When mother of four and business owner Mags Kirwan was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer, she found solace in family and a positive mental attitude
With four children and a family business, life has long been busy for Mags Kirwan. But despite the hectic nature of her schedule, theSo when, three years ago, she developed a pain in her shoulder, her immediate thought as a fit and healthy athlete was that she had pulled a muscle. “I’ve always done a lot of training and been very active,” says the 59-year-old.
“But he said that it was isolated and hadn’t spread. He was really good as he remained totally positive while he told me about the treatments available and those which would be in the future. He also talked about advances in medicine and the importance of goodwhen living with this type of cancer. After he put a plan in place for my treatment, I began to feel more positive and thought to myself that as I had been dealt these cards, I would just need to learn how to live with it.
“I had great supports at home, which enabled me to focus on getting things over with. I remember one day when I felt so weak I could hardly walk, I was talking to my fitness coach and he suggested I put on my shorts, go out to the bike, sit on it and turn my feet – and strangely, even doing that small bit of activity helped me. Also, keeping a routine was very beneficial, so after the transplant I started slowly doing exercise and getting back to running again.
“On the last day of the cycle, I was so emotional on the bike and couldn’t stop crying – and when I crossed the line, I never felt such relief, it was almost as if I had been holding in the stress and pressure of the cancer over the previous years and finishing was a huge release and sense of achievement. It was a reminder that life can go on.”
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