Adam Curtis Daniels

Adam Curtis Daniels Part 1
It has been 19 days since you were hurt Adam.

This is as I know it, from the stories that were told the night you were hurt. Let me tell you how it went for me.

I was laying in my bed at 10:15PM on Monday night the 16th of April, 2007. Mary came into my room hysterical. Sherri was on the phone and Adam was at Tacoma General Hospital in surgery.

I didn't know what had happened, I only knew that I had to get there. I arrived about 20 minutes later, and the scene was scary. Adam, you were in surgery, people were sitting around in shock and trying to piece together what had happened to you. I can only say that it wasn't real. It felt like one of your tricks. Your shock and awe that you like to do to us. But also knowing that was not the case.

The doctor came out and told us that you were in very critical condition and that it was minute by minute. You could live or die. We knew this was serious. We were able to see you after they had moved you to the ICU trauma unit. Adam, what that did to my heart, it broke into a thousand pieces. The only thing that I could think of was to get a picture of you. I needed the nurses to see that you were our boy, our baby, indeed a special person. I made prints of a picture of Mary and you, and one of you, and hung them on the wall. We daily add pictures of your family. We want the world to know that they are working to save someone important to a huge family.

The fact that someone would hurt you beyond recognition was unfathomable to me. You, who would go the extra mile in the name of love, family and friendship. You could not breath on your own, you could not open your eyes, you were not with us, and we were very afraid. Over the next week, it continued to be touch and go, we learned to watch numbers like you will never believe. We learned what all of the numbers meant, and how to keep them where they needed to be.

At one time this was the scene that we were facing. You were hooked up to 9 different IV medications. For pain, for short term memory, for seizures, for blood sugar, for sodium levels, neo synephrine for blood pressure, morphine (an amount that would have killed me), and a wonder drug call propopol (milk of amnesia). You had a ventilator, because you were in a paralytic state and could not breath on your own. You had 50+ staples in your head and more in your leg, broken ribs, and a serious bleed on your head. Then you developed a bleed on the brain, and severe pnuemonia. You had ventilator tubes, a probe in your head that gave us your ICP's (inter-cranial pressure counts) which was our most important number of all, we had to try to keep you down under 20. You had a feeding tube in your nose, and they were dumping meds into your system to try to keep the numbers in sync.

Then on Wednesday night the 18th, your sister who had diagnosed with pre-clampsia during the daytime, started getting a horrible headache. We tried to give her tylenol, nothing would touch it. We realized that nothing we were doing was helping her, so we took her to Good Samaritan Birthing Center. They checked her out and decided that it would be best to keep her there for the night. They had decided that they were going to induce her labor the next morning because her blood pressure had elevated to dangerous levels. Then her urine tests came back, and we were notified that her protein levels were at 26,000. The normal number being 100. She was dumping toxins into her system and they had to get your niece out of there. At 5:30 pm on the 19th they delivered "Malia Antonella Little Feather Cuny Mostrom Sonsteng". How is that for a name. She weighed 5 lbs and 10 ounces and was 18 1/2" long. What a gorgeous baby. She was taken to NICU, and Destiny was taken to the Critical Care Unit.

So now we have 2 kids in Critical condition. Not good odds for us. In a normal situation, Destiny's numbers should have started coming down. No, not for us, her number elevated to 32.000. She had a ton of magnesium in her system, which is a poison when dumped like that, and the baby had magnesium levels in her system as well. So Mom and I tag teamed. You would have been proud of us. We make a great team.

During this time, you started to open your eyes, and your stare was blank. You did not respond, and did not see us. Were you in there? That was the million dollar question. If you hear "squeeze my hand" one more time, you will probably shoot us.

Every day you are taking tiny steps forward, it gives us great hope for you. We don't know the extent of damage that was done to you as of yet. We have had many long days. You seem to have bad nights, so Mom and I make a point of going up to the hospital at night to make sure you are okay. Your numbers seem to go up the most during the late evening. We talk softly to you, rub your shoulders, rub your forehead, etc. You especially like to have your tummy rubbed. We try different things, to make the numbers stay down. We are not always successful and sometimes that have to give you a bullet shot to knock you down. Oh, how I wish we had that 15 years ago. "Adam is being bad, shoot, knock him out". Wow, would that have been nice. You have leg massagers on your legs, that cover the staples, due to being hit in the legs with a bat. Your broken ribs are healing on there own, since you cannot move, they did not have to wrap them. And you have braces on your legs to keep them straight, in order to protect your ankles. You are definently wired. All of the wires are scary, however, we ask questions, and know what each thing is for. We are okay with that. They are all helping you.

You hate the ventilator in your throat. You fight it harder and more often than you used to fight with Ryan.

More Later...................

 Adam Curtis - Part 2


We talked about how much you hate the ventilator. Well, on wednesday the 2nd of May, they took out your ventilator, and installed a traecheotomy tube instead. Wow, you are a lot better about your breathing now. You are not constantly fighting with your tubes. You don't have to try to bite it out of your throat anymore. You respond better to us. You began to wake up more and are more able to nod yes and no for what you want and need.

Then on Thursday the 3rd, you had your feeding tube moved into your stomach. You also had the probe that measures your ICP's removed. You were free and we were able to hug you and kiss you without worrying about your tubes. We became so number oriented that we kind of miss that monitor. Now we just try to keep you calm.

During both of these surgeries they put you under with a local and a paralytic. That way they didn't have to put anymore undue stress on you. You came out of the paralytic after a few hours, and slowly woke up out of the local. You are amazing. Instead of taking baby steps, you are trying to run.

Thursday night you cost me money sweet boy. We were up at the hospital after your surgery to put in the stomach tube. You were coming out of the anesthesia, and they asked us to go out so that they could do their assessment. (they do this every four hours). Your mom, Chet, Ryan and I went out in the waiting room. 17 minutes went by, and we wanted to go back in (remember, you had no tubes, and we could kiss you all over). Your mom was on the phone (don't act so shocked about that) and Ryan and I went in ahead of her. We walked up on either side of your bed, and I was talking to you and you gave me the biggest smile ever. I was so excited that I ran out in the waiting room to get your Mom.

When she came back in you would not smile, blink, mouth an answer, you were being stubborn to a fault. Your mom thought that I was lying, or that you had gas. Finally, before we left, I told you "Adam you need to do something here. We have to go home with her, she is going to bitch all night long because I got the smile. I will give you a hundred bucks, right now, if you smile for your mom." You looked over at me and gave me the biggest smile ever. I hate to say it, but it was money well spent.

On Friday, they started weaning you down on the meds, they had you at the lowest doses possible, and none of the "milk of amnesia". You are starting to remember stuff, and are able to give us yes and no answers. It is hard to leave you. You have excellent care though.

Yesterday, Saturday, Uncle Guy came to see you in the morning and reported back saying that you were wide awake and fighting like a banshee. I got out of bed and came up to see you. They had you sitting in a chair. How awesome that was. They didn't have your hands tied down, but they had control of you wrist bands. I came in and you kept trying to get up. The nurse asked me if I wanted to hang on to you, if I was okay with that. Of course I was. I could handle you as a bratty kid, I can handle you now. You kept trying to get up, and I couldn't let you. I was laying across you arms, you were trying to lean over and pull your tubes. You are still trying to trick us.

They finally put you back in bed and it was about an hour and a half, and finally you were tired enough from fighting to go to sleep. So I just rubbed your forehead and held your hand. Then I went back to your Moms and took a nap. You had a rough night. You will not sleep, you just want to get up.

When I called about you this morning, they said that you were in physical therapy. WOW !!!! You are amazing. You are getting up to go to the bathroom, and you want the catheter out, but not yet. You are still to weak to stand. We spent 3 hours wrestling you, and you would not go to sleep. Chet was giving you a hard time so I told you I would give you a hundred bucks to flip him off. You would look at me and then look at him, but could not get your fingers to do that. I gave you the hundred anyway. I put the $ 200.00 in your hand, you reached for it. So you had it crumpled in your left hand. We told you to hang on to it, so the nurses wouldn't take it. You hid it under the covers. During all of this, you still wanted to get up, you were fighting like crazy. So you dropped one of the hundreds and Chet grabbed it. He told you he had it, and you looked in your hand and saw that you didn't have them both. We got it back for you, and all was right with the world.

I have it in my purse for you. It is Sunday night and we are getting ready to come and see you. You finally went to sleep at about 6:30 tonight. Joanie the nurses aid and Kirsten were very relieved. They have earned their money today. They moved you today over in front of the nurses station. That way you can be monitered 24/7. You are to willing to rip out your tubes to easily. We don't mind the fight. It us much better than having you unconscious. I love you Sweet Boy and I am hanging on for dear life.

Adam Curtis - Part 3

This is our day today, pretty happy. Sunday night we went to see Adam, and of course he was okay. Just "hangin' around". We stopped by after getting a phone call that was distressing. Matthew was in St. Joseph Hospital. Wow!! He had some pretty bad pain going on, and being the good boy that he is, we knew that it wasn't the brown bottle flu from Saturday night. First he had a trip to Group Death (did I say that?), then they sent him over to St Joes, he had all of the appropriate tests, and lo and behold - we have an emergency appendectomy going on. (Is there a non-emergency appendectomy - of course it was emergency). Ryan, Chet, Sherri, and I went to the hospital and sat in the waiting room, the doctor finally came out and said that he was through, and that he did great. We went up to his room, and had a contest to see who could make him laugh first. I am not sure who won, however, it was fun trying. He is doing great by the way, and home at Chet and Sherri's. He came home on Monday morning, what a Studmuffin. Monday morning I tried to go to work like a normal person (what is normal?- a setting on the dryer!!!) Then about 12:00 PM I went to the hospital. Adam had been moved to a room closer to the nurses station, and required a full time "sitter". Someone who just sits and watches that he doesn't hurt himself. Kind of weird, but neccessary. He is able to communicate, although not alway in the best way. He gets pretty colorful in his wording. The only saving grace is the trake, and he can't get any sound out. I try to fill in for him, and just nods if I get it right. We got home about 6:00 PM for family night. We are all very positive about your recovery, and the hope that you are going to be okay. We don't know if you get to be a "setting on the dryer", but we are optimistic. After dinner, Uncle Guy and I were sitting at the dinner table, about 9:10 PM and I had a weird feeling that it was time to check up on you. I called the hospital, and you were having a rough time. Andrea, your nurse, said that you were fighting her and the sitter pretty hard, she was pretty stressed out. She said that maybe we could come try to calm you down. Mom, Mary O., Ryan and myself went up to the hospital, and you were pretty agitated. Between us, we were able to calm you down. You were not to amused by us, but responded okay. We calmed you down so good, that the charge nurse asked 2 of us to spend the night. We all raised our hand for this. You were in massive pain, and we wondered what was going on. They had sent out a urine sample and you have a urinary tract infection. Pretty bad, you are peeing blood. The burning sensation, and the pain are about to do you in. We finally got meds to treat you about 3 hours later. You kick and fight every time that you have to go to the bathroom, my heart breaks for you. I love you so much, and it hurts to see you in so much pain and confusion. We were able to carry on a conversation with you for the last few days, and you are pretty fun when you aren't frustrated with us. Here are some of the things that you do, they are amusing, frustrating, and sad, but they give us hope You want to write, we give you a pen and paper, your co-ordination isn't to good, so you scribble for us and we tell you how wonderful you did, and hang it on the wall. You mouth words to us, we try to understand, and sometimes, we get it right. Some times we can't figure it out, we say the wrong thing, and you get mad. You look at us like we are stupid, roll your eyes, and shake your head, and say fuck because we are just dumb. We are learning what your different signs mean, and you are so glad when we figure it out on the first try. You know how to tell us you want a mouth swab, your blankets on, moved up in the bed, your hands freed up, when you want to go to the bathroom. We are learning with you buddy. We untie you as much as we can, and then we give you a break. You really don't like to be tied down, but sometimes it has to be done. You get stubborn and we have to keep you safe. Today you wanted me to make a list. I did that, and our list read like this: Shower, Clothes, Phone, and Jello. You wanted the doctor to have it. I finally gave you the phone, you put a few numbers in, and put it down. It wasn't as much fun as you thought it would be. The doctor came in, we told her about all of the things that you want, after she told us what a miracle that you are. On Friday, they were making arrangements to put you in convalescent care, and today you are on your way to a rehabilitation center. She was shocked, she could not believe the leaps and bounds you have made. If you are nothing else, Adam Curtis, you are a true fighter and champion. We were so happy to see, how happy she was. We take all of our hope in doses. Small or large. I have learned to make your faces, and that is scary. You try to trick us all of the time. We say don't go for the cath, you scratch your leg, and grab anyway. You cover your mouth to cough and then lunge for your trake. I finally let you take the trake apart and hold it. Go ahead, it isn't going to kill you, but it is easier to breath with it on. Then you just shrugged and gave it back, and AGAIN, we put it back on. I draw the line at letting you pull out your catheter, I know how important that is to you. And this goes without saying, I have seen your pee pee more that I saw any of my ex-husbands, and that is in the last 30 hours. Thanks for sharing. I tell you that the nurses are going to see your penis, and you just shrug, and shake your head, you don't care. You want all the world to see. We talked to you about your head trauma, that you were in a bad accident, and you just shake your head no. You have felt your incisions, and know you were hurt bad, but do not understand that you were comatose for 3 weeks. Today is the 22nd day after the tragedy. You have to be reminded over and over what is wrong, and what we have to do to keep you safe. You go to sleep, and show fear and surprise everytime you wake up again. We tell you it is okay, and explain it all over again. Kind of like "fifty first dates", you forget and we remind you. Fortunately, you come from a long line of talkers, and we are more than willing to tell you again. You don't like it, but so far, you are managing okay. Adam, you were a stubborn little shit the day I met you, and remain so. I am so grateful that God placed you and your family in my life. Mary has always, since the teenage years, remained faithful in the fact that you are her best friend. I have been blessed to be in the situation I am in now, and able to help your Mom with you, Destiny, Matt and Malia. It is amazing to me how God continues to work in our lives, and has seen fit, to allow us to keep you here with us. I love you little boy !!! Your other Mom - Momma T