It was late March 1995. Judy had been having many digestive problems and just not feeling well in general. Having just gone through a similar problem, I suggested she see a gastroenterologist. She set an appointment with a doctor in her area, and the colonoscopy, which is an endoscopic examination of the colon was done on March 31. Her doctor pronounced her fine. Within the next two weeks, things deteriorated. Judy was having distressing abdominal pain and swelling. She was still trying to work but the pain refused to stop. She called me on April 10th, just as I was leaving for work. Being in a rush as usual, I told her to call the doctor right away and tell him he better do something, because this was not a normal reaction to the procedure he had performed on her. I was livid that he had put her off this long! When I returned home that night, I found that he finally admitted her to a hospital in South Boston, Virginia. He agreed the pain had been going on too long. The next night, April 11th, Judy called me at work, and was quite upset. She proceeded to explain, they found a fluid in her abdomen, and they had no idea what was causing it. It could be her liver or a couple of other things. I asked her to relay some questions to her doctor, he was in the room at the time, but he was not too happy with the things I was asking, and wanted to know to whom she was speaking. I told Judy I was leaving for home, and would call her as soon as I got there. Actually, I telephoned her doctor within ten minutes of our conversation. The nurse said the doctor had already left the hospital. I surmised he had no answers for my questions. You see I lived about ten hours from my sister and was very discontented at not being able to be there. I was perplexed about calling my own gastroenterologist at his home, as this was something I had never done before. Fearing something horrible was happening I made the call anyway. I explained to him the information she was receiving, and he tried to be as truthful as he could, not having seen her as a patient. It was hard to decipher, but I felt through his tone, he thought this was a serious problem. He suggested if we did not get answers readily, to think of transferring her to a larger hospital.

I called her son who lives within an hour from her, and explained the situation to him. He decided he would go to her, and help his father make some decisions about what could be done. All this time Judy was saying not to come, she would be fine.

On Wednesday April 12th, her son and husband told the doctor they wanted her transferred to the University of North Carolina Medical Facility. Judy would be transferred, by personal automobile, contingent upon the doctor signing the transfer. Judy was transferred on Thursday April 13th, arriving at UNC at 3pm.

The medical personnel decided to do a stomach tap immediately, to determine what was producing the fluid in her abdomen. The results would be discovered that evening. On April 14th, Good Friday the Doctors at UNC told Judy and Tim it was, a fluid called ascites that filled her abdomen. Ascites is an accumulation of serous fluid in the spaces between tissues and organs in the cavity of the abdomen. The diagnosis of Judy's condition was therefore Ovarian Cancer. They were also told the cancer had spread, staging her cancer at 3c. The fluid found told them the tumors were breaking down and had begun to metastasize. They were scheduling surgery for Monday April 17th, the day after Easter.

On April 15th, I went to inform our mother of Judy's diagnosis. Prior to this all mom knew was that Judy was in the hospital undergoing tests. We needed to see what arrangements would have to be made to go and try to help Judy and Tim in any way we could. We were all so shocked and did not know what to do or when to do it. This is a time when families need to come together and be there for each other. A time when you put your own things aside for the one that needs your comfort and support. It is not always, what you have planned but is so very important to the loved one suffering a Devastating disease not to be let down at this stage of her or his life.

It was on Easter Sunday that my sister's strength became evident to all of us. She was the one telling all of us, she was in Gods hands, and all would be fine. Continue…

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