At 80, I went TO the hospital For a mysterious swelling. What doctors found led me to a secret my late husband never wanted revealed.

I had my garden, my church friends, and more family photographs than I had room to display.

I considered myself fortunate.

Then my health began changing.

At first, my skirts felt tighter around the waist.

I assumed it was ordinary weight gain.

But the swelling continued.

Within three months, I had stopped wearing fitted clothing entirely.

By the sixth month, my stomach had become unusually rounded and firm.

I sometimes experienced uncomfortable pressure after meals, and I occasionally felt fluttering sensations that were difficult to explain.

I tried not to worry.