Diane went to her forever home on June 30.
In March 2023, Diane was diagnosed with cancer in multiple places in her abdomen. At the time, the oncologist described it as peritoneal or metastatic ovarian cancer.
The treatment protocol began with three rounds of chemotherapy. This treatment (with its difficult side effects) lasted 9 weeks with an interval of 21 days between each infusion. CT scans and blood work revealed that these infusions were effective in reducing the amount of cancer.
In August 2023 Diane had surgery to perform a complete hysterectomy and to remove all observable cancer in the abdomen. This included removing the omentum. Testing of cancerous tumors confirmed a diagnosis of metastatic ovarian cancer.
After waiting 5 weeks to recover from surgery, Diane endured three more 21-day intervals of chemotherapy. After completing this chemotherapy, she began a 'maintenance' regimen of a single cancer drug via infusions every 3 weeks.
The ongoing 'maintenance drug' infusions did not create the difficult side effects of the high-potency infusions, but uncomfortable neuropathy became worse. Walking is uncomfortable. In addition to the neuropathy, there are frequent shooting pains in various other places.
Diane's CT scans remained clear in 2024. However, a PET scan in September 2024 revealed enlarged and suspicious lymph nodes in her abdomen. As a result, her oncologist recommended resuming chemotherapy with a different drug combination. She began this new regimen in December 2024. It was scheduled to end in June 2025 after 8 cycles. There were troublesome side effects, especially during the first 7 to 10 days after each infusion, e.g., neuropathy, joint pain, and growing tired easily. All in all, Diane felt much better after these infusions than after those of 2023. However, fatigue became a significant problem after 6 cycles. The 7th cycle was delayed, and the last cycle was canceled entirely. Fatigue continued and Diane's eating was slow to return to normal. She would get hungry, but food didn't usually appeal to her.
In September 2025 a PET scan was ordered to determine the impact of the recent chemotherapy. Miraculously, the scan revealed that cancer was no longer present in the lymph nodes, however the scan revealed a spot in the liver and a spot on the left chest wall. It was decided to treat these new spots with focused radiation. Five radiation treatments were administered over the course of 10 days in November 2025.
Apparently unrelated to the radiation, Diane began experiencing a week-long episode of fever and increasing fatigue in the middle of November. Her symptoms did not respond to the prescribed antibiotic. As a result she was admitted to the hospital. After many days of treatment with a broad spectrum of antibiotics she continued to suffer and doctors were not in agreement. Her need for continuous oxygen received the attention of her pulmonologist. The diagnosis of the pulmonologist led to a different treatment protocol and Diane began to recover. After 6 days in the hospital, Diane was released without the need of supplemental oxygen – a wonderful answer to prayer!
Diane resumed receiving 'maintenance' infusions every three weeks. The drug doesn't kill cancer cells, but inhibits their growth by starving them of nutrients. A follow-up PET scan was ordered to determine if cancer is still present. If cancer was present or had returned, there were very few options left. Other sets of drugs that are prescribed for some ovarian-cancer patients are known to be ineffective on the genetic makeup of Diane’s particular cancer. Participating in clinical trials of new drugs may have been an option.
The results of Diane's PET scan revealed that last year's radiation treatments were successful and no additional radiation was needed. Her oncologists were pleased that the PET scan showed no evidence of cancer anywhere! However, they kept watch on an unusually-elevated cancer marker. There are reasons other than cancer that can cause this particular measure to be high, so the oncologists just monitored its value. She resumed 'maintenance' infusions once per month.
Unrelated to her cancer treatment, Diane spent 6 days in the hospital mid-March battling pneumonia. The strong antibiotic that she received as part of that event is known for serious and uncomfortable side effects. Diane dealt with some of those side effects that began a month after her treatment.
Another PET scan at the end of May revealed that cancer had returned in multiple places. Her oncologist shared treatment options and worked to develop a plan for a new round of chemotherapy. But before a plan was established, Diane became very ill in mid-June. Her illness required hospitalization. During that hospital stay it was eventually determined that cancer was the cause of her serious condition and there were no available treatment options. Her oncologist and the hospital doctors recommended end-of-life care. After only 2½ days in hospice care, the Lord welcomed her home.
There were so many clear markers that Diane was in the middle of God’s loving plan as we approached her final days. We had remarkable peace and knew that we were being covered in prayer by many friends.
Your prayers were important and appreciated. God was good each step of the way! He provided encouragement and peace in multiple ways. You can revisit those ways in our updates, Diane's personal notes, her favorite scripture passages, and music.