Marsha Hall

The Power of Prompt Diagnosis: Marsha’s Story

Marsha Hall, 62, was playing on the floor with her young granddaughter when she first noticed a hard spot on one side of her stomach. She made an appointment with her primary care doctor, who ordered CT scans on her abdomen.

The scans and a follow-up biopsy identified the growth as a leiomyosarcoma (LMS). This rare and aggressive form of cancer originates in smooth muscle tissue. Leiomyosarcomas typically develop in hollow abdominal organs such as the stomach, intestines, uterus or bladder.

The news shocked Marsha, since no one in her immediate family had experienced a tumor like this before. She also did not experience any symptoms sometimes associated with LMS, including abdominal pain, bloating, nausea or tiredness.

“I didn’t expect it to be cancer,” says the Florence resident. “I just knew I had felt something hard that felt out of place.”

Fast Diagnosis, Life-Saving Surgery

Marsha’s primary care doctor quickly matched her for treatment with Brent Xia, MD, a Surgical Oncologist at St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

Under Dr. Xia’s care, Marsha learned that the tumor was roughly 10 centimeters in size — and they needed to surgically remove it soon, before it could spread.

“Dr. Xia was wonderful,” Marsha says. “He made me feel comfortable and didn’t hold anything back. He gave me all the information I needed. He was upfront and honest about the fact that we needed to remove the tumor right away.”

Within weeks of her diagnosis, Marsha had surgery at St. Elizabeth Edgewood Hospital. During the six-hour procedure, Dr. Xia carefully extracted the tumor from her abdomen. In the process, he worked to preserve the proper functioning of her nearby organs.

“The surgery went smoothly, in large part because we were able to catch the cancer early,” Marsha says.

From Hospital to Home

After a week of recovering in the hospital, Marsha returned home. There, her husband, Clem, helped nurse her back to health.

“He was so supportive. He didn’t allow me to do anything, other than rest, until I recovered,” Marsha says.

For about eight weeks post-surgery, Marsha had to limit her activities. Until her incision fully healed, she could not pick up anything heavy. That meant avoiding carrying her granddaughter, which especially felt like a sacrifice.

After about two months, Marsha’s care team cleared her to return to normal activities. The all-clear came just in time for her to enjoy attending her son’s wedding alongside the rest of her family.

“They worked my surgery in as quickly as possible, knowing I’d need roughly two months to recover. In that way, the team ensured I was well enough to attend my son’s wedding,” she explains.

Marsha feels grateful to have been able to participate in such a milestone family memory — and to be back to her favorite parts of her day-to-day life.

She is now well enough to tend to her garden and to child-sit for her granddaughter multiple days a week.

“I’m cancer-free and back to normal,” she says. “I’m back to feeling like myself.”

Faith, Family and the Will to Heal

Looking back on her cancer treatment journey, Marsha credits her family and her doctors and nurses with helping her heal physically.

“Dr. Xia was a godsend, and my husband, children and grandchildren were there for me throughout the entire process,” she says. “All the nurses at St. Elizabeth treated me wonderfully as well.”

She also feels her Christian faith was key in her emotional and mental path to recovery. “I read my Bible a lot,” she says. “That helped me stay positive through it all.”

During her cancer diagnosis and treatment, Marsha leaned on two things to make the process most bearable: trusting her doctor and trusting God.

“No matter what comes your way,” Marsha says, “you have to remember that everything is in God’s hands.”

Notice a Lump? Trust Your Instincts

If you feel or notice a lump that seems out of place, make an appointment to have it checked by your Primary Care provider right away. When we catch and treat cancer early, you have a greater chance of a full recovery.