In celebration of National Midwifery Week, Medelita presents daily entries from the journal of Becky Carlton, BSN, CNM, an American midwife recently in Libya during the ongoing revolution.
May 19, 2011 10:19pm
The docs today were telling me how you can tell what kind of munitions are coming round. Dr E, who is a sharp, angular, opinionated whip of a doctor was describing it to me.
“Pshzzooooooooow-CRACK is grad missile!” (This one, I’m too familiar with)
“Pshoooooooooow……………..(long pause) Boom, is houn” (mortar)
“boom, boom, boom, Boom BOOM BOOM is NATO!”
It’s so funny when she says it…we were all laughing. But in the end, most people here have lost something precious. If not their homes and families, at least their peace of mind and security. They are feeling more comfortable now that the bombing is farther away most of the time, but there is no question that they are traumatized.
We, on a much smaller scale, are affected, too. Anytime a door slams, many of us jump or cringe. Even when G__ opens a soda, it makes me jump. He always apologizes. He was there, when the missiles were exploding around us.
There are things a person can do to protect themselves. G and I have taken to leaving the windows down when we are in the car. If there is a blast, better to just get shrapnel, than shrapnel plus glass. Our house windows are taped up with clear packing tape while we wait for the anti-blast film. When we dive for cover in the hall, we shut doors and have removed the interior ones with glass in them.
In reality, the house structure is not that much safer, but I feel safer there. If you are in a car and shelling begins, you are actually supposed to leave the car. Oh, that would be hard to do!
We have been feeling safer the last few days, but it is false security. The front line is not secure and we are not out of range.
Medelita Guest Blogger: Becky Carlton, BSN, CNM. Becky is currently working as the Midwifery Dean at Gimbie Adventist Hospital in Ethiopia. Becky has been doing missionary work for many years, with such organizations as the Peace Corps and Doctors without Borders (MSF).
Medelita Guest Blogger: Becky Carlton, BSN, CNM. Becky is currently working as the Midwifery Dean at Gimbie Adventist Hospital in Ethiopia. Becky has been doing missionary work for many years, with such organizations as the Peace Corps and Doctors without Borders (MSF). 
