Cancer almost killed me at 32 -- but now I have my own family
In early 2006, Aoife McCarrick was trying to eat a bagel when she first noticed a difficulty in swallowing. Not thinking much of it, the 32-year-old Dublin woman became more concerned when over the course of five months, she couldn't swallow solid food at all.
At 5'1" and a Type 1 diabetic, Aoife knew she'd never be fat, but with eating becoming an increasing problem, her weight plummeted so she went to her doctor. "He suggested I was anorexic," says Aoife who has a masters degree in food science.
Not satisfied with the doctor's response, she checked into an A&E department and asked for an endoscopy. The doctors declined and sent her home.
Her then boyfriend Shane, who has Crohn's disease, urged her to see his GP who referred her to a gastroenterologist. "I got an appointment in mid-September and had a barium swallow test. The next day the consultant rang to say I would have an endoscopy that Friday. They found a polyp and took a biopsy.
"Shane had gone to India to attend his brother's wedding and when he returned, my brother drove me to the airport where I proposed! Shane had asked me to marry him many times previously and had even bought me an engagement ring, but now I didn't want to waste any more time.
"On October 2, the doctor told me I had oesophageal cancer (OC). It was very scary, but he said they would treat it with chemotherapy and surgery."
Aoife's chemotherapy ran for one week in every four and just before the second course, she started organising events for her big day.
"I didn't have long to plan my wedding, but we were married with just 16 guests in Cabinteely Church followed by a lovely meal in Roly's. I couldn't travel because of the chemo, so we spent a few days in a Dublin hotel. I called it my 'pre-surgery holiday' rather than a honeymoon, so he still owes me a honeymoon!"
On February 9, 2007, Aoife had an operation to remove her oesophagus. Following surgery she developed pneumonia and acute kidney failure and was resuscitated three times.
But she pulled through and two months later, she was strong enough to go home where she gradually built up her strength.
'Shane and I decided to wait two years before trying to conceive and I was over the moon when I became pregnant. But two months later I lost the baby," she says. Three further miscarriages devastated the couple. "We were on the verge of giving up trying when I became pregnant with our now 22-month-old son, Shane Jr. I discovered I was pregnant again in October 2010. Our daughter Helen was born in June last year."
Now 37, Aoife counts her blessings, having survived OC and having two beautiful children.
"I owe my life to my husband," she says. "He's the most wonderful person in the world. I wouldn't be alive were it not for him.
"They thought I was too young. I never smoked and would drink no more than eight glasses of wine a year. But the truth is, anybody can get OC, so I would urge anybody with symptoms to demand that your doctor checks it out. Don't take no for an answer."
Irish Independent
