Thursday February 28, 2006

Tuesday February 28, 2006 Zack’s first day back in school was an incredible blessing. He had trouble sleeping last night, partly because he was so excited and partly because his new medication was upsetting his stomach. He asked me to wake him early so he would have plenty of time to get ready (of course he had to look good for the ladies) but when I got him up at 6:45 he told me he didn’t go to sleep until 1:00 AM. When we arrived at school I had to take a picture of him in the parking lot (he was worried someone might see us) because 6 months ago this day was unthinkable. I told Zack that my heart was beating fast as we walked to the front door because this was such a big day. We went to the office to get his locker assignment and started seeing all his friends in the hall. His first session with Carol Britton in Rhythmic Writing went better than she expected. He embraced the whole process and later even told us he liked it. He did equally as well in Instrumental Enrichment. A work sheet that typically takes a student 30 minutes to complete he finished in 8 minutes. I watched over his shoulder as he connected dots to create the appropriate squares and triangles and he was able to find them amongst these random dots much faster that I could. He had World Civilization and they started a new chapter on Ghandi and have a paper to write. He told Carol and I he wants to do the paper himself and plans on getting an A. He also had Honors Algebra II (a class he has not taken yet) and was a little lost as his teacher began a new lesson (apparently other students had difficulty as well). In computer they were given an assignment to research a company that they were familiar with and put together a PowerPoint presentation. His computer teacher told him he could do it on himself and Zack has decided that is what he wants to do. It could end up being his testimony of what has happened to him and how he has come this far. I won’t want to miss the day he gives his presentation. Since his Bible teacher was on a field trip he worked with Carol through that period but he will have Bible on Thursday. He is pleased that he gets to go to school on Thursday because they have Chapel and he says he can’t wait to worship. He was all smiles today, delighted that he was back in school with his friends and not wanting me hanging around too much. Carol told me he even saw Dylan in the hallway and called him over to give him a hug. His homeroom teacher stopped me in the hallway and asked if there was a way Zack could come and visit them in the morning. In high school you have the same homeroom all four years and these students were really expecting to see Zack this morning. Instead he starts each day with Carol so they were very disappointed. We are making arrangements for him to be able to start later with Carol this Thursday so he can visit his old homeroom class again. Tonight he wanted to go to the first basketball District Championship game but had to go to soldier practice. He will have pageant practice from 6:00 – 10:00 nearly every night now until the pageant is over on March 30th. He is not in every scene so he is able to take his laptop and books to do his homework when he is not required to be on stage. Everything seems to be falling right in place. He is still dealing with aphasia but it is much better. We will have to explain old terms and new concepts but we are very fortunate to have Carol working with him. She is very positive, encouraging and believes in him, which has proven to be his best motivation. I have had several conversations with her about how determination and attitude will take you farther in many areas than pure ability. It seems when concepts are just out of his grasp he pushes himself to prove he can do it. He still obviously has God walking beside him, guiding him, whispering words of encouragement, revealing Himself daily. We are profoundly affected by the power of prayer and how it has become the catalyst for getting us through each obstacle. Zack’s headaches have disappeared as quickly as they came upon him. His memory for past events improves every day. He is acing every drivers quiz they give him at Frazier (ok maybe that one is not such a blessing considering the next step is actually letting him drive). His first day back in school couldn’t have gone any better. We are pushing forward. His attitude is positive and one trusting in God’s perfect plan. The next few weeks will be a true test of his stamina (with late night pageant practice) and an opportunity to be a testimony to God’s awesome power. We ask for your continued prayers for complete recovery for the Glory of God.

Thursday February 23, 2006

Thursday February 23, 2006 We’ve had a busy week getting ready for Zack’s return to school. It was hard for Zack to go to therapy this past Friday and Monday since all his friends (and brother and sisters) were out of school. Suzanne (occupational therapy) has told me that Zack knows the driving manual better than she does. He has read it from cover to cover, highlighted the important facts and entered these as notes into the computer. Although they have established a check list that he needs to complete, it won’t be much longer before we have no excuse to hold him back from taking his permit test (unfortunately parental nervousness doesn’t prevent him from driving). Monday we received an email about a teenage girl who had been in a car accident on Saturday and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her family was waiting for news at University Hospital where her scull was removed and we were asked to go offer some comforting words of hope. I called Zack and told him the situation and he was very anxious to go speak with her family and show them how far he had come in such a short time. He asked if we would be able to see her and I explained that was not likely to happen but he said he wanted to go anyway. As I was preparing to pick him up I received a phone call explaining that the doctors had called the family together telling them that she was not likely to live through the day and perhaps our visit might be awkward. God did call her home and Zack was even more aware of how blessed we are. He says he really wants to go back to Frazier Rehab and talk to kids that are messed up and encourage them to work hard to get better. He is the perfect one to show them how a positive attitude, determination and faith can conquer obstacles that seem insurmountable. I know that some day he will be given the opportunity to share his struggles with another patient going through the same thing.
This morning Scott and I met with the staff and teachers at Christian Academy to discuss Zack’s schedule and answer questions. We feel very fortunate that even though his teachers are apprehensive (they have never done this before) they are excited about his return. They understand that he should be given homework and take tests but that the content of the material is not as important as the overall learning process. God has again blessed us with additional support for Carol Britton (who will be working with him through the Discovery Program) with Jalynn Speaks. Before her career in education she was a speech therapist for 15 years. She serves as Academic Support at Christian Academy and will be an important member of Zack’s new education team. Isn’t it amazing how God has placed just the right people in our path? We have Carol (one of only three people training in Instrumental Enrichment in KY) and now Jalynn. Our personal evidence of intelligent design…His perfect plan at work. Zack calls me mid morning to see how our meeting went and I tell him they are awaiting his return. He reminds me that he is cooking dinner for us today. In occupational therapy his current project was to pick an entrée, shop for the ingredients, read the instructions and cook it. He made stuffed chicken breast with mushrooms and spinach and Suzanne said he was so proud of himself. Once he was home he told us to be sure to wake him from his nap at 6:00 so he could put the finishing touch (pepper jack cheese) on his masterpiece before serving. It was delicious and we told Zack that now he had to start cooking once a week.
He went to his first official practice for the Easter pageant with Scott tonight and he came home talking about the people he met. Although he will have an intensive practice schedule (6:00 -10:00 many nights) we feel that this experience will be good therapy. He will be tired but I think God will give us extra minutes in those days to study and get homework done (at least we are counting on it). At times when things seem overwhelming we have to step back and think about how things could have been. We focus on how far Zack has come and not how challenging the future seems. At other times I have to stop myself from becoming overly optimistic, envisioning great things Zack will do, but when you have seen how awesome and powerful God is through this recovery it is hard to put limits on Him. We know that if it is in His plan Zack will fully recover and be an inspiration to many. We also trust that God can use Zack just the way he is and we won’t feel cheated. We know God’s plan is perfect and he is in control. We find comfort in Psalms 31:14 “I trust in you, O Lord…My times are in your hands” and Psalm 142:3 “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, you knew my path”. We ask that you continue to watch God’s healing hand at work and marvel at His mercy. We ask that you continue to believe that prayer pierces the ears of God and He desires to show us His wondrous glory. Pray that His glory will be revealed through Zack’s complete recovery.

Wednesday February 15, 2006

Wednesday February 15, 2006 Zack is still battling fatigue and headaches but they don’t seem to be as severe or frequent. After a discussion with his vision therapist she feels that the headaches could be from eye strain. Because his visual perception problem makes reading difficult, the strain from this could be causing headaches. A simple solution could be reading glasses that enlarge the letters so that he doesn’t have to work as hard on focusing while reading. We are still waiting on insurance approval for the ACH-E inhibitor that will facilitate memory. Dr Perri is hoping that once he starts on this new medication we may see some relief from fatigue. Since fatigue seems to effect him the most in the afternoon we may try a Mountain Dew in his lunch for a little added pick me up. Wouldn’t it just be God’s way to solve our current problems so simply, with a little caffeine in soda and reading glasses. Saturday Zack bowled in the Brain Injury Association of Ky. bowling tournament and his team (Zack, Scott, Andrew and Andrew’s Dad) came in 2nd, missing first place by only 14 pins. Zack bowled well, many of his friends came to support him and he had a great time, so he really wasn’t that disappointed that his team didn’t win. Fox 41 came to the bowling alley to do a follow up story on him (they did the first story when he was as Frazier Rehab). Zack did a great job on his interview and we have had a lot of positive comments from people who saw him on TV.
We have been to a lot of Christian Academy (CAL) basketball games lately, mostly to see Zack’s friend Brooke play on the Girls Varsity Team. This gives him an opportunity to socialize with other students at CAL and to still feel like part of the student body. Several times he has seen different teachers, Mr. Greener or Mr. McKinley and everyone talks to him about his return to school. Scott and I will meet with the counselors, several teachers, Mr. Greener and Carol Britton next Thursday for a special conference to finalize Zack’s return on February 28th. Kyle has now started counting the days and reminding Zack. Thanks to everyone who has posted suggestions on how to obtain the laptop/notebook that Zack will need. We are pursuing several options and hope to have one by the time Zack starts his 2nd week of school. Now we are juggling his therapy schedule since he has vision therapy on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Frazier East which will soon be the days that he is in school. We will have to work on a whole new schedule to fit in the various therapies so that it doesn’t wear him out or interfere with school. I can only envision how much harder that will be once Zack is deeply involved with pageant practice (and the two weeks that he will perform every night). I know that God will bless his involvement in the Easter Pageant and maybe it will be with added energy and enthusiasm. Zack is still very cooperative. When we explain why certain schedules may have to change and how that will impact his ability to hang out with his friends, he agrees to focus on what is most important. I’m sure his friends will be as excited to see him return to school as he is to be back so that his first week could be a little distracting. Once things settle down I believe his teachers will appreciate his positive attitude and willingness to give 110%. After all they get to work side by side with God (a ring side seat to one of His current miracles) and have a hand in Zack’s recovery.
This weekend Zack is going to the Homecoming Dance at Male High School. He has several friends there (including our next door neighbor) and will be the date of two lucky ladies, Ashley and Dani. He says he is really looking forward to dancing again and I am sure he will not lack for partners. Of course Valentine’s Day did not go by unnoticed with two little girls in our house. Zack picked out a card from me that said “To my Husband”. When I looked at him like he was confused he laughed and told me to read it because he thought it was very funny. It contained a button that said “I’d be lost without my wife” which we made Scott wear to work that day. He wrote “I love you. Thanks for being there for me in the hospital. Please just stay with me. I love you”. His card to Scott was equally funny and touching. It was a birthday card with a little girl and her dog dressed in a tu-tu. He thought it was hilarious and it didn’t bother him in the least that it was not a Valentine’s card. To Scott he wrote “I just wanted to say thanks for being there for me and just try to stick to it. Thanks for being so scared when you first saw me in the hospital. Please just guide me to going to heaven. Thanks for being there Dad”. Of course Scott and I were both in tears and had to hold off reading our cards to each other. Another holiday that means so much more than it did last year. I spoke this morning at North Oldham Middle School to about 75 students through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. After some initial electronic problems (the lap top for my slides wouldn’t work, then the projector failed and the mic wouldn’t cooperate) we finally got started. This was about the 8th or 9th time I have done this but I was still emotional. I think looking at the faces of teenagers and talking about Zack, choices, struggles, prayers, forgiveness, authority, grace…it makes me realize just how far God has carried us. How blessed we truly are to put our faith in the great physician. Zack told me he enjoyed giving the interview on TV, he wasn’t scared and thought it was good. He said the same thing when he answered questions at Hurstbourne Baptist Church. I pray that God is preparing him for the day when he can give his own testimony. How much more of an impact would it make on a teenage audience to have one of their own confront them with their choices. To have him explain how God will walk with them “through the valley of the shadow of death”. They will not be alone. How powerful it will be to hear Zack tell his story. I know we are a ways away from that right now but maybe that is what God impresses upon him when he is running. Zack frequently comes back from his trek around the neighborhood and tells me he got closer to God.
We no longer fear tomorrow. At times we may be anxious or a little apprehensive but we are not afraid. We trust God. We must trust that he not only knows what is best but He also knows what is ahead. And recovery is ahead. Pray that Zack’s return to school will be seen as a blessing by everyone. Pray that his involvement in the Easter Pageant will be a spiritual experience that will energize him, not wear him out. Pray for his complete recovery for the glory of God!

Thursday February 9, 2006

Thursday February 9, 2006 Sorry for the absence but we have had some computer problems that have finally gotten resolved. This past weekend was busy. Zack and I, along with several of his friends and Dylan went to the Winter Jam concert at the Fairgrounds on Saturday night. Zack was very excited to see Toby Mac perform again and also enjoyed the worship songs by News Boys. He is finally convinced that white boys can rap and is now one of Toby Mac’s biggest fans. We went to the Jaha’s for a Super Bowl party and Zack got lucky and won $40 in the final jackpot. This makes him very happy since he has been trying to convince me to let him get a job. He says he needs to earn money because he doesn’t always want to ask us for money to go out with his friends (fortunately bowling is cheap). I think I made him realize that between the homework he has to do and the nap he wants to take that he has no time left to go to work. We have promised to find ways for him to earn money. This week we have been preparing (emotionally) for our meeting with his therapy team and Carol Britton from Christian Academy. Zack and I talk about it on our way to Frazier each morning and when I picked him up on Monday he said he had a question to ask me. I braced myself for his usual funny comment but he was serious. He asked me if he was smart before the accident. I replied that he was a very good student and didn’t really have to try very hard.
Then he asked, “Will I be smart again?” I explained that he was still smart, intelligence doesn’t change, and he just processes information differently. I told him school would be hard but I knew he would try his best and that would be good enough. Zack had a really rough day on Tuesday. He was very tired and even took a nap during lunch. He had a really bad headache and called Scott twice to tell him how tired he was and how bad his head hurt. Then he called him to ask what our dog’s name was. Leslie (speech) had asked him and he wasn’t sure of the answer. This really alarmed Scott who called me very upset. Zack took Amantadine (brain stimulant) for the last time this past Friday and Scott is afraid that he can’t focus well without it. I assure him that I would speak with Dr Perri and we would also address the headaches and fatigue. When Dr Perri returns my call we discuss these recent changes. He feels that Zack is having withdrawal symptoms from the Amantadine and asked that we be patient. He also feels once Zack starts Excelon (ACH-E inhibitor to facilitate memory) that we will see his focused attention return. He is hoping that the fatigue is just another withdrawal symptom that will disappear in a few days. We are both concerned about the headaches. He has been having headaches for about two months but usually only once a week. Now they seem to be every day. Dr Perri suggest that maybe the Vision Therapy is contributing to his headaches and that once he gets through these series of vision exercises we will see them decrease. Once they arrive home Scott gives Zack Tylenol and he rest. Scott calls to tell me that he talked to Zack about forgetting our dog Toby’s name and Zack had a reasonable excuse. He said he thought his name was Toby but since we just went to the Toby Mac concert he was afraid that the name Toby was stuck in his head. Makes sense to me. Tuesday night I take Dylan and the girls to see the Christian Academy Varsity basketball game. Zack’s friend Brooke would be playing and we didn’t want to miss it. Scott dropped Zack off once he figured out that Zack didn’t have pageant practice. Zack enjoyed sitting with his friends at the girls game but motioned to me that he was getting a head ache. By the time the Varsity boys game started I could tell Zack felt bad because he was no longer laughing. He told me he was ready to leave after the first quarter. Once home he goes straight to bed and sleeps 10 hours.
Our meeting Wednesday afternoon went very well. We discussed his return to school, the classes he would take and what would be expected. He starts school on February 28th and will go on Tuesdays and Thursdays (he will be back at Frazier for therapy on Mon, Wed, Fri). He will take Honors Algebra I (which he got an A in last year), World Civilization, Computer and Bible. He will spend 4 periods with Carol who will help him review and organize his notes, develop cues to determine what information is important, Rhythmic Writing and Instrumental Enrichment. His therapist feels he will do well in computer because he has a natural affinity for it. Zack said he would do good in Bible (he knows about God). Since his early days at Frazier Rehab, scripture verses have come back to him much the same way as the words to songs. Since he has already had these classes before and passed them, test scores aren’t going to be important. The purpose of the rest of this school year is to teach him new ways to take notes, study and learn. We will look for techniques to form new nuero pathways to the information his brain has stored that his injury has severed. Leslie (speech therapist) asked him what his motivation was to do well in school. They are concerned that since he knows his test will not count that he may not take it seriously and won’t try his best. Zack leans back and smiles at Dr Perri (psych). Dr Perri grins and shakes his head because he knows what Zack will say. His motivation is the “girls”! He and Zack have discussed many times how much Zack is looking forward to being back “in school” with people his own age, especially the girls. I decide to explain to Zack that his motivation is to do his very best so that when he returns in the Fall it will be as a junior. Not as a sophomore. He looks around surprised and asks if that is possible. They all nod in agreement that he has to prove himself, work hard, so that he can move into his junior year. We discuss the need for Zack to have a laptop (notebook) to take notes on during class. He will not be able to keep up if he takes notes by hand but they feel that he could take notes and organize them later if he could do it on a laptop. I will come up with a way to get him one (any ideas…I know they are expensive). Suzanne (O.T.) informs us that we will be losing Jose (O.T. student) next week. He has been working with Zack for the last three months and Zack really likes him. They play baseball and Jose has helped Zack study for his drivers permit test. Jose was the one concerned whether Zack would be participating in extracurricular activities at school. He says he knows that Zack gets energized by that and it will keep him motivated. I explain that Zack will be pretty busy practicing for the Easter Pageant but we see to it that he gets to have fun too. He really loves to bowl so Scott takes him frequently and he goes with his friends. As we leave Jose asked me if it would be OK if he stays in touch with Zack and gets together with him sometimes. He explained that they exchanged mobile numbers and he showed Zack how to store appointments on the calendar in his phone. I am delighted that Jose is concerned and fond enough of Zack to continue to see him once he leaves. I tell him he can come see him any time and hang out with Zack at the pool this summer. On our drive home Zack tells me he thought the meeting went very good and he can’t wait to get back to school. He says he is usually scared around people of authority from school but he is not scared around Carol at all. That is really good since he will be spending a lot of time with her at school and she is excited about working with him. Zack can’t believe that Jose will be leaving and wants to get him a ticket to the Easter Pageant. He reminded me that he was going to church tonight and although he was tired he didn’t need to take a nap. Scott and I talk about what to expect once Zack returns to school. We are anxious to get his medication stabilized and resolve these headaches. We encourage one another to stay focused on today and the immediate future. It is hard as parents not to fret over your children and their future. To wonder how Zack will manage in school next year, what kind of job he will get, how he will fend for himself when we are not there. And then we are reminded to trust in the God that cares so much for us. He has promised to be a light onto our path. Our path is the area or time right in front of us. Not next year, but today. We look back at all the times he rescued us and are comforted that He is in control. We ask for prayers that Zack’s headaches will go away. We ask for patience to wait for God’s leading once Zack returns to school. We ask for your confident prayers in Gods power to heal Zack completely. For the glory of God we pray for complete recovery.

Note: come cheer Zack on at Rose Bowl on Goldsmith Lane Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00
in the Brain Injury Association of Ky. Bowling Tournament

Thrusday February 2, 2006

Thursday February 2, 2006 Life seems to be settling down into a very normal routine. Zack has therapy everyday at Frazier East from 9:00 to 3:00 and the rest of the kids are at Christian Academy. Scott and I are back into our work schedule and juggling who is going to cook, go to the grocery and get Kyle and Dylan to basketball practice. Zack really looks forward to evenings bowling with various friends and time alone to run. He doesn’t watch TV much at all. If he is not with friends he spends his evenings playing solitaire on the computer, football or baseball on the Nintendo, pool with Dylan or Scott or cards with Kyle or me. I asked him tonight why he doesn’t watch TV any more and he said that he noticed it too. He says that other than watching a football or basketball game he just doesn’t find TV interesting. He has really buckled down doing his homework which at this point isn’t really very much. Leslie (speech) has started making him summarize what he is reading and he is taking it seriously. He has to hand written it but he often types it out first on the computer as a rough draft. It is only a paragraph but he always brings it to me to read and is proud of his work. He told me yesterday that he feels like he is getting smarter. It is getting easier for him to read and his comprehension is better. Aphasia is still a real barrier. At times I think everything is fine but then we are faced with how prominent this disorder has gripped him. Tonight he was helping me serve dinner. I asked him to put potatoes on everyone’s plate and he picks up the butter and asked, “Is this potatoes?” Then I asked him if he wanted gravy on his potatoes and he asked, “What is gravy?” Food still seems to be an area that he really struggles with but he doesn’t get frustrated. He just asks questions and guesses a lot. Sometimes it seems as though he has never heard of certain foods but then once I tell him “You loved this” he will remember. On the flip side of “dinner aphasia” is his sincere appreciation of good food. He told me three times during dinner how good it was (Stophers sliced turkey breast in gravy…not hard) and thanked me for making it. I guess it is an even trade off. He is very open about his feelings and sometimes rather silly. I caught him doing a “touch down dance” after he scored in Nintendo football and he was not embarrassed at all. He is much less inhibited than before his accident. I hope his friends don’t find his silliness annoying (we find it charming). The girls seem to be more faithful now with visiting. I think the guys are back into their normal routine and don’t want to have to worry about whether an activity will be suitable for Zack. Zack is anxious to get back to school so he can be at the heart of where all the social planning is going on. He is aware that next Wednesday we meet with his therapy team and Carol Britton from school to plan his return later this month.
Yesterday we were scheduled to speak at the Support Group at Frazier Rehab. Mary Beth (Zack’s original occupational therapist) had set it up weeks ago and we were prepared to encourage other families in the early stages of traumatic brain injury. Unfortunately when we arrived we discovered that most of their brain injury patients were stroke victims and not part of this support group. There was only a ten year old girl with a brain injury but her mother was in denial that there was anything wrong with her. She did not want to see the expressionless face and only thought her daughter was depressed. They stay in their room with the door shut, have little contact with the nursing staff and refused to see us. Instead we got a tour of the newly renovated floors by Dr. Mook. Zack was amazed at how nice the patient rooms were, with 42” flat screen TV’s and computers in each room. We got to see much of our old staff so the visit was not wasted. We talked with Mary Beth for a long time and Zack amused her with his quick wit and positive attitude. She pointed to him and said this is why I want to work with pediatrics. They are so much more fun. We promised Mary Beth that we would come back again as long as she assured us we would have families to help. Zack had been eager to talk to these people because he said their kids would be “more messed up than me” and he can “help them see how to get better”. He never complains when I tell him we have to go speak somewhere and seems to have the same sense of obligation to help others that I feel. It is hard to experience such blessing and not want to shout it from the rooftops (or the keypad). Zack was disappointed that it was raining when he got home today because he was looking forward to running. He had made plans to run with Kaitlyn and was chuckling over the idea of her trying to keep up with him. He is still very competitive and it shows in the games he chooses to play with Dylan. Zack is very good at pool, his eye/hand coordination is excellent, and he usually beats me and Dylan. Ping Pong is a different story. The ball is coming at you and speed is a factor. I was told that research on brain imaging had identified Ping Pong as one of the best sports to improve cognitive functioning (crossing midline, interpreting where the ball is going, reacting to different spins) so I am encouraging Zack to play Ping Pong. Dylan can beat him and Zack doesn’t like it. After a few games of Ping Pong they move on to pool where Zack can be assured a victory. He is also a good bowler and we will see his competitive side on the lanes as well. He is bowling in the Brain Injury Association of Ky Bowling Tournament next Saturday February 11th. He has been talking about putting together a winning team that would include several of his friends. For those that use to visit us at Frazier and haven’t seen Zack in a while you must come cheer him on at Rose Bowl. We look forward to the future with excited anticipation. We are anxious to see what God has in store for us. We don’t expect it all to be easy (especially school) but we know we will not have to handle it alone. We are still reciting Psalm 23 and are focused now on “He leads me besides quiet waters. He restores my soul”. God will lead and we will follow. We don’t know what the future holds but we know God’s plan will be perfect. He has promised to be a light unto our path not our crystal ball into the future. We have to depend on His gentle guiding knowing that the obstacles in our path will be character builders, not stumbling blocks. We have learned to trust Him. We have no choice…we can’t do it on our own. He has given us victory over so many things already that I am confident our recovery is far from over. We ask for your continued prayers that God’s glory will shine through Zack. That his recovery will be so amazingly complete that it can not be mistaken for anything but the hand of God!