Opacity mask is also knocking out drop shadow. Grrr.

Hi everyone,
I'm having a problem with Illustrator CS6 that's really bugging me and there must be a simple fix that I'm missing.
I have editable text with a linked opacity mask. The opacity mask contains strokes with an art brush applied to 'scratch' out parts of the text.
See below for example:
I don't want the opacity mask to knock out the drop shadow (much like how "Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow" works in Photoshop), but just knock out the text only. See below for an example of what I want the end result to be:
BUT, and here's the problem, I want the text to remain editable.
I know one workaround is that I could convert the text to outlines, make it a compound path, expand the strokes on the opacity mask, make those a compound path too, and then Subtract/Minus Front the scratches from the text object and then reapply the drop shadow, BUT, this renders the text uneditable.
I've tried playing with the options in the Transparency panel, ie: Opacity & Mask Define Knockout Shape but nothing has worked.
What am I missing??
Thanks so much in advance for your help!!
Cheryl

Hi Jacob,
Thanks so much for the detailed instructions. I get through step 4 no problems but I run into problems with the way I try to select the items for step 5.
Let's say I have completed step 4 and am ready to begin step 5. When I am in my Layers panel, I select the scratches that are now masked by the non-drop shadowed text:
I then click into the the Opacity Mask editing mode [per your instructions "5) Select the Opacity Mask from 4)"] and now the mask is selected:
The problem begins when I have to effectively shift-select the mask and the live text from 1 (the original text with the drop shadow).
To begin, I still have the opacity mask selected (as shown above) and then when I click the left object preview box (as circled below)
to get back into the full Layers panel (to select the live text), now the mask becomes DEselected and the object becomes selected. How do I keep a mask selected and yet go back to in the Layers panel to select other items from there?
Thanks!
Cheryl

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