Glorious Scars

Today was a rough day for Haley. She has continued to have severe headaches, neck aches and pain in her back and legs. Tonight she started to have abdominal pain on top of everything else. Oh, and she has bouts of severe nausea. As Larry and I were about to leave tonight, she expressed that she is lonely and tired of this. It hurts our hearts to hear her and see her like this.

Dr. Henderson came in late yesterday afternoon and said that he wonders if she has encephalitis. He is always very calm, and he was that way yesterday (thankfully). He sat on the side of Haley's bed and rubbed her leg as he talked. He is really very kind and connects well with her. He said that we will have to wait until the cultures come back so we know what kind of infection she has. (They cultured the spinal fluid that they took at our local hospital.) I asked the nurse how long that usually takes, and she said at least 72 hours, possibly longer. So, we wait. And she is getting big gun antibiotics and antiviral meds. Also steroids. And pain meds. And nausea meds. And a ton of other meds that Dr. H wants her to have.

So tonight, when the overhead announcement came on saying that visiting hours are over and that we must all leave (I usually leave when I am good and ready, and NEVER when she is not settled!), we started to gather up our things to go to the hotel. And she said, "Mom, I'm lonely." It made me tear up seeing her so sick and so sad. I grabbed a notebook that I had with me and quickly wrote her favorite quote (the one that is on the top of every blog entry of this blog) and I found a roll of nurse's tape and I taped it to the trapeze bar above her head. She was grateful. I told her to read it over and over and that I would pray that it had new and deep meaning to her.

The quote says that "the  joy of your glory will be that much greater for every scar you bear." Haley will be one joyful, glorious lady one joyful, glorious Day. And I find myself really longing for that Day.

 Haley hanging on:

We are so grateful for all of you who have prayed. It has truly been our sustenance. Please continue!! Sometimes it really hard to imagine how things will one day get better. Thank you, again, for your constant support.