June 28th: My diary entry stated God please Help Judy get her miracle or take her home to be with you. I felt the time I had left to be with my sister was growing shorter day by day.

Wednesday, July 1st: Judy was having more pain every day. Her eating was becoming more difficult. The colostomy bag was not fitting right due to her weight loss. Hospice was coming in every few days to help her bath and checking on her health in general.

Tuesday, July 7th: The pain was taking over and her days were getting harder. She was told to stay in bed as much as possible. This was impossible for Judy, as she was never one to be inactive. She spent a lot of her time reading her Bible and finding verses to give her strength in coping.

Sunday, July 12th: I was fearful that I had so little time left with Judy. I was trying to find things to talk to her about other than the illness that was devastating her body. We would usually listen to her music and talk about the times when we were young. One of the greatest concerns Judy had, was what would her husband do without her. Another concern was the fact that her two daughters had yet to become mothers and she would not be there for them. She thanked God she had lived to see her son have two children. She was so glad she had been able to watch them grow for a while. She was frightened as to how our mother would handle her death. I found through our conversations, Judy seemed most concerned over the family she would be leaving behind than the fact she was dying.

Sunday, July 19th: Hospice started Judy on an IV for nutrition. This was a hard decision for her to make, as it would only prolong her life but not save it. Morphine suppositories were added as well as a 75mg patch of morphine to control her pain.

Wednesday, July 22nd: The previous two days Judy had been failing rapidly. Her kidneys were shutting down and Hospice started a catheter. She was now loosing everything she ate or drank. Still she tried to eat. Every night when I would go, there she had thought of something else that Tim could cook for us. Every night we tried to pretend all was well. I would sit on her bed and we talk for hours. Judy was supposed to stay in bed all the time now, but I found when I would go out side to smoke I would hear a little voice behind me at the screen door saying, hey what are you doing? I would turn and there she stood with a grin. She was so pleased that she could still get up. I think that was what helped her feel she still had some control in her life. One night we were talking about a storm coming in. Judy and I always loved to watch the storms. Tim came in to tell us it was getting bad. I suggested we take Judy outside on the porch so we could all watch it together. It started raining so hard we had to retreat to the house. Being allowed out of bed to watch the storm lifted her spirits. She was able to do something a little different. I was so happy for her that evening.

Thursday, July 23rd: Today when inquiring how things were going with the hospice nurse we were told we could expect Judy to go into a coma soon. The cancer had taken over her vital organs to the point her body would continue shutting down slowly. My daughter flew up from Florida that day. I was glad to have another person to help, as we were all becoming weary and apprehensive. Denise would be a big help to Tim. She was also someone else I could lean on.

Friday, July 24th: After arriving at my sister's home that evening, we were talking and dusk was quickly approaching. I forget exactly what we were discussing but we both became aware of the birds out side. Judy's bed had window right next to it and we could hear the birds singing. It was amazing how clear they suddenly seemed. This was something else that we would be aware of every night and every morning. I told Judy they had come to sing just for her. She laughed and said yes, God had sent them just for her.

Saturday, July 25th: That was a terrifying day for Tim. He was down in the basement doing laundry when he heard a crash upstairs. Tim came running upstairs to find Judy collapsed on the kitchen floor. Apparently Judy had wanted something to drink and decided she could help her self. She had ice cubes all around her and had dropped her glass. Tim helped her back to bed and reprimanded her for getting up. He told her he had to be able to trust her and she was going to have to listen. This was hard for Tim, as he knew she wanted so badly to be able to fend for herself. In the mean time, I was at work and talking to a girl friend who happened to be a paramedic. Kathy was asking me exactly what was going on with Judy. When I gave her the specifics of Judy's condition, she told me she felt Judy did not have very much longer to live. I went directly to my boss and told her I would be taking some time off due to my sister's health. Linda responded not to worry take as much time as I needed, as she had been aware of all that was going on for the last three years. After visiting Judy for a few hours that night I went home and called my youngest son in Los Angeles California. I told him it was time to decide if he wanted to come home while Judy was still alive; it would have to be immediately. I explained her condition and he started making arrangements. He would be home tomorrow.

Sunday, July 26th: We went to Pittsburgh to pick up our son Bernie at the airport, then went directly to Judy and Tim's. The first thing Judy said to him was what are you doing home everyone must think I am going to die. But God love her she was trying to kid with him. The next thing she told him was about his uncle giving her heck about getting out of bed all the time. They talked way into the evening. That was the last night Judy was able to communicate verbally. We started giving Judy water with a syringe that night as sitting up and drinking was becoming a struggle for her.

Monday July 27th: We went to Judy's that night and found her unable to respond as well as she had been. Her breathing was a little more labored and we would just sit and talk and she was able to let us know she was hearing by squeezing our hand. I prayed with her and told her it was getting time to let go. The only words she spoke to me that night was to answer my question when I asked if she wanted water, and she said no, she wanted milk. We stayed all night, as I was afraid to leave her side. We were also noticing a difference in her breath. This frightened me, as I knew it was getting close to the end for her. Our staying also gave Tim a chance to get some badly needed rest. He had been afraid to sleep for fear Judy might need something through the night. We went home around 8:30 AM to rest ourselves.

Tuesday July 28th: When we arrived back at Judy's later that day things had worsened as expected. Now instead of feeding her water with the syringe we began just keeping her lips moist. This is so very hard to relive. I prayed for God to take her home and told Judy we would be there for her family it was time to go to heaven. She need not suffer any longer. Go be with our Lord. I sat with Judy all night and watched her breathing become more and more labored, but she seemed to be hanging on to life fearfully. We left that next morning around 8:30Am to return home to rest.

Wednesday July 29th: We got up around noon that day and were sitting having coffee when I received a phone call from Tim's brother telling me Judy passed away at 1:27Pm. We hurried to my sister's home and were able to spend some time with her before the undertaker came. I had a peaceful feeling about her death as I knew she was in Heaven, that feeling was all mixed up with so much anger and I had no where to direct it. It was not at God whom my sister dearly loved. It is at the cruel reality of what life can sometimes bring. I know it will be very hard for quite sometime, but I also know that somewhere in heaven there is a new angel sitting at God's feet tonight. We left Tim with his brother and sister to help him notify his children, and make other arrangements. After leaving my sister's home that afternoon, my daughter went with me to pick out a dress for Judy. We did not go to the funeral home we went shopping just as Judy would have wanted us to do. We chose a beautiful mauve suit with little pearls embedded along the front neckline. Then we went back to Tim's to choose the jewelry she would need to match it. I cried as my daughter helped me repaired a pearl that was a little loose, on the suit I had bought for my sister to be buried in. It was the last thing I would ever give her, it had to be perfect she deserved the best. Right down to the pearls she wore around her neck and the tiny ones in her ears, even her nail polish was perfect. We sent her to heaven looking like the little angel she would be forever. Judy was buried at Sylvania Hills Cemetery in The Garden of Lilly's on August 1st, 1998. She had lived exactly fifty years and seven months.

On December 17th, 1998 while in the process of writing Judy's story I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It has been almost six months since I lost my sister, and I miss her very much. She was my very best friend. I only wish there were a better diagnostic test for ovarian cancer. The only test I know of at the present time is an invasive ultrasound. It is a shame insurance companies hesitate to pay for this test.

The information in the previous story is in no way meant to suggest that any one with ovarian cancer will have the same results, problems or outcome as Judy did. New trials are on the horizon and constantly being updated and revised. Judy lived many months more than expected at the onset of her disease. The tumor grade and differentiation in Judy's cancer were poor. This is not always the case for everyone.

The concept I want to put forth is, if you or anyone you know have ovarian and or breast cancer in your family history, be aggressive and be tested early. There is positive proof that knowing your family history and taking care to have Mammograms and advising your gynecologist of such history puts you way ahead of the cancer. Early detection can save your life. It may very well have saved mine. Judy has two daughters and I have one. You can be sure they will be tested regularly and it will most likely save theirs.

Family Photo
1991

This story is dedicated to my sister Judy, her husband, and her children.
(Tim) Thomas Teapole ~ Judys husband
Thomas Teapole II ~ Judys son
Judys twin daughters
Tammy Teapole Angel
Tonya Teapole Izzio
I would like to take this time to Thank my Dear Husband Ron
for all of the help he gave me in editing this story,
and for dealing with my emotions during the time I was writing it.

Yava's Pages Home Love Faith Webrings Friends Gifts Wolves Judy's Story Awards Friends Gifts White Rose Poem Win my Awards Helping Hands Comittee Prayer Comittee

Music
-Candle In The Wind
-by Elton John