Tuesday August 9, 2005

Tuesday August 9, 2005 Today was such a great day I have to stop myself from jumping to the end. As I arrived Zack was again at the nurses station in his chair. He listens to Shirley (nurses aide) and holds his head up when she tells him to. We return to his room and I give him a laptop. He does well with it for a few minutes but then gets frustrated that he can make it do what he wants. When I call home to check on the rest of the kids Zack gets on the phone and whispers to Dylan to “stay out of trouble” (I gave him the instructions). We play baseball for a while and he has his glove on. He uses his right hand and tries to throw the ball. While on his head I put the CAL stickers, including the Centurion (our school mascot) on his helmet. Morning session in the gym, Amy (P.T.) shows him how to use his feet and walk the wheelchair himself into the private therapy room. He unties Amy shoe and gets frustrated when he can’t tie it back. He works a puzzle of shapes, doodles with a pen and marker, catches a balloon while standing up (uses his right hand) and leans back on his elbows. It is a great session. When we return to his room a nurse removes his pic line (a catheter in his upper arm where blood is drawn and antibiotics are given) since he only needs blood drawn for lab work once a week. He takes a short nap until speech at 1:30 with Kathy where he draws a circle with his left hand and tries to write with his right hand. He gets hot and we take his helmet off. He holds the helmet and looks at the stickers. Then he brings it to his mouth and kisses the Centurion. What school loyalty! He ate an entire serving of Applesauce pretty much by himself. I was in a great mood heading down to the gym for our afternoon session at 2:15. Mary Beth (O.T.) starts to work with him putting bolts through holes and screwing the nuts on them. He uses both hands. They decide to try him on one of those aerobics steps to see if he can take a step up. He does it with no problem. Amy looks at Mary Beth and asks if she wants to try walking. They tell Zack if he holds his head up they will let him walk. With one on each side of him, holding his hands, he is off. He walks three times all the way around the basement therapy area (not just the gym). He keeps his head up and for the most part straight ahead. If he starts to look left they let him walk into stuff so he understands what happens if he is not watching where he is going. He walks like a man on a mission and we are all very excited (tears again). These are definitely Kodak moments! His gait is very good except he slightly drags his right toe sometimes. They may have to get him a foot brace for a short period until he can correct that foot. They let him walk up 3 stairs and down. They have a model bus that they use to get patients to adjust to different heights of stairs and using handrails. It has a bench in it that when they turn it on it vibrates like a real bus. Zack walked into the bus and sat on the bench. They turned it on and when it started vibrating he smiled, then laughed and laughed until tears ran down his cheeks. He capped off that session by waving good-bye to Amy and Mary Beth for the first time. I could hardly wait to get back to his room and call Scott. We went to tell Dana (our nurse today) and Zack pulled his wheelchair behind the nurse’s station. He was very interested in Amy (a pretty, young aid) that was working on the computer. He kept pulling his chair up next to her and was practically pushing Dana out of the way. He was flirting with Amy. Finally we get him back to his room, I brush his teeth and give him a shave (he has to look good for the ladies) and he takes a short nap. At 5:45 he has his first session of art therapy and he uses markers to draw on a piece of paper. His first artwork is now hung in his room…not Picasso but we are still very proud of it. When Scott arrives Zack is back in his wheelchair. He likes rolling it around and somehow between he and Scott they roll over my toe (I am wearing flip flops). I holler and jump up holding my foot. Zack looks at me and grins, then he breaks out into a laugh. Rita, Kyle, Logan, and our neighbors Kim, Morgan and Claudia are all privileged to see the wonderful side of his newfound emotions. Logan seems a bit afraid of Zack. She is not used to her brother being in a wheelchair or seeing him so emotional. Scott decides he has to see Zack walk so we take him once around the hallway. I am sure it will be the first of many nights we walk the halls with him. Scott has to leave to be home when Dylan gets off of football practice so he reluctantly hugs Zack goodbye. Ten minutes later Scott calls me crying saying how blessed he feels to walk with Zack again.
At 9:00 P.M. Dale Sharpe and Addison Hobbs arrive with a football signed by the entire team and a football jersey. Zack holds the football and looks at all the signatures. He makes sure the laces are turned just right. He cradles it the way a running back would run the ball. He holds it over his head like he is going to throw it. He “poses” for pictures with his friends. He wants to get out of his room so Dale and Addison take him for a ride through the halls in his wheel chair (you didn’t think I was going to let them walk him… yet). Addison tells me that while in the hall Zack throws him the football with his right hand. All he needs is the right incentive…his friends, balls he remembers throwing and of course pretty girls. He starts to get very emotional and we can all tell he is tired. He gives high fives as everyone leaves and doesn’t quite want to let go of their hands. He gets his bath, falls to sleep and as I enter this he is snoring. We could not be happier or feel more honored to take part in this perfect plan of Gods. A few days ago someone posted how quickly our teenagers grow up and in a way we are lucky to be able to have Zack growing up before our eyes (much like a baby) one more time. We were told to cherish these moments and that is exactly what we are doing. Tonight I ask for prayers for all the other parents of teenagers out there who are agonizing over sending them off to college, driving alone the first time or sitting up late at night waiting for them to come home. We were there 33 days ago and will be there again all to soon. I ask for God to give them patience, wisdom, a keen ear to hear every thing and unconditional love for those strange beings with underdeveloped frontal lobes that think they know everything and are indestructible. May God bless you…you will need it! As always please pray for Zack so he can glorify God with a complete recovery. Now I will float home on cloud 9!