The doctors were saying Judy was in remission. Then where was the pain coming from? Why was her CA125 on the rise? We needed answers for these questions.

In May of 1996, Judy's pain was progressively worsening. Her CA125 had continued to climb. On May 3rd, it was back up to thirteen. That is not a high number for most of us but for an ovarian cancer patient it meant trouble. The mere fact that it had increased was cause for alarm. The information I obtained from The National Cancer Institution is as follows: {New Blood Test for Ovarian Cancer Shows Promise. Since LPA stimulates the growth of ovarian cancer cells, researchers speculated its presence in the blood may provide a good marker for the presence of ovarian cancer, or increased growth of a known tumor. To perform the study, the researchers enrolled 165 women -- 48 with ovarian cancer, 48 with no cancer, and 69 with other cancers or benign gynecological diseases, and measured their LPA levels. The LPA levels were elevated in 9 of 10 patients with stage I ovarian cancer and all patients with stages II, III, and IV ovarian cancer.} Judy was a stage IIIC and this showed us the cancer was growing again.

While I was visiting Judy in late May, we discussed her feelings. She was having a lot of anxiety and fear. I felt so sorry for her, wishing I could do more to ease her burden. However, all I could do was offer her my love and support. In addition, I had the knowledge I obtained through my endless hours of research. I was trying to find an answer or new information on a devastating disease. This way I would have answers for Judy when she was prepared to ask. We went shopping and then to dinner that day and I could see how the cancer was taking its vengeance on her body. The next day, Judy, missing the comfort of having an animal around, decided to get a bunny. She was made to get rid of her cat due to the fact he might scratch her and cause infection. The bunny sure was a cute little guy, but it got into everything only causing her more work.

June 5th, Judy had another Ca125 done. The results were alarming. It had climbed to 84 in just one month. This did not stop Judy from having a little fun though. We went out with her friend Babs and our mother to listen to a band my brother played in. The one thing that did show was her strength was depleted easily. Although, as you can see in the pictures, Judy still looked great. Three weeks later, another CA125 report was in. We were shocked to find that it was now up to 131. It is time for the doctor to do something! The doctor gave Judy a couple of different options. There was a new drug being introduced called Topotecan. This drug was supposed to be less toxic than the other drug regimen. Its use in the treatment of primary adjuvant chemotherapy in women with advanced ovarian cancer was being tested. The primary treatment includes six courses of chemotherapy. They would be taken in segments of five consecutive days on, then twenty-one days off. Otherwise, she would resume the Taxol and Cisplatin she was given at the onset of her cancer. Judy decided to visit her daughter in North Carolina before making a decision as to which drugs to choose. Judy's doctor also decided to do a CAT-scan to determine where exactly the problem was.

On July 3rd, the CAT-scan was done. The doctors found a cyst the size of two fists, filled with fluid near her spleen. They decided to remove as much of the fluid as possible right away. They used a large needle and entered her back. The test results of the fluid would be known in a few days.

We celebrated July 4th. This time Judy chose to stay at the house rather than view the fireworks. She was feeling very tired after the picnic. We took pictures for her, and they turned out terrible. At least it made her laugh. After arriving home, we had our traditional wiener roast but the temperature was down into the low fifties that year so it did not last long.

On July8th, the results were in. Judy's cancer was back. I could not even imagine the fear she was suffering. She was terrified of more cemo. The treatments are to start on July24th -July 28th. Again, this would mean daily one and a half-hour trips each way to Pittsburgh. A schedule was set up to take turns transporting her. On the night of her last treatment, after arriving home earlier that day, Judy's temperature began rising. A return trip to Pittsburgh was made that night. Judy's temperature was very high and her white-cell count was dropping rapidly. She was admitted to the hospital. Judy was very depressed as everything was starting to remind her of last year. As always Judy made sure, her bible was in her overnight bag. August 3rd, the doctors told Judy her neutrophil counts were down to fifty when they should have been five-hundred. This time she was sent home with a bag of needles and the medicine to give her own shots. What a strong faith she had. It still to this very day over two years later, amazes me. I am very sure Judy's faith was what led to her capacity to endure.

August 14th, Judy had to have another blood transfusion before she could take her next cemo treatment. All the trips to Pittsburgh are so hard on her, but her CA125 was going back down it was now 50.

This is a story I have to tell you about. August 15th on one of our many trips to the hospital Judy had to go down to the pharmacy after her cemo to pick up medicine. We thought we would be clever and take a short cut. We found the way to the basement and decide to go across the whole hospital underground. It would be quicker right? No it was a nightmare. The underground tunnel was down hill. I almost lost her because the wheel chair was going faster than I could keep up with and Judy crying with laughter had me laughing hysterically. People probably thought we were crazy. We had a great day she was so funny. I really wish it could have been under different circumstances. It does show what stamina Judy had though. In fact, we always managed to get some enjoyment during the hospital trips we had to withstand. Just having time together, after all the years we spent apart was both meaningful, and important to both of us.

By the end of August, Judy was back to being her old self. We went dancing with her twin daughters who were visiting and she even danced a little. I could tell she was getting tired but she kept trying to have fun. God Bless her! It was during this period of time Judy and Tim moved again. This time to a little town where Tim grew up. It was a small cute little house, and easier for them to keep up. It also meant only a fifteen minute drive from my home.

September 4th, 1996 Judy's CAT-scan showed no decrease in the tumor size. Trying to be optimistic we empathized the fact that at least it had not increased. Judy's pain was getting intolerable as the month went on.

September 23rd, Judy was starting another round of chemotherapy. During this time in her life, I think she was having the hardest emotional upheaval of dealing with her anxiety since the diagnosis. She began to realize she was both physically and emotionally fighting a battle where she knew only God's miracle would let her win. Judy expressed how God has to know I have had enough. She was also having a hard time with the drugs they were giving her to relax. They were actually causing even more anxiety and restlessness.

Everything seemed to be going as well as expected until late October. Judy's cemo was finishing up. She then began to feel sicker and was having bowel problems again.

November 3rd, tests show Judy's red blood counts were very low she would get another CAT-scan tomorrow. Still another blood transfusion would be called for.

November 12th, Judy was admitted to West Penn. Hospital in Pittsburgh. The doctors are still not sure what the exact problem is. There will be more testing done in the morning. At that time, we had no substantial answers as to what new problems Judy was facing. The fear was had the cancer metastasized into the bowel. Considering everything Judy was released from the hospital to spend Thanksgiving with her family We not only had a family gathering for Thanksgiving, we also celebrated Judy's birthday early that year. Judy would turn forty-nine on December 1st.

December 19th, Judy would start another series of cemo, but first a full exam would be given.

December 20th, during Judy's examination they found another tumor. Judy would be admitted to the hospital on Christmas Eve to have either an operation or a biopsy done on the tumor. They decided to do the biopsy so she could be home for Christmas.

January 16, 1997; another biopsy was done through the abdominal wall, a painful procedure.

On January 20th, the biopsy showed the tumor to be benign!

February 9th, Judy's CA-125 starting to raise again it was now up to 11. They would do another CAT-scan on February 28th, following the present cemo treatments.

March 1st, Judy got the results back from her CAT-scan and it was positive (God knows that she needed some positive results), it showed that her tumor was shrinking. Still the pain persisted. In fact March 8th, Judy missed a cemo treatment because she was in too much pain to travel to Pittsburgh. Her doctor chose this time to be ignorant of Judy's feelings and reprimanded her harshly; this not only hurt Judy's feelings but made her husband very angry. The doctor stated Judy needed to get a life and quit dwelling on the cancer. Not one of us could understand what mordacity that took.

March 12th, Judy was back in the hospital with her white cell counts out of control again.

April 7th , Judy's CA-125 was still on the rise up to 28. She would have one more series of cemo treatments with this doctor. Judy would then start seeing a doctor closer to home, eliminating the travel time and hard ship of the travel to Pittsburgh.

April 25th , Judy's last cemo treatment of that series. While talking with one of her oncology nurses, I expressed my concern over Judy's condition. Her nurse explained to me that Judy could be in for a wretched time.

April 29th , Judy went to see her new doctor in the valley. He stated that he would change her to a different method of treatment {Continued…

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