Factory Recall

Of course, the very next day after our Anniversary - and whirlwind weekend! - Mark had an appointment two and a half hours from our house, down west and south of Kansas City. I couldn't bear to have him do all that driving and going past some of our favorite places and NOT go with him. So, since he had to take the day off from work to go see the good doctor, I talked him into letting all of us come with him. Why, you may ask, is Mark going to Kansas City to see a doctor? Well, he finally went in to the family doctor about his knee. A large co-pay and an MRI later, we found ourselves on the highway to see an orthopedic surgeon. The indestructible Mark is starting to show some mileage. He desperately needs knee surgery to fix the damage done about nine years ago this month (and compounded and re damaged and added to repeatedly over the years...). We're torn. Here comes a baby. Mark needs knee surgery. Amber needs Mark's help with the baby. Mark will need to take it easy after the surgery. What's a couple to do? Well, my sweet Mark, being the heroic man that he is, decided to schedule his surgery for his Christmas Break, so it's easier for him to actually take it easy, and so that the baby is three months old and I'm not convalescing in bed anymore. He's literally gritting his teeth and bearing it. Sweet Eliza, every time it's her turn to say prayer, she always remembers to say, "and please bless Daddy's knee that it will heal, and that it won't hurt him anymore..."

But you should know, the knee isn't the only thing on him that is no longer under warranty. I finally got him to go in for an eye exam - after all, we are paying for the coverage, might as well use it! - only to discover that he indeed is in need of glasses. He can do OK without them, driving and reading and all, but he definitely does better with them. Oh, and he is loosing his hearing in his right ear, which is not very nice since I usually sit on his right side.

I am not ragging on Mark, here. It's just so noteworthy to me that all of this is happening all at once. My body has been in and out of functioning and disrepair due to childbirth and sheer neglect. But Mark has always been this consist ant paragon of health and fitness. I sort of expected him to make it to 40 before the Factory Recall on body parts began.