The Paths We Choose

by Jeffrey Zschunke

I wanted Matt Damon to play the starring role in a movie about my life. I wanted to write a book about my job the way Frank McCourt did. I wanted to speak to large groups of eager educators and make them laugh with my witty remarks. These were all goals of mine when I graduated from Shippensburg University in the spring of 2003. I wanted to find happiness through success. I was motivated and focused to make a difference. I wanted to be a teacher.

Everything was going exactly as I had planned. I got a job teaching 5th grade in Philadelphia. I loved my school, colleagues, and most importantly my students. I found each day in the classroom unique and challenging. I got my own apartment not far from the school and was able to furnish it with more than just a TV and an old couch. I bought my first car, quite a step up from the ’95 Dodge Neon of my college days. I fell in love with and married the girl of my dreams, my dearest Ellen ’03. Life was great. Until one day in October 2006, when the toes in my right foot went numb.

The rest of my body quickly followed my toes and by the next week, I was in intensive care hooked up to a respirator completely paralyzed. I was diagnosed with Acute Immune Demyleinizing Polyneuropathy (AIDP), also known as Guillian-Barre Syndrome. AIDP is a rare neurological condition that involves the immune system attacking the nerves throughout the body. It is rarely fatal, but recovery can be very slow and often patients are left with residual effects. There is also the possibility of relapse.

After being released from the hospital, I was in good health, but still ravaged from the syndrome. I was unable to stand or walk and had very poor use of my hands. I spent the next three weeks in a rehab center where I received three intense therapy sessions a day. By the following spring, I was fully discharged from the care of doctors and specialists and had no residual effects. I felt like the same person I was the day before this all started. At least, I thought I was the same person.

Jeff celebrates the fact he can rock-climb again after suffering from Gullian-Barre Syndrome where the immune system attacks the immune system. Altered by the experience, Jeff has realigned his priorities — for the better.

Life is like a pop quiz. You can’t plan for it and you only get one chance to do your best. My breakthrough came one night in rehab when I was praying for help to get through everything. I stopped when I realized God wanted me to beat this on my own. He needed to listen to people who couldn’t help themselves. He knew I was strong enough to fight this one alone. I learned life doesn’t follow your planner or your schedule. Life has but one purpose…to happen. If you focus on all the things that can go wrong, you will miss the beauty in the things that happen around you. I changed a lot during the course of those months, but more than anything, my belief in the power of the human spirit changed the most. People are capable of extraordinary things. We all have the power to take our current situations in life and make them better. The road to change is littered with obstacles, but they are not permanent hindrances, only temporary roadblocks.

I returned to teaching for the last few months of the school year and quickly realized things were different. From passing out papers to reading aloud to the class, I felt like I was watching someone else. I soon realized I was. That man in the faded blue dress shirt and tie wasn’t the man who started the school year. I no longer wanted to change the world. I didn’t want any awards or accolades. I wanted to be happy and I couldn’t be as a teacher in a classroom. That summer, I resigned from my teaching position and took a job as a behavioral therapist for children with autism. While taking a drop in pay and, in some people’s eyes, taking a step backwards in my career, I found I had taken a huge step forward. I was doing something I cared deeply about.

I began working in schools and homes with children with special needs. I quickly developed a new perspective on America’s educational system. I was no longer in control of a class: I was responsible for helping one individual. At first, this was a difficult transition. But eventually I began to embrace the challenges of helping one child and not worrying about an entire classroom.

In addition to a change in my career, I had a change in my priorities. I decided to put my wife and family first and everything else a distant second. I focused on being a good husband and having a happy marriage. I rediscovered my passion for rock climbing, something I had started to lose during my years of teaching. I took advantage of every good weather day and made sure I got on a cliff or boulder and climbed like it was my last day on Earth.

I still hope one day there’s a movie made about me. I still hope Matt Damon will be in the starring role. I still want to write a book. I still want to speak to large groups. These are all goals of mine. I am still motivated and focused. I now hope to find success through happiness. I want to be me…and I’m fine enough with that.