I hesitated.
“It has been a long time.”
“How long?”
I could not remember exactly.
“Perhaps ten years. Maybe more.”
She did not scold me. Instead, she explained that persistent abdominal swelling in an older woman should never be dismissed as a normal part of aging.
She examined my abdomen and felt a firm fullness extending well beyond the area she expected.
Her expression grew thoughtful.
“I would like you to have an ultrasound today.”
Michael leaned forward.
“Do you think she has a tumor?”
“I think we need to investigate what is causing the swelling before we decide what it might be.”
Within two hours, I was lying on an examination table in the imaging department.
The technician spread gel across my abdomen and moved the probe slowly over my skin.
At first, she said very little.
Then she adjusted the machine, measured something on the screen, and repeated the examination.
