What happened to my face:
I was playing in a church softball league that I first played on
in '95. It's just for fun, you pitch to your own team so you're almost
guaranteed to get a hit everytime. Over the years I've hit two pitchers before
while at bat, both good friends of mine. The last guy I hit was a couple years
ago. He had just had some kind of kidney surgery. Turning sideways to avoid the
ball, it hit him right on the stitches. He didn't mean to, but he got even with
me last Saturday - right between the eyes.
It
lifted me off my feet. I remember seeing my sunglasses lens hit the dirt the
same time the side of my face did. My first thought was that my sunglasses were
broken. My second thought was that I just got hit in the head really hard and
that it might be really bad. Everyone rushed over to help me. I got up and
touched my nose to make sure it was still there and of course there was blood
dripping down it. Somebody called for "Jesse" and that really calmed
me. He's not only a friend and terrific guy, but a retired Navy Commander,
former medic and current anesthesiologist. Anyway, Jesse drove me to the ER and
waited a couple hours with me while they did X-rays and a CT scan. I had a
little bit of a headache while I was there, and they discharged me with a
"bruise". I took an Advil when I got home, and haven't had any pain
since.
A
couple people called Meredith right after it happened, someone came and made
them lunch, and more called in the afternoon, including the batter Jim (he's in
the photo). Everyone who had seen it happen was amazed the next morning at
Church that I was OK.
After
Jesse and I had left, both teams held hands and prayed that I would be OK. When
Meredith and Bobby found out, they prayed too. While I was at the hospital, I
realized that I was OK and that I'd been really lucky. I knew everyone would be
praying for me, and I knew it was working. Jim felt really bad about it, and I
know where he's coming from, having done the same thing, I just don't hit the
ball as hard!
My
sunglasses are OK, and we won the game too.
The MS-150 is right around the corner, have you pledged me yet?
Click here to sponsor me on-line (it's so easy...) - http://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchParticipants
...and if you are worried
about my safety on the bike ride, Jesse is going too!
here's a photo of Jim, the
batter (he's also the guitar dude at church):
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Page created on: July 23, 2003 by: starby@cox.net
PLEDGE ME FOR THE 2004 MS-150!!!