In March 2021,  Joe began experiencing extreme stomach discomfort “I remember, it was in the middle of the second big covid lockdown. I was in a Zoom meeting with work and started feeling wrenching sensations in my stomach. I went home and was in bed for a few days with no improvement. My wife encouraged me to go to A&E to get checked out.”

Joe went to his local hospital, scans followed and they showed that his small and large intestines were fully blocked. He was quickly booked in for surgery, lasting about six hours.

“After the surgery I was recovering and they told me they had removed a tumour and it was likely cancerous. They sent it away for testing but a few weeks later I was called back in for another meeting, they then confirmed it was stage three bowel cancer.

“When I look back, I didn’t notice anything too unusual in my body. The one thing that was strange was that my stomach had become larger, more bloated and it felt quite solid. This is despite the fact I was out doing a lot of exercise at the time. I didn’t think into it too much, but it may have been all connected.”

Due to sick leave and delays due to covid, Joe decided to meet with an oncologist in a private hospital in Dublin.

“I was very thankful I had this option as I had health insurance, I also had income protection which really helped ease some of the pressure. The oncologist I met with said he wanted to begin by doing a head to toe check-up of my whole body as they noticed in surgery that some of my lymph nodes had been affected.”

It was during this check-up that they found the cancer had spread to Joe’s liver and he was booked in for further surgery.

“Initially everything went well but a few days after that, all hell broke loose. My body was taken over by infection. I spent thirty days in hospital, much of this time in ICU.

“At one point, they thought it was the end for me. I had been given my last rites. I lost consciousness and I swear I think I saw my mother who I had lost years previously to cancer, sitting at the end of my bed, smiling at me.

“I woke up a few hours later and all my vitals had stabalised. The doctor said it seemed like a miracle. It might have been all the drugs I was on, but I personally believe it was my mother telling me it wasn’t my time yet to go.”

After this, Joe began his twelve sessions of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, he dealt with many more infections before he eventually finished his course of treatment in April 2022.

“At first all looked well and I was told I would be brought back again just to monitor things. However later that summer I noticed I was going to the bathroom a lot at night, a blood test with my GP showed that my blood count had risen. I knew I wasn’t feeling well. Physically I looked well, but I knew inside things weren’t right. I made an appointment again with my consultant for further tests, it showed that the cancer had returned to the same spot it had all begun in.”

Joe’s doctors noted that this was unusual and they discussed a specialised surgery as a treatment option, however, due to Joe’s history of infections, it was felt that it was best to avoid surgery.

Joe had six more sessions of chemotherapy and was then called back in to see his consultant “He told me the cancer hadn’t cleared how they had hoped. He said I would now just have to have continual chemotherapy to keep the cancer at bay. I asked my consultant to be honest with me, I said 'will this shorten my life?'

“He said he couldn’t lie to me, that it would shorten my life but that if I responded well to treatment, my life could be prolonged. I am 58 years of age and I am not scared of death. Of course, I worry for the family I leave behind, but I have had a great 58 years on this planet. I would like to be around longer, but I am not God. My intention before I go is to help as many people as I can and promote the early detection and awareness of cancer.”

Joe connected in with his friend Georgie Gorman, who was recovering from throat cancer. “We decided to create an online video series on Facebook called ‘The Recovery Tour’.

“We hope this might provide some solace to those undergoing cancer treatment. We wanted to get the message out to anyone affected by cancer that life doesn’t have to stop. You can still live a good life. I know it’s not possible for everyone, but if you can, go for it.

“That’s something I would love others to know – please live life to the full. In the past, I was an executive chef and my job was so important. I don’t regret the job, but maybe I could have had a better work-life balance, and worked a little less.

Also go to your GP, make an appointment and have a yearly full health check. Even if it’s uncomfortable or embarrassing, you will get over it. Early detection is so vital.

👇 Learn more at our Men's Health hub here 👇
https://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information-and-support/cancer-prevention/… #SpotCancerEarly #MHW23