Saturday October 22, 2005

Saturday October 22, 2005 Zack slept until nearly 11:00 today before getting up to eat cereal (Mamma don’t cook a big breakfast at 11:00) and take a shower. He informed me he was going to Trey’s today to hang out and I told him his Dad wanted to take him to watch football. He said O.K. Most of the time he is still very cooperative and compliant (a wonderful trait in a teenager…another blessing). I remind Scott that Zack has to be back by 2:00 because someone special was coming to talk with him and he said no problem since he had a big tennis match. Sidebar: Scott had been mouthing off to one of the other Dads whose son played football with Dylan and was now on the tennis team with him. Scott challenge Officer Brett Adkins to a tennis match and today was the big game. They had both been talking smack to each other but right before the game Brett informs Scott that he has played on a tennis team for the last three years and plays every week. Scott played in high school and hasn’t played in quite a while. Let’s just say although Scott didn’t win he didn’t embarrass himself. At 2:00 Scott Davis arrives to meet Zack. Scott had a snow plow accident when he was a senior at KCD and suffered a traumatic brain injury. It happened on Christmas Eve and he ended up at University, Frazier Rehab and Frazier East just like Zack. His story is great encouragement. He completed his senior year, got his Bachelors Degree in Economics at Duke University and is now at Vanderbilt getting his Masters in Economics. Although he didn’t have his scull removed he suffered more physical injuries/side effects than Zack. He was paralyzed on his right side and damaged the nerve to the left side of his face. His accident was six years ago this December and he just regained the ability to whistle last month. He also had aphasia but it was gone by the time he started college. He said Zack would do fine and had several advantages, namely no physical impairments. His advice to Zack was to not be embarrassed about his accident and try to hide it once he gets to college. Scott said that once he went to Duke he decided not to let anyone know of his injuries and became rather paranoid about it. After another KCD graduate that knew his story came to Duke the year after him, he found out that everyone already knew about the deficits he was trying to hide. He encouraged Zack to consider economics and told him if he ever wanted to tour Vanderbilt he would be glad to take him around. Scott left and Zack asked if we could go to the mall. Zack, the girls and I head to St Mathews and he hooks up with some friends there. It was very hard to leave him and shop with the girls, but since Andrew was with several girls that have been with Zack since his early days in the hospital, I felt I had to let him go. I cautioned the girls to keep him close and walked away. Zack had a good time walking around the mall for about an hour before Andrew called me and said they were leaving. We decide it’s time to leave and meet Scott and Dylan for dinner. In the car Zack tells me he had a good time but wants some friends to come over tonight. He makes calls from my cell phone and is content that he will have visitors tonight. We enjoy our first meal out as a family and (except for a stressful start with four kids of different ages) all went well. We see several people that we know and they are all happy to see us out like a normal family. Most people that see Zack now for the first time have a jaw dropping experience. He looks so good, like a regular teenager, only sweeter. We head home and the friends start to arrive. I got to visit with Dan's Mom and Kailyn's Mom, while Zack played pool and Scott talked with Kaitlyn’s Dad. By 11:00 there were only a few kids left and I was in the office working on the website. Occasionally I would get them a snack and the last group left at 12:30. Andrew is spending the night and I am sure that makes Zack very happy. As I clean up just the food stuff in the basement Zack comes over to tell me that it was a really good night. He said, “We didn’t think anybody was coming over but I had a lost of friends here tonight”. I don’t mind them at all staying even this late as long as I have to be up any way. I just want Zack to have his friend. I want them to be enjoy being here with him. It is a safe place for all of them and great therapy for Zack. I go back and read the website on this day three months ago. It was the day that Dr Mook came to University to assess Zack and tell me he would be able to transfer him to Frazier Rehab once his G-tube was placed. It was also the day that Karen (his physical therapist at University) told us that all kids wake up. We got 32 postings on that day from people giving encouragement. It is heartwarming to remember how many people were praying and how much their postings meant to us. I wonder how many are still reading and praying today. God has heard and answered the prayers of many people and I am eternally grateful for the blessings he has given us. We look at Zack now and see a future that 3 months ago seemed like a dream. We celebrate the miraculous healing that God has done this far and wait with great anticipation for what he has in store for us. Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace”. We are more than at peace we have joy. Please pray for complete recovery.