Brave Bettystown mother shares her cancer journey in candid blog

A young mother from Bettystown who was recently diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer has created a candid blog documenting her treatment and experience since discovering the devastating news. Brave Eileen Rushe (33) has received hundreds of well wishes and messages from around the world since she began writing a warts and all account of her cancer journey. 

The mum of one had been receiving treatment for abnormal cells in her cervix in the lead up to her diagnosis and in a heartbreaking turn of events, a tumour was discovered at the most recent procedure in December.

"I have always been extra vigilant about my smears and have got more than the required amount done. I was in a state of shock when I got the news and I spent Christmas Eve planning my treatment with my oncologist. I don't know how cancer had the chance the develop but it is not something I want to waste my energy on right now, I need to focus on getting better."

 

 

 

Séamus has been Eileen's motivation to battle through 

 

Eileen is currently residing in St Luke’s Hospital in Rathgar where she is undergoing a gruelling treatment plan that consists of 28 sessions of radiotherapy and six sessions of chemotherapy.

"Friends of St Lukes charity has a lodge and I stay here Monday to Friday. The team are very much treating the cancer to cure it. It's hard, my body is very nauseous and I've been extremely tired and weak. Sometimes I'm up all night in pain.

This treatment will put Eileen into early onset menopause and sadly, as a result, will leave her infertile. Despite this devastating blow, the Bettystown native is focusing on the measure being a life-saving move.

"If this action is going to cure me, I'll gladly do whatever is needed. It's not ideal but the priority is making sure I'll get through it."

The honest blog entitled Cervical Cancer is a B*itch has been both an outlet for Eileen to share how she is feeling and also a place where people can understand what she is going through. 

 

 Siobhán has been at her brave sister's side throughout 

 

"Vomiting everything on a page then walking away has been strangely therapeutic. I had to accept all of this very quickly. There is a lot of information people want to know but nobody wants to ask so it gives me another way of communicating.  I also wanted to raise awareness, particularly at the moment with different scandals in the headlines surrounding Cervical Check.

"It's important that women try to remain trustful of the system even though it's not necessarily working as it should.  I've had hundreds of messages from women saying that sharing my story has made them book a smear test. I've had mother's tell me that they were at a crossroads with the HPV vaccine and I helped them make the decision. If you get a smear test and have abnormal cells and they are treated, you might not get cancer. It's a preventative step and women need to stay with it.

Eileen's 12-year-old son Séamus is a major factor her in her single-minded vision to overcome cancer.

 

Eileen and Séamus at family get together the night before her treatment commenced

 

"Séamus’s dad John passed away in 2017 of sudden unexplained death through epilepsy which is why I think God has to be done with us for the foreseeable. He's an amazing young man that has already been through so much.  I have explained everything to him. He is taking it really well which is nearly more heartbreaking. I've told him that I'm hoping to get better and the doctors are doing all that they can.

So where does this admirable young woman's resilience come from? 

I'm quite a strong person. I'm the eldest of five girls and I'm stubborn," she laughs, adding " I'm focused on trying to keep myself well and to ultimately get the treatment to work. 

 You have to play the hand you have been dealt and go with it. I haven't gone down that dark angry path that maybe I could have gone down. It doesn't change the past or the outcome, what I do right now will change the outcome. 

I'm hoping at end of it all that I'll be cured and it will just be one year out of our lives. I'm determined to beat this so I can see my son grow up."

Visit http://www.cervicalcheck.ie or call them on 1800 45 45 55.