Elizabeth's Road to Recovery
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Hi everyone, my name is Victoria. Thank you for taking the time to click this link. I felt it was necessary to tell my sister, Elizbeth's story. It's a long one- but the only way I can ask for help is by telling you all the whole story.
When we are young, we all develop dreams of what our ideal future will look like. For every individual, that ideal future is rendered differently. In Elizabeth’s case, her vision of her future was to become a thriving esthetician giving people the tools they need in order to live their best lives and feel beautiful. Elizabeth’s vison was not only career oriented, she also wanted to be a mother, have a family and her own children. As a bubbly, young, beautiful, and energetic 24-year-old young woman her ideal future seemed like it was all starting to come together, until July 2019 when Elizabeth’s world started crumbling in pieces before her eyes. She started to experience major stomach cramping that was more intense than your average stomach ache. She took medicine with hopes of it subsiding but as the weeks went by, it only became worse. She found herself in constant pain, causing her to stay in bed for days that seemed to never end. Elizabeth layed there tearfully in the fetal position, praying the pain would go away but nothing seemed to help.
By August 2019, her pain became unbearable and she was rushed to urgent care. The doctors were very concerned about the state she was in and sent her straight to the emergency room at Centra State Medical Center. Once she arrived, her unexpected journey from hospital to hospital of an unsure prognosis had begun. On her first night in the hospital, the ER doctors had found her spleen was enlarged, her ovary was inflamed, and her lungs were filled with fluid. That's definitely not results of a "normal" stomach ache. The doctors took the initiative to admit her for the night in order to look further into her unusual issues. Elizabeth was surprised and nervous what was going to happen to her. She ended up spending three nights and four days being put through a series of exhausting tests. Some being extremely painful and some painless, but doctors weren't successful at finding a diagnosis. This meant more and more testing. By the fourth day, she was done with tests and on to the next step. Elizabeth was finally sent to get her lungs drained where she endured an excruciating procedure that took out 900 mL of unknown fluid, while awake. The doctors at the first hospital were helpful, but unable to give her any type of diagnosis. She had seen a Gastroenterologist, Pulmonologist, and an OBGYN. After the doctors met to discuss her case, they decided it was in Elizabeth's best interest to send her to a specialist at Robert Wood Johnson Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
Upon arrival at RWJCI, Elizabeth was immediately sent to see a Gynecologist Oncologist, in other words- a specialist who treats cancer located in a woman's reproductive organs. You can only imagine how gut wrenching it can be for a young woman who has never been sick before to be sent to this type of specialist. Seeing a cancer specialist was one of the hardest experiences she had to go through. As traumatizing as this experience has been, she luckily fell into the hands of a wonderful doctor who is determined to get to the bottom of her case. He ordered a specialized series of tests that included, a chest x-ray, a pelvic MRI and copious amounts of blood work. Unfortunately, there was more fluid in her lungs, only this time it traveled to her pelvis. Once again, she was sent to be drained. The thought of this procedure upset Elizabeth immensely because it was so painful the first time.
After draining almost 1000 mL of fluid, Elizabeth's doctor called her in for the results of her pelvic MRI that left her scared, shocked and speechless. He explained that the MRI had shown a grape fruit sized mass/tumor at the entrance of her uterus, that could potentially be life threatening. She went to this appointment without her parents, and her heart dropped. Not only did she experience this shattering news without them to comfort her, but she now had to explain it to her family. Tears filled her eyes, her stomach was in her throat, and her mind went numb. As her specialist described the various possibilities this could lead to, she felt as if she wasn't in the room anymore. Her mind was racing; 'how could I have something this serious? Why is this happening to me? Am I going to die?" While her thoughts ran rapid through her head, the doctors words faded in and out. Finally he asked, "do you have any questions for me?" Elizabeth had so many thoughts, so many questions but the words couldn't come out. The nurse came in and explained that it was time to schedule another procedure to determine the seriousness of this problem. Everything was happening so fast, yet in slow motion all at once.
The next step for her was to do a pelvic biopsy on the mass. Elizabeth was put on a local anesthesia, which allowed her to be awake while they stuck her with a probe through her pelvis in order to extract part of the mass. It was absolutely terrifying to her. After the biopsy was performed, she felt very uneasy and sick to her stomach. Luckily, was able to go home once the anesthesia wore off. She spent the next week wondering what the results would tell her. The days went by and so did the nights, which seemed so slow as she was unable to sleep with her mind racing. After one week of waiting, the results came in and they were determined to be inconclusive. She went through all of that pain just to hear that there wasn’t enough cells retrieved in order to make a proper prediction. Elizabeth felt tired and was ready to give up, but she knew she had to keep on fighting her battle.
At the ripe age of 24, she was scheduled for her first major operation. Going into the procedure Elizabeth was petrified. Because of the failed biopsy, the specialist had explained that there are other ways to retrieve the mass. She did not know what to expect, and the specialist was uncertain if he would be able to obtain the mass laparoscopically. Her doctor wasn’t sure if any other organs were damaged, and that there was a possibility that the surgery could become bigger than intended. There was a chance that if her reproductive organs had been tainted, a hysterectomy would be performed. The thought of going into surgery for a small incision vs. going into surgery and literally having your entire reproductive organs taken out made her physically ill. Having children was one of her dreams and it was very important to her. Hearing this at such a young age crushed her, while some people didn’t think it was the end of the world- it was the end of her world.
Elizabeth put on a strong face and had to go into surgery not knowing what was done when she woke up. The feeling of being strapped down to a bed and an oxygen mask on her face surrounded by two doctors and a team of nurses and anesthesiologist was unreal. She layed there under the big, white, bright hospital lights and was shaking. Her doctor held her hand as she started to drift away, and promised to help her feel better. He told her that he would do everything in his power to get her healthy, and keep her fertility in tact. She said a prayer to herself, closed her eyes, and the doctors began the operation.
Almost 7 hours later, Elizabeth was out of surgery. She awoke, after what felt like 30 minutes to her. The doctor had come out and explained to the family what was done. She was lucky- the doctor was able to perform a laparoscopy. He explained her reproductive organs were beautiful. She would have no problem having children in the future. But the mass was still there, and doctors hadn't determined it benign yet. Unfortunately, waiting to eagerly find out what she had been fighting will take a couple more weeks.
Doctors had cleared her to be an out-patient, and sent her home that evening. The anesthesia made her foggy and sick. The feeling of constant dizziness was madness to her. Her voice is weak, and throat is still sore from the breathing tube down her throat. The next day she felt hopeless- unable to walk or use the bathroom herself or even take a shower. She was very uneasy and could barely even sit up right still not knowing what is wrong with her since July. Her body is covered in purple and black bruises from the initial procedure, she is still in pain, and still has no voice.
Elizabeth just wants this to be over and go back to her normal life. Everything changed that one day she randomly woke up with a stomach ache. Elizabeth doesn’t feel normal and still doesn’t. She is unable to attend school this November due to doctors appointments and isn’t allowed to go to work. Her head consuming her of the worst thoughts. A doctors visit coming up with the results of whether this mass is benign or not. Those results could make or break her life. Elizabeth keeps wondering when this will come to an end so she can press play on the life she always wanted.
The doctors confirmed her as a question mark, a rare case, an unknown. Three long months have gone by, and Elizabeth still wakes up every day not knowing what is wrong with her. Not knowing what will come out of this. We are asking our friends and family to help us continue her hunt for health. Doctors visits, hospital stays, tests, blood work...everything comes at a cost. Please donate to Elizabeth's Road to Recovery so we can get to the bottom of this. A little bit goes a long way, and we are asking for help to get our girl back to normal. Not only is Elizabeth fighting this battle, but her family is struggling to get through this as well. Her road to recovery may be long, and we could use all the love and support possible. Thank you for taking the time to read her story, and keep her in your prayers♥️
When we are young, we all develop dreams of what our ideal future will look like. For every individual, that ideal future is rendered differently. In Elizabeth’s case, her vision of her future was to become a thriving esthetician giving people the tools they need in order to live their best lives and feel beautiful. Elizabeth’s vison was not only career oriented, she also wanted to be a mother, have a family and her own children. As a bubbly, young, beautiful, and energetic 24-year-old young woman her ideal future seemed like it was all starting to come together, until July 2019 when Elizabeth’s world started crumbling in pieces before her eyes. She started to experience major stomach cramping that was more intense than your average stomach ache. She took medicine with hopes of it subsiding but as the weeks went by, it only became worse. She found herself in constant pain, causing her to stay in bed for days that seemed to never end. Elizabeth layed there tearfully in the fetal position, praying the pain would go away but nothing seemed to help.
By August 2019, her pain became unbearable and she was rushed to urgent care. The doctors were very concerned about the state she was in and sent her straight to the emergency room at Centra State Medical Center. Once she arrived, her unexpected journey from hospital to hospital of an unsure prognosis had begun. On her first night in the hospital, the ER doctors had found her spleen was enlarged, her ovary was inflamed, and her lungs were filled with fluid. That's definitely not results of a "normal" stomach ache. The doctors took the initiative to admit her for the night in order to look further into her unusual issues. Elizabeth was surprised and nervous what was going to happen to her. She ended up spending three nights and four days being put through a series of exhausting tests. Some being extremely painful and some painless, but doctors weren't successful at finding a diagnosis. This meant more and more testing. By the fourth day, she was done with tests and on to the next step. Elizabeth was finally sent to get her lungs drained where she endured an excruciating procedure that took out 900 mL of unknown fluid, while awake. The doctors at the first hospital were helpful, but unable to give her any type of diagnosis. She had seen a Gastroenterologist, Pulmonologist, and an OBGYN. After the doctors met to discuss her case, they decided it was in Elizabeth's best interest to send her to a specialist at Robert Wood Johnson Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
Upon arrival at RWJCI, Elizabeth was immediately sent to see a Gynecologist Oncologist, in other words- a specialist who treats cancer located in a woman's reproductive organs. You can only imagine how gut wrenching it can be for a young woman who has never been sick before to be sent to this type of specialist. Seeing a cancer specialist was one of the hardest experiences she had to go through. As traumatizing as this experience has been, she luckily fell into the hands of a wonderful doctor who is determined to get to the bottom of her case. He ordered a specialized series of tests that included, a chest x-ray, a pelvic MRI and copious amounts of blood work. Unfortunately, there was more fluid in her lungs, only this time it traveled to her pelvis. Once again, she was sent to be drained. The thought of this procedure upset Elizabeth immensely because it was so painful the first time.
After draining almost 1000 mL of fluid, Elizabeth's doctor called her in for the results of her pelvic MRI that left her scared, shocked and speechless. He explained that the MRI had shown a grape fruit sized mass/tumor at the entrance of her uterus, that could potentially be life threatening. She went to this appointment without her parents, and her heart dropped. Not only did she experience this shattering news without them to comfort her, but she now had to explain it to her family. Tears filled her eyes, her stomach was in her throat, and her mind went numb. As her specialist described the various possibilities this could lead to, she felt as if she wasn't in the room anymore. Her mind was racing; 'how could I have something this serious? Why is this happening to me? Am I going to die?" While her thoughts ran rapid through her head, the doctors words faded in and out. Finally he asked, "do you have any questions for me?" Elizabeth had so many thoughts, so many questions but the words couldn't come out. The nurse came in and explained that it was time to schedule another procedure to determine the seriousness of this problem. Everything was happening so fast, yet in slow motion all at once.
The next step for her was to do a pelvic biopsy on the mass. Elizabeth was put on a local anesthesia, which allowed her to be awake while they stuck her with a probe through her pelvis in order to extract part of the mass. It was absolutely terrifying to her. After the biopsy was performed, she felt very uneasy and sick to her stomach. Luckily, was able to go home once the anesthesia wore off. She spent the next week wondering what the results would tell her. The days went by and so did the nights, which seemed so slow as she was unable to sleep with her mind racing. After one week of waiting, the results came in and they were determined to be inconclusive. She went through all of that pain just to hear that there wasn’t enough cells retrieved in order to make a proper prediction. Elizabeth felt tired and was ready to give up, but she knew she had to keep on fighting her battle.
At the ripe age of 24, she was scheduled for her first major operation. Going into the procedure Elizabeth was petrified. Because of the failed biopsy, the specialist had explained that there are other ways to retrieve the mass. She did not know what to expect, and the specialist was uncertain if he would be able to obtain the mass laparoscopically. Her doctor wasn’t sure if any other organs were damaged, and that there was a possibility that the surgery could become bigger than intended. There was a chance that if her reproductive organs had been tainted, a hysterectomy would be performed. The thought of going into surgery for a small incision vs. going into surgery and literally having your entire reproductive organs taken out made her physically ill. Having children was one of her dreams and it was very important to her. Hearing this at such a young age crushed her, while some people didn’t think it was the end of the world- it was the end of her world.
Elizabeth put on a strong face and had to go into surgery not knowing what was done when she woke up. The feeling of being strapped down to a bed and an oxygen mask on her face surrounded by two doctors and a team of nurses and anesthesiologist was unreal. She layed there under the big, white, bright hospital lights and was shaking. Her doctor held her hand as she started to drift away, and promised to help her feel better. He told her that he would do everything in his power to get her healthy, and keep her fertility in tact. She said a prayer to herself, closed her eyes, and the doctors began the operation.
Almost 7 hours later, Elizabeth was out of surgery. She awoke, after what felt like 30 minutes to her. The doctor had come out and explained to the family what was done. She was lucky- the doctor was able to perform a laparoscopy. He explained her reproductive organs were beautiful. She would have no problem having children in the future. But the mass was still there, and doctors hadn't determined it benign yet. Unfortunately, waiting to eagerly find out what she had been fighting will take a couple more weeks.
Doctors had cleared her to be an out-patient, and sent her home that evening. The anesthesia made her foggy and sick. The feeling of constant dizziness was madness to her. Her voice is weak, and throat is still sore from the breathing tube down her throat. The next day she felt hopeless- unable to walk or use the bathroom herself or even take a shower. She was very uneasy and could barely even sit up right still not knowing what is wrong with her since July. Her body is covered in purple and black bruises from the initial procedure, she is still in pain, and still has no voice.
Elizabeth just wants this to be over and go back to her normal life. Everything changed that one day she randomly woke up with a stomach ache. Elizabeth doesn’t feel normal and still doesn’t. She is unable to attend school this November due to doctors appointments and isn’t allowed to go to work. Her head consuming her of the worst thoughts. A doctors visit coming up with the results of whether this mass is benign or not. Those results could make or break her life. Elizabeth keeps wondering when this will come to an end so she can press play on the life she always wanted.
The doctors confirmed her as a question mark, a rare case, an unknown. Three long months have gone by, and Elizabeth still wakes up every day not knowing what is wrong with her. Not knowing what will come out of this. We are asking our friends and family to help us continue her hunt for health. Doctors visits, hospital stays, tests, blood work...everything comes at a cost. Please donate to Elizabeth's Road to Recovery so we can get to the bottom of this. A little bit goes a long way, and we are asking for help to get our girl back to normal. Not only is Elizabeth fighting this battle, but her family is struggling to get through this as well. Her road to recovery may be long, and we could use all the love and support possible. Thank you for taking the time to read her story, and keep her in your prayers♥️
Organiser
Victoria Rosici
Organiser
Morganville, NJ
