God, what a fiasco that was.
Every so often, patients here are selected to go on an outing. As it so happens, an outing was arranged yesterday to go to a bowling alley. I really was not sure what to expect. As it turned out, I rolled a princely 87. That’s right. An 87. My problem, of course, was that my approach was for crap. There was a young man named Robert whose job it was to follow directly behind me and hold on to the back of my shirt to make sure that I didn’t fall. He certainly had his work cut out for him. It was one hëll of an adventure on every throw. They had the bumpers up, and all too often my ball skittered to the left, ricocheted off the bumper and skidded across the alley. Not one of my better outings, to put it mildly.
PAD
• 
You beat my average!
You could still beat me.
Glad to see you’re getting better every day.
I’m glad you tried, though. I’m sure it will come back… maybe not as high as before, but that’s certainly something to strive for.
Probably rough oil conditions too.
It beats not being able to bowl at all! Great progress.
Once, while in perfect health, I bowled a 9.
A month ago you were half-paralyzed. Personally, the news you bowled an 87 yesterday cheers me like you wouldn’t believe.
DITTO!!!!
Ditto to Roger’s ditto. The fact that you went at all is fantastic; triple-digit scores and really great games will come in time.
I was just coming in here to post these very sentiments. Cut yourself some slack, PAD – you’re going to need at LEAST a week before you’re back up to your old bowling style… 😉
It’s probably a cliche, but to hëll with it:
Me Too!
What C A Bridges said
The fact you were able to do it at all so soon after the stroke is remarkable. I’m so glad you’re recovering this well this fast. More power to you!
It’s ok. I once bowled a 40 stone sober and perfectly healthy. :\
Still twice the score of some people that I know.
What Jerry said. I’m lucky if I get 40.
As with everything else, you’ll work your way back to it, and it’ll take time. I’m happy you got to go bowling again!
If it’s any consolation, you could still probably beat me. I feel extremely proud anytime I break 100, and the last time I bowled I got all 8s and 9s — great if I was a baseball hitter (imagine someone with an .850 batting average being told they suck!), mathematically impossible to break 100 in bowling. Sigh…
I just want to point out how good that rehab facility is.. Most that I have seen dealing with Family issues over the years would never consider a bowling expedition.
And yeah I have to echo CA. LESS than 5 weeks ago you couldn’t see. You bowled an 87. That’s pretty frakking impressive.
The only times I have been able to beat that score is playing Wii Sports and I am sure that doesn’t count. I am glad you are recovering well.
Have you made any friends in rehab? Somebody that you will keep in touch once you are back in NY?
Geez, how pathetic are we? Even a guy who just had a stroke can beat us all!
My first real research experience was working with para- and quadri-plegic subjects (not my word choice) using functional electrical stimulation to use exercise bikes. Great bunch of guys, and a fun research institute – we’d have social events every so often.
One time, we went bowling – and our oldest subject – a quadriplegic gentleman with just enough movement left in his thumb and forefinger to grip and kind of aim a bowling ball down a ramp. He beat me, badly. I’d have taken that 87 (and still lost, I think – but felt better about it).
So you got beat an elderly man after he got electrocuted??
Geez, that’s even worse, Adam. 🙂
It’s even worse if you know where the electrodes are affixed.
I have an urge to watch Mystery Men again.
I hear you. Yes, I’m delighted you could bowl at all, but I realize you’re much better than 87. The last time I attempted to train at aikido a couple of years ago was a similar experience for me, and today would be impossible. you’d think falling would be easier, but there’s all that “falling safely” stuff to consider.
I’m looking forward to hearing about your next 300. Shouldn’t be all that long in your future.
So you will not threaten to replace the Bowler in the mystery men anytime soon
Just the fact that you went says a lot. And as has been noted, an 87 is better than a lot of ‘healthy’ people!
87 is my personal best, what are you implying?
Peter’s current book average was 207. I checked.
But as I pointed out to him, this is just the beginning.
Agreed! (I only wish I could have a 207 average; my current average is 162.)
So, I guess that you won’t be showcasing any 300 and 800 rings from bumper bowling anytime soon? LOL! BTW: you commented that you were watching the PBA broadcast last Sunday. Guess what? I had a chance to travel down to Thunderbowl Lanes on Tuesday to watch the qualifying and match play for the Carman Salvino Classic. Later.
Dude. Seriously. Dude.
Unless you’re trying to show us that you really are getting better by being self-depreciating again, chill.
Wow, the best I’ve ever done is a 64. I only reach 100 if I’m with my little cousins and we put the bumpers up.
Add me to the list of people you could have beaten.
rhat was a good game for me using a ramp 😛
An 87? An 87?! My best is around 125 and I’ve never had a stroke! My average is around 100 and I get plenty around the 95 mark. Wow!
On a different note, my father had a stroke two weeks ago and is currently in recovery. We are blessed with a National Health Service in the UK so no bills but man, sometimes the service leaves a bit to be desired – we are now ‘streamlining’ the services that each hospital provides so he waited 3/4 of a day in one to be transferred to the specialist hospital. They lost his clothes en route and have since lost more clothes in the second hospital. The specialist hospital don’t do one of the scans he needs so he will need to travel back to the original hospital for that scan and then come back to this hospital again.
All is minor compared to the improvements in my dad though. He couldn’t swallow to begin with but can now feed himself mashed up food and thickened tea so he is improving. Taking it one day at a time.