At the end of June 2022, a few days before he was scheduled to have his right knee replaced, my husband went in for pre-op bloodwork. We’d been through this routine when John had his left knee replaced the year before. This time, we got a call from his doctor’s office. The nurse practitioner wanted to meet with us.
“John, we can’t clear you for surgery,” she said. “You have diabetes.”
John and I looked at each other, stunned. Sure, he had become more sedentary lately because of knee pain and been told he would need to lose some weight, but he’d always been the picture of health otherwise.
“You can retest in three months,” the nurse practitioner said. “We’ll start you on medication, but to get your glucose numbers down, you need to make some lifestyle changes.”
We went straight to a gym and both signed up.
As soon as we got home, John called his boss. He worked for a company that pumped concrete for construction projects. His job required a lot of heavy lifting, climbing and walking on rebar. Hard on the knees.
John told his boss about delaying his return for at least three months. “If I need to come back to do other work, I can,” he said. “I just can’t run a concrete pump.”
I prayed that his boss would be understanding.
I had wondered if moving from California, where we’d lived most of our marriage, to Tennessee had been a mistake. We’d pulled up stakes a year and a half earlier. This was supposed to be a chance for John and me to start the second act of our life together. I’d thought as empty nesters we could have a more laid-back lifestyle, more time for the two of us.
Denne historien er fra Aug/Sept 2023-utgaven av Guideposts.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Aug/Sept 2023-utgaven av Guideposts.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
In the Everyday
Cooking, cleaning, breaking up the kids’ fights... If only I had a few minutes for myself!
Worst-Case Scenario?
I’d had nagging injuries before and always recovered. Why wasn’t I confident that I would get better this time?
Honor Thy Son
I was a Marine officer, a lifer—or so I thought. Then came Patrick
Keeping It Real
In an age of social media, we're experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. Two friends who met online tell you how to grow an authentic connection
What You Wish For
She never wanted to see her abusive father again
God's Pillow
In 2016, the Soberanes Fire in Northern California was the costliest ever in the United States. It almost cost me my life, despite the promise I made to my wife
"I Heard You Praying"
As a hospital chaplain, I had seen hopeless cases. But never one more seemingly hopeless than this
"I Love You, Dad!"
Some of your favorite GUIDEPOSTS writers share what they learned from their fathers
Harold and Me
They’re nearly all gone now, the generation we call The Greatest.” This woman’s mission was to honor one of them
The Race Before Her
For this Olympic champion, success bred her greatest fear. How five verses set her free