Stance! Advance! Retreat!

The past few days have reminded me of a drill that my Dad used to use to teach his basketball teams how to play defense. I remember this from being a ten year old kid on the sidelines cutting orange slices, not from my short career as a player.

The drill would go something like this:

My dad would yell 'stance!" and all of the players would get into a defensive position with their kness bent and standing on the balls of their feet. I have been in a defensive position for three weeks now.

Playing defense is no fun and makes you want to barf. I have that feeling most of the time these days as my baseline.

Then he would yell 'advance!' and the whole team would slide left or right as my dad pointed with his arm. The players were at his mercy to follow his lead.

Yup, got that feeling.

Left! Ellie barfs.

Right! She kicks out her IV line.

Left! Take her to radiology for an x-ray.

Then to make things more interesting my dad would yell 'advance!' and make the team slide forward or' retreat!' and have them slide backwards.

Advance! Take her to get a new IV catheter put in (the coolest thing that I have witnessed first hand in this whole experience, by the way)

Retreat! Vent the gas from her belly.

Advance! Make sure that the plans that we discuss with the doctors match with the plans the nurses have.

Left! Right! Advance! Retreat!

My thighs are on fire. But for once I am playing some good defense.