Mid October I was seeing more fluid on the driveway than I like to see from my truck. The brakes were a little soft so I decided to take it in for some analysis. Sure enough, they had to replace the entire main brake cylinder. The truck is 16 years old and was showing its age.
It was also during this time Melody, my wife, went in for a normal procedure and they discovered a mass/tumor. After consulting with the doctor she made the decision to have it removed. They weren't able to do a biopsy because of the type and place of the tumor, so we would have to wait till it was removed before any testing could be done on it. After the surgery the doctor came out to us and shared the good news, the surgery was a success and Melody was doing great. After several days Melody came home and now is doing the hard part, recovery.
After I got her home and settle in I went out to drive the truck to Church campus and discovered when I turned over the ignition key, nothing happened. The truck was dead, I mean really dead. I tried to jump start it but that didn't work. So being the man I am, I went to Costco and got a bigger battery for the truck. I installed it, turn the key and the truck roared back to life. In the back of my mind I wondered if the mechanic had left something off or by mistake did something that caused the battery to drain. Several days went by again till I was able to drive the truck.
We got great news this week, the test results came back from the lab, the mass/tumor wasn't cancerous, what a relief. When the doctor came out to us after the surgery, while Melody was in the recovery area, he updated us on the successful surgery and shared that Melody was doing great. An hour passed by and they took her to the room where she would stay for several days. The family came in to say, "We love you" and then left. It was during this time I was standing beside her bed when this feeling of relief swept over me. She made it through. Several years ago one of her aunts had gone in for a normal procedure and died on the table. Since this was Melody's first major surgery ,we had this in the back of our minds. As I stood at the side of the bed I began to cry. I think layer upon layer had been building up and when I stood there seeing my wife, my friend, lover and soul mate still on this side of eternity it all came to a head, the dam broke. You would of thought I had the surgery. Melody reached out her hand and touch me to say it was all right. I didn't cry very long but I felt so out of control in the situation. I am a fix-it type of man, see a problem then fix it. This was way beyond my control.
A few more days passed I went out to drive the truck to the church Campus. As I turned the key over the truck barely turned over, but it did start. I was frustrated. I had just spent all that money fixing the brakes and then had to replace the battery. What is happening to my life? I am doing every thing I know how to fix things. That afternoon I began the hunt to find a shop that would do a check on my electrical system. Was the battery not charging or was it being drained? I finally found a shop that would do the check that day. I dropped it off and then got the call that afternoon with the analysis. The glove compartment light wasn't shutting off and was draining the battery. Do yo know how small the light is in the glove compartment? Yet this little light was able to shut down this man-size truck in less than three days, I was amazed. They fixed it. I could of done it, but I didn't have the tools or the knowledge on what to fix. I am grateful for mechanics who are trained in these areas and for the many others who are trained to analyze and fix the many other areas in our lives.
I am grateful to God for watching over Melody during her surgery and giving us another day to be with each other. It's those little things that always get you. May God grant me the insight into the little things that can make or break you. Life is back in balance at the Axton's. Melody continues to recover and the truck continues to go down the road. What a life!
The performance of a car can slowly deteriorate over time. However, if you don't maintain your car properly, the rate of deterioration can get considerably faster. Good thing, you were still able to fix your truck.
Posted by: Nicole Vickers | October 12, 2011 at 03:56 PM