Monday August 29, 2005

Monday August 29, 2005 I was late getting here because of the rain and a 6-car accident on I-64. When I arrived Zack was at the nurses station and had just finished breakfast. He was in a good mood joking around with the staff. We headed to his room to get dressed and he told me he wanted to go swimming so we discussed that it was still summer. Speech in his room with Kathy at 9:00 and Zack is putting complex endings on sentences. He was very fidgety but all smiles. His answers started to get very random and weird by the time they were through. P.T. with Amy in the gym at 10:00 and she wanted him to throw a baseball like a pitcher (step out and throw). He had great form and started to laugh. Then she had him throw the football the same way. Amy put him on the exercise bike for 7 minutes working on endurance. No rest before moving to the mat for push ups and the step bench. O.T. with Mary Beth and she asked him how his weekend was. He answered, “I fell down. My accident is getting better” (apparently he remembers Sunday better than we think). He couldn’t write his name today and Mary Beth said he must have something else on his mind. He kept wanting to play hangman. They worked on recognizing coins and reading the days of the week. He had to duplicate a pattern of blocks that she kept making harder. He would get frustrated. He walked on his hands and feet, tummy up and complained that it hurt. Then he would do it again. No matter how much he complains if they ask him to do another one he will. It amazes me how determined he is even though it hurts. She had him walk and dribble with his right hand. She had him divide a deck of cards into suits using only his right hand. She suggested that we bring spare change up to his room, let him place all the coins face up, sorting them into groups and then drop them ion a jar with his right hand. This works his fine motor skills, pinching with index and thumb. He returns to his room to lay down until lunch arrives. Mary Beth decides to join us one more day and when he started eating he burned his mouth. He got very upset and emotional but soon forgot how hot it was and burned his mouth again. Now he was mad at us for letting him take another bite. He has time to finish his nap after lunch but when he woke up he was not in a very good mood (maybe his tongue was scorched)_. Afternoon speech therapy Kathy started with more complex yes or no questions (he got 85% right). He asked for paper to make an airplane and followed various directions. Back in P.T. with Amy and Zack was very emotional, a little angry. He doesn’t accomplish as much in the afternoon as he did in the
Morning. The mood swings are very apparent now and I am anxious to have his team discuss starting Zolof. He lays down to rest before O.T. and falls asleep. Forty minutes later he gets up too quickly and has a “spell” (that’s what we are calling them now that we know they aren’t seizures) because we forgot to march his feet before taking off.
O.T. with Mary Beth in the afternoon and Zack got frustrated. He got mad, took off his helmet and threw it on the floor but he got over it and apologized. Mary Beth had him on the computer game and he got his best score. Back in the room he did knock knock jokes with Rita (Scott’s Mom) and told her she was goofy. Big John (a 14 year old patient from Mayfield) comes to see Zack and brings him a really big bean-filled baseball. They play catch for a while until his dinner arrives. Zack seems very restless after dinner so we take a walk in his wheelchair, around the block outside. We go in and he is desperate for a shower. He gets new clothes on and sits to wait for his friends to arrive. Ten minutes later he is in bed. Fortunately Tiffany arrives and he is ready to get up and visit. We decide to try something Mary Beth said would be good therapy. He has to balance a chair on two legs with his right hand while doing something else with his left hand. He has a tendency to forget about his right hand so this will help him. Mary Beth felt like throwing a ball while balancing the chair would be too difficult but that’s what we decided to try. We threw the ball a few times when Zack decided to make it harder. He stood on one foot, while balancing the chair and throwing the ball. We were very impressed and Zack was proud to show off. Trey, Andrew and Taylor arrive and Zack's whole demeanor changes. He is happy, joking, laughing and throwing Big John’s baseball around. He has been moody and depressed since lunch but now he is just a teenager chilling out with his friends. God has blessed Zack with genuine, faithful friends who encourage him everyday. Scott has called and wants to switch places so he can spend an hour or two with Zack before he goes to bed. I need to go home and see Dylan and the girls. Pray that his friends don’t give up. Pray that soon he will be able to enjoy their company away from hospitals. Pray that he will continue to rely on his faith when he feels lonely and sad. Pray for his complete recovery for the Glory of God