close
close

Ourladyoftheassumptionparish

Part – Newstatenabenn

Cork mother waiting for crucial result of lung cancer scan
patheur

Cork mother waiting for crucial result of lung cancer scan

The stigma around lung cancer is “appalling and unnecessary”, a Cork mother has said, as the disease leaves her terrified it will be taken from her children.

Gillian Ryan has been receiving treatment since she was diagnosed in 2021 at just 40 years old. This month you face a crucial exploration.

“I have had biannual scans for the past few years and at my most recent scan, in April 2024, I was told that a nodule had been growing in my lower lobe for over a year,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the radiologist didn’t report it until now, which means it has doubled in size.”

She and her family in Bandon will make a plan for what’s to come after repeating this scan.

“I’m afraid? “No, I’m absolutely terrified,” she said.

Terrified of leaving those I love too soon. I try to stay positive and most days I am, but in the middle of the night, when the silence is deafening, thoughts creep in like water on a sinking ship and leave you breathless.

Life for the avid runner and non-smoker has already changed, he explained: “I can no longer run or exercise because I had my lung removed.”

“Lung cancer has very low survival rates, receives minimal funding, and the stigma surrounding it is appalling and unnecessary.”

She says more information and faster early detection are key to more survivors of this cancer.

“Lung cancer has very low survival rates, receives minimal funding, and the stigma surrounding it is appalling and unnecessary,” he said.

“More and more young women and men are being diagnosed with this cancer who have never smoked a day in their lives.”

Recalling those weeks leading up to his 40th birthday in 2021, he said that while his life was very good, he knew something was wrong.

“I went from running 10km most days and working out four or five times a week to barely being able to walk up a flight of stairs without needing a break,” he said.

“I fueled my body with healthy foods and did not abuse them. He was proud of the body he had; “It just wasn’t working as well for me as it used to.”

She was completely unprepared for the devastating diagnosis and had no history of lung cancer in her family.

“I died right there,” he said.

“Those three words took away my carefree, invincible, amazing, beautiful, happy life. “You have cancer.”

In addition to her own trauma, she described how upon telling her family: “I felt so guilty, guilty for bringing them this horrible news, guilty that now they were affected by cancer too, it wasn’t just me.”

She is working with the Marie Keating Foundation, which celebrates Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November.

While smoking accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancers, between 10% and 15% of lung cancers in Western countries occur in non-smokers.

Liz Yeates, chief executive of the Marie Keating Foundation, said: “Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. “It’s time to focus on support, not judgment.”

The charity also renewed its call for the Government to introduce a national lung cancer screening programme. This would allow earlier detection, as is already done, for example, with breast cancer.