My ears heard those magic words!

You know, for someone that doesn't like military doctors, I just happen to love mine - Major Cheryl Lowry. Course, she's an Air Force doctor so maybe that makes all the difference... Army vs. Air Force, oh-oh better not start that up just yet.

But I heard the words I have been waiting to hear all week. "You can return to Pole." Yes, finally! So I've been working a shift called mid rats (midnight rations) in the bake shop here at McMurdo... the civilian and Air Force doctor both wanted to keep my mid-rat schedule so it won't screw my sleeping schedule all up when and if I got to return Pole-side.

It seems like there were so many hoops to jump - rest and don't exercise, rest more - sleeping is good for you, exercise, don't exercise, exercise, return to work for a few hours, return to work for a full shift, walk around the clinic with an oxidation reader, go on the treadmill with the reader... well, that's all coming to an end. Whew! It was getting a bit confusing.

My plane leaves on Saturday morning. Now don't jinx me, I told my doctor since it just happens to be snowing out and she was talking about bad weather (I was actually thinking it was too cold to snow so it just might be flakes flying in the air re-distributed from some other location. Perhaps it really was snowing, I'm not sure since happy South Pole thoughts were occupying my head). And luckily enough I just wanted to beat her to the plane... she arrived to McMurdo the same day I was medevac'd here and now she's already leaving - her deployment is complete. She returns to San Antonio, Saturday afternoon. I really didn't want a new docotor anyway...

Texas... I sure do miss Texas. On a side note, when I grow up and stop the seasonal traveling jobs, I still want to move to Austin and settle. It's one of my most favorite places in the world besides San Francisco. But that means I have to grow up - get a real job or at least a permanent one that lasts longer than 6 months... and that just might take a while since boredom sets in very quickly and the travel bug is still very much alive in my veins.

So I'm put back on a drug called Diamox, which helps regulate the oxygen and expel carbon dioxide in your body. It's the same stuff I had before but this time they gave me a 6 day supply versus a 3 day supply. And also another drug called Nifedipine which lowers high blood pressure and relaxes the blood vessels so my heart won't have to pump so hard and helps supply blood and oxygen to the heart which helps reduce chest pain just in case the HAPE shows up again at Pole.

I'm ready to go thanks to the awesome medical staff at both Pole and McMurdo! Yahoo!!!