Declan's Story
“Go to your GP, get a hospital referral as soon as possible and get any symptoms of concern checked out. Don’t leave it on the long finger.”
Declan Costello, 60, from Rush, Co. Dublin was diagnosed with lung cancer in January after he developed a cough that wouldn’t go away, a sudden loss of appetite and significant weight loss.
His symptoms began the previous December, and when he first went to his GP it was decided that he likely had a cold. However, his symptoms didn’t improve and when he went back to his GP in January, he got a hospital referral.
“When I went back to my GP, he weighed me, and I realised that within six weeks I’d lost three stone,” says Declan. “The doctor told me that if I didn’t get any better in two weeks, he’d refer me to Beaumont Hospital. I told him I already had my bags packed to go to the hospital, so I asked him to write the letter then and there, and I’d go into the hospital.
“When I went to Beaumont Hospital, they ran some tests and found that my calcium levels were very high. They did some more scans and a biopsy, and I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer that had spread to my liver.
“I knew there was something wrong before I was diagnosed. I knew from the bit of experience I had with people who had cancer was that the weight falling off me was a concern. I was nearly expecting it to be cancer, but I wasn’t expecting it to be as severe as it was. I was told I had six months to a year left.”
After his diagnosis, father-of-two Declan turned his attention to what his treatment options were and felt a sense of relief when his oncologist, Professor Jarushka Naidoo, told him about immunotherapy.
“Prof Naidoo brought myself and my wife into her room, and explained what immunotherapy was,” says Declan. “When I asked her how long she wanted me to do the treatment for, she said, ‘Until it stops working’. I went from being down as low as my toes to being back up in the air again, because it gave me hope and it made me feel like I might have a chance.”
Last March, Declan went to a Daffodil Day coffee morning in Rush. He was still struggling with the loss of appetite that began the previous December, but he left the coffee morning feeling hopeful after speaking to other people who had experienced cancer.
“My appetite was still not back, I only managed a cup of tea and half a bun,” he remembers. “I spoke to the other people there, including a woman who had recovered from breast cancer. I told her that my appetite was gone. She told me that she had lost hers too, but she reassured me that it would come back and that gave me a huge sense of relief, to hear someone say that.
“About two weeks after I went to that coffee morning, I was sitting at home with my wife and I said, ‘I’d love a boiled egg’. So I had a boiled egg and a few bits of toast, and that was the first time since December that I actually felt like I wanted to eat.”
One of the other concerns that Declan had was the impact his diagnosis would have on his family. He called the Irish Cancer Society’s Support Line and was happy to learn that the Irish Cancer Society offers services such as counselling to both cancer patients and their loved ones.
“I was delighted when the Support Line Cancer Nurse told me that, because even though we all know of people who have died from cancer, I don’t think you can ever fully prepare for it. I was delighted when she told me that service was there for my family.”
Now that his appetite has returned, Declan has gained weight and is feeling better. He keeps busy with being a dedicated member of his local choir, the Rush Musical Society, and is using his background as UEFA B Licence Soccer Coach and former head coach at Rush Athletic FC to mentor a new soccer coach who wants to earn the same certification.
Declan is continuing with his immunotherapy treatment, and he advises anyone else in a similar situation to adopt a positive mindset.
“Don’t give up, and don’t think that this is the end,” says Declan. “Have a positive attitude and keep believing that the treatment will work. Don’t think that because it’s cancer it’s a death sentence.”
