Saturday October 1, 2005

Saturday October 1, 2005 Zack was sleeping peacefully when I arrived and I finally had to wake him to eat breakfast at 8:30. Half way through his meal he looks at me and say, “When I’m through with this I’m getting back in that bed”. Our nurse Donna comes in to take his blood pressure. His heart rate goes up when he stands now and then levels off before going back down. They are trying to figure out why and I am thinking the Florenef that he is still taking for his low blood pressure has something to do with it. Once Donna leaves Zack tells me, “I sucked at doing that for her”. I explain that he can’t help what his heart rate is but he wants to do well at everything. I tuck him back in bed, remove his helmet and rub his head. He loves it and says, “You can stay and keep petting my head”. I imagine it feels pretty bizarre on the right side where there is no bone flap. O.T. at 11:30 with Trina and I had to drag Zack out of bed and down to the gym. Four years ago Trina’s little brother had an accident with a traumatic brain injury and he went to Dallas. She told us how much they did for him and he was not as far along in his recovery as Zack is. Zack is on the computer playing the memory game and Trina is impressed. Zack gets more correct than she does and we decide that game is too easy for him. He moves to the picture identification game and this one is very hard for him. Aphasia takes over when he has to identify objects and Trina is really stumped by it all. Aphasia is difficult to understand which is why we need to go to Dallas and get intense therapy for it there. We go play Chinese Checkers and he beats me for the 1st time.
When we get back to our room Zack decides he is too hungry to wait for the lunch tray to come and wants to go to McDonalds. We head out the door as Kelsey and her Dad arrive so they go with us. Sitting in McDonalds Zack talks to Kelsey about school. He tells her, “I’m going back to school after this next 3”. Kelsey asked me how long he would be in Dallas and I tell her 3 months. We figure out that Zack was saying he would be back in school in three months after he returned from Dallas. I am impressed that he remembers that I said he would go there for three months. Then he asked her, “How long have you been in this period”. It took us a while to figure this one out but after some discussion we realize he wants to know how long she has been in school so he can figure out what semester (or period) this is in the school year. He can’t wait to return to Christian Academy. What a day that will be…can a parade be arranged (lol)? We return to the room and teach Kelsey and her Dad how to play the card game “Golf” We also have the U of L game on and Zack is very interested in it. After a touchdown he says, “I love watching these men because they play so good”. I think he is paying more attention to the U of L game than “golf” because he has his worst game ever. I am thinking about how much I enjoy playing cards with him and I ask him what I will do without him. He responds, “Probably kill yourself” and laughs. As we continue to play our card game I make Zack add up everyone’s points after each hand and he does it easily. He also correctly remembers whose turn it is to deal and I am seeing other little signs that the short-term memory is improving all the time. If we could only beat this aphasia. Time for a nap until Zack’s cousins stop by. He gets up and entertains them with his dancing. Then he decides that he is hungry and wants to go to McDonalds. I explain that his dinner will be arriving anytime but he claims he is starving. I talk him into waiting 30 minutes and when the food still isn’t here he gets mad at me because I want him to wait longer. Dale and Lauren come to visit and they play “golf”. He decides I can’t play because I make him eat hospital food. His tray arrives late and when we see what’s for dinner he makes his point. I promise I would have his Dad bring him a pizza. He is getting pickier about what he eats. A month ago he would have eaten anything you put in front of him but I guess this is a sign of recovery. Trey and Dan arrive with Rick Thompson (in for the weekend from Western). Rick hasn’t seen Zack in a long time and is so happy to see him looking so good. They all danced and Zack sang all the songs. They asked Zack everybody in the rooms name and he correctly guessed them all. They get the Nintendo cart and Zack beats Rick in a computer golf game. The guys leave and Rick forgets his keys because Lauren hid them. Zack finds the whole thing very amusing when Rick has to come back to search for his keys. When it’s time for them to leave Zack shows Dale and Lauren the “secret” way out through Jewish Hospital. His friends had spent prime time on a Saturday night visiting with Zack. They are in part responsible for how quickly Zack is recovering because they bring normalcy and stimulation to his potentially boring times in his room. We are so blessed that they continue to support him and, whether they know it or not, they are serving in the image of Christ. I got to be with Dylan and the girls at Coach English’s house for the football cookout. I was good medicine for me to spend time with my kids socializing. I am able to lie down on a blanket and look at the stars with Logan (something I haven’t been able to do in a long time). Everyone asked Zack, wanting to know if he would be going to Dallas, and telling me that they faithfully keep up with his progress on the website. These are the Christian Academy families that have supported us with dinners, encouragement, service and prayers. We thank each and every one who continues to lift Zack up in prayer for his complete recovery. Ask our merciful God to end the aphasia and heal him.