A
NORTHSIDE student has told of his inspirational four-year battle to overcome
cancer.
Swords
local Alan Gorman (22) was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer of the
lymph tissue, four years ago during his first year of college.
In
the years since, Alan has undergone a battery of tests, several surgeries and
countless bouts of chemotherapy but through it all he has stayed positive and
unfazed by his condition.
“I
was 17 when I was diagnosed and the first symptom was that my feet were very
sore,
? he tells Northside People.
“It
would take me about 20 minutes to walk less around 500 yards.
“I
thought it was a problem with my shoes but then one day my mother brought me up
to the VHI Swiftcare where the doctor told me to go straight to the hospital
for tests.
“Within
three weeks I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“My
parents were more upset than me. I just thought: right, I’ve got cancer. What
do we do next?
“One
of the best bits of advice I got was not to look up anything on the internet so
I didn’t get freaked out.
?
Alan,
who was in his first year in Dundalk IT at the time, underwent six months of
chemotherapy, which failed to clear the cancer fully.
He
then underwent radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant, both of which didn’t
work. He had a second round of stem cell transplantation, which was more
successful at keeping the cancer cells at bay.
“My
stem cells were used in the first stem cell transplant but I got the second
round of stem cells from an unrelated donor and these seemed to stop the cancer
cells from growing,
? explains Alan.
“It’s
weird because my blood type before the donor stem cell treatment was O Positive
but now it’s A Positive.
“God
I couldn’t count how many biopsies I had and I lost my sense of taste and
suffered nerve damage in my feet.
“I
also had to have a hip replacement during my treatment because of what my body
was going through.
?
The
challenge of attending college throughout this naturally proved a step too far
for the positive and laid-back young man.
But
he has since returned to further education and is studying Communications and
Media Production in Colaiste Dhulaigh in Coolock.
“I’ve
learned how to adapt and I try to keep busy and stay positive,
? he says.
“I’m
in remission now but I have to have regular tests to make sure the cancer
hasn’t come back.
“I
keep my spirits up and try to have as normal a life as possible.
“My
feet are a bit impaired still so I won’t be running any marathons soon but I do
physio on them to try to keep them from tightening up.
?
Alan
says he goes out with his friends and socialises like any guy his age.
“There’s
no point in sitting around thinking and worrying about what might happen,
? he
adds.