Richard's Story
"In March 2023, I was forgetting my name. I hit a real low."
"I was in hospital, I was very low, and at one point I said to the nurse, I don’t think I’ll get out of this. They were concerned for my welfare. Fortunately, I was referred to the Irish Cancer Society.”
Richard Kennedy, 64, a Limerick man living in Dublin found the months after he finished treatment for lymphoma in his duodenum particularly difficult, but being linked in with support from the Irish Cancer Society helped him as he navigated being back home and outside of hospital.
“When you’re in hospital, you have regular daily visits from doctors and nurses, but when you’re at home, suddenly, you’re on your own,” he says. “I was referred to Lisa from the Irish Cancer Society. Lisa was fantastic. I never felt embarrassed when I was talking to her, I was comfortable chatting to Lisa. It felt like I had somebody in my corner, giving me advice.”
“One day I was moving about the house, I had a fear that I was going to fall over. I was also experiencing extreme bouts of forgetfulness, I feared I had early onset dementia, on top of everything else. I was convinced of it, but I didn’t want to say it to my wife, Anne, because I’d already burdened her with so much."
“The next day, I shared my concerns with Lisa. Lisa told me about cancer fog and said that what I was feeling wasn’t unusual. It was the most reassuring conversation I’ve ever had in my 64 years. That day, Lisa was the best pal I’d ever had!”
One of the side-effects of Richard’s treatment included difficulty eating, given the location of the lymphoma and Veronica from the Irish Cancer Society guided him through this and helped him to enjoy food again.
“We discovered that if I was eating food, all food needed to be accompanied with a sauce in order for me to swallow. I’d been getting upset with myself for not eating, but Veronica changed my mind set and gave me some great tips.
"She guided me through a range of suitable foods/drinks and opened up a variety of flavours I hadn’t eaten in years. Veronica encouraged me to drink more water, even flavoured water, and took time to help me getting back to eating and enjoying nutritious food.”
Richard also benefited from using the Irish Cancer Society’s counselling service, and says it provided him with a positive outlook and more insight into the difficulties he was facing.
“There were times when the counsellor asked me how I was feeling, and I remember telling him I didn’t think I was as tolerant as I had been prior to my diagnosis. He told me, the person that I was, wasn’t the same person I would be in 6 months, or 12 months. I felt I was losing hope, but he gave me hope.”
These supports helped Richard to navigate through life after a cancer diagnosis, which came about in 2022 after he experienced “excruciating back pain” and his doctor sent him to St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Dublin for further tests.
“Our family GP, Mark McCrory, put me on the right path early and stayed with us through our journey,” adds Richard.
The doctors in St Vincent’s initially believed Richard had pancreatic cancer, until further tests revealed it was in fact lymphoma in his duodenum.
“When I heard two weeks later that the cancer was lymphoma in my duodenum, my doctor said he could treat it. It gave us hope."
Richard gives great credit to Dr Liam Smyth and his team who were exceptional in their care, support and treatment. Richard underwent chemotherapy, but he developed infections and sepsis which prolonged his treatment. However, his treatment was successful, and he is grateful to the medical team in St. Vincent’s Private Hospital for their care.
“I’ve spent 250 nights in SVPH over the last three years, because I was so unwell, and the nurses there were beyond fantastic, and they really helped me through it all,” he says.
“The people and care in the Cedar and Hawthorn Wards are exceptional. I was fortunate to have overwhelming support and encouragement from Anne, my stepdaughter Niamh, family, friends and neighbours. While Peppa, our miniature schnauzer, is a great companion.”
He also praised the fundraising efforts of two of his sporting heroes, Alex Gleeson and Frank Kennedy. “They ran marathons and raised €25,000 for the Irish Cancer Society. They provided inspiration and laughter in equal measure.”
Reflecting on his experience of receiving support from the Irish Cancer Society, Richard says it changed his perspective on things.
“They helped me to segue away from illness, and down the path of recovery. Having conversations with Lisa and Veronica from the Irish Cancer Society transported me into a better mindset and gave me a different perspective. We will be forever grateful.”
