Wednesday May 10, 2006

Wednesday May 10, 2006 We have been really busy through Derby Week. Scott’s parents live on the river at Waldoah Beach. Every year they have a “Boat Race Party” and this year was going to be special. Scott’s brother Jay came in from Florida and he hadn’t seen Zack in many months. They had hired a great band and we were anxious to have Zack with us and see how much he remembered. Dylan and the girls were excited because the weather turned out to be perfect. Our neighbors the Getz’s arrived and Zack went off with Michael in search of “females”. Once Brooke Willoughby and her parents arrived and the band got going Zack was dancing. Before the accident he would have never danced to Country music and certainly not with his Mom and his sisters. We had a great time and Zack entertained us all. On Saturday we went to a Derby party with our friends the Jaha’s. They took their daughter Michelle (18) and we took Zack. There were a lot of people there, a band and great food but not the type of party Zack generally would have enjoyed. Before the accident, if we could have managed to drag him there, he wouldn’t have talked to any of “those strange adults”, would have spent the entire time on his cell phone and asking when he could leave. Instead, he enjoyed listening to Tom, an elderly gentleman from Boston, tell stories and flirt with the ladies. Ironically we ran into Dr Miller, who took care of Zack when he lived at Frazier Rehab. He hadn’t seen Zack since January (when he was there for his Nuero Pysch Eval) and they enjoyed catching up. He got into the excitement with the rest of the crowd when the Derby race was run and didn’t start asking when we were leaving until the weather turned chilly (we were outside). Sunday afternoon, Zack was invited to a surprise 16th birthday party for his friend Allie at Lucky Strike on 4th Street Live. We arrived downtown a little early and Zack asked if we could stop in and see who was working at Frazier Rehab. We got a little lost since they have completely remodeled the Nuero Rehab Unit but finally made it to the pediatric wing on the 8th floor. Shirley was at the central nurses’ station and recognized Zack immediately. When Zack had “right side neglect” and his chin lay on his chest, Shirley was the only one he would listen to when she said “hold your head up”. We also saw Mary Beth (O.T.) who was always one of Zack’s favorite therapist. As we were leaving Zack commented that he liked coming there and seeing “all those people that helped me out”. If we had more time he would have liked to talk to some of the patients but
he was anxious to get to his party and bowl.
I let Zack drive home from downtown which was his longest trip on the freeway as a new driver. He still has a “field cut” on the right side of his line of vision. He pointed out that he “couldn’t see that car unless he moved his head about an inch”. It is a scary to think of him driving but then I realized that vision therapy has taught him how to compensate for his field cut. Remember, this isn’t a blank spot or a black hole. He has 20/20 eyesight but his brain just doesn’t perceive the visual information in that area. Instead his brain fills in what logically should be there or remembers what was there at last glance. It requires him to scan his surroundings more frequently and pay closer attention when driving. He is a very good driver (and gets lots of practice, like every time he is in the car with me). After vision therapy today we went to the mall to pick out his tux for the Junior prom. He asked my opinion but had definite ideas of what he wanted. I let him drive on the way home and before I knew it we were in rush hour traffic on 64 in the pouring down rain. I was quite nervous and explained that he had to leave more space than usual between us and the car in front of him, drive slower and keep both hands on the wheel. Any parent of a teenager knows what a nail biting experience we faced but Zack handled my anxious instructions very politely. He even laughed when we drove out of the rain and I released my foot off of an imaginary brake. As he merged from 64 onto Gene Snyder (a tricky spot for anyone) he told me “I had to drive my best for you Mom ‘cause you just got my tux”. We are so very blessed. I enjoy every moment I spend with him, not just because he is alive…thank the Lord…but because he is so pleasant to be around. We have deep conversations about many different topics (today it was abortion and the Holocaust) and he genuinely wants to know what I think and why I feel that way. He is not a selfish teenager only interested in his own opinions. He listens and then tells me what he thinks. He thanks me for explaining things to him and I marvel at his enlightenments. Sunday after church as we were walking to the car he said he had been thinking about something that he wanted to tell me. He said, “I think I know why God made it different times across the world. Because not everyone would be sleeping at the same time and there would always be someone praying. God likes that”. I never thought of it that way. As adults we accept the fact that the earth is revolving around the sun and therefore it is daylight at different times across the world. But did you ever think about why God designed it that way. Being God he could have designed it so that the entire populated world would rest (in darkness) at the same time but we don’t. I like Zack’s theory that God always wants someone awake praying…worshipping Him. I am so thankful that Zack is here to teach me.
I spoke at Trinity High School today for a class of Juniors and Seniors. There were several guys there that knew Zack from baseball or church. They had been studying drug and alcohol abuse and I was asked to speak about the consequences of your choices. They were very attentive and I noticed many of them viewed that little piece of blue jean or sweatshirt that I handed them when they walked in
a little differently when we were through. Dr Striegel hopes to have both Zack and I speak at the general assembly when school resumes in the Fall. I left them with this website address and hope a few will read it and post a message. After dinner tonight Zack and I were reading the posters mailed to him from the 8th graders at Barret Middle School. Each student had written something to Zack on one of three posters that were headed “We have Faith in You”. Some of the messages seemed so personal like they knew him. Zack was pleased and as we read them would say “Do they know me?” “Are my people on there?” I received a package of handwritten letters, thanking me for coming to speak to them, telling me what they learned, many of them promising to pray for our family. I cried as a read them knowing that God designed all of this. That His hand has been masterfully orchestrating this time of our lives. How he can turn the most tragic experience into a wonderful teaching testimony of His power. How he can take the darkest moment, make you dwell there just long enough so that when he brings you into the dawn His light shines so brilliant you can’t ignore it. It is only through these moments that we can come to understand His mercy, His grace, His wisdom and His unfailing love. I ask for your prayers for all those hurting who don’t know the shelter of God’s love. I ask for your prayers for those people who think they have it all and yet don’t know the love of God. Since our journey has just begun I still ask for your prayers for Zack’s complete recovery for the Glory of God!
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right
hand".