A stage four cancer survivor said she was “given a great blessing” when she was diagnosed. 

Carmel Drohan was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2015, which eventually spread to her liver. 

Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show today, she said it was “a very hard place to be” - but she thinks it was an experience she was supposed to have. 

“I was a very busy person before all of this,” she said. “Busy mother-of-four – just one husband, thankfully. 

“I was holding down three part-time jobs, thinking I was thriving on all this busyness. I realise now that I was just surviving the busyness – but I'm surviving on the busyness of life and thriving on the business of life."

Planning

Ms Drohan said getting a “plan” she could focus on helped her stay positive throughout her cancer diagnosis. 

“The first plan worked quite well, and then two years after that plan, I had a recurrence in my lungs," she said.

“Further surgeries and chemotherapy – we got through that plan. We got through that plan and in 2020, I had a recurrence again to my right lung. 

“My oncologist made a decision we wouldn’t do any more chemotherapy... I had surgery, they removed [the tumour] and I haven’t had any recurrences since.” 

Humour

Ms Drohan said a sense of humour was essential while undergoing treatment. 

“I had the stoma bag put in to me,” she said. “And somebody said to me you’ve got to treat the bag as your friend. 

“So, I named it Louis Vitton and I travelled with him and then we had a divorce about 18 months later.” 

Support

The hospital staff were also a big part of getting her through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and several surgeries. 

“They often say it takes a village to raise a child,” she said. “Well, it takes a complete hospital community to bring somebody like me through the journey that I did with Mater Hospital. 

“The consultants are busy people and the people who play a huge part in that relationship are the liaison nurses.” 

Cancer suvivorship

Mater Hospital Surgeon Professor Ann Brannigan, who went to school with Ms Drohan, said the staff supporting her felt like a “sports team”. 

“[With] stage four cancer historically, people used to think it meant curtains for them,” she said. 

“Now we realise in advances with keyhole surgery, robotic surgery, chemotherapy, we can remove parts of [the tumour].” 

Prof Brannigan said people with stage four cancer often have different journeys. 

“It brings in the whole concept of survivorship with cancer and this is very, very important,” she said.

“Survivorship really gives us an idea of what patients who survived their journey or who are on their journey, what they need... in treatment and on the emotional journey.” 

Main image: Carmel Drohan speaking to Pat Kenny from the Newstalk studio.