Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
TIREDNESS CAN BE the sign of many things – a bad night’s sleep, noisy neighbours or anxiety.
For one Cork mother, Mary*, the truth was rarer and more serious.
Between her four kids and her job, Mary was doing quite a lot and put it down to that initially. A worrying symptom she also experienced was feeling anti-social – one-on-one conversations and staff meetings became difficult.
“Back in 2015 I was quite tired. I’d had a baby in 2011, so thought it was that.
“I would have found work very tiring – I was needing to nap after it.
“But it was a very unusual tiredness – my brain felt very foggy and it was very hard to sit and talk to people. I’m quite active in my life and had adjusted to it without realising.”
A trip to her GP and subsequent blood tests found that Mary had PV, a type of rare blood cancers called MPNs (myeloproliferative neoplasms).
According to the National Cancer Registry Ireland, MPNs accounted for approximately 10% of all blood cancers in Ireland (1994-2012). MPNs are slowly progressing, chronic conditions for which there is no cure. It is unknown what triggers the onset of the disease, thus current treatments focus primarily on symptom management.
Symptoms of MPNs include; itching, night sweats, fever, abdominal pain, feeling full quickly after eating, weight loss, bone pain, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and inactivity.
“It took a couple of months, but was very conclusive,” says Mary. That conclusiveness didn’t mean the diagnosis was easy.
Afterwards, she really felt the impact of the news and tried to escape it, wanted to go for lunch, on holidays – anything to not think about it initially as it was quite upsetting. Mary and her husband, having discussed it for many weeks, decided not to tell their children.
“I was quite upset, but then I realised it wasn’t killing me.”
Mary says that thanks to the diagnosis and her treatment, she is feeling better than in a long time.
“I’m feeling great. You’d never think I had anything wrong with me.
“I take an aspirin every day to stop the platelets clumping up. They’d been telling me I was facing a treatment that will treat these platelets and I started that in February. I give myself one injection a week.
“I didn’t realise how tired I’d been until I went on this drug.”
The initial diagnosis led Mary to take a trip, which came with its own worries. But that led Mary to an important support group.
“I was conscious that I could have a stroke – flying would have been a big worry because you’re concerned about clots. But I got on to (charity) MPN Voice and they really helped me.
“I was negative about going to the one in London last year, but it gave me a lot of hope because it showed there was more than just me dealing with this. It’s not something you hear about.
“The awareness is good and needs to be highlighted because there is no cure.”
Today Dublin’s first MPN patient forum in 10 years will be hosted by MPN Voice, a charity for the MPN community, supported by healthcare company Novartis.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
So to get the nomination he veers wildly to the right. Now we have the slow lumbering move to the centre to grab the undecideds.
Slow!? He’s moved to the centre so fast his head is spinning, he’s saying all of his statements about immigrants etc were just suggestions!
In fairness it’s a good thing he is, at least it proves most of the crazy stuff was just for show and attention
It’s a sad day when Fox News is being referred to as ‘the centre’ of American political discourse.
Trump didn’t have to do this. Megan Kelly only has an audience when Trump is sitting g in front of her.
She’s also very hot!
I wouldn’t kick her out of bed for atin biscuits
Ah yeah, that’s what I want from a ‘news’ network – a pretty face to distract while I stomach all the poisonous lies designed to control.
I apologisemy my embarassing gender and it’s ins
insistencw on turning everything that involves a woman into an analysis of how sexy she is.
What ??
Your embarrassing gender?
Is that not a bit sexist?
And we’re stuck looking at Vincent Browne…!
@rob. Ever considered that she may feel the same about you? Surely you judge political commentators on their insight, intelligent remarks, ability to analyse situations and to handle politicians. I’ve never yet read a comment on Vincent Browne’s ridability factor.
That’s a shame Rob.
Everyone thought it was inevitable that you and Meg would end up as an item.
I’m sure she’s crushed.
“insight, intelligent remarks, ability to analyse situations”
We are talking about Megyn Kelley right?? The woman who claimed on live TV that Jesus and Santa were white. Hardly first class journalism.
And you wouldn’t ride her……????? why exactly?
Alister just commented (albeit in a subtle way) on Vincent Browne’s ridability…
Sorry mate, still not getting it.
OK you know how there are some women on the planet that you are not attracted to?? Well think of her as one of those for me. It’s really that simple, Not sue how you can’t get it. I’m the same way with Katie Hopkins too, You get that one?
Ahhhhhh you mean like Katherine Zappone!
Gottit.
Cheers!
Jesus and Santa are white. FACT
As is my Unicorn.. But other people have different coloured ones. That’s the beauty of fictional characters.
Yesterday night?
Ah go easy Áine, yesterday night was obviously a late one so the author is a bit worse for wear today morning.
I’m sure by the afternoon of the day that this is, all will back to normal.
He’ll make a fine politician. U-turns all over the place!!
And back tracking everywhere. Says what his followers want to hear and then….
Fox News need Trump a hell of a lot more than he needs them. They know a winner when they see one.
This is a “scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” The ultimate symbiotic relationship. With Fox News backing him I think Trump will win. If he does, I hope his first order of business is to put an end to group rights and entitlements, sort out the PC culture which prevails at the the universities and colleges. Indeed, that’s where all the nonsense started. Sort out the Mexican border and stop arming Syrian “rebels”. There’s no such thing, just militias all of whom are as bad as each other. That would be a good start.
Well said Marg. Don’t forgot Trump is virulently opposed to TTIP and wants to audit the Federal Reserve. Imagine what would happen if hew uncovers grand scale criminality with that audit — the consequences that would have throughout the world? It would revolutionize the banking system and see an end to those illegal thieving banker bailouts that blight ours and other countries throughout Europe.
It’s all a big act folks. Ask yourself, why has Kelly and Fox News waited a week to broadcast the interview? It’s all about building hype and media attention.
This is not news, this is showbusiness, and Donald is the biggest star. And journalists and media executives know this.
Saw him being interviewed by Piers Morgan and he didn’t seem that bad. I think it was his strategy to be outrageous to get redneck vote. – Now he’s going all moderate on things. By election day a lot of people will have forgotten the earlier stuff
He’s not a republican, He only ran as one because they are easier to manipulate.
People that are voting for him are just as bad and crazy as he is.
Yes, that damned democracy is so annoying.
Yeah, imagine if that happened anywhere else, imagine if politicians here were awful, and treated vulnerable people terribly, and looked after their rich buddies and were all-round awful people, and the voters in that country democratically voted them back into office. They’d be awful stupid eejits right enough….
The anarchic side of me would love to see this cartoon character become president just to show what money can do…and what it shouldn’t do.
have your say