Sunday August 28, 2005

Sunday August 28, 2005 Zack woke up once during the night last night and used the call button to get the nurse to his room. He told her that he woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. She asked him if he wanted something to help him sleep and when he said yes she gave him Trazadone. He then slept until 8:15 when he got up to eat breakfast. Afterwards he took part of the newspaper and wrapped it around himself. When the nurse asked him if he was cold and needed a blanket he said yes. She said he was very resourceful. He wanted to go outside so Rita (Scott’s Mom) took him for a ride in his wheelchair. He wanted to pick a flower for his Mom. Rita asked him if he was going to get married. He said yes on Oct. 5th (news to me) and he wanted to have 5 kids. At 9:00 he called his Dad to see what he was doing. Now he likes to talk on the phone. At 10:00 Dr. Boran and Dr Shaw come in to check on Zack and see if the results of his EEG were available. Zack took a nap before lunch and when he woke up and headed to the bathroom at 11:30 he had another attack. Dr Boran came back to say the result were not in yet. Zack fell asleep in his recliner watching T.V. He got up at 12:20 and had another attack and this time fell to his knees. It scared him and he was very upset and started to cry. He called me and wanted to know when I would be there. I arrived after church while he was eating lunch. He was still upset about the fall and told me to fix him. He is used to me taking control and talking to the doctors. I told him not to worry about it any more that that was my job and I would take care of it. He told me we have to get out of here. I asked him where he wanted to go and he said home. When we get up to brush his teeth he asked me, “when are we both getting out of here”? I promised him as soon as he was through with therapy here we would go home. 2:00 Steve Smith from Southeast Christian Church comes by to give Zack communion. He also happens to be an E.R. doctor at Baptist East and we discuss what has been happening to Zack. He also thinks it is blood pressure related and not seizures. 3:00 Dr. Puri (pediatric neurologist on call) comes to discuss the results of Zack’s EEG. He said there was some irregular activity on the right side of his brain but not significant. It only showed that if Zack were to have a seizure it would most likely originate on the right side. He confirmed the problem was orthostatic hypotension: a sudden drop in blood pressure due to position changes. He started him on Florinef, a drug that regulates the blood pressure by helping the body retain fluid. He said the dazed look in Zack’s eyes was due to not enough blood getting to the brain. As you sit or lie down for a long period of time, blood pools in your calves. When you stand up the blood rushes to your head feeding the brain. Zack’s doesn’t happen fast enough causing him to be dizzy. He said this condition is common in tall, thin teenagers especially if they have a growth spurt. There is also a genetic factor if a parent has a history of low blood pressure. Zack fits this profile perfectly. He has recently gone through a growth spurt and lost a lot of weight. I have always had low blood pressure. Dr. Puri suggested a new way for Zack to get up. Before he stands he needs to wiggle his feet, then stand and lift his knees up and down a few times. This will pump the blood up to his brain. He also wants him drinking 10 to 12 glasses of fluids a day and Gatorade would be a good choice. Although Dr.Holmes will continue to see Zack while he is here he does not see outpatients. Once Zack leaves Frazier he will be seen by Dr. Puri. I am so grateful that Dr. Puri came by and took the time to explain everything to me. It isn’t so scary now knowing the cause of these attacks and how to treat them. Dave Stone and his family arrive while Dr. Puri is finishing up and Zack is able to visit with them for a while. By 6:00 Zack has finished dinner and is putting in his room with the golf club and putting green his Dad brought in. He has several of his friends visit (two at a time so people are really helping me follow the visiting rules). At 8:00 he said he wanted to call his Dad. I asked him if he remembered our home phone number and he said it. I asked him if he could dial it and he did. He told his dad he wanted to go fishing. When they hung up I asked him if he remembered my cell phone number and he did. He also knew Scott’s cell phone number but he couldn’t remember his own (not surprising since he never called himself). He is doing so well it’s amazing. People that haven’t seen him for a week or even a few days are shocked at his progress.
10:30 PM Zack was laying in bed and said he wanted to see the computer. I got the laptop for him and typed his name. Then he typed “zackistheonlywaytoshowyou”. I asked him what that meant and he just shrugged his shoulders. This is the first thing Zack has typed since his accident. I think that maybe God has revealed to him that His discipline may seem harsh but that Zack is the only way to show you His healing power. He has come so far and we know the hand of God has been on him. Prayers have lifted him up since day one. It reminds me of the song we sang in church this morning: “You said, ask and I’ll give the Nations to you. Oh Lord, that’s the cry of my heart”. People from many nations are praying for him. I know that is not what the writer of this song meant but we can no longer sit and church and not apply every scripture and lyric to our situation. We feel so blessed that God has drawn us into His Word so intimately. To know the meaning of Him as our shelter. To believe that we will have life more abundantly. Do not weep for us but weep for those who go through similar tragedies and don’t know Jesus. They have no shelter in the storm. We are wrapped in His loving arms and each day He sends us new hope. I hear Him whisper to me still “just wait until tomorrow”. Pray for Zack’s mixed up words so he will be able to communicate his needs. Pray for complete recovery.