To Get to the Place of Before

I’ve looked at Scott’s brain images, the ER doctor said. There are several small areas of stroke in many parts of his brain. Our son, an eighth-grade honor student, had awakened that February morning unable to walk or lift his left arm. OK, I said. What else was there to say? A stroke? He’s thirteen. How could he have a stroke? I tried to think past the word stroke to useful questions. How many are several? How small is small? What parts of Scott’s brain? Will there be more? Neurologists thought they had the answers, prescribing a treatment of blood thinners and therapy. They sent Scott home to relearn to walk and talk. Another stroke in May put him back in the hospital. Now doctors from two hospitals struggled to find answers and to prevent the big one -the stroke that would take away what Scott might never get back. Facing uncertainty and spinal surgery, Scott just wanted to know, Why wouldn’t I get better? He was going to get his life back-school, youth group, running cross country. But could any of us return to where we had been? Could we get back to the place of before?