The Story of Dónal O’Shea A true inspiration to all those who are living with cancer, Dónal O’Shea knows he is one of the lucky ones and so he treasures every moment of his life today. His diagnosis of bowel cancer 13 years ago was almost missed until an orthopaedic surgeon spotted the tumour while […]
The Story of Sean Martin Getting a funny look from your daughter across the table as you eat your breakfast is an unusual start to someone’s experience with cancer. Thankfully for Sean Martin from Co. Roscommon this look lead to his diagnosis, which could have gone unnoticed until things were much more serious. Sean explains
A cancer diagnosis can come at any time in your life and usually comes out of the blue, when least expected. Christina Doherty was preparing for a planned hysterectomy when hers came, after her doctor decided to send her for a mammogram to ensure all was good prior to her surgery. So it was that
Clocking Up The Miles Retired bus driver, Sean Kavanagh, has certainly clocked up the miles during his long career, driving school buses and tour buses all over the country. It was a career he enjoyed, meeting people from all over the world and showing them the delights of our island, particularly proud of his home
The Story Of Edward McDaid No matter who you are or when it happens if you hear a doctor say the word cancer it is an incredible shock. Very suddenly everything is turned on its head as you try to get to grips with what cancer you have, what stage it is at, what options
My Cancer Journey The drive from the beautiful Inishowen peninsula to Galway is approximately 300 km and takes nearly four hours. It was not a trip Terence Hegarty expected to be doing on a regular basis, but following a diagnosis of prostate cancer in late 2021 it became a familiar part of his life. Fit
Know The Symptoms Peter Biddulph was a reasonably fit and healthy man in his 60’s when his world turned upside down in 2021 as he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Peter remembers “you are going along fine with life and then you get a sudden reality check – you are mortal and the man above
Remote But Not Alone In June 2020 Kathleen Brennan noticed a lump under her arm and didn’t hesitate to contact her doctor who immediately sent her for tests. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, things moved very fast and the tests soon confirmed she had cancer. While the cancer was of Unknown Primary (CUP), it had spread
A Priceless Gift While radiotherapy treatment in itself is not too bad for many patients, it is often given after weeks of chemotherapy, when patients are exhausted and their energy levels depleted. Finding the reserves to start into several weeks of daily sessions, 5 days a week, therefore is daunting. If on top of
Good Luck and Good Judgement A huge factor in the likelihood of a positive outcome following a cancer diagnosis is early detection. Given that many cancers are initially symptomless, early detection can often be more luck than judgement. As was the case for Lorraine Cuffe when she took her new baby girl, Leah, for