Jane Mc Coy, a mum of 4, was diagnosed in October 2021 with Bowel (Colorectal) cancer with mets to her liver and two lungs. Jane was only 38 years old. 

 

This is her story. 

 

“My name is Jane, and I am 41 years old. I have 4 kids aged between 6 and 15 - all boys! I was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer in Oct 21 aged 38.  I only had 3 weeks of symptoms which included bloating and stomach pain. After a trip to the GP, I was sent to A & E as my liver bloods were off and they suspected I had gallstones. There, they discovered I had a bowel obstruction. I was hospitalised and further testing showed I had stage 4 colon cancer with numerous metastases to my liver peritoneal, lymph nodes and my two lungs. I was told the cancer was very advanced (incurable and inoperable) and while I needed surgery on my bowel there was no time - I had to go straight on chemotherapy.

 

A few weeks later I was devastated to learn that I had the BRAF mutation. This effects 10% of people with bowel cancer and has the poorest prognosis. It means the cancer is very aggressive and becomes resistant to treatment quickly.

 

I continued chemotherapy for 10 months which successfully shrunk my tumours and got me stable. I then moved onto targeted therapy for almost a year. After this I trialled a new immunotherapy drug with chemo. This worked for a while, but unfortunately, 8 months later, I now have growth in my liver and lungs, so I am back on the very first chemo again. One of my lungs has partially collapsed so we are hoping that the chemo will resolve this.

Over the two and a half years, while going through treatment, I have chosen to live as well as I can. I took up golf, I go walking in the woods with my dog, I travel and go on trips as much as I can!

 

My priorities have changed and all I want to do now is spend time with my family and friends. I truly know what it means to live now and am genuinely loving life.

 

I do my best to stay as healthy as I can throughout treatment and I make the most of my good days. I am so grateful to my oncologist and all the team at St Vincent’s Private who have looked after me so well over the last couple of years. I am blessed to have had access to life saving drugs that only became available a few years ago. My hope is that more treatment options will become available for my particular cancer type which will allow me precious more time with my husband, kids, family and friends. At the end of the day, that is all I want - more time."

 

 

Jane is a founding member of Bowel Cancer Ireland and she is sharing her story as an ambassador for our #NoRegrets campaign to raise awareness of Bowel Cancer and urge the public to have #NoRegrets and get checked if the notice any symptoms of Bowel Cancer and to have #NoRegrets and advocate for your health, Bowel cancer is not just a disease of older age. 

This campaign is also calling on the government to have #NoRegrets and reduce screening age now from 59 to 50!