Download You can bow down or fight it

“You can bow down or fight it”
Monday, September 14, 2015
A GRENAGH woman who beat lymphoma is encouraging young people to pay attention to their
health, stressing that early cancer diagnosis can be a game changer ahead of World Lymphoma
Awareness Day tomorrow.
Kate Ryan was 28 when she was diagnosed in 2010 with Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage 2B after
discovering a painless lump on her neck. What followed was a whirlwind treatment under the care of
Dr Brian Bird at the Bon Secours Hospital.
Kate Ryan, her son Harvey and husband Willie at her masters graduation in UL
“It was a huge shock. It was just surreal.
“After the diagnosis a lot of things happened, blood tests, cardiac scans, PET scan, bone marrow tap.
I started chemotherapy 10 days after diagnosis and as I felt fine, I felt perfectly healthy, I didn’t have a
clue what was ahead of me. I can remember the first day of the treatment and thinking, this chemo
isn’t so bad, don’t know what all the fuss is about.
“A few days after the first round of chemotherapy the side effects started, one of the more painful
side-effects was a really sore mouth, like sunburn on the inside. It was awful. I didn’t feel right at all, I
was so tired, this tiredness or ‘fatigue’ got worse as the treatment went on, and escalated further
when I switched to the higher dose chemotherapy.
“Around two weeks after I started treatment, my hair started falling out. The first day that it happened,
I cried for hours, as the reality of what was happening hit me like a tonne of bricks.”
Throughout her treatment, Kate was supported by family and countless friends.
“Dad’s tea was made on demand and had magical healing properties, making the world seem a better
place. My mother Rena was always there at appointments, looking after me and making my favourite
dinners and my sister Caroline was always at my
side.”
Her then boyfriend, and now husband Willie, was also an important support.
“He was amazing and took the brunt of my coping and sad emotions. He was the one that I cried with
on the days where I was fed up and feeling sorry for myself, on the days that I felt awful from the
chemo side effects.
“I work with Merck Millipore Ltd, a medical device company based in Carrigtwohill. I went out in July
2010 and went back to work part time in June 2011, finally returning to full-time hours in September of
2011. As a company they were fantastic. They were very supportive, I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Cancer is a very scary thing, Kate said, but she believes that there are two choices, to bow down to it,
or to fight it.
“During the battle you put your trust in the doctors, nurses and staff. The work they do is amazing. Dr
Brian Bird is a brilliant doctor and I trusted him to know what was best for me, I really enjoyed his
sense of humour and was thankful for his expert knowledge in relation to my treatment.
Michelle O’ Callaghan, Gerry Kelly, Kate Ryan and Elaine Doyle at a “Hats and Wigs” fundraiser
organised by Knockraha Macra na Feirme for ARC Cancer Support House.
“I spent my time on two wards in the Bons; St Bernadette’s and St Veronicas and all the staff there
are so professional and caring, and do such wonderful work in helping so many people.”
Thankfully approaching five years cancer free, Kate is now adamant that young people should not
ignore symptoms.
“The lump was the only physical symptom but talking to my friends afterwards we remembered I had
stopped going out a few months before I was diagnosed.
“I was always very tired, falling asleep on the couch at 7pm. I had no mind to go out and I can
remember walking up Maryborough Hill and there is a bus shelter half way up and I had to sit down at
that bus shelter for 15 minutes to try and catch my breath because I just wasn’t right at all.
“It was a different type of tiredness and I think with something that’s not right you know and
you have to go about getting it checked.
“I could have dismissed that swelling but you just have to trust your intuition. Even if you get brushed
off or are told you are too young for any of that you have to push on. “Had I ignored my symptoms it
would have gone on further and then your chances for a cure is lower, chemo is harder, early
diagnosis is everything.”
Kate married Willie in October 2013 and recently graduated with a Masters of Business Administration
in the University of Limerick.
There was more happy news following the all clear, when she discovered that she was pregnant.
“Fertility is something you don’t ever think about when you’re young but that is something that young
people are faced with when going through cancer treatment. I was very lucky to have Harvey. He’ll be
two in January and is a great little fellow.”
Kate is now focusing on the years ahead.
“Cancer alters how you think about life, the small silly things that go wrong no longer matter. I try to
focus on being grateful for all I have, great family and friends.”