Jan healed and was once again mobile. She and Ned could start again doing the things they loved. Cruelly, that was not to be. In October, 2012 Ned was diagnosed with.Stage IV lung cancer. After all he had been through, one would think Ned would have been devastated with this diagnosis. But not Jan's Ned. If chemotherapy was indicated, then Ned would have chemotherapy. With his usual optimism and positive outlook, this was just one more disease to be conquered on the way to Jan and Ned's happy ending. He used to tell Jan that they would be together for 2,464 years, then go to the next world together. He promised. For nine months the chemo kept the cancer at bay, and Jan and Ned continued to do things together, to laugh together, to love each other. Then the chemo stopped working. Further treatment was not an option. Ned began suffering. Yet his overriding concern was still Jan doing too much for him. He would say, "you do everything for me. That isn't fair". However, he began to understand that Jan cared for him, not out of any sense of obligation, but out of deep love, as well as a lot of selfishness. He had promised her 2,464 years, and she wanted him to keep that promise. It was not to be. On September 19, at 9:10pm Jan helped Ned go to bed. She helped him get undressed, secured his oxygen mask, adjusted his pillows, turned on the tv, and told him she was going to the kitchen to put food away. She closed the door behind her.
At 9:30 she went back to the bedroom to see if. had gone to sleep and to kiss him goodnight. When she walked into the room Jan could see Ned was not in a normal position. He was slumped over to his side. She went over to him and shook him, crying for him to wake up. She kept yelling, "You can't leave me. Just wake up!"
He was not to awaken. God had taken Ned home. There would be no more pain for Ned. But the pain for Jan was just beginning.