Book Review: My Journey As A Combat Medic By Patrick Thibeault

MY JOURNEY AS A COMBAT MEDIC

By:  Patrick Thibeault

Published:  July 24, 2012

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My Journey as a Combat Medic is a no-holds-barred look at the modern medic in the US Army, allowing us a glimpse at the training as a soldier and as a specialist, as well as deployment and front line duties and the impact of service on civilian life, including an honest look at PTSD, from the author's own personal experience. Rather than a technical manual, My Journey as a Combat Medic is a detailed firsthand account, concluding with a letter to new medics, providing a career's worth of advice and knowledge as they begin their journeys. This book is about the soldiers who bring compassion and humanity to the battlefield.

I'm reading this as part of a book tour with Virtual Author Book Tours.  I read this as an eBook on my Kindle.  

Patrick Thibeault has dedicated his life to serving others both as a soldier and as a nurse practitioner.  There was no doubt as I read this book, that he has a deep commitment towards the health and welfare of others.  Whether the patient was on the battlefield, an enemy, someone in his barracks, or back here in the states in a hospital, they received the best care possible from Thibeault.  

I think this is a great book for someone who can identify with being a soldier, a medic, or someone who has been in the military.  It may read a little dry for the "outsider".  The author tells stories of his time both in Desert Storm and Afghanistan and shares his private thoughts and moments with the reader.  This isn't the type of book that tells of the horrors of the battlefields, but at appropriate times, he does share stories of those he saved and couldn't save.  

Thibeault has since retired from the military and joined the civilian life as a nurse practitioner.  He shares his personal struggles with PTSD and again, it reminds me of how little the military does to prepare soldiers for the return home compared to the amount of training they receive to go to war.  Whether I am reading non-fiction or fiction, this seems to be a central theme.  His descriptions of uncomfortable situations that he has been in will make me much more aware of those who may be suffering from PTSD that I may come across.

If you know a young man or woman looking to enter the military and/or looking to be a medic, this book would be an excellent introduction to their career choice.  Thibeault closes the book with a letter to any future medics with recommendations and advice from his 20 years in the service.

I think this book paints an accurate picture of military life both on the battlefield and in the barracks.  He doesn't hold back with his opinions of how certain things were done or not done.  My favorite part of the book were the photos that he included.  The photos gave the book a personal touch and brought some of his stories to life.  

Thibeault gives the reader an honest look inside the life of a combat medic, one that needs to be heard.

Patrick Thibeault was raised as an Army brat. He lived in Germany, Fort Devens, Massachusetts, Fayetteville, North Carolina and his father was stationed in Seoul, South Korea where he attended Seoul American High School and graduated in 1989. During his time in Korea, Patrick watched several of the Olympic games in person as they were in Seoul, South Korea in 1988. He grew to respect and understand the different cultures he encountered.

Upon graduation from high school, Patrick enlisted in the Army becoming a paratrooper medic. The first unit that he was assigned to was the elite 3rd Battalion / 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). Patrick deployed to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm back in 1990. During his tenure with the 160th, Patrick had the opportunity to grow both as a soldier and as a medic. He attended SERE school (Survival training), went to Army enlisted flight medic school at Fort Rucker, and attended Primary Leadership training at Fort Stewart, Georgia among other types of military training. He deployed both stateside and overseas with the 160th and even spent some time on the USS. Theodore Roosevelt. During his time with the 160th, he was on both on enlisted crewmember flight status and parachute status.

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He then joined the Kentucky Army National Guard. Patrick deployed twice to Ecuador during his time with the Kentucky Army National Guard. He continued to grow in the medical field and nursing field and started nursing school at Eastern Kentucky University. Patrick's first job as a nurse was as a registered nurse in Indianapolis,Indiana. Patrick transferred to the Indiana Army National Guard where in 2000, his entire brigade travelled to Fort Polk, Louisiana to participate in the combat simulations at the Joint Readiness Training Center or JRTC.

He graduated with his bachelor's degree in nursing in May 2003 from Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2004, he deployed with his unit, the 76th Infantry Brigade in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His unit was part of Task Force Phoenix. This task force trained the conventional Afghanistan Army and had soldiers embedded into these Afghanistan units both during training and combat operations. Patrick worked briefly as a liaison for Task Force Phoenix at Bagram Airbase before going back out into the deserts of Afghanistan to serve as a medic.

Patrick started on his master's degree to become a Family Nurse Practitioner upon returning from combat in 2005. He graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in December, 2008. Patrick then transferred to the 138th Field Artillery Brigade, part of the Kentucky Army National Guard, where he remained till he retired in January, 2011. Patrick currently works part time in a medical intensive care unit part time as a registered nurse and works full time in a urgent and primary care clinic as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Hobbies include Corvettes,writting poetry, working out, Star Trek, and reading medical books. He is married to his wife Connie. They have a dog named Rocco and two cats named Savannah and Georgia. He named his cats after the beautiful city of Savannah and the other cat after the state of Georgia when he was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, in Savannah,Georgia.

His awards and decorations include the Combat Medical Badge, 2nd award from both Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom. The Meritorious Service Medical from Afghanistan, the Air Medal from Desert Storm. Patrick also has earned the Expert Field Medical Badge, parachute wings, and the enlisted crewmember aviation wings.

Currently Patrick is working on a book of combat medic poetry, a book about working as a nurse and a nurse practitioner from the perspective of a man and a fictional book about a time travelling medical provider who gets stuck in the past while trying to learn medicine and nursing and working on his website at http://www.medicstory.com/

I received this book for free as part of the Virtual Book Author Tour in order to complete this review.  I did not receive any other compensation for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.

Book Spotlight: Become the Confident Mom You've Always Wanted to Be By Susan Heid

BECOME THE CONFIDENT MOM YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE

31 Strategies to Improve Your Confidence as a Woman, Mother, and Family Manager

By:  Susan Heid

Published:  January 3, 2013

How many times have you felt something is lacking in your family life? You just can’t keep up with the daily demands of managing a household, your priorities aren’t on target, you never have time for yourself, and you wonder why you can’t be more like the “super mom” next door that always seems to have her act together. You’re feeling “less than,” and it’s negatively impacting your family.

Being a mom and family manager is a difficult and demanding job—one that often leaves moms questioning their decisions and abilities, ultimately lowering their self-confidence. But one must lead with confidence to earn respect and ensure that family values are not compromised by the many distractions a family might confront. 

In her book, Become the Confident Mom You’ve Always Wanted to Be: 31 Strategies to Improve Your Confidence as a Woman, Mother, and Family Manager, author and parent coach Susan Heid explains how using these 31 essential strategies can help you guide your family with love, faith, a positive outlook, and confidence. This will help you achieve a more fulfilling family atmosphere and prepare your children to positively maneuver through life’s many opportunities and challenges.

As you journey through the 31 strategies, you’ll discover:

* Why it’s important to develop a plan or vision for your family and how that plan, alongside your established priorities, can direct you down the path you desire as you encounter new choices each day. 
* Why you need to tune in to your “motherly gifts” of intuition and wisdom.
* How your wellness plan can boost your confidence.
* Why you should “dress the part.”
* Why it’s important to have a routine, and how to be adaptable when necessary by planning for the unexpected.
* Why courage and humor should be in your arsenal of parenting tools.
* How to make sure your child receives your love.
* Why parenting should not be viewed as a competition.
* Why you should recognize your strengths and admit your weaknesses.
* Why you should get “plugged in” to God each day.
* What expectations do for your child.
* Why friendships with other moms should be a priority.
* And much more!

Become the Confident Mom You’ve Always Wanted to Be: 31 Strategies to Improve Your Confidence as a Woman, Mother, and Family Manager can help moms build positive family relationships through confident leadership and goal-focused decisions based on Christian values, consequently “making a difference” in their children’s lives. Utilize these 31 strategies today to stop feeling “less than” and become the best woman, mother, and family manager you can be!

I don't know about you, but this above description really speaks to me as a mom and wife.  I am constantly comparing myself to other moms...especially after spending time on Pinterest....I tend to feel like an inadequate mom.  Then I have to remember all the things that I am good at.   


I have been a huge fan of Susan Heid and her website The Confident Mom for quite a while.  I've praised her planners and summer calendars.  I love getting her newsletters every week in my email.  They are usually just the inspiration and boost I need.

Sale runs from January 14 - 17, 2013

I haven't had a chance to read this book yet, but I will be getting my copy today just like the rest of you should!  It will be available for only $.99 through January 17, 2013.  I have no doubt this will be an excellent book full of inspiration, practical tips, and positive reinforcement.  Just what every mother needs.  This book is available for your Kindle or as an ebook document.  After Thursday, it will retail at $2.99.  Still an excellent price for a book so full of tips.

One Thousand of My Gifts

photo courtesy of www.aholyexperience.com

Continuing my count of One Thousand Gifts, numbering each one.

1000 Gifts

9. Getting back on the treadmill after holiday eating
10. Downton Abbey Season 3 starting
11. Watching Patrick play his first middle school basketball game
12. Birthdays
13. A clean house
14. Giggling girls
15. Answered prayers

Last Day to Get Motivated Moms at a Discount

If you missed my post on the Motivated Moms Planner and App, check it out HERE.

Today is the LAST DAY to get the eBook at the discounted price!

Product Review and Giveaway: Apothederm Acne Clarifying Treatment

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANKS FOR ENTERING.

I am back with another great product from Apothederm.  If you remember, I reviewed and loved the Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream just over a year ago.  See it HERE. I still get quite a few hits and questions regarding that product review.   

Apothederm sent me their Acne Clarifying Treatment to try out and I have been using it since just after Christmas.  It seems that after turning 40 just a few months ago, my skin has already started changing.  I have been having quite a few breakouts of acne, nearly one or two a week, which isn't something I am used to.  I have no idea if turning 40 has anything to do with it or if my hormones are out of whack, but this product came at a great time for me.  Especially during the holidays when I was getting less sleep and eating heavier foods, I noticed an increase in blemishes.  

Apothederm Acne Clarifying Treatment

This product is a power packed acne treatment that helps to reduce the appearance of blemishes.  Dual acne prevention ingredients, Oligopeptide-10 and Salicylic Acid, work together to target existing blemishes and help prevent future breakouts.  Glycerin provides hydration to skin without stripping moisture, leaving skin soft to the touch.  

• Exfloites dead skin cells and cleans up sebum (oily secretions)
• Minimizes pore size
• Helps clear breakouts and prevents future breakouts
• Effective but gentle for all over facial use

Apothederm Acne Clarifying Treatment comes in a 1 ounce pump bottle.  It retails for $32.50.  To view before and after photos, check out their website, HERE.

I used the Acne Clarifying Treatment whenever I had a breakout, which was often.  I would apply it after washing my face and before I applied any other products like moisturizer.  I applied as needed throughout the day, but most of the time, one application took care of it.  The product is a clear, gel like formula and applies easily.  I did not notice any excessive drying, burning, or stinging after the application.  I only used the product on the actual blemishes, but I could see it being used all over the face as a prevention.  

For me, the only down-side was the scent of the product.  Even though it states it is fragrance free, there is a scent to it.  I assume it is just the scent of the ingredients, but it was a slight turn off for me.  I am sensitive to different odors and this was one I didn't care for, but it didn't keep me from using the product.  I am anxious to use this product in the summer when I tend to be more oily. Overall, I was quite happy with the performance and what it did for my skin:

1. Reduced the size and longevity of the blemish
2. Kept skin around the blemish smooth
3. No over drying of skin due to use
4. Stopped new blemishes from appearing in same area where product was applied.

If you are also suffering from excessive blemishes and would like to try it yourself, I have two ways for you to do that.  First of all you can enter my giveaway for one Apothederm Acne Clarifying Treatment and then if you just can't wait, you can go to their website and enter a code 35OFF for 35% off the product at www.apothederm.com.  The discount code expires on January 31, 2013.  

To enter the giveaway, fill out the form below.  Entries accepted through Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 11:59 PM.  I will chose a winner using random.org on Monday, January 21, 2013.  I will contact the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner.  The product will be shipped to the winner by the company.  US residents only are eligible to win.  One entry per person please.

I was supplied with one full size product in order to complete this review.  This review is my honest opinion and I was not compensated in any other way for this review.  I will only review products that will benefit me or my family.  Thanks to Apothederm for sending the product and providing one for the giveaway.

Book Review: Smart Chefs Stay Slim by Allison Adato

SMART CHEFS STAY SLIM
Lessons in Eating and Living from America's Best Chefs

By: Allison Adato
Forward by Art Smith

Published:  December 31, 2012

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Chefs are around delicious, tempting food all day. So how do they manage to look good while eating so well? When People magazine editor Allison Adato found covering the restaurant world was taking a toll on her own waistline, she turned to top chefs for their secrets.  Here, more than three dozen greats like Eric Ripert, Thomas Keller, Rick Bayless, Tom Colicchio, and Michelle Bernstein reveal how to:

• Always enjoy the food you love
• Choose big flavors for maximum pleasure
• Read a restaurant menu and indulge the way smart chefs do
• Cook the easy, satisfying meals that pros prepare at home
• Use lemon, salt, and olive oil to make almost any dish terrific
• End your day with a square of chocolate

You don’t have to cook like a four-star chef to eat like one! Like so many Americans, celebrity chefs also face the strain of balancing a good diet with a busy lifestyle. Now they share their own smart tips, scrumptious recipes and personal stories of losing over 100 pounds, of taking off baby weight and eating with kids, and of celebrating a love for food without sacrificing health—all while indulging an appetite for life.

Are you looking for realistic tips for eating healthy?  Are you curious how chefs and others in the food industry stay slim when around food all day?  This book will show you how the pros prioritize and plan, yet still enjoy the food they prepare and eat what they love.

This  book was a great reminder to basically eat what you love.  No matter what chef was interviewed, each one of them basically said you should eat and not restrict yourself...in moderation.  Who can go without chocolate or ice cream or pizza or pasta for the rest of their life?  Well, not me, but I have learned that I don't need a huge bowl of ice cream, but instead a small serving will give me the same satisfaction with less calories and guilt.  The chefs agreed that you should still enjoy the foods you love without depriving yourself.

Something that I learned from the book was Lesson #26 - Salt Your Food.  I didn't realize the role salt plays in almost every food we eat.  Not just salt, either, but pepper.  Seasoning our food brings out the flavor and can make or break a dish.  I have been more aware of this in my cooking and making sure that salt is not the forgotten ingredient.

I also appreciated that the topic of alcohol was mentioned.  I am someone who likes to have a glass of wine while cooking and/or with our dinner...once in awhile.  A tip that I have discovered when attending parties and was happy to also see mentioned in the book is drinking one glass of water for every drink of wine (or other beverage).  It helps you stay hydrated and not feel sick or have a headache in the morning!

For most of the chefs, working out was a priority.  Due to the numerous tastings they do each day, the amount of calories consumed is very high.  Exercise has to be a priority in order to maintain their weight and yet enjoy regular meals with family.   French chef, Eric Ripert, makes it a priority to walk EVERY DAY....no matter what.  He walks to work, a distance of two miles, every day, no matter the weather. 

As a parent, I have read numerous times the importance of eating with your children.  Having family dinners around the table have been shown to improve health and self-esteem of children.  So, it was no surprise that the chefs also make it a priority to eat together as a family.  Even if the chef doesn't eat the meal because they had eaten at the restaurant, they still sit down together and enjoy the family conversation.  Again, it is about making time for what is important and I was happy to hear that with their busy schedules, even they could find time to have meals together.  

The book is also full of recipes right from the chefs, including dishes served in their restaurants and their homes.  I am very anxious to try Karen Hatfield's Apple Galette.  It sounds simple to create and yet, is special and delicious.

This is a great book if you want to learn more about chefs and how they handle the pressures of working around food all day.  A lot of their tips were ones that we can all use in our own lives.  Mario Batali said it best, "That's the beauty of life: eating a good meal, having a couple bottles of wine with friends, and laughing and being happy."     

Allison Adato

Alison Adato is a senior editor at People and an award-winning journalist whose writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Salon.com, LIFE, and other national publications.  She lives in Manhattan with her family.  


For more about Adato or the book, SMART CHEFS STAY SLIM visit www.smart-chefs.com. 
Follow Adato on Twitter, HERE.
Like Smart Chefs Stay Slim on Facebook, HERE.
Click below to purchase the book from Amazon.

Schools Should...

The website www.bloggymoms.com has a feature called The Blog Dare or writing prompts for your blog.  Today's post prompt instantly reminded me of something I have been wanting to write about on here anyway.

Schools should......

Schools should......not worry so much about what kids eat or don't eat and focus instead on their education. With that said, I know it isn't that easy.  Our district has a large number of families on free and reduced lunches which means, this may be the only "good" meal a child gets during the day.  I get that.  But, unfortunately, with our new school food regulations put forth by President Obama, there is a lot of grumpy, hungry kids.

Schools are required to meet a certain guideline of calories and nutritional requirements.  Unfortunately, that is difficult to do with a limited school food/nutrition budget.  My children have frequently come home from school hungry and frustrated.  Yesterday, one of the sides was sauerkraut.  How many of you ate sauerkraut when you were a kid?  I like it now, but certainly not when I was in 2nd grade or 6th grade and I have good eaters.  I am willing to bet that a great majority of sauerkraut was thrown away yesterday.  Is that a good use of my tax payer dollars?  The school often serves cooked spinach or pinto beans.  How often did I eat those as a kid? Nope, not again.  I have been in school and eaten lunch on days that these items were being served and I couldn't eat them.

I run an after school program at our church once a week.  We serve kids a snack and in the beginning when we started 5 years ago, we would serve goldfish crackers, apples, and maybe a cookie and juice.  Or pretzels, fruit and cheese and juice.  Since the new lunch program has been in place, we have noticed that kids are coming to our program....starving! Never before did we hear, "I'm hungry." Can I have seconds, thirds, fourths?  We have changed our snack to actually be a meal.  Lunch meat sandwich, fruit, cheese, and juice.  Grilled cheese, fruit, juice.  Pizza, fruit, juice, cookie.  Even with this meal, the kids are wanting more.  I can speak to this in my own home as well....my kids come home hungry.

I don't know what the answer is, but what I do know is that I am not sure it is the schools job to count calories.  Make food the kids will eat.  Encourage them to try new foods by exposing them on a daily basis to fruit and vegetables.  And then, let the parents take over.  There is only so much you can do 180 days of the year.

I realize I may get flack for this post, but this is just MY OPINION.  As an employee of a school district, I am well aware of the difficulties of balancing all the needs of a student...physical, emotional, educational, and personal.  Schools are being asked to provide more and more services with less and less money.  The balancing act isn't easy and continues to get harder when the government likes to stick their nose into it.  My beef here is with all the government red tape, and not our school.  I know they are doing the best they can with the resources they have.