it is not the truth. Just some people are having a tough time so I try to keep my ears open in case someone needs to talk. Something to think about for sure.
Well, that is all for now. I will try to write more as time permits and I can get it out.
Brad/Dad
On to Brad--- He sent an email, I am going to share it here.
Iraq life continued, January 28, 2009
So I find myself musing about different things while I am here in the great sand box. I hope you like reading about the funny little things I see and feel here. I hope as always that I am not sounding like I am complaining but this place is like no other.
I work from about 11pm to about 11 or 12 am. It is not too bad except that night is day here on Iraq. By that I mean we do most of our work at night as it is safer. Also, it is cooler in the summer months and that is better on us “poor Americans who can’t love the heat”. So, with that in mind I work the busy time of the day/night. It also means that if I walk outside my bunker I see the sun set and rise each day. It is odd but if it is overcast at all it turns everything a shade of orange. Not sure why it does this but it sure makes me feel weird when everything looks orange.
There is one thing that is hard to get used to. It is the noise here. Here are the noises that go all the time. I mean all the time, like 24/7. Phones, Radio’s (military), helicopters’, F-16’s with full after burners, cargo planes that never shut down their engines, huge generators, air conditioners, copiers, printers, talking, refrigerators, trucks, busses, doors slamming, forklifts, predator drones, sirens, explosions, controlled explosions, metal on metal, televisions, radios, and a host of other miscellaneous noises I can’t seem to identify. What you never hear; kids laughter, dogs barking, birds singing, people speaking softly, silence. I hear that one of the hardest things to get used to when you get home is the lack of noise. Sometimes it is so hard to sleep, think, and be calm but you can’t figure out why… then it hits you; I just need a moment without noise but it never comes. I bet the people who live just outside the wire hate all the noise we generate. I might if I lived there. Maybe that is a reason they are not so fond of our presence in their land? Maybe we are just too noisy? Final thought on this.. No colors but tan. Boy I could go for some green anything.
Here is the big news for me. I changed jobs here, which is a big deal because they don’t like to move people after the last rotation/bucket go home. I spent 5 of my last 7 weeks in the states taking all the classes to be certified as an Air Force Load Planner. Then, due to the critical nature of the job and my lack of real experience they decided to put me in to Inbound Cargo section. That was fine till they realized they did not have enough Load Planners (LP) so they moved me. Now, a load planner is the guy who looks at everything here that needs to be shipped and takes it from the cargo grid and plans it on the air frame. I also have to physically verify it is all air worthy and safe. This includes all the hazardous material, mail, human remains, signature service cargo, rolling stock, soldiers, passengers and anything else the AF may feel needs to be shipped on a plane. This requires that I be an expert on the air frames and not exceed a single plane limitation while utilizing its ability as much as possible. I also build a model of the plane in a drafting program and balance the aircraft so it will fly. Also, I prepare all the documentation for diplomatic clearances and for the people who fly it, control its movement, load it and ensure it is safe. I can assure you it is very stressful and hard, hard work. I have to work from 2 computers just to keep up and have 5-20 screens open at all time as well as 5-7 documents in front of me all the times. I have to be 100% accurate, because if I make a mistake with any 1 aspect it has a domino effect and can injure people or we could lose a air frame. When a plane goes down anywhere in the world they pull the load plan and the maintenance records in the first minutes of notification. We are on par with air traffic control as far as responsibility and stress. So now that you know what I do, you can imagine I did not want to have to do it with minimal training but what fun what that be? So here I am scared to death that I will screw up and making the best of it in a war zone. Now when I get this down I am the alternate Tender. The Tender is the guy who offers things for sale to the lowest bidder for air transport. We offer it by the pound to companies that fly here for other then military reasons and don’t want to leave empty. If they can make some money on the way out it is a win-win. Tender is about as hard as Load Planner so as you can imagine I am buried all shift. I miss the 40 hour work week over the current 90 hour week. Good news though, they will be cutting my work week back to 78 hours starting next Wednesday. I plan to use it to sleep and then sleep.
Food continues to be an issue. I don’t want to eat meat at all during this deployment but it is very hard. They have an amazing selection of good veggies if I could just figure out how to get to them. They have only had chicken and potato’s or rice for the last few meals. I am getting my on what Mollie sends me or what I can find in the break rooms. I am talking with my boss to see if anything can be done to get me some type of non-processed veggies. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Super bowl! Anyone who knows me knows I don’t really follow sports. I hate all the commercials and hype. Well the huge news is that they are going to let everyone here in Balad get 2 beers and watch the game on 5 televisions positioned in locations on the base. Guess who got stuck moving all the beer on planes into a Muslim country? Yep, we did get the job. Guess how much beer that is? 1,780 cases of beer for drinking during the big event. The General and his staff came to our holding area and got a photo with all the beer. Everyone is so excited. It cracks me up to see everyone acting like they are turning 21 on Super Bowl Sunday. Even if you are just 18 you get 2 beers. Can you imagine? Mollie and I have discussed this and I figure I am going to sell mine for about 10 dollars each if I can get away with it. Ha-ha!
I got a hair cut the other day. Who cares right? Well I do because it is like an outing to me. You go there and some Iraqi guy cuts your hair for about 30 minutes and does your ears and then gives you a nice neck message. Wonderful experience to have while in Iraq. Cost me $3.50 which he gets none of so I tip them $3.50 which is a lot for here. Man, you want to see a guy smile, just tip him 100% of the original cost. Best part of my whole day is seeing that genuine smile and gratitude.
Mollie signed me up for Soldier Angels program and I get lots of mail from people all over the country. These letters are often amazing, heartfelt testament to the goodness of people. I often pass them around our work area when they come then I take them to my pod and hang them on my locker. I write them all back and tell them how much I appreciate their taking the time to write me. Makes me wish I could meet them all and tell them thanks in person. This place is an island in the center of the Sunni Triangle and one of the most violent places on earth. Nice to have a piece of sanity in your hands to remind you that the world you knew is still out there waiting for you to return. Mail is a prize here even though we can and do get email. Real mail says that someone stopped their day and took time just for you. It gets put in the center of the room for everyone to see till you take it. You can feel the meaning of the process.
I have begun to notice that the flood gates back home are beginning to burst for many of us here. I think that the families hold back on everything due to the shock of the member leaving and then a few weeks go by and things build up then the member calls home and it sounds like all hell has broke loose as our love ones feel comfortable sharing all the things they felt bound to hold back. It seems true for just about everyone I work with. We already had to send one guy back due to family issues. Sadly we had one of our Security Police who protect me commit suicide right outside my door (just 22 years old) and one of our Senior NCO’s had to be taken to Germany for telling someone he was considering suicide after bad news from home. Now, don’t think we are all depressed because it is not the truth. Just some people are having a tough time so I try to keep my ears open in case someone needs to talk. Something to think about for sure.
Well, that is all for now. I will try to write more as time permits and I can get it out.
Brad/Dad
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