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A doctors report from teh front

30dive

By 30dive
in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

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30dive RFA

30dive

Posted
Posted

Below is an email sent by a friend from a friend at the front...New Orleans. I have removed his name to protect him from whatever, but it should be considered very relaible.

Aug. 31, 2005

 

This is a dispatch from New Orleans from Dr. a pathologist

who recently moved from Wilmington:

 

Thanks to all of you who have sent your notes of concern and your prayers. I

am writing this note on Tuesday at 2 p.m.. I wanted to update all of you as

to the situation here. I don't know how much information you are getting but I am certain it is more than we are getting. Be advised that almost

everything I am telling you is from direct observation or rumor from

reasonable sources. They are allowing limited internet access, so I hope to send this dispatch today.

 

Personally, my family and I are fine. My family is safe in Jackson, Miss.,

and I am now a temporary resident of the Ritz Carleton Hotel in New Orleans.

I figured if it was my time to go, I wanted to go in a place with a good

wine list. In addition, this hotel is in a very old building on Canal Street

that could and did sustain little damage. Many of the other hotels sustained

significant loss of windows, and we expect that many of the guests may be evacuated here.

 

Things were obviously bad yesterday, but they are much worse today.

Overnight the water arrived. Now Canal Street (true to its origins) is

indeed a canal. The first floor of all downtown buildings is underwater. I have heard that Charity Hospital and Tulane are limited in their ability to

care for patients because of water. Ochsner is the only hospital that

remains fully functional. However, I spoke with them today and they too are on generator and losing food and water fast.

 

The city now has no clean water, no sewerage system, no electricity, and no

real communications. Bodies are still being recovered floating in the

floods. We are worried about a cholera epidemic. Even the police are without

effective communications. We have a group of armed police here with us at

the hotel that is admirably trying to exert some local law enforcement. This

is tough because looting is now rampant. Most of it is not malicious

looting. These are poor and desperate people with no housing and no medical

care and no food or water trying to take care of themselves and their

families. Unfortunately, the people are armed and dangerous. We hear

gunshots frequently. Most of Canal street is occupied by armed looters who

have a low threshold for discharging their weapons. We hear gunshots

frequently. The looters are using makeshift boats made of pieces of

styrofoam to access. We are still waiting for a significant national guard

presence.

 

The health care situation here has dramatically worsened overnight. Many

people in the hotel are elderly and small children. Many other guests have

unusual diseases. ... There are (Infectious Disease) physicians in at this

hotel attending an HIV confection. We have commandered the world famous

French Quarter Bar to turn

into an makeshift clinic. There is a team of about seven doctors and PAs and

pharmacists. We anticipate that this will be the major medical facility in

the central business district and French Quarter.

 

Our biggest adventure today was raiding the Walgreens on Canal under police

escort. The pharmacy was dark and full of water. We basically scooped the

entire drug sets into garbage bags and removed them. All under police

excort. The looters had to be held back at gunpoint. After a dose of

prophylactic Cipro I hope to be fine.

 

In all we are faring well. We have set up a hospital in the the French

Qarter bar in the hotel, and will start admitting patients today. Many will

be from the hotel, but many will not. We are anticipating dealing with multiple medical problems, medications and and acute injuries. Infection and

perhaps even cholera are anticipated major problems. Food and water

shortages are imminent.

 

The biggest question to all of us is where is the National Guard. We hear

jet fignters and helicopters, but no real armed presence, and hence the

rampant looting. There is no Red Cross and no Salvation Army.

 

In a sort of cliché way, this is an edifying experience. One is rapidly

focused away from the transient and material to the bare necessities of

life. It has been challenging to me to learn how to be a primary care phyisican. We are under martial law so return to our homes is impossible. I

don't know how long it will be and this is my greatest fear. Despite it all,

this is a soul-edifying experience. The greatest pain is to think about the loss. And how long the rebuid will take. And the horror of so many dead

people .

 

PLEASE SEND THIS DISPATCH TO ALL YOU THING MAY BE INTERSTED IN A DISPATCH

from the front. I will send more according to your interest. Hopefully their

collective prayers will be answered. By the way, suture packs, sterile

gloves and stethoscopes will be needed as the Ritz turns into a MASH

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UConn James All Pro

UConn James

Posted
Posted (edited)
The biggest question to all of us is where is the National Guard. We hear

jet fignters and helicopters, but no real armed presence, and hence the

rampant looting. There is no Red Cross and no Salvation Army.

425231[/snapback]

 

Where is the National Guard, he asks? ~50 percent of them are in Iraq.

 

Sorry for how that may sound, but it's the truth.

Edited by UConn James
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Dennis in NC RFA

Dennis in NC

Posted
Posted
Where is the National Guard, he asks? ~50 percent of them are in Iraq.

 

Sorry for how that may sound, but it's the truth.

425242[/snapback]

Apparently, no thought was ever given that hurricane-prone states might need their guard troops kept at home during hurricane season.

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The Poojer Hall of Famer

The Poojer

Posted
Posted

ok so he is writing at 2pm on tuesday, a mere 24 hours after the storm hit. the audacity that things are not fully organized yet! common man, lets give people a chance to get to the area, an area that is very difficult to get to. and another thing, not to pcik nits, but he is a doctor? he has terrible spelling Ritz Carleton French Qarter police excort.. I know it is cruel and insensitive of me to point out these things, but something does not sit right about this e-mail.

 

flame away, and I will go back to my spongebob analogies

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Fezmid All Pro

Fezmid

Posted
Posted
If he is there, how did he get this e-mail out?

Sounds like an urban legend to me. Did a search for HIV conferences in NO for August. Couldn't find any.

425384[/snapback]

 

Agreed.

 

I'd send the message to Snopes.com and let them investigate. It's what they do :D

 

CW

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CoachChuckDickerson Veteran

CoachChuckDickerson

Posted
Posted
If he is there, how did he get this e-mail out?

Sounds like an urban legend to me. Did a search for HIV conferences in NO for August. Couldn't find any.

425384[/snapback]

 

There was a HIV convention set to take place September 2nd. I doubt anybody would have showed up a week earlier considering a hurricane was coming....who knows.

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Terry Tate RFA

Terry Tate

Posted
Posted
the hard and fast rule is that ANY email that ends with "send this to everyone you know" is a hoax.

 

I've never seen that rule fail.

And add the "sent from a friend of a friend" at the beginning, and I guess I can see your guys' point, but it didn't occur to me until it was brought up.

 

But for all the bad news in the aftermath (looters), I don't doubt there are some heroes in the making down there too. There always are.

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Fezmid All Pro

Fezmid

Posted
Posted

I just saw this message and thought I should let everyone know about it:

the hard and fast rule is that ANY email that ends with "send this to everyone you know" is a hoax.

 

I've never seen that rule fail.

 

Please send this message to everyone so that they know about it!

 

Oh wait....

 

:D

CW

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stevewin All Pro

stevewin

Posted
Posted
the hard and fast rule is that ANY email that ends with "send this to everyone you know" is a hoax.

 

I've never seen that rule fail.

425400[/snapback]

That was my first thought after reading it this AM. I actually went to snopes right after but didn't see anything there (yet)

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SouthernMan RFA

SouthernMan

Posted
Posted
the hard and fast rule is that ANY email that ends with "send this to everyone you know" is a hoax.

 

I've never seen that rule fail.

425400[/snapback]

 

 

Right.

 

I just received some petition thingy from a friend (some crap about prayer in schools) asking to forward this to everyone I know. It amazes me that seemingly intelligent people like this friend are not yet wise to the tell-tale signs of these email scams.

 

BTW - please copy, paste, and send this message to everyone you know.

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Sound_n_Fury Veteran

Sound_n_Fury

Posted
Posted

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/new_orleans/

 

"The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans has been temporarily closed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. No decision can be made on a reopening date until the city of New Orleans is able to restore essential services to its residents, and permitting the assessment and repairs to the hotel – which were not major – to begin. Guests holding reservations will be contacted as soon as possible to assist with other arrangements or for future rebooking. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation."

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30dive RFA

30dive

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Many of you sceptics just might be right, however, I thought I would lay out the thread. The email I got was sent to me by our Office Manager who's childhood friend sent this to her, the childhood friend is the nurse who recieved the "dispatch" from the doctor who she worked with at the hospital below ( I am not going to disclose the nurses name). I also wondered how he got this out, but on our NBC affiliate, this morning they featured a family looking for loved ones in New Orleans and were able to confirm their safety via text messaging, what the hell do I know about text messaging but.......Could be a hoax, maybe some putz sitting around watching Fox News getting all his facts. Interesting reading none the less.

 

.............RN, MSHA

Nurse Epidemiologist

New Hanover Regional Memorial Hospital

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Wacka All Pro

Wacka

Posted
Posted
There was a HIV convention set to take place September 2nd. I doubt anybody would have showed up a week earlier considering a hurricane was coming....who knows.

425408[/snapback]

 

Sure that wasn't the "Gay Mardi Gras" that was to be held on Labor Day weekend?

I'm being serious. On Labor Day weekend there is a Mardi Gras like party of gays. Been held for 20 years.

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Wacka All Pro

Wacka

Posted
Posted
Not sure if letter is true or not, but live on CNN now is a lady staying at the Ritz, said live a team of doctors, infectious desease speacialists, were staying there also for a conference, its

on now.

425836[/snapback]

 

There was supposed to be a large (>5000 people) infectious disease conference on starting on September 24th. This might be the advance people. It is the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) ICAAC (Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy). This is the second time in 4 years it will be postponed. In 2001, It was supposed to be on the same dates in Chicago. The moved it to December as they have this year.

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Rubes All Pro

Rubes

Posted
Posted
There was supposed to be a large (>5000 people) infectious disease conference on starting on September 24th. This might be the advance people.  It is the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) ICAAC (Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy).  This is the second time in 4 years it will be postponed. In 2001, It was supposed to be on the same dates in Chicago. The moved it to December as they have this year.

425944[/snapback]

 

 

I go to that conference roughly every other year. I went to it last year in D.C.

 

This is way too early for people to be showing up for that.

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Johnny Coli Veteran

Johnny Coli

Posted
Posted
I go to that conference roughly every other year. I went to it last year in D.C.

 

This is way too early for people to be showing up for that.

425960[/snapback]

I was at the DC ICAAC. I try to go every other year, as well. Pretty ironic that the most knowledgeable people in infectious disease won't be going to the toilet that is now New Orleans.

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Sound_n_Fury Veteran

Sound_n_Fury

Posted
Posted
Sure that wasn't the "Gay Mardi Gras" that was to be held on Labor Day weekend?

I'm being serious. On Labor Day weekend there is a Mardi Gras like party of gays. Been held for 20 years.

425527[/snapback]

 

By jove, you're right: :blink:

 

http://www.bouncybean.karenalexander.co.uk...%20carnival.htm

 

SOUTHERN DECADANCE IN NEW ORLEANS - 31 August-5 September- New Orleans largest gay/lesbian event with over 100,000 participants. Includes history, schedule, weekend pass purchases and discount hotels. Weekend passes are available for purchase on the website - 801 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116 USA.

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Rubes All Pro

Rubes

Posted
Posted
I was at the DC ICAAC.  I try to go every other year, as well.  Pretty ironic that the most knowledgeable people in infectious disease won't be going to the toilet that is now New Orleans.

426014[/snapback]

 

 

Ack...DC was such a lousy place to have that conference. I hope I don't have to go back there again.

 

It's a huge conference, though...can't imagine what they're going to do at this point. But as mentioned, they do have some experience from previous years...

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