[Blog post written by Mark Bonnema]It’s been a bit of a rough go for our favorite sports team at the Ballou-Bonnema household. The Minnesota Twins recently lost 13 games in a row.
Some of the
losses were bad. Real bad, like 15 to 8 against the Toronto Blue Jays, or 10 to
0 against the Kansas City Royals. Some of the losses were SO close, like a 1-0
loss in 10 innings against the Cleveland Indians. And some losses were heart
wrenching, like being up 7runs to 5 runs late in the game, only to blow the
lead and suffer another loss.
Whichever
way they lost, whether in spectacular or heart wrenching form, Ashley and I
still tuned in. Radio, tv, mlb.com, you name it, we have the Twins schedule
cued up and it’s a staple background sound to be heard in our household. Win,
lose, or otherwise, we cannot help but support and love our favorite team. I
can’t think of anything they could or could not do to make us stop watching or
supporting (but don’t take that as a challenge, you Twins, lets not go for a 14
game losing streak…)
Sometimes
watching Ashley live with CF has some similarities with watching the Twins play
baseball every day. There are times Ashley is doing great, her health is
wonderful, and she has no hesitations or second thoughts about doing anything.
Life just flows naturally. Its like when the Twins are playing good ball,
winning ball – hitting home runs, advancing the runners, getting their pitches,
and painting the corners of the strike zone to the opposing team’s
hitters.
But, as the
Twins losing streak reminds us, there are times that life doesn’t flow so
easily or naturally when living with CF. When Ashley has a flare up and needs
to take antibiotics, her joints often hurt so badly in the morning that she
hates to think about getting out of bed; the mucous in her lungs is deep and
tenacious, forcing frequent and painful coughs in order to clear it; infection
steals her vitality and tenacity making everyday tasks an overwhelming chore.
When the
Twins are down, hopefully all they need is to come out of their slump, get their
heads in the game, and start making plays. Perhaps a home run or double play is
all that is needed to reverse their fortunes. Ashley often has to work much
harder to correct the course of her health when she is in a “slump.” It can
take weeks, if not many months of extra treatments, IV antibiotics, and avoiding all
potential sources of viral or bacterial infection.
Even when
the Twins are down, we never stop watching, cheering, and rooting them on. We
just can’t help but tune in, because we love them. The same goes for Ashley.
She and I both know that we have the most wonderful and supportive,
unconditional group of supporters rooting, cheering, and constantly working for
the best care and treatments for Ashley. Whether her heath is on the “winning”
or “losing” side, you guys are always tuned-in. You are even better than the
most avid Twins fans, and for that we thank you.
Good news.
The Twins won a game on Thursday night, September 1, 2016. They ended their
losing streak when they beat the Chicago White Sox 8 to 5.
In even better news - it's been a winning season here in the Ballou-Bonnema household! Every day Ashley gets and feels good is a WIN! Thanks to each of you for your steadfast support and for being a part of our
team. Most importantly, thank you for
our ability to trust and know you will be there tomorrow as well, no matter the
score.
Go Twins, go!
