Vicky Phelan: My condition has become unpredictable and I'm focusing on family and friends
Rté Phelan Vicky Picture:
CervicalCheck campaigner Vicky Phelan has revealed she was in hospice care after suffering complications from her radiotherapy treatment.
Ms Phelan, who has terminal cancer, returned to Ireland for palliative treatment late last year after undergoing clinical trials in the United States. She has documented her treatment on social media but today says she is stepping back to focus on spending time with her family and friends.
"I hope that people understand. Unfortunately, my condition has become unpredictable and is impacting more and more on my everyday life," she writes.
Ms Phelan says she spent two weeks in Milford Care Centre in Co Limerick after experiencing extreme pain and sickness and shared a photo of the room she was in for that time.
"I warned that I might go quiet once I started radiotherapy but nothing could have prepared me for what followed," she says.
"So, today, I am going home after spending the past two weeks in this room at Milford Care Centre recovering from complications from my radiotherapy treatment. I have NEVER been so sick or in as much pain as I have been over the past two weeks! The radiotherapy increased the amount of pain I was in and also incapacitated me leaving me unable to walk without assistance."
She says she is regaining her footing but says she knows she may never return to her full strength.
"I am only now, in the past few days able to walk without either a 4-wheeler or a Zimmer frame. Walking long distances is still beyond me but I hope I will get there again. I only finished my last session of radiotherapy last Monday and it can take a couple of weeks for the effects to be felt so I am really hoping that I will be moving around a bit more freely in a couple of weeks' time but I am also acutely aware that I may never regain what I had..."
She also confirms she will be unable to join former RTÉ journalist Charlie Bird when he climbs Croagh Patrick next month as she is "simply not well enough". Mr Bird was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year and is organising the climb to raise awareness and raise funds for Pieta House and the Irish Motor Neurone Association.
"I have had to make the hard decision NOT to make the journey to Croagh Patrick in April for the #climbwithcharlie. I am simply not well enough either physically or mentally. The past few weeks have really knocked the stuffing out of me and I need to focus on just getting well again. I have already been in touch with Charlie and he has been great about it."
She thanked her supporters for their good wishes throughout her treatment. "I really do appreciate the support," she says.