THIS IS HOW WARREN LOOKED WHEN HE CAME TO WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER. HE WAS SEDATED, UNCONCIOUS AND
ON A VENTILATOR. HE REMAINED ON THE VENTILATOR FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
THE DOCTORS REMOVED THE GUAZE COVERING OVER WARREN'S EXPOSED INTESTINES ON THE SECOND DAY AT WALTER REED AND
REPLACED IT WITH A STATE-OF-THE-ART INVENTION KNOWN AS A "WOUND VAC". THIS DEVICE IS COVERING THE OPEN BELLY WHILE ALSO MOVING
ANY DRAINAGE THAT MAY OCCUR INTO A TANK NEARBY. IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THESE TYPE INJURIES ARE TREATED SO MUCH MORE SUCCESSFULLY
AT WALTER REED.
(ABOVE) WARREN'S INTESTINES BEGAN TO SWELL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THE DOCTORS WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THE SWELLING
TO GO DOWN AND THEY COULD NOT GET THE BOWELS TO FUNCTION SO HE WAS PUT ON "NPO" OR "NOTHING BY MOUTH"
FOR TWENTY FIVE DAYS. THE WOUND VAC WAS REMOVED, HIS INTESTINES WERE TAKEN OUT AND EXAMINED AND THE SITE WAS WASHED EVERY
COUPLE OF DAYS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, (above) THE SWELLING JUST GOT WORSE. WARREN'S GIRTH WAS UP TO 99 CENTIMETERS AT HIS WORST POINT.
IF HE HAD NOT BEEN SO SICK HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN RIBBED A LOT ABOUT WHEN THE "BABY" WAS DUE.
(ABOVE) HARD TO GET ANY REST WITH WIRES ALL OVER YOU ALL THE TIME.
(ABOVE) WHERE THERE IS ENRTY, THERE IS USUALLY EXIT. THIS IS THE EXIT WOUND AFTER THREE WEEKS. IT HAD ALREADY
CLOSED UP QUITE A BIT. THE BULLET ENTERED INTO THE LEFT SIDE AND CAME OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS BACK. HIS PLATOON FOUND
THE BULLET LODGED IN THE INSIDE OF HIS BODY ARMOR.
(ABOVE) THE DOCTORS TRUSSED WARREN UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TURKEY TRYING TO PULL THE WOUND TOGETHER SO THEY COULD
CLOSE HIM.
(ABOVE) THE WOUND WAS DRESSED EVERY MORNING AND EVENING WITH FRESH WET TO DRY BANDAGES. THE DOCTORS KEPT A WATCH
ON THE PERFORATED BOWEL TO CHECK FOR INFECTION. THANK GOD, NONE APPEARED AND, ONCE AGAIN, WE WERE READY TO TRY TO CLOSE.
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ON THAT FIRST DAY, (ABOVE) WARREN HAD AN INCISION IN HIS BELLY WHERE THE DOCTORS HAD OPENED HIM AND REMOVED HIS
KIDNEY AND SPLEEN IN IRAQ THEN REOPENED HIM TO REPAIR HIS LUNGS AND DIAPHRAM IN GERMANY. THE DOCTORS CONTINUED TO MONITOR
HIS INJURIES AND DO WHAT THEY CALL A "WASH" INSIDE HIM THROUGH THIS OPENING.
(ABOVE) IT WAS A SCARY DAY THE DAY HIS INTESTINES SWELLED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE COVERING OF THE WOUND VAC.
THE DOCTORS HAD TO TAKE HIM BACK INTO THE OPERATING ROOM FOR YET ANOTHER PROCEDURE TO GET THEM BACK UNDER THE COVERING, BUT
HAD TO CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR THE SWELLING TO GO DOWN BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN THINK ABOUT CLOSING HIS ABDOMEN. MEANWHILE, HE
CONTINUED TO BE IN THE ICU, STILL HEAVILY SEDATED.
THIS TOP VIEW (ABOVE) SHOWS JUST HOW WIDE THIS INJURY EVENTUALLY BECAME.
(ABOVE) THIS IS A PHOTO OF THE LEFT SIDE. THIS IS THE SECOND OF THREE CHEST TUBES PLACED INTO THIS SIDE TO KEEP
HIS LUNGS FROM DEFLATING AGAIN. THE BIG PINK SCAR IS THE BULLET ENTRY WOUND.
EVENTUALLY, THE SWELLING BEGAN TO GO DOWN AND WE WERE PREPARING TO CLOSE THE ABDOMEN.
(ABOVE) UNFORTUNATLY, WE HAD A SETBACK WHEN THE DOCTORS TRIED TO CLOSE HIM. THE EDGES OF HIS WOUND HAD CALCIFIED
AND THEY HAD TO BE TRIMMED BACK ABOUT AN INCH ON BOTH SIDES SO THE DOCTORS WOULD HAVE FRESH EDGES TO TRY TO CLOSE TOGETHER.
DURING THE PROCEDURE, HIS INTESTINES WERE PUNCTURED SO HE HAD TO BE LEFT WIDE OPEN UNTIL THE DOCTORS WERE SURE THE PUNCTURE
WAS NOT GOING TO BECOME INFECTED.
(ABOVE) FINALLY! AFTER ALL THESE WEEKS AND MONTHS...HE IS CLOSED! NOW COMES THE REST AND RECOVERY.
(LEFT) WOW! THIS IS ONE EXHAUSTED FELLOW!! JUST REST AND RECOVER, WARREN.
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