Cathy is an energetic woman, spending most of time outdoors. When she falls ill, she is diagnosed with the flu, and then, later, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. However, her health deteriorates, and she is soon in constant pain and unable to move. Her doctors are at a loss. They cannot find out what's responsible for these troubling symptoms. Tamara is active in the fantasy convention circuit, but the pain she soon experiences is anything but fictional. Her abdomen is distended and painful. Her doctor diagnoses her with a hernia and tells her to lose weight. However, her pain persists, and her eventual diagnosis turns out to be a nightmare.