‘I’m trying to live as best as I can. It’s the simple things in life that make me happy’

When Virginia woman Jacinta Farrelly began to feel discomfort after testing positive for Covid in October 2022 she attributed it to having contracted the virus. As her symptoms worsened she suspected she had a stomach ulcer, but what transpired was much more life-threatening.

A "dodgy tummy" she initially thought, which led to a "few consultations", and even at that Jacinta "didn’t think it was anything" too serious to be worried about.

"I'd felt a bit of a lump, as well as having night sweats and some weight loss," she remembers back. “I started getting sick, but it was black and had to go to the toilet, but I passed a lot of black blood. I passed out and when I came to I rang my dad, who called an ambulance for me."

During days spent in hospital plans were made for her to undergo further tests. Still Jacinta couldn't comprehend anything beyond a suspected bleeding ulcer or even possibly a hernia.

"I was in great form when I was in the hospital, up, running around doing things for other patients. I thought it was just a minor thing and would have to change my diet for a bit. They took biopsies which worried me, but I put it out of my head that I could have cancer.”

It wasn’t until a doctor’s appointment on December 1 that Jacinta first received the diagnosis.

“It was just me and him at it so I thought I was fine. But he told me I had stomach cancer."

Jacinta was transferred to Dublin's Beaumont, because there is currently no gastrointestinal specialist in Cavan.

A Laparoscopy examined the inside of her stomach on December 23, and after Jacinta spent Christmas "in a lot of pain and discomfort". Throughout it all though her family were there for support. The cancer diagnosis was difficult to take.

“I thought this isn’t real. It took a long time to believe it, my sister told me I was in denial, but by telling myself it wasn’t real it helped me get through it," says Jacinta, who coped with the treatmenrt and throughout it all even managed a trip abroad.

Four rounds of FLOT chemotherapy (three chemos in one) from January, followed by a total gastrectomy in April where Janinta had her whole stomach along with 20 lymph nodes removed, it wasn't until recently that she found full extent of cancer diagnosis.

“I only found out a few weeks ago I had stage 4A cancer. Which means it’s all around my stomach but it hadn’t spread through the stomach wall. A biopsy was done on my stomach wall and there was no cancer on the lymph nodes that were taken out. There’s no evidence of disease at the minute, but the worry is it could return."

From patience to perserverence and relief, Jacinta how experienced "anger" and suprisingly delight.

“I was angry at first when I found out about what stage I was at because I would have wanted to get my affairs in order, but I was delighted in a way because I could have given up straight away if I was told that.”

After the gastrectomy Jacinta has had to make considerable changes to her prior lifestyle.

“I lost a lot of weight. I’m down from 10.5 stone to exactly seven. My oesophagus is attached to my intestine. The surgeon made a shelf where food sits after I eat. I can’t eat a normal-sized meal, I use a side plate to eat off, with meals every two hours. I can only drink 150ml of a drink at a time, but can’t have fluids for another hour."

Through the night Jacinta sleeps with a feeding tube attached to her intestine. "It leaves me feeling very bloated. We experimented with not using it, but it doesn’t work. My weight is up and down, it's hard to buy clothes, I hate looking in the mirror."

Social events such a weddings and christenings, moment of joy and celebration with friends and family are now a "dread".

"I used to love getting dressed up but I dread those events now," says Jacinat, who suffers varied "side effects" from eating. "I could get terrible indigestion, or feel it moving around inside me afterwards. I just want to enjoy eating like other people, but instead, I have to ask if this is going to hurt me or if am I going to spend the next hour in the bathroom. If I have too much sugar, I sweat, start to vomit and have diarrhoea. I also avoid spicy foods, processed or red meat and raw vegetables. If I eat something one day I can be fine, but the next day I can eat it again and be crippled with pain. My body is figuring itself out.”

While she’s optimistic about her outlook, Jacinta acknowledges a long road awaits.

“I have three rounds of chemo, a CT scan, a thyroid biopsy, an appointment with the breast team and more appointments with the GI team which is on my birthday.

“I’ve known a lot of people who've gotten the all-clear but they're no longer with us. I’m trying to live as best as I can. It’s the simple things in life that make me happy, such as spending time with my nieces and nephews. They have no worries and live life as we should. They make everything worthwhile. My parents are very important to me. I want to get better for them.”

Jacinta meanwhile has set up a GoFundMe in the hope of helping to improve her living conditions, but grimly also to cover any possible funeral costs, should the worst occur. She hasn't worked since the end of lockdown, and while initially against the idea, Jacinta eventually decided it was among the best courses of action for her to take.

“People encouraged me to do it, but I said no, it’s for others, not for me. However, I found I was putting things on the back burner for the last few months and things were beginning to slide. I hadn’t worked since the end of lockdown, having been employed in the Cavan Centre in Mountnugent, but I stopped because I was getting a lot of health issues there, which in hindsight was the start of the cancer.”

The stage 4A diagnosis was another thing that presuaded Jacinta to change her mind.

“I knew I couldn’t work and wouldn’t be able to get a loan. The only income I had was disability benefits. Others offered to set it up for me but I said ‘No, I want to do it myself'. I can write and make videos to talk to people. It helps to buy things like food. Prices have increased so much over the last few years, even for food and veg. I have a lot of waste because I can’t eat it, which I hate, but I can’t do anything about it.”

Jacinta has been overwhelmed by the support she has received, and from the local community who have rallied around her.

“My neighbour, Regina Bough, who runs a garden party every year for a charity rang me last week. She offered to host it for me. I wouldn’t be an emotional person, but when she rang me I just burst out crying. I haven’t seen her in a long time, but it blew me away. There are so many people sending flowers, cards and lovely messages."

To date the online fund has raised over €8,000 which Jacinta says is "just amazing".

The Irish Cancer Society voluntary drivers meanwhile still take Jacinta to and from her chemotherapy appointments. "It's a fantastic service with from some of the kindest people I've ever met.”

Facing an uncertain future, Jacinta has adopted a positive but realistic attitude," says Jacinta who feels "guilt" that she is surviving where so many others have sadly passed away.

“I’m so lucky to still be here and to have gotten so much support, but I get a lot of guilt. Sometimes I feel guilty some of the people who were in the same ward are gone already. But I also think it must not be my time to go yet, I’m meant to be here for another while or I have other shenanigans to get up to. But when I go to my next appointment things could be completely different. I’m ok with that. I made peace with it when I was in the hospital. Death comes to us all. I’m not afraid of it.”

To donate to Jacinta’s fundraiser, click here