Happy New Year Everyone!

(Finally - satellites!!)

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've written.  The IT department has had some challenges with the satellites.  For a few days in a row, they've had to hike 1 mile each way to the dome, through -45F temps, and knee deep soft ice, to manually reset the dishes.  Even with good coffee, they weren't a happy bunch.  But, we're back up and for a few hours a day, and communicating with the rest of the world again!

I'll start off by saying I'm doing ok.  We're over halfway through the season, and the lack of humidity, cold temps, and high altitude are starting to take their toll on everyone.  Sleep is at a premium.  5-6 hours a night is now norm.  Every joint in your body aches.  Nosebleeds are common; hands and skin are starting to crack open.  I've seen an uptick in injuries these past two weeks.  People are rushing to get projects completed before we start the process of turning the base over to the Winter Crew - and shutting everything down.  Winter sets in the first week in March as temperatures drop back into the -60 to -80 range; the sun starts to set quickly and won't be back up until October.  Rushing means safety shortcuts - which equals minor injuries.  We had a brief safety pause this past week - even 1/2 day off made a big difference for the community.

But hey Jeff, how was Xmas??!!

Christmas at the South Pole is unique.  First, celebrating Xmas Eve at 12 midnight, just doesn't seem right when there's bright sun outside.  We started the day (actually 18 Dec) by marking the spot of Amundsen's conquest of the pole.  We planted the Norwegian Flag at the same spot he and this daring team did over 112 years ago.  Then came a moment of silence for Scott's team - all of whom perished on their way back - having arrived at the pole just days behind Amundsen.  That was followed by the "Around the World Run" where members started their 2 mile jaunt at the Ceremonial Pole, crossed the ice airfield/runway, took out over the plateau towards the South Pole Telescope, back around the station, and then encircled the Geographic Pole - a feat of exertion that gives rise to the title of the event.  Amazingly, no injuries!

Xmas dinner was amazing!  Lamb, Crab, and Blueberry Compote over Duck Breast.  It went on for nearly 4 hours with everyone toasting new friends and family far-away back home.  

After dinner - around midnight - a spontaneous decision was made to go caroling.  We loaded up the "sled" (a platform on skis, with two old couches, a recovered bar constructed of old wood planks, that was topped by a jar of frozen olives from 15 years ago!), and headed over to the ALE Camp.  This is the civilian camp where clients pay upwards of $75,000 to spend a nite or two at the pole.  They are on Chilean time, which we totally forgot about.  So, for them, it was still 23 Dec at 2am!  Nonetheless, we announced our arrival and then sang away.  Don't worry, after you hear us sing, have knowledge we won't be giving up our day jobs!

The work week here at the Pole is 6 days a week - Sunday's are our only day off.  This last Sunday I decided to take a long walk in the "backyard," as there was no wind and it was a balmy -38F outside.  The feeling you get of being in such an isolated, bitterly cold, frozen and barren place makes you a bit emotional.  You're grateful for the experience.  But soon realize that it would only take one little mistake, and your life would end with you being discovered frozen to death, partially covered by drifting snow.  It humbles you.  And then you radio into comm's "Doctor back on station," and all is ok.  

  

As taxpayers, I want to reassure you that your tax dollars are being spent wisely here at the Pole (LOL!!).  First, I work 24/7, always on-call, and I can never consume alcohol.  I think it comes out to something like $75 per hour I'm making.  So excuse me, if every-so-often I venture out, and take advantage of a chance to play and experience something new!  I've become a pilot!  Specifically, a refurbished 1958 Baysler DC-3.  Why such an "old" plane?  Well, it turns out that older planes, and their simplistic design, hydraulics, lack of electronics, and basic engines, fail much less frequently in the freezing temps, then today's fancy models.  

This particular plane is being used by the CODEV Team.  They are using radar, mounted on the bottom of the wings and fuselage, to penetrate the ground in an attempt to find the oldest ice on the continent.  Once found, they then plan to drill for core samples and analyze what was happening to Mother Earth trillions of years ago!  And the average age of the scientists doing this work?  29!  All have their PhD's, and two of them have been to the South Pole 4 times!  Let's not lose faith in the Gen Z'ers quite yet.  

Now, it's said that there are supplies "out in the backyard" that have been there for over 50 years - buried under the snow.  And no one knows they're there - inventory paperwork has been lost and misplaced over the years.  I can attest, this is probably true.  As you walk among the berms you get a good sense of just how much "Stuff" is indeed, buried, covered over by snow drifts that have probably been there for half-a-century.  Rumor has it, there's even food (particularly ice cream if the rumors are correct) that's from the 1960's!  By the way, "VMF" below, stands for Vehicle Maintenance Facility.  Who knows what's in there!

Let's circle back to my real job - acting as the station physician, and caring for over 150 people from all over the world.  Because many of the outlying facilities are 1-2 miles away, and in the winter, temps can drop below -120F with windchills into the -160F range, it's not unusual for the scientists working there to hunker down and remain put for a several days until the weather improves.  This applies to injuries and illness as well.  The outlying facilities are fraught with potential danger!  If I can't get to them - or more likely, they can't get back to me at the station - then they have to be prepared to survive on their own.  And that means knowing CPR, how to use an AED, apply a tourniquet and keep themselves warm.  So, part of my job is to hike out to the outlying facilities, check their equipment and supplies, and do some teaching.  Thus far, I've had the privilege of visiting the NOAA ARO Clear Air Facility, RF Radar Facility, Power Plant, and VMF. I'm out to the "Dark Sector" this weekend - where any and all radio, satellite, and electronic communication is banned.  It interferes with their research into astrophysics, radio waves from billions of light years away, and neutrino processing.  So no texting please!  I had a particularly interesting visit to the NOAA ARO Clean Air facility.  

The NOAA facility is the only non-sponsored NSF facility at the Pole.  They have been around since the Navy Days (1950's) and have over 70 years of continual data into air quality, and particulates.  Here at the Pole, we have the cleanest air in the world.  So, I'll start with the good news first:  the ozone layer is not depleting as fast as it was. In fact, the CFC's and other bad players that were destroying the ozone layer have been depleting at a remarkable rate!

Now for the bad news.....we aren't making any headway on CO2 levels.  It's actually scary to see how quickly the values are increasing, and how sooner than later, our earth will become too hot to support life.  One of the ways they measure CO2 it to shoot lasers into the atmosphere.  When we were given the opportunity to walk onto the roof of the facility, we were also given a warning:  "When the laser gun starts to acquire its coordinates, duck quickly or get fried!"  Here's the gun acquiring its "target" if you will.  And yes, I was ducking!  And below that, the scary CO2 graph.  NOAA has facilities at the Pole, Samoa, peak of Mauna Loa (Hawaii), Greenland, and Barrow, Alaska.  

I too, have to prepare for emergencies.  We call them "MCI" drills.  MCI stands for "multiple casualty incidents."  Essentially, any scenario where medical is overwhelmed with casualties, and I have to start triaging.  This takes on a whole new meaning at the South Pole!  In Portland, for example, multiple casualties can be distributed among several hospitals.  There's no other hospital here - the nearest medical help is over 900 miles away in McMurdo.  I, along with Danny (the nurse practitioner working with me) are the sole medical providers.  So I depend heavily on trained volunteers for everything from first responders, to litter bearers, to medical assistants, to X-ray and lab techs.  Over 80% of them have never had any medical experience - so training is essential.  They comprise what is referred to as "ERT-4" or the medical team.  ERT-1 is on-site incident command.  ERT-2 is fire response (we don't have a Fire Dept at the South Pole!).  ERT-3 is logistics and transportation.  And ERT-5 is Search and Rescue.  You might remember, I spoke about being put to work, Day 2 at McMurdo as the "Red Team" doc for their MCI.  Well, 4 days after I arrived at the Pole, I was heading up our first MCI!  Two days ago, we had our second MCI:  a snowmobile crashed into one of the HyperTat's (a portable living facility with heater) catching the building on fire.  We had just two victims:  The driver of the snowmobile who was injured. And a worker inside the HyperTat who was overcome with smoke and had carbon monoxide poisoning.  The challenge came for not only ERT-4, but for the command structure - there was no available vehicles to transport the victims.  They had to be hand carried over the ice, into the station, up the stairs (medical is on the 2nd floor), and into my unit.  All the time, while it was -40F outside!  I'm continually amazed how everyone comes together to take care of each other.  Remember, these are essentially kids (almost all of them are under 30 years of age!), with no medical training, other than what I've provided them, risking their lives to help other community members.  I'm humbled again.  Below, you'll see my resuscitation bed, with portable X-ray unit, crash cart, and ultrasound machine just to the right of the gurney.  

My job again, is 24/7.  At times, it can be down right boring.  At others, I cringe at what may come through the door and enter my little facility with its inherent limitations.  But to hear them call you "Doc," brings a certain pride and joy to my heart.  I'm it.  I'm all they have.  And they trust me implicitly, without reservation.  Again, I'm humbled.  

So Happy New Year friends and colleagues!  Today will be spent, like all the others, standing by to render medical care here at the South Pole.  For New Year's there is an annual tradition:

BBQ & SLEDDING!

The hill has been prepared.  The alcohol purchased.  And the 911 emergency medical radio charged to capacity.  Stay tuned - there will undoubtedly be more stories to come!!