Sinead’s story
It all started for the mother-of-two during Easter in 2014. Sinead noticed a lump on her tongue and, when it didn’t go away, went to see her doctor.
The doctor dismissed it, suggesting it would go away in due course. However, two months later, in June, it had not cleared up, so Sinead went to her dentist. Her dentist realised the need for urgency so referred Sinead to a specialist for further investigation.
Unfortunately, Sinead’s initial referral was lost. After some delay, she got referred and had a biopsy done in early September of 2014. A couple of weeks later, Sinead received the news that she had tongue cancer.
The news came as a shock to Sinead, she had been a smoker for many years, but it was not something she was prepared for.
Over the following months, Sinead had chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She had to re-learn how to speak and eat. One of the hardest things Sinead had to deal with, was the scarring left behind from the surgery.
When reflecting on her mouth cancer journey, Sinead has mixed emotions. It was very tough time but at the same time she feels it allowed her to take her life in a new direction.
Sinead says: “There were some really low points in the journey, but I feel I came out the other side stronger and it spurred me on to make changes. Life is better than it’s ever been now, and I’ve been able to adjust to the challenges that I’ve faced post-surgery.”