In the summer of 2008, at 33, Mary O’Riordan was a busy mum to three boys and a teacher in her local primary school when a mouth ulcer turned out to be something else. 

“When I went back to my GP, he referred me to the dentist, and he put me straight away to Cork Dental University Hospital where I had a biopsy and it was confirmed that I had cancer in the mouth. 

It was a very tough period, explains Mary, who said the shock of the diagnosis hit her and her family very hard. “When you hear of these cancers, you think mostly older males who have maybe been smokers and drinkers all their lives, but for me, I was a non-smoker, I rarely drank and I was a young fit woman at 33.”

“Things moved very quickly from that point straight into treatment and the medical team that looked after me were brilliant. I had surgery to remove the tumor, which also took part of my tongue. I was then onto chemotherapy and then radiotherapy. There was support there in terms of speech and language support and support from dietitians for what I could eat and meal plans going forward.” 

“After getting the all clear from that, in 2009, just a year later, another lump arose, this time on my neck. I went straight to the hospital and it was diagnosed as a cancerous tumor very quickly. I had a second operation to remove the tumor and some neck muscle on one side. ”
 

Mary’s cancer journey continued with regular check-ups at the doctors and in 2016, unfortunately, after a routine check at the Dental Oncology Clinic, a further lump was found. “I didn’t realise it was there,”she said. “I am very grateful for the routine checks at both the South Infirmary Hospital and the Dental Oncology Clinic. This dual care saved my life”.
“Going through it a couple of times doesn’t make it any easier, you know what’s in store, the treatments are still very tough. I had great support from my best friend, friends and family, my medical team, and I also made use of the emotional support offered by the ARC House in Cork, which was hugely helpful. After the 2016 cancer, surgery meant that I lost two-thirds of my tongue. It was a very tough time in my life. I had to learn to speak, eat and drink in a different way.”

“Thankfully, since then, I’ve been all clear. As anybody who has a teacher vocation will know, giving that up was very difficult. Leaving the workplace abruptly was not easy, however, I have found new ways of keeping myself busy. What I can eat has changed, how long I can speak for involves forward planning, but I still hugely enjoy meeting people. I’m taking up all sorts of new opportunities with my time and at the moment, I’m currently learning how to play the harp. My life has been altered by cancer, but it doesn’t define it – I still live my life to my fullest.” 

 “My final message to anybody reading this would be to not let things drag on before you go and see your GP. If anything lasts for 3 weeks you must get it checked immediately.
Early detection means early intervention which can make all the difference in getting you on your road to recovery.”