Ciaran Cunningham's Bowel Cancer Story

Aged 50, Ciaran Cunningham, an executive chef from Dublin now living in Co. Kildare was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. “In hindsight, I had almost all the alarming symptoms you could think of, and I had them for quite a while. I previously suffered with ulcers, so I think I told myself that’s what the symptoms were from. But I also think I was a bit embarrassed to come forward and speak to my GP about them. My bowel habits were all off. I had blood in my stool. I had aches and pains. I just ploughed on. But then, I got this severe stomach pain. It was like I was being punched by a champion boxer is the only way I can describe it. My partner rang an ambulance and I was taken to Nass General Hospital.”

Following a series of tests, Ciaran was told he had a severe kidney infection and there was a mass in his rectum. “I could tell from the faces of the doctors that this was serious. And sure enough, they all but told me there and then that I had rectum cancer. When you hear the c-word, I can only describe it as a heaviness, a weight that is put on you that you didn’t ask for – that’s how I felt being told I have cancer. I immediately thought of my close family and loved ones. My daughters in their 20s, one in Canada and one living with me.

“Alona, my now fiancé, has had a lot of cancer in her family. Her mother is currently going through cancer, she lost her dad to cancer and a brother when he was only 19. I remember lying in hospital after being told and thinking ‘how am I going to tell her?’. She actually found out by accident. She arrived at my bedside to see how I was after the tests, and I was behind the curtain on the phone to my job telling them I wouldn’t be coming in. I didn’t plan on it, but I broke down and told them I have cancer. She overheard me and that’s how she heard my news. She was devastated but gradually, our mindsets shifted. I remember saying to her, ‘this isn’t a time for sadness, it’s a time for one foot in the front of the other’. We were going to get through this, and I needed her with me every step of the way.”

By mid-February 2024, Ciaran was transferred to Tallaght Hospital where he would undergo Abdominoperineal Resection (APR) surgery – a major procedure used to treat cancers of the rectum and anus. “This surgery would involve removing the rectum and the anus, along with the surrounding tissue, and creating a permanent stoma bag. In simple terms, it meant that not only would the cancer be targeted, but my body’s normal waste disposal system would be permanently altered. Before my surgery, I read up as much as I could on what my life was going to be like living with a stoma bag."

“The Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Centres were a huge help to me in processing and reading up on what lay ahead for me. I found their Daffodil Centre nurses to be nothing but reassuring and helpful and the booklets were very accessible and easy to read. Reading stories of other patients and survivors on the Irish Cancer Society website was also a great help to me. You get to realise that other people have come through what you have or something similar and their life has gone on.”

Following his surgery, cancer was still present in Ciaran’s lymph nodes and he would require further treatment. “I was very daunted by the prospect of chemotherapy. Ultimately, I could only get through seven out twelve rounds due to very challenging side effects such as extreme fatigue, pins and needles in my hands, loss of taste, sensitivity to the cold and so on. Throughout my chemo, I decided to work where I could to give me some structure and routine. My workplace was incredibly supportive to me throughout my treatment. When the decision was made to stop my chemo due to the adverse side effects, you worry that you haven’t fully completed the intended treatment but my medical team were satisfied to stand it down."

“Now, my cancer is in remission but we keep an eye and do scans every three months. My cancer isn’t going to stop me from living my life. I’m big into my motorbikes and even with a very sore backside, I was back on my bike and on the open road six weeks after my surgery.”

Speaking about his cancer journey is difficult for Ciaran. “I find talking about it and looking back on it brings back the trauma of what I went through. But talking about the signs and symptoms and encouraging people to be vigilant of colorectal cancer is too important not to talk about it. When I look back, am I annoyed at myself for not going to the doctor sooner? 100% I am. Had my cancer been caught earlier, maybe my treatment wouldn’t have been as harsh. But I can’t do anything about that now. I can only move forward. I want to raise as much awareness as I can to try help people avoid going through what I have. My message to readers is simple; please don’t ignore your symptoms. If something doesn’t feel right and it’s been like that for a while, just go and speak to your doctor.”