Mara defenses while sick

Luke reached out through the Force toward her and quickly encountered the defenses she'd set up. It felt as if she'd wrapped herself in thorns, then cobbled together body armor from starship hull plates. Beyond that were kilometers of wrappings holding her in all tight. Each line of defense brought his probe up short, then a little, tiny gap opened, allowing him to move deeper and deeper.
Finally, beyond the wrappings and past an ocean of images, hopes, and fears, he reached Mara's core. When he experienced her through the Force this way she always appeared to him to be white-hot, faring brilliantly. She was the most vibrant and alive person he'd ever known— something made all that much more remarkable since the Emperor would have tried to dampen down her vitality while she was in his service.
The illness she had contracted had sapped some of her strength, but her resilience kept it at bay. He could feel the Force flowing through her, constantly rebuilding the damage done and keeping the disease beaten back. While the initial encounters with the Yuuzhan Vong had distracted her and allowed the disease to advance, she had made a major effort toward recovery.
‘She is not yet whole again, but she is gaining in strength.’ Luke gave her a smile. "I'd say you are doing very well, my love.”
-New Jedi Order: Dark Tide I: Onslaught