Very Pink Run: ‘Wonderful family and friends’ helped carry Avril through the difficult times

My name is Avril Tierney.  I'm a woman,  a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, and a sister and I have Metastatic Breast Cancer since 2020 but have had cancer since 2019.

In 2019 after finding a lump in my right breast I attended my GP in Portarlington.  I was referred for a triple assessment in St Vincent's Hospital as an urgent referral due to the size of the lump.  

Within weeks I had this assessment and two weeks later was told the horrendous news that I  had Triple Negative Breast Cancer and would need to start treatment as soon as possible.  I was told it was very treatable but that triple negative can be tricky to treat at times. After scans, I met my oncologist Prof. Janice Walshe, and we went through my plan. Chemo, lumpectomy and then rads.

Those first few weeks I felt like my world had been upended. I had panic attacks for the first time in my life and felt utterly out of control. It took some time to gather myself but I woke one morning to a realization that the one thing I could control was how I was in this situation.  I could continue to panic or refocus, stay present and just get on with whatever came my way.  Easier said than done but I got there. The power of staying present is massive.

Avril Tierney and her daughter Tess (8). Pic: Marc O'Sullivan

After primary treatment, I did oral chemo to ensure that all cancer cells were captured.  The hope being that that would be it however that wasn't to be. After oral chemo had finished I had a CT scan which showed 2 cancerous nodules on my upper right lung.  I was informed that these were removable and treatable. So I was on the treatment train again and it moved fast.  In August 2020 I had the upper right lobe removed from my lung and after recovering from that I began IV chemo once again. 

When this was complete I then had another CT scan which showed further spread in the same lung. Unfortunately this time it was treatable but not curable so I now moved into a stage 4 diagnosis. That was nearly 2 years ago. It was the worst news. I was exhausted and completely devastated.  It took some time to gather myself. I've always been surrounded by my wonderful family and friends & this really carried me through this time.

So treatment began again. This came in the form of a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. I also decided to cold cap so I wouldn't lose my hair again. Thankfully I have responded well to this and have seen the tumours half in size after 3 months and they have continued to stay stable since.  The side effects of this treatment have been mild allowing me to get back to feeling a sense of normality for the first time in a long time. This may sound strange to some considering the diagnoses.

I have made a conscious decision to live my life as normally as possible, to adjust to the new change but with forward motion. Throughout I have tried to be a present Mam to my children & an active participant in the rest of life. I went back to work last year and this has been an amazing move forward for me.  I try to take each day as it comes. To stay present and focused on what that day brings. This is not always easy and has taken a lot of time & effort to get to the point of being able to do it but it is possible.  For example, when I have a scan, I do the scan and try to move forward with the least amount of worry possible.  

For me, I see the worry as a waste of time and certainly doesn't change the outcome but it makes a hugely positive difference to me and those around me. However, staying present also means accepting the bad days when they come too and they do come. There is a lot involved when living with cancer but the keyword for me is "living"!

A metastatic diagnosis doesn't mean life stops, yes it's devastating at first but you can move forward and live a fulfilled life with hope for the future, especially with the advances in research into medications and targeted therapies.

I am proud to be an Ambassador for the Breast Cancer Ireland #MetastaticMatters campaign

Participation in the Very Pink Run event is easy – simply register to take part at www.verypinkrun.ie, gather your ‘pink tribe’ by encouraging your friends and family to do the same, then attend one (or all!) of the 3 live events* in Dublin, Kilkenny or Cork - or alternatively do your individual or group run, walk, scoot, wheel or cycle in your own community during the week of the national event (30th September-8th October 2023) – and be sure to share your photos, and videos across social media using the hashtags #VeryPinkRun, #ReasonToRun or #VeryPinkTribe

Follow ongoing event updates on Instagram @VeryPinkRun and @BreastCancerIre on Twitter using the hashtags #VeryPinkRun #ReasonToRun or #VeryPinkTribe

*10k event in Dublin starts at 12noon, 5k event starts at 12.45pm on 30th September at Leopardstown

*10k event in Kilkenny starts at 12 noon, 5k event starts at 12.45pm 1st October at Kilkenny Castle Park

*10k event in Cork starts at 12 noon, 5k event starts at 12.45pm on 8th October at MTU

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