Help me support Fisher House through the Marine Corps Marathon

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hi to all after a long break of not writing anything on this blog. No worries, life has been good. I have participated in some very interesting forums with discussions of war medicine, and have a few talks coming up in the near future. I've been lucky enough to be included as an author in an upcoming review of care delivered at the military hospitals in Afghanistan and Iraq. Along with these activities I have been hustling at my day job as a pediatric surgeon at Geisinger Medical Center, and had a recent three day period where I slept a handful of hours between 12 operations. All in all it is good to have a job!

I'm writing today to report that Meredith and I have taken leave of our senses and committed to run the Marine Corps Marathon this fall. Ah yes, what better way to while away four (or five, or six) hours of a beautiful day than constant knee and pavement pounding abuse! The last time I ran a marathon, we had recently fought the first gulf war, and I can assure you that the intervening years have not yielded more cartilage in my knees.

I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Meredith and I are hard charging and psyched for this feat, and much of the reason for this is that we are part of Team Fisher House. We will be dedicating our run to the many troops who have sustained injuries fufilling their military duties. We will be raising money to benefit Fisher House, which has provided an oasis of security and comfort to families of these same troops when they were receiving  medical care at military treatment facilities.

If you are able to give, please click here:

http://www.active.com/donate/FisherHouse2012MCM/honeybadger

to donate to "Team Honey Badger's" efforts to raise money for Fisher House in the Marine Corps Marathon.
No amount is too small. It all helps. Fisher House has an amazing track record with 95% of donations going directly to help troops, and over 50 family homes on bases across the country and even overseas.

If you cannot give, please think of us and send us your support as I try to keep up with Meredith shufflin' my decrepit body around central Pennsylvania in some semblance of training.

Best wishes,

Chris

(A picture from long ago when I had fewer grey hairs and better padding in my joints.)

Pets 2 Vets (#27)

When I was working in DC, I belonged to the American Legion, Post #8, right in the evening shadow of the Capitol Building. It was a great bunch of guys, and even though I haven't set foot in there for 8 years now, I still get the post communication. Now I'm associated with the post here in town.

Last week I got the message from DC that the post was honoring David Sharpe, founder of Pets2Vets, by choosing his organization to receive proceeds from the 2010 Poppy Drive.

http://www.pets2vets.org/

Pets 2 Vets helps veterans (and homeless animals too) by pairing veteran soldiers and emergency personnel with animal companions. Animals have an incredible therapeutic effect. I have seen it first hand in many of the hospitals where I have worked. Nothing makes a recovering child (or grown up child) perk up and forget their aches and pains for a moment than a visit from a friendly furry medical working dog with tail wagging.

Pets 2 Vets is focusing this uplifting effect on our nation's wounded heroes suffering from traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, and other wounds.

Visit their website to learn more and see if you would be interested in becoming involved.