Cancer campaigner Lynsey Bennett has said going to Mexico for treatment was, “one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.”

The 32-year-old from Killoe in Co Longford was diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer in 2017.

In February, the mother-of-two settled her legal action over an alleged misinterpretation of her smear sample for an undisclosed sum.

She sued the HSE and the US lab that analysed her slide - claiming her cancer was allowed to grow and spread due to a delay in her diagnosis.

Just days later she travelled to Mexico for intensive treatment and since her return she is being treated with the drug Pembro by doctors in Ireland.

Mexico

On The Hard Shoulder this afternoon, she said travelling to Mexico was one of the best decisions she ever made.

“I remember being so terrified going because you are leaving the kids for such a long time and you don’t really know how much time you have left,” she said. “But I just felt like I didn’t really have any other options.

“It honestly has ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

“Even my own dad has said he sees such a difference in me. He feels I am so much healthier and some of my friends have even said to me that they nearly see the old Lynsey back again from before I even had cancer.

“I used to have to go to nearly have to go to bed at 6pm in the evening and now I can stay up until 11pm at night. It is amazing and I just feel so hopeful.”

Cancer treatment

She said she has received good and bad news in recent weeks – one of her tumours has reduced in size by 1.5cm; however, doctors have also found a clot on her lung which they are treating with blood thinners.

The 32-year-old said she was receiving a non-toxic immunotherapy in Mexico, alongside ongoing heat treatments.

She has also completely changed her diet and has been boosting her immune system with a range of different supplements.

She has had two Pembro session since her return to Ireland.

“I think everything I have been doing since I found out in November is all really coming together and there are just really fantastic results that we just never thought would be possible,” she said.

“I am completely organic now – or at least as much as I can be organic. I have no meat, no sugar, no gluten and no dairy.”

Diet

She said the dietary change has really helped.

“After only, I would say, about a month, I actually just felt like I had so much more energy and I felt so much better in myself,” she said.

“My taste buds and everything have completely changed and now I absolutely don’t mind it.

“I was like every other Irish person in that I was there with my meat and my veggies and all that for dinner but I have actually found it no problem. I thought I would really struggle but thankfully I haven’t.”

Positive mindset

She said she is totally focused on remaining positive through her treatment.

“I am aware of what my reality is but my vision that I am going to keep going in my head is for the next 50 or 60 years - even if that is not technically what would be expected,” she said.

“But I just feel like I am really on the right road to healing.

“I am very aware of the situation and I have prepared everything I can prepare for the worst-case scenario and what will happen all of us in the end.

“I have that sorted so I’ve closed the chapter in that I have that all ready and I am just trying to focus on being here in the now and just making the most of everything.”