Update on Emzel

Anyone who has known me well in the last 20 years knows that my pregnancies are absolutely awful. For weeks I hover so close to the edge that Heaven seems close enough to touch and it wouldn't take much to make me let go of here and slip over there.

Then things start to improve, ever so slowly, and I actually begin to become aware of my surroundings, such as my husband. Then I venture outside for the first time in a month, shuffling weakly, and maybe sweep the kitchen floor, before I lie down for a few hours to recuperate.

A very long and dreary recovery follows, during which I again get strong enough to step up on a chair or lift a gallon of milk. During this time I still feel absolutely rotten from head to foot, but Paul and others continually remark about how much better I'm doing.

I do eventually recover completely, praise God.

I say all that to say that Emily's illness has been eerily like a pregnancy. She never threw up, but otherwise it was a bit too similar--weeks in bed feeling horrid, weakness, a longing for Heaven, obliviousness to her surroundings, and that sense of feeling completely yucky from head to foot.

In fact, I said as much to the doctor, and added that I was glad there was no chance she was pregnant. He implied I shouldn't say that, as he's seen a few too many pregnant teenagers with moms who were sure they couldn't be. Yikes. Well, at least I was right this time.

Anyway, we dipped Emily seven times in the Jordan as the doctor advised, and soon after that she came down for breakfast with the family, which caused great elation, then sadly right before Thanksgiving she caught the flu that Ben brought home from school and got knocked off her feet again.

Two days ago, to my astonishment, Emily came downstairs and asked if I had any work for her to do, and she cleaned out some bathroom drawers. Yesterday we all went out for supper at the gourmet restaurant of her choice--Taco Bell--her first such excursion in many weeks. Today she cleaned up the kitchen. When I went into raptures about how she's getting well at last, she grumped that she still feels awful.

So I think she's in the stage of recovery where everyone around her can see the improvement and her new interest in her surroundings, but she's still feeling gross enough that she feels like she's as sick as ever.

So that's where she's at, and enormous thanks to everyone who has prayed for her and encouraged us. We have a long journey ahead, I'm sure, but I have more hope than I've had for a while.

Quote of the Day:
"You know what's kind of disheartening? In books when a character's sick like me, she always dies."
--Emily