Mitchell: Karen spent Saturday night with us. The news from San Antonio is horrible. Below are some portions of what she told us Saturday night. She flies down this Friday. Sally and Bill can go into Adam's room. The only place not burned or had skin harvested for a graft was on Adam's stomach. The doctors would let them into the burn unit of the ICU only after Bill and Sally had full scrubs on. Sally could put her hand on Adam's stomach and talk to him. Last Thursday/Friday he had another surgery. They found more wound in his right gluteious muscle and had to remove the entire glut. muscle. The surgeons then had to put in a colostomy bag to prevent infections. So now Sally does not even have a spot on Adam's stomach to rub or hold him. Sally also learned to not ask any family members of other soldiers how long they have been in San Antonio. She asked one lady on Friday and she replied; "Twelve Months." At least Adam is not in the shape of the husband of a woman who also sits in the waiting room. This woman and her husband have a 3 year old and 10 month old. The kids are with them in the hospital waiting room and visiting room. His burns are worse than Adam's burns plus he has lost both of his arms at the shoulder.
The hospital is an absolute hell of carnage. Young boys with no ears, noses gone, prosthetic limbs. Last night they were bringing in 5 seriously wounded. Today they are bringing in 15 more.