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Chris Fabry
Married to Andrea since 1982. We have 9 children together and none apart. Our dog's name is Tebow.
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Where We Are Now

After finding and remediating mold twice in our Colorado home, we abandoned ship in October 2008. Because of the high levels of exposure, our entire family was affected. After months of seeing different specialists for all of the problems, we came to Arizona to begin comprehensive treatment to rid our bodies of the toxic buildup. In August 2009 we moved into a larger home, four bedrooms, south of Tucson, north of Mexico. I am doing my daily radio program/ writing from that location. Thanks for praying for us. We really feel it.

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Friday, August 28, 2009
For some reason, I keep coming back to baseball. Maybe it is because of my youth and what a connection I had to my team, the Reds. I used to throw a tennis ball at the bricks on our house and listen to Al Michaels and Joe Nuxhall call the game. It was a wonderful, painful memory, because this little kid was alone most of the time. That solitude bred something in me, an affinity for stories, but it made me really lousy at relationships, and I’ve had to work hard at not being alone.

When I talked with my mother over the weekend, she took the call from the bathroom. My father who is 89 was watching the Reds game in the other room. I don’t know if I’ll be watching baseball at 89. I hope so.

So baseball has this mythical hold on me, and when I told the kids about the Rockies and their 14th inning comeback against the Giants last weekend, I felt the passion rising. There’s something about a comeback I can’t resist.

Two years ago Reagan had severe ringing in his ears. It was constant and getting worse. We thought it was tinnitus, which many people have. But when vertigo came, mind-numbing, brain-searing vertigo that did not let up, we went to more doctors, tried more medication. The vertigo led to severe vomiting. Reagan lost weight. His eyes would shake in his head. They would roll to the left, then reset in the middle, like a computer that’s lost its hard drive. It became so bad he couldn’t walk. We had to carry him to the bathroom so he could vomit. He would sit on the couch, look out the window at his siblings, and weep because he just wanted to get up and go outside to play. He wanted to be normal.

The doctors… I can’t go there. We had several doctors who said we were the problem. We didn’t push him enough. He couldn’t have constant vertigo. He needed a psychiatrist. Andrea finally talked with a doctor who believed her and said something was going on that wasn’t what had been diagnosed. Rabbit trails led to questions about our environment. The mold exposure. What mold can do to the brain, especially stachybotrys.

Wednesday night I took Reagan to his first baseball practice here in Tucson. I worried that the coach might push him too far. He’s not full strength. He’s skin and bones, really. But I let him go, knowing he has severe hearing loss on one side.

Another member of the team is deaf. He’s very good—he just can’t hear. You have to make sure he’s looking at you when you throw the ball to him. He just loves baseball.

So I watched Reagan run and throw and catch and do the drills the coach put them through. I remembered carrying him downstairs. The tears. The helplessness we felt each day his body withered. The prayers we prayed.

And now the hope we feel. He’s not there yet. Neither are we. But we’re on the field. We have a good coach. And a lot of people cheering. Maybe that’s why I keep coming back to baseball.

4 comments:

David S. said...

"It was a wonderful, painful memory, because this little kid was alone most of the time. That solitude bred something in me, an affinity for stories, but it made me really lousy at relationships, and I’ve had to work hard at not being alone."

I can so relate to that. You've just described me.

Amazing what our Lord can do.

Anonymous said...

I've said this before, but again - thanks so much for your honesty. As someone who is also in the midst of a series of health difficulties, it helps to hear others' stories. My faith wavers a lot - but I'm hanging on. Thanks again, Chris.

Sue Kappers said...

Tears here. Tears of joy and of sorrow! But as always prayers. How awesome is it that Reagan (love the name!) is playing ball. That he is on a team where the coach understands that even "challenged" kids can play the game. Baseball, don't get me started... it's the perfect game!

Unknown said...

Hi Chris and Family,

We just wanted to let you know that we are ALWAYS thinking of you all. Katelyn prays for your family every night along with Alex. We miss you and are so glad to keep in touch.

Andrew and Stephanie Stevens