One of our incredible breast cancer awareness ambassadors and former Survive and Thriver Dearbhaile O’Hare has written a book of poetry inspired by her breast cancer diagnosis.
Here is just one of the incredible pieces from the book – all about the fear of reoccurrence which so many who have had cancer face.
The Niggles
Some say monsters live in your closet,
or hide under your bed.
When actually the scariest place they can hide,
is inside your head.
We all have our monsters;
I call mine the Niggles.
They creep up really slowly
and steal away my giggles.
They feed on the “what’s if’s”
and they gorge on the “buts”.
So, it’s my job to starve them
and drive the Niggles a bit nuts!
They thrive when it’s scan time,
there’s nothing juicer than results.
They mess with my thinking,
and even elevate my pulse.
These Niggles could give Dr Google
a run for his money.
Convincing me it’s a tumour,
not just a pain in my tummy.
They tell me every ache is serious,
and bound to be fatal.
The Niggles are meanies,
they truly are hateful!
They sit on my shoulder
and whisper quietly in my ear …
“It could come back you know,
there’s always that fear”.
I’m learning to stop feeding the Niggles
and instead to think of something nice.
Lightening, can do,
but rarely strikes twice.
Together we can fight off these Niggles
and put an end to their torment.
By forgetting the past and the future
and just living in this moment.
Things Went T*ts Up is written by Dearbhaile O’Hare and illustrated by Jessica Pierce. Two breast cancer thrivers, who the universe very serendipitously brought together.
It is a powerful collection of refreshingly honest and raw poetry that speaks to the courage and strength of those affected by breast cancer. It features heartfelt reflections on the devastating journey of a cancer diagnosis, from treatment and recovery to rising and thriving, with the ultimate takeaway to keep going even in the darkest of days.
All profits from the sale of this book go to The Marie Keating Foundation and Purple House cancer charities, supporting those affected by cancer and their families.
The book is available in both paperback and kindle versions on Amazon HERE
We are so proud of the incredibly talented Dearbh and so very grateful to her and Jessica for their support.
