Pitching Staph

This was Asa Friday night in the hospital.

My little boy - newly turned 12, still calls his mother "Mommy" --  hooked into an I.V. for a staph infection in his leg that he got at baseball camp after a knee scrape on an ordinary dive for a ball.

He ate the special candy given to him by baseball moms who've loved him for years. I didn't know when he'd be released but that it might not be for a couple days. The veins weren't easy to find. It was traumatic for him, felt like surgery.

Then .... fast forward 36 hours ... and Asa (at doctor's approval) is on a baseball field in an AAU tournament. At first, it was to play limited time - but then teammates get hurt and he's on the mound for almost 5 (scoreless!) innings.

The heavy bandaging I used to make sure his knee and thigh are completely protected from the elements forces him to change his pitching motion.

Improvisation.
We got the win - but even if that hadn't been the result ... I'm just so proud of him.

This is why you play sports, to prove what you've got inside. There can be so many things. In this case,  no one can EVER question his toughness. Barely a day out of the hospital ... takes the mound ... doesn't complain ... and  gives it his best and the winning just happened to come with teammates who've got his back.

I know that what happened to him could have been worse. A couple doctor friends told me we could have been in the hospital for the long-run, with surgeries, etc. It's the kind of thing that can maim you for life, even kill you. Another esteemed ER doc friend told me that the infection is like putting out a fire - you put it out and it's gone and you just have to see what the damage was.

We're fortunate there was none. I feel for those who aren't as fortunate. It could have been a lot different, but it wasn't and I hope God helps me have the wisdom to recognize what we've learned from this.

I know this: Asa looked like someone very grateful for the privilege of using a human body that works. Don't ever take that for granted.

And today he didn't: