She was too busy running two family businesses and worrying about her son, who was about to undergo open-heart surgery.
asserted
who → run → surgery
Ping, 69, always had digestive and gut issues when she was stressed, so she chalked it up to that.
asserted
she → have → that
When her symptoms still hadn't receded two months after her son's successful operation, she made an appointment with her doctor.
asserted
she → recede → doctor
Her abdomen was so bloated it felt tender around her belly button, she said.
asserted
she → feel → button
Ping expected to be scheduled for a colonoscopy.
asserted
Ping → expect → colonoscopy
But the nurse practitioner she saw surprised her and ordered a CT scan.
asserted
she → see → scan
"In my head, I'm thinking, 'That's weird.
asserted
That → think → head
Why did she do that?'" Ping recalled.
asserted
Ping → do → that
The CT scan returned devastating results: Ping had Stage 4 ovarian cancer.
asserted
Ping → return → cancer
The disease had spread throughout her body.
asserted
disease → spread → body
Patients with Stage 4 ovarian cancer have about a 30% chance of surviving an additional five years, according to the American Cancer Society.
uncertain
Patients → have → Society
"I was completely shocked," Ping said.
asserted
Ping → shock → ?
"I couldn't even pronounce any of this stuff, and I was really, really panicky. ...
asserted
I → pronounce → stuff
A "very insidious" disease with subtle symptoms
Once Ping processed her shocking diagnosis, she began researching care options.
asserted
she → process → options
A family member helped her get an appointment with Dr. Premal Thaker, an oncologist at the Washington University School of Medicine who treated Ping.
asserted
who → help → Ping
Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed in the advanced stages, Thaker said.
asserted
Thaker → diagnose → stages
There is no test for the disease, and its symptoms are often subtle.
asserted
symptoms → be → disease
It is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins.
uncertain
It → lead → Hopkins
Thaker called the disease "very insidious," noting many of its symptoms are similar to signs of menopause or more mild conditions.
asserted
many → call → menopause
Signs to be aware of include abdominal bloating like Ping experienced, a rapid feeling of fullness while eating and changes in bowel habits or urination.
asserted
Ping → include → habits
Ovarian cancer can cause the abdomen to fill with fluid, leading to that bloated feeling and weight gain even as a person's diet dwindles, Thaker said.
asserted
Thaker → cause → feeling
Because Ping's cancer was so advanced, Thaker determined the best course of action would be chemotherapy to shrink her tumors, followed by surgery.
asserted
course → determine → surgery
"I truly think you saved my life"
asserted
you → think → life
Ping struggled with the treatment regimen.
asserted
Ping → struggle → regimen
She lost her hair and dealt with side effects including nausea and fatigue.
asserted
She → lose → nausea
Each cycle knocked her out of commission for about a week, she said.
asserted
she → knock → week
But her numbers kept improving.
asserted
numbers → keep → ?
The constant encouragement from Thaker kept her going, she said.
asserted
she → keep → her
"I had chemo every three weeks, and every time I went, I was greeted by [Thaker] with positive news," Ping said.
asserted
Ping → have → news
"It was really profound to go, every single time, and get good reports and good progress."
asserted
It → go → reports
Ping was also buoyed by a full-circle moment that came a few months into her treatment.
asserted
that → buoy → treatment
Her primary care doctor's office, where her husband also receives care, called to confirm an appointment he had scheduled.
asserted
he → receive → appointment
Ping picked up — and recognized the voice on the other end of the line.
asserted
Ping → pick → line
"I said, 'Are you the person that ordered my CT scan?'
asserted
that → say → scan
And she said, 'Yes, I was,'" Ping said.
asserted
Ping → say → ?
"She told me that one of her best friends died from ovarian cancer, because it went undetected.
asserted
it → tell → cancer
She read my symptoms and thought, 'This is worth doing.' ...
asserted
This → read → symptoms
I said, 'I truly think you saved my life.'
asserted
you → say → life
After several sessions of chemotherapy, Ping underwent surgery in February 2025.
asserted
Ping → undergo → February
The operation included a hysterectomy and a thorough search of her internal organs to make sure there was no cancer present there.
asserted
operation → include → organs
…and 16 more, not listed.
