In 2009 Brian Walsh was given six months to live. A father of two who is originally from London but has been living in Ennis, Co Clare, for years, he was diagnosed with a sarcoma in his thigh. After several weeks of treatment, doctors told him that the disease had spread to his lymph nodes and there was nothing they could do for him apart from manage his pain and offer emotional support.
As Daffodil Day approaches, his story is an uplifting reminder of the phrase “where there is life, there is hope”.
“In October 2008, I began to feel tired and started suffering from night sweats, which I explained away as just one of those things,” says Walsh, who is now 56. “I was on tablets for my cholesterol and after a routine blood test it was discovered that my haemoglobin levels were low, so I was sent for further tests.
“Nothing untoward showed up but my symptoms got worse and I began to lose weight and felt cold all the time, so I was admitted to hospital where, after weeks of investigations, doctors were still no clearer about what was wrong with me.”
In April 2009, Walsh felt a “firmness” in his thigh and he mentioned it to the medical team. They referred him for a scan.
“After the scan and a couple of biopsies, I was told that I had a malignant growth in my leg,” he recalls.
“This was horrific news, particularly as the success rate for curing this type of cancer is 20 per cent. I was given a course of chemotherapy, to which I reacted really badly, and afterwards it was revealed that the tumour hadn’t reduced and my haemoglobin levels were still the same.
“Doctors said the only course of action was to amputate my leg from the hip down.”
But despite this grim turn of events, Walsh’s diagnosis got even worse as he was told the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and nothing further could be done to help save his life.
It was the worst possible news, but he refused to give up without a fight. “I was only 50, so to be told I had only months to live was a devastating blow,” he says.
“But I told the palliative care nurses that I wasn’t going to die, and after having radiotherapy to help reduce the tumour, which at this point was the size of a rugby ball, I went to Lourdes and visited a healer.
“As time went by, my symptoms didn’t get any worse and I actually began to feel better, so I asked to be referred to another doctor to start afresh.
“He told me that, on paper, I shouldn’t still be alive. But he ran his own tests and was astonished to find that the tumour had shrunk, so I was now eligible for surgery.
“I was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon in Dublin and had an eight-hour operation to remove the tumour.”
Almost seven years after he first became ill, Walsh’s lack of energy and a permanent limp are reminders of what he has been through, but he remains upbeat about the future and urges everyone who has recently been diagnosed to do the same.
“I was told my life was over, but I refused to give up and I think the key to getting better is to remain as positive as possible,” he says. “I know this isn’t always easy, but if you don’t have an optimistic outlook it will be much harder to win the battle against cancer.
“Support from family is also crucial and I know that I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my wonderful wife and children.”
The Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day takes place on Friday, March 27th.
See cancer.ie or call 1850- 60 60 60
