No place to hide : a brain surgeon's long journey home from the Iraq War / W. Lee Warren, M.D., US Air Force (Ret.).

Title :

No place to hide : a brain surgeon's long journey home from the Iraq War

Author:

Warren, W. Lee, 1969-

Format:

Books

Summary:

When he traded a comfortable if demanding practice in San Antonio, Texas, for a ride on a C-130 into the combat zone, Warren was already reeling from months of personal struggle. At the 332nd Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, he realized his experience with trauma was just beginning. In his 120 days in a tent hospital, he was trained in a different specialty-- surviving over a hundred mortar attacks and trying desperately to repair the damages of a war that raged around every detail of every day.

Language:

English

ISBN - ISSN:

0310338034 (hardcover)

9780310338031 (hardcover)

Physical Description:

350 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 22 cm

Contents:

Foreword / by Lt. Gen (Red.) C. Bruce Green, MD -- Maintain control, Lee -- Just a little bomb; nobody died -- Everywhere I looked, I saw dirt -- No skull bone on left, handle carefully -- For the first time in my career, I didn't know what to do -- I'm not the only one getting shot at here -- I can still see his face and smell his blood -- Glasgow coma score of seven -- "Daddy, come home right now!" -- The Iraqi toddler -- This kid's gonna die, and it's my fault -- A very odd skull -- "Get that cat outta here!" -- The night Vania's family was shot -- Plugged rockets and homemade biological weapons -- They were still screaming when the choppers landed -- I saw in 2137 everything I hated in the world -- We'll all get through this together -- Purple ink: the mark of freedom -- Freezing to death in a muddy hole -- The American soldier, the terrorist, and the blood drive -- Rose is my daughter's age -- His grip loosened and his hand dropped out of mine -- Our next stop was Abu Ghraib -- Baghdad: a beautiful, broken place -- You got to keep moving or you get hit, bro -- We have a special patient here tonight -- Not so Good Friday -- It's going to take a whole series of miracles -- No place to hide -- Saying goodbye -- And then I lost my mind -- Unpacking the bags -- Long journey home -- Afterword by Philip Yancey.

Subject:

Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Medical care.

Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal narratives, American.

Surgeons -- United States -- Biography.

Joint Base Balad (Balad, Iraq)

Warren, W. Lee, 1969-

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No place to hide : a brain surgeon's long journey home from the Iraq War / W. Lee Warren, M.D., US Air Force (Ret.).

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Summary

A War Zone of the Soul

Dr. W. Lee Warren's life as a neurosurgeon in a trauma center began to unravel long before he shipped off to serve the Air Force in Iraq in 2004. When he traded a comfortable if demanding practice in San Antonio, Texas, for a ride on a C-130 into the combat zone, he was already reeling from months of personal struggle.

At the 332nd Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Warren realized his experience with trauma was just beginning. In his 120 days in a tent hospital, he was trained in a different specialty--surviving over a hundred mortar attacks and trying desperately to repair the damages of a war that raged around every detail of every day. No place was safe, and the constant barrage wore down every possible defense, physical or psychological.

One day, clad only in a T-shirt, gym shorts, and running shoes, Warren was caught in the open while round after round of mortars shook the earth and shattered the air with their explosions, stripping him of everything he had been trying so desperately to hold on to.

Warren's story is an example of how a person can go from a place of total loss to one of strength, courage, and victory. Whether you are in the midst of your own crisis of faith, failed relationship, financial struggle, or illness, you will be inspired to remember that how you respond determines whether you survive--spiritually, emotionally, and sometimes physically.

It is the beginning of a long journey home.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

The horrors of war are told in conversational, blunt fashion by neurosurgeon Warren, who relates memories of his year caring for patients in war-torn Iraq. Warren, who had mastered the art of hiding behind a surgical mask, decides to leave his medical practice, his ministry as a church worship leader, and his failing marriage and children to seek answers as a doctor in an Air Force hospital near the front. His troubles pale in comparison to the shattered lives, supply shortages, and suffering he encounters at war. In a well-written narrative, mixed with actual email reports he sent home, Warren transports the reader to the battle zone and shares his thoughts, raw emotions, opinions on America's involvement in Iraq, and lessons learned during his tour of duty. Most poignant are the heart-wrenching stories of injured children and the agonizing decisions he must make about which victims to save and which ones he can't. Warren's war experiences bring him closer to God, provide insight into his own character flaws, and don't leave him, even after he returns home to address the problems he left behind. Agent: Dan Raines, Creative Trust. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

Neurosurgeon and air force major Warren recalls his four-month deployment to Balad Air Base during the Iraq War 125 long, dangerous, and ugly days. Balad, hospital and home to 36,000 personnel, was dubbed Mortaritaville because of the frequency of mortar attacks on the base. The medical staff there treated anyone and everyone: American soldiers, Iraqi civilians, children, even terrorists. Many of the injuries were the result of IEDs, truck bombs, land mines, and gunshots. The imagery is vividly horrific. Warren writes, I was no longer shocked to see someone's frontal lobe before I even picked up the scalpel, or to see empty eye sockets, missing limbs, burned-off scrotums. Exposure to such incomprehensible brutality and human carnage draws him into an emotional black hole. He struggles with loss of control and failing faith. Not surprisingly, on his return home, symptoms of PTSD (nightmares, irritability, reclusiveness) arise. Combat medicine and the role of doctors in wartime, dedication to duty and the sacrifice of servicemen are all examined in this emotional account.--Miksanek, Tony Copyright 2014 Booklist

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) C. Bruce Green, MDPhilip Yancey

Foreword	p. 9
Preface	p. 11
1 Maintain Control, Lee	p. 13
2 Just a Little Bomb; Nobody Died	p. 23
3 Everywhere I Looked, I Saw Dirt	p. 33
4 No Skull Bone on Left, Handle Carefully	p. 51
5 For the First Time in My Career, I Didn't Know What to Do	p. 63
6 I'm Not the Only One Getting Shot at Here	p. 71
7 I Can Still See His Face and Smell His Blood	p. 81
8 Glasgow Coma Score of Seven	p. 93
9 "Daddy, Come Home Right Now!"	p. 103
10 The Iraqi Toddler	p. 115
11 This Kid's Gonna Die, and It's My Fault	p. 125
12 A Very Odd Skull	p. 131
13 "Get That Cat Outta Here!"	p. 137
14 The Night Vanias Family Was Shot	p. 145
15 Plugged Rockets and Homemade Biological Weapons	p. 151
16 They Were Still Screaming When the Choppers Landed	p. 161
17 I Saw in 2137 Everything I Hated in the World	p. 173
18 We'll All Get Through This Together	p. 185
19 Purple Ink: The Mark of Freedom	p. 191
20 Freezing to Death in a Muddy Hole	p. 201
21 The American Soldier, the Terrorist, and the Blood Drive	p. 211
22 Rose Is My Daughter's Age	p. 221
23 His Grip Loosened and His Hand Dropped Out of Mine	p. 229
24 Our Next Stop Was Abu Ghraib	p. 237
25 Baghdad: A Beautiful, Broken Place	p. 251
26 You Got to Keep Moving or You Get Hit, Bro	p. 261
27 We Have a Special Patient Here Tonight	p. 267
28 Not So Good Friday	p. 279
29 Its Going to Take a Whole Series of Miracles	p. 289
30 No Place to Hide	p. 295
31 Saying Goodbye	p. 301
32 And Then I Lost My Mind	p. 315
33 Unpacking the Bags	p. 327
34 Long Journey Home	p. 337
Afterword	p. 343
Acknowledgments	p. 347

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review

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