It's Not the Age, But the Miles

Some of you may be aware that my Dad was raising money to get his hips replaced. He has raised 80 percent of the money he needs not only for the surgery, but for the recovery time that will take place. Having said that, my dad is recovering from his first surgery that took place earlier today. (If you have about ten minutes I highly recommend clicking on the link above to better understand this surgery in an interactive format.) The surgery was a success. He did great and will be released on Monday to begin his rehab. They replaced his left hip first as that was the hip that was in danger of breaking. He will be able to return home around the fourth of March.

What you have read is the politically correct version of this story. Since there is a Baker involved, we all know that there is more to this story.

I will be as brief as possible in the next couple of paragraphs. My parents have been missionaries basically my entire life. Over the course of that time they have faithfully gone about their work trusting that God would provide for their needs, and he has. As missionaries they are without health insurance and for whatever reason my father did not qualify as "disabled" in the eyes of those who can clarify someone disabled. Over the past year it was discoverd that my dad's issues with his knees were actually a symptom of the real problem, his hips. They have been degenerating. To pay for the surgeries in America it would have cost around $100,000. That amount of money was out of the question, so my Dad starting looking at some other solutions. When I say "looking", I mean he was letting God work and set some solutions in motion.

There is a doctor in Monterey, Mexico who is a leader in a church that I visited with my father when I was about ten. When my dad first met him he was probably about 15. He is now an administrator in the Mexican health system for the city of Monterey. He was able to hand pick the surgeon and team that replaced my dad's hip today. He is also providing his home and the rehab necessary for the next three week's while my parents are in Mexico. It is nothing short of a miracle the way all of the parties involved came together. The surgeries and rehab expenses are less than a third of what they would have been in the States. Because of this my parents were able to raise the money needed in a fairly short amount of time from long time supporting churches and others involved in their ministry and life.

I was told he did great, there were no complications and he will be ready for the other hip reconstruction in about three months.

Here is the gory part of surgery in Mexico. My brother told me my dad was given a local anesthetic, that may mean an epidural, but I am not sure. He could hear the doctors talking, the saw, and the hammer and chisel they used during the operation. I don't know if that is standard operating procedure in the United States, but I don't think so. I know if that had been me I would have been freaking out the whole surgery. I always knew my Dad had "nerves of steel" and I think this episode in his life proves that. Apparently my Dad's hip is bigger than the average hip in Mexico. It took a while to get the "parts" that were big enough, but they found them eventually.

I could go on, but I will stop. Please remember him and my mom in your prayers as they start the rehab process shortly.

Billy