This is a brief update about my spouse who has had an awful relapse of the infection that took him out last year.

I wrote a post, “Lookin’ for Happy” on December 6, stating that my spouse was not able to walk or eat much. He was so sick…

But one week later, we have reasons to be hopeful.

I have worked closely with his primary physician, and we have begun aggressive treatment once more. The treatment sometimes is worse than the illness, what with the side-effects.

However, there has been some slow progression and improvement this past week.

My spouse was “okay enough” that he could remain at home alone (while I was away at work) without one of my senior pals or sisters staying with him. He didn’t like that very much. He felt as if he were being “babysat.” (His words.) But there was no way that I was going to leave him alone when he didn’t have the strength to get out of bed, feed himself, or such.

By Tuesday of this past week, his fatigue had dissipated and he was able, albeit slowly, to get himself up, get dressed, and move about cautiously. He began to eat a more regular, sustaining diet. Without twisting his arm, he has been drinking liquids to avoid dehydration.

He is back on a combination therapy of common antibiotics being administered through a rigorous timed daily sequence that I worked out from observation and past experience. Unfortunately, it is that past experience that taught us what works best and what doesn’t.

So far, so good. I took him to his doctor’s office yesterday and he was doing far better than he was two weeks ago. Walked in under his own steam, answered all of the doctor’s questions clearly and accurately — so thankfully, no indications of brain involvement as has happened before.

I don’t want to jinx it any more, but let’s say that slow progress is showing signs of hope. Complete recovery is still a long way off, but we have hope now that he is getting better … one small step at a time.

This is really what I mean when I close posts with, “show those you love how you love them.” Or in another way, “for better or worse, in sickness and in health.” I truly adhere to those lines in our marriage vows.

Life is short: have faith, have hope, and show your love.