I was in pain a lot and one evening I just went to the hospital with an enlarged abdomen (full of water). One doctor pulled my sister to another room and told her that that I probably had stomach cancer. When I saw my sister in tears I told her that whatever the doctor said, I did not have it. So the conclusion was to have an exploratory surgery and to do a liver biopsy and according to my request, to take out the good and healthy ovaries. That was in September1996. I stayed in the hospital for 25 days, and had a bone marrow biopsy. Most people thought that I was dying.

    After this ordeal, I became a vegetarian/vegan. I ate all organic vegetables, fruits, Soya cheese, Soya yogurt; night shades vegetables and some white bread. No simple sugar, if I could help it. After that surgery I was left with an inseasonal hernia. It took me a long time to decide to have another surgery. So I finally decided to have it done at another hospital, in April 1997. and I had normal reading of my blood work. For this operation it should have been an over night stay, but no, the doctors came a few hours later and told me that I am loosing a lot of blood and they needed to do another open operation to add extra drainage for the dead blood cells. Again my doctor called my large family because he did not think that I would make it.

Everybody was praying and crying. For that ordeal I had to have several blood transfusions, and I thank God for all the relatives, friends, and church members who donated their blood, so the blood bank was replenished. A few weeks later an outside specialist came and took a closer look and with all kinds of test I was diagnosed with a hyper-splenism (overactive spleen causing), pansytopenia (all three blood levels are low -white, red and platelets), congestive splenomegaly, diabetes type II, peripheral neuropathy and hairy cell leukemia. Some doctors told me that I might have bone cancer and portal cshirosa of the liver.

    It took me 29 days to be released from the hospital. For the next 4 months at home I had to change the gauss on my abdomen wounds, yet I could hardly walk to my bathroom or kitchen, but I had the will power and determination from above. Remembering my father's words "This too shall pass". After couple of weeks, I was pushing my self into the kitchen to create a meal, or make juices. I had my blood drawn but I refused to have it as often as my doctors have recommended it. They also recommended having the spleen taken out. Can you imagine that? Aren't enough hills and valleys on my belly?