TLC
Return to Amish’s Mary Schmucker Diagnosed with ‘Stage Three Cancer’ After Colon Surgery
Return to Amish star Mary Schmucker was diagnosed with “stage three cancer” after undergoing colon surgery in April.
“When I did my surgery, they said they got all of the cancer,” she wrote in an update shared via a private Facebook group dedicated to her Tupperware sales on Friday, June 3. “Two weeks later they called me and said, ‘You have to come in right away.'”
“Now they tell me, I have stage three cancer, almost stage four. Chemo will not help on stage four. So, why should I even do chemo?” the TLC star added. “But I’m not taking their word for it; I’m going for a second opinion.”
The former reality star announced her original diagnosis earlier this year in her Facebook group adding that she would be undergoing surgery.
“I just want to give a little update,” Mary wrote in April. “As you know I have colon cancer and I am scheduled for surgery this month.”
Though details on her surgery were not announced at the time, she later shared that she was having second thoughts about going under the knife.
“I wanted to talk a little bit about my surgery,” she shared during an Instagram Live on April 8. “I kind of wanted to cancel but I guess I’m having my surgery in a couple weeks.”
“I’m going to need your help when I’m recuperating,” Mary pleaded to fans. “I need somebody to talk to, so I’ll probably jump on here quite a bit.”
Later that month, Mary’s daughter-in-law, Rebecca Schmucker, opened up to fans about the matriarch’s ongoing health issues.
“Mom had her colon surgery today and she’s recovering now,” Rebecca shared via Instagram on April 22.
Though the selfie with Mama Mary was not taken the day of the TLC star’s surgery, Rebecca went on to thank fans for their continued support. “Thank you everyone for the kind thoughts and prayers and messages! Y’all are so sweet, and we really appreciate you!” she added.
Just two days later, a friend of the reality star shared an update on Mary’s recovery in the Facebook group.
“I talked to Mary this morning,” the friend wrote on April 24. “She says the doctor feels he was able to get all the cancer!!”
“And she’s coming home today!!” the woman exclaimed, adding several red heart emojis.
As In Touch previously reported, Mary announced she will not be returning to the TLC spinoff.
Fans were first introduced to Mary when her son, Abe, and Rebecca appeared on Breaking Amish in 2012, before later joining the cast of Return to Amish. Though the couple left the series in 2017, Mama Mary remained on as a fan favorite.
“I am not coming back on TV, but a lot of the others went back. I would love to come back on TV, but there’s too many issues that won’t work for me,” she said in an Instagram post last month.
It’s unclear if her decision was a result of her cancer diagnosis, but she did note that she “would like to come back.”
“I would like to come back, but come back as we are doing now,” Mary added. “I feel we should do a story like what happened after the show, where we are now and what happened to us, so people know, but they don’t want to do that.”
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