Leila continues to defy the odds.  

My wife ended up in the Intensive Care Unit after contracting chickenpox, which she caught from our six-year-old son, Kyle.  Kyle recoveed without incident; it's my wife who ended up needing the expert care.

Leila is still in the ICU, but she is slowly, but steadily, making progress.  She has made it through "the danger zone", but things could still go either way.  Her vital signs have started to stabilize and the scabs caused by the rash are starting to crust over and heal on their own.  Things are looking better and better with each passing day, which is a huge relief for all of us.

Mother has been an angel, watching over Kyle, while I stay camped out here at the hospital.  I am still having to "gown up" and dress accordingly, but Leila is spending more hours awake and is becoming aware of her surroundings.  She still cannot talk, due to the vent tube in her throat, but doctors will probably take that out sometime later today or tomorrow if her blood oxygen levels continue to stay in the 90-100 degree range, which is very good.

Leila is probably no doubt hungry.  Maybe she will be able to drink a little water to soothe her raw, sore throat (due to the tubes in there) and maybe the doctor will also be kind enough to remove the ugly nose hose sticking out of her nostril.  Then she can start eating normally again, which will help her to regain lost strength.

I never realized that such a simple, unassuming childhood illness could cause so much grief for my wife or myself.  It's a thousand miracles that Leila didn't die or have some other sort of complication.  

It's only been through God's grace that my wife HAS gotten this far in her recovery, and I pray that things continue TO go well for her.

That is the latest on Leila.  I will write in here again, probably when she is out of Intensive Care.  Then hopefully her recovery will be rapid and uneventful; I pray it is!  Leila really scared me when she got as sick as she did!

~To be continued.~