PDA

View Full Version : Beauty queen set to join unit in Iraq



thedrifter
09-13-07, 06:28 PM
Beauty queen set to join unit in Iraq
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Sep 13, 2007 12:13:46 EDT

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/xml/news/2007/09/ap_beautyqueen_070913/at_gaulke_beautyqueen_300.jpg_287.jpg

Jessica Gaulke gave up her crown as the Minneapolis Aquatennial’s Queen of the Lakes to serve with the Minnesota National Guard in Iraq. After dealing with some medical issues, she announced Sept. 13 that she'll be joining her unit in a few days.

MINNEAPOLIS — Jessica Gaulke drew national attention when she announced last November she was giving up her crown as the Minneapolis Aquatennial’s Queen of the Lakes to serve with the Minnesota National Guard in Iraq.

She’s finally ready to go after overcoming serious medical issues that nearly made that impossible.

In January, she married her high school sweetheart, Jeff Charyer, and changed her last name. After her honeymoon, she left for training in Oklahoma. But the new Mrs. Charyer started having intense pain, so she saw an Army doctor.

“I came in this morning thinking I was completely healthy and about 10 hours later, he was like, this is an emergency surgery that needs to happens now,” she told WCCO-TV.

It turned out she had a potentially life-threatening condition: a large ovarian cyst. During surgery in May, the cyst ruptured and she lost a lot of blood.

Despite her determination to recover, she continued to experience intense pain and decided she couldn’t deploy. Because she was scheduled to be in Iraq for a year, her doctors initially offered her a prescription for a year’s supply of a powerful painkiller. She refused and insisted on more tests.

Charyer, 23, underwent a second surgery early last month, this time to remove scar tissue. Her unit headed to Iraq without her. She made plans to join them later and now expects to leave for Iraq in a few days.

“I’m ready to head over and meet up with my unit,” she said. “Before I even go over there, they teasingly say I have the battle wounds, but I really think it has made me a stronger person.”

Charyer was planning to serve as a gunner on a Black Hawk helicopter. But because of what she’s been through this year, she’ll work as a diesel mechanic instead.

Ellie