Martha Schuppe Martha Schuppe Updates

About a week and a half before Christmas, Mom went in for a CT scan due to pain in her right arm. That scan showed fuzzy spots on various bones in her body (humerus, scapula, a few ribs and vertebrae to name a few). Upon further inspection through a PET, they found cancer in many of her bones. (Actually, there are few bones that do not have cancer in them) In January, she was diagnosed with (Gastric) Signet Ring Carcinoma which is stomach cancer that has metastasized to her bones. This particular variety of cancer is more rare and unfortunately difficult to detect. She’d exhibited no signs of stomach issues, no trouble eating, and hadn’t completely lost her appetite which might have helped us find it sooner. Her arm pain turned out to be hairline fractures due to the osteolytic cancer. 

Unfortunately, there are no treatments for this form of cancer (conventional or otherwise) as it is quite advanced. She has since undergone radiation for various areas of her body not aimed at treating the cancer but rather to palliate the pain. The pain medications she’s currently taking are keeping her pain to a minimum. She is under Hospice care which has helped in regulating her pain, gaining support, and having the right tools available to us. They’ve been amazingly helpful and supportive. She is able to move with a walker, eat, sleep and enjoy the sunshine and the family (but only when our jokes are good enough to make her laugh). 

We (her daughters, granddaughters, sister-in-law, niece, etc) are taking turns caring for her and have enjoyed the time that we are able to spend with her and my dad. The outpouring of love, support, prayers, meals, giftcards, encouraging notes has touched our family deeply. Please know how encouraged we are.