Baseball has always been a huge part of my life. I have never played on an organized team. No little league, I never played in high school or college. I'm just a big fan. I grew up a Texas Rangers fan since I grew up in Grapevine Texas. If I wasn;t listening to the games on the radio, I was with my family over in Arlington watching a game in old Arlington Stadium. Then in 1981 after a short stint in Austin we moved to Houston, where I quickly became a Houston Astros fan. I've seen two no hitters in my life. Nolan Ryan throw a no hitter against the Dodgers I attended in 1981. Then in 1986 I saw Mike Scott throw one to win the division and send the Stros to the playoffs. I loved the Astrodome, but was happy when the Astros moved to the new and modern Minute Maid Park in 1999. After a stint of barely no games in 7 years after my AVM, I attended 20+ games last year, realizing I could get around safely. But in all of my years of going to baseball games, Pre and post stroke, I have never ever caught a foul ball.
This year, we have a new team in the area. The Sugar Land Skeeters play in the newly constructed Constellation Field which is a minor league team. I love the stadium because it is much easier being disabled to get into. I have mini season tickets. The team plays in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Last on Mothers Day Sunday at the last minute I decided to go to the game. I sat in my normal 1st base side seat area, right near the concession area. About half way through the game I was browsing on my phone, when all of a sudden, a batter hit the ball foul. There was a man in a wheelchair sitting just over from me, and that foul ball whizzed by my head, and hit the side of his wheelchair. Instinctively, out of no where. I reached over, and no joke, caught the ball! Because of my stroke, I have only use of my right arm. and I would have never invisioned being able to do that! The people in the area all stood up and clapped for me, like you would have thought I caught a ball to send us to the playoffs! I then did something very instinctive, out of the blue. There was a family right below me, with two little kids. I reached over, and gave the ball to them. I just felt foul balls are meant for kids. After the game was over, the family I gave the ball to came over to me, and said how much I had made their day. They went to the team store and brought me a ball:) Seems they told the story to the Skeeters, and wanted me to have the suvineer.
I say all this, to tell my fellow AVM'rs and their families that the things you still love before your AVM, you can still do. You might have to make some adjustments of coarse. But don't let the AVM rob you of your joy, of the things you love to do in life. And then, out of no where, you CAN accomplish something you could not even do before yor injury or AVM. You can catch your own foul ball.....