I’m overjoyed to report that Julia is constantly improving. We’re hoping she can go back to school on Monday. Pray she won’t feel too overwhelmed at the volume of work. (She’s working on it at home).

She walks normally.

No more vertigo.

What is residual: headaches. But they’re less frequent and less severe. We’ll be following up with a pain management person soon. Massage seemed to help as well.

To answer your questions:

1. No, we don’t have a diagnosis.
2. No, she wasn’t poisoned.
3. No, she doesn’t have Lyme Disease (no tick bites, clear tests)
4. No, she didn’t have meningitis.
5. No, she tested negative for West Nile.
6. No to bullying.
7. No to hypostatic something or other.

Which is all good. Her bloodwork was stellar, no nutritional deficits (she eats very healthy). No indication of viruses. No nothng.

On the one hand this is a huge blessing, on the other, I’m not much for living in mystery. But sometimes that’s what life is. Sometimes we never know what happened. I have mysteries aplenty in my life, as I’m sure you do too. All we can do is find joy in the now, thank God for what we do know, and take the next step.

I’ll get all weepy if I think about how MUCH you prayed for our family this past, crazy week. I can’t form the words of thanks adequately. You were there. You emailed, shared our request, and prayed like the dickens. Thank YOU. THANK you.

Our Life Group at church deserves heroic status. Rides, cars, food, gifts, prayers in person, crying alongside, shouldering, visiting. You’ve been our oxygen. Thank you.

Thanks to sweet family members who sent cards and gifts and well wishes.

And thanks to Jesus who helped us walk through it. There were times when I truly, fully LOST IT. In those time I felt entirely needy and small. And sometimes I felt ashamed for being so darn weak. I realized just how frail and tentative my faith can be, how dependent I am on Jesus and not my own small strength. At one point, Julia and I were both crying. As I held her, I felt the deepest peace, even in the weeping. He broke through. He hangs out in hospital rooms. I’m grateful.

I hope I never have to report back on Julia’s health. But I’m grateful for the painful journey. We grew exasperated yet closer as a family. And now we’re basking in some much needed rest.

THANK YOU.

…

By the way, I really needed to be reminded of this prayer from Everything. I’m pasting it here in hopes that it blesses your socks off. (Are you barefooted now?) Feel free to share it with a friend facing a difficult situation.