One notable exception was the man mauled by a grizzly bear. Christie remembers vividly the image of the patient’s torn scalp. In fairness to the grizzly, Christie said the park rangers believed the men possibly snatched the bear’s dinner. It took 110 stitches to repair the damage.
Living with nature provided some interesting experiences for the hospital staff. One evening while making her way from her dorm to the hospital in the dark of night, Christie was told she almost ran into a bison. It was common for bison to wallow in the sand that doubled as the volleyball court and the helicopter landing area.
While Christie never saw a bear during her time at Yellowstone, she was trained on prevention techniques, such as not carrying food while hiking, including not even toothpaste. All trash cans were bear proof.
Good Memories
No television or cell phones at the hospital meant staff entertained themselves and became close friends. Because fish hook injuries were so common, Christie and her crew drew an outline of a person on paper and named it “Fish Hook Man.” Patients joined in the fun by marking the location of their fish hook on the drawing.
Christie liked her experience at Yellowstone so much that she left the Midwest and moved West for five years before returning to the Kansas City area.
Today she looks back on her Yellowstone years with fond memories and cherishes the close friendships she maintains today.
