Wednesday December 14, 2005

Wednesday December 14, 2005 Zack got up at his usual time, ate breakfast, showered and dressed before I was ready to leave. We got out his notebook and read some of the things his friends had wrote to him when he was in the hospital. It touched me deeply how sincerely they professed their belief that he would get better. Zack laughed at how many people (girls and guys) had said they loved him but he appreciated what they wrote. As we drive to Frazier East we talk about the basketball game last night. I took him, with Kyle and Logan, to Ballard High School to see Christian Academy varsity team play. We went because Brooke was playing and Zack wanted to see how good the girl’s team was. He was amazed and kept telling me how awesome Brooke was. He also would point out every girl in the gym that he thought was cute. He started out by sitting with me but before half time he was in the midst of the rest of the Christian Academy students. We left at halftime of the varsity boy’s game and walking out to the car Zack told me he had a really bad headache. On the way home Scott called to say that Tiffany and Britney were at the house waiting for Zack. Since we hadn’t had any dinner yet we decided to meet them at BW3’s but I had barely hung up when Zack told me his head hurt really bad so he just wanted to go home. I called Tiffany back and told her we had to pass and went through Wendy’s drive thru for dinner. Zack ate his food, took some Tylenol and went straight to bed. I was concerned and checked on him to be sure he was all right. By the time I went to bed my imagination was running rampant and I was sure Zack had some kind of blood clot in his brain. I went to bed praying and crying to please let him wake up in the morning. Of course he was fine and woke up smiling with no headache. He frequently rubs on his head because he says it itches which is probably due to his scalp healing. Every time he gets a headache I get a little paranoid. Today he went on an outing to Louisville Science Center. He had a list of questions to answer and certain exhibits to find. I found it interesting that he listed as his favorite exhibits “drunken goggles” (where you put on goggles that inhibit your sight and have to take a field sobriety test) and “out of control” (where you wear the goggle and simulate driving a car drunk). Zack commented that they wrecked a lot when they drove the car with the goggles on. He said his favorite thing to do there was “virtual reality” where he got to play volleyball and soccer (two sports he won’t get to play for at least 2 years). They went to McDonalds to eat and when I picked him up at 3:00 he was very tired and went straight to bed when he got home. Laura (one of the girls in the accident) came to see him tonight. They watched a movie and played pool and before she left they were reading his notebook. I talked to him about getting him some time off of therapy during Christmas break so he could spend time with his friends. Leslie (speech therapist) and Suzanne (occupation therapist) will both be off at separate times so his therapy will be on a different schedule and not as intense. He really thinks it’s unfair that his friends get out of school and he doesn’t so Leslie agreed that it wouldn’t hurt him to have a little break. She told me that Zack commented that he wasn’t going to like the snow this year because that just meant he had to stay inside and watch movies. At least he understands that for him the snow is not safe. Now we have to plan some things for him to do with his friends or he told me he planned to sleep a lot. I called several of his friends and told them that Zack would like to get together over break but he could not go sleigh riding, skiing or ice skating. The movies, bowling, mall or hanging out at some ones house were all options but I wanted to get some plans in place in advance. If you have teenagers you can appreciate how hard that is to do because they don’t like to make plans. Even going to the movies is different, they don’t decide what they are going to see until they get there and don’t seem to mind if they have missed part of the movie. We are actually in a position where most parents of teenagers would like to experience…in control of their social life. It is much more critical for us with Zack for obvious reasons but the unique thing is that his friends understand what we have gone through these last five months. They are willing to cooperate with rules that might seem a little smothering to some but they have been with us through all his recovery and appreciate are fear. Zack has such good friends and it doesn’t hurt that I have documented his experience in pictures as a reminder. Now I can give them the notebook and let them read about how they were feeling only a short time ago and it puts everything back in perspective. We want Zack to be happy, enjoy his friends but he has to be safe. When he goes to bed tonight he is tired but happy, no headache. He comes to hug me and tells me he loves me. He hugs Kyle who is eager for his attention. We close another day looking to a bright tomorrow. Not knowing what is in store a month from now but accepting that it is in God’s hands. He will make everything right in His time. Time is what we need most and time is in His hands. Pray for contentment for Zack during Christmas break to do things with his friends that are safe. Pray that his friends never forget the lesson that Zack lives each day. Pray for continued healing for God’s glory.