MY HEALTH EXPERIENCE: PAUL HEFFERNAN'S positive attitude helped conquer colon cancer
WHEN OUR first son, Finn, was born at the end of August 2005, I was in the delivery room beside my wife, Maura, with my chemotherapy pump running by my side.
While some would feel I’ve been very unlucky over the past six years, I feel very, very lucky to be alive. Life is very different and more precious as a result of what I have been through.
Before I was diagnosed with colon cancer, I had years of stomach cramps and from time to time would pass fresh blood. I assumed it was irritable bowel syndrome. I saw several GPs about it and none seemed unduly concerned so I just got used to my “gippy tummy”.
In 2005, my mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer and she sadly died within a year in January 2006. Maura, who was expecting our first child, urged me to get a colonoscopy to rule out anything sinister.
My GP referred me to the Mater for a colonoscopy. The worst I expected was that I might have an ulcer. I was told that I had a tumour on the bowel and it was likely cancer.
I was naively relieved that a cause for my discomfort had been found, I had no idea of the implications of this diagnosis. Maura was numb, she couldn’t speak. I was in my early 30s and our first child was due in six weeks.
From that moment on, it was like I was on a conveyor belt and everything was taken care of. Within a week of my diagnosis, I had surgery with Prof Ronan O’Connell at the Mater public to remove the affected section of colon. He was able to join it back up, so I was lucky not to need a temporary bag.
My body recovered very quickly from that major surgery and I was discharged from hospital within 48 hours.
As the tumour had extended to my lymph nodes, I needed chemotherapy to reduce the risk of it spreading. I was referred to Prof John McCaffrey at the Mater Private and I started chemo six weeks after my surgery – the week our son Finn was due.
The chemo was initially very difficult. I got great anti-nausea and other medication, but it took about two months to find the best combination for me. In the first two months, I would sometimes sleep on the bathroom floor to be beside the toilet.
Once my chemo was under control, I returned to work as development manager at Ocuco, a small Irish software company. They were very supportive and gave me as much space as I needed. Before all of this, I was a workaholic. Thankfully, one of the things I learned was to take life a lot easier.
Prof McCaffrey believes in regular scans to detect the early onset of disease, so I was scanned every three months. At every scan, we would be terrified of more bad news.
The scans were clear for 18 months and life was returning to normal when we found out we were expecting our second child. We always wanted more than one child and we felt we had gotten over the cancer and my prognosis was good at that stage.
In February 2007, we were due to go on holiday to my brother’s wedding in South Africa. Two days before going, I had a scan which showed up a problem in my lung and liver. I had a PET scan and left for holiday.
We called Prof McCaffrey from South Africa for the results and he told us there were two issues with my liver. One was inoperable and the issue on my lung was considered a spread. We tried to put it to the back of our minds and got on with our holiday.
When we got back, the surgeons weren’t sure whether they should operate or not, but Prof Freddie Wood decided that he would. I had lung surgery to remove the affected part at the bottom of my right lung. The surgery was successful, I recovered quickly again and was discharged.
After another three months of chemo, they repeated the scan on my liver and by a miracle, the inoperable tumour on my liver turned out to be benign. It was a liver spot. They agreed to operate on the operable cancer on the liver.
Prof McCaffrey had to fight with the VHI for me to get PET scans every month. They wanted me to have CT scans instead, but they eventually agreed to cover the PET scans at that time.
Within a year of the original lung surgery, they again found cancer on my right lung. I honestly believed that was it, three strikes and out. However, Prof Wood felt it was in exactly the same place and he just needed to remove the full bottom lobe of the lung.
I had another lung operation which involved removing one-third of my right lung. This time they decided I didn’t need any further chemo.
I was then referred to Gerry McEntee at the Mater public for liver surgery. He successfully removed one-third of my liver and I had three months of chemo after the surgery.
Our daughter, Liana, was born in September 2007 amid all the surgery. It was very hard on my wife being pregnant and giving birth in the middle of all this, but she was a real rock.
I also had a very positive attitude. My outlook was that I was always going to get through this as I had a young family to look after.
My scans have been clear for about three years now and my doctors have told me I’d be unlucky to have a recurrence at this stage. My scan frequency has been reduced to every six months.
Over the two-year period after my initial diagnosis, I visited Lourdes three times, twice alone and once with my family. I believe these visits played a part in my healing.
I always had a strong faith, but was not always the best at practising it. My illness brought my faith back to the forefront of my life.
I put my survival down to God, frequent PET scans allowing early diagnosing, chemotherapy and fast-acting and life-saving surgery from some of the best surgeons in the world at the Mater hospital.
- In conversation with MICHELLE McDONAGH
Colorectal cancer: What is it?
In Ireland, colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among both men and women. Each year, about 1,900 new cases of colorectal cancer occur, 1,070 in men and 830 in women.
It is the second most common fatal cancer among both sexes in Ireland. About 930 people die from colorectal cancer each year in Ireland, 525 men and 405 women.
Colon or bowel cancer appears to be associated with a diet high in fat and low in vegetables.
A family history of bowel cancer may also increase risk of the disease.
Warning signs include a change in bowel movements (constipation alternating with frequent bowel motions); persistent diarrhoea, constipation or both; bleeding from the back passage; blood in the stools; and weight loss.
Genetics Clinic
The Mater Private Hospital recently opened a cancer genetics clinic, led by Dr David Gallagher, who has trained in both medical oncology and medical genetics and has worked in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York.
The main aim of cancer genetics is to offer preventative care for individuals who have an increased risk of developing cancer and to reduce mortality among high-risk individuals.
The Mater Private Cancer Genetics Clinic can be contacted at 01-8858433
