Strabane man marks full year after beating cancer four times

BEATING a life-threatening disease once is an achievement, but imagine battling the same one four times.

That was the fight faced by Strabane man, Paul Carlin who this month celebrated one year of being cancer free.

Thirty-six-year-old Paul had been battling Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for literally half his life. First diagnosed at 18, he admitted it has been a “long, hard road,” for the past 18 years.

“It’s a miracle to beat the disease once, let alone four times,” Paul remarked. “I finally got out of hospital in January 2022. Lymphoma was the worst thing that’s been in my life but I’m determined to turn it into a positive after living with it so long; I decided it’s time to take my life back!”

Paul’s world was first turned upside down when he was diagnosed. Little did he know it, but this would be the start of a long association with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, dealing with the physical and mental demands.

“I was feeling ill, having cramps and other symptoms and went to see the doctor,” he recalled. “After tests, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which was devastating for everyone. I have to admit, that I did think, ‘It’s OK, I can beat this’. When you’re 18 you think you’re invincible and so I just soldiered on… I couldn’t believe it when I relapsed at 19 and, remarkably, managed to beat the cancer again!”

Having endured a torrid time after his second bout, Paul believed he was finally rid of cancer. He then packed his bags and went off to see the world, spending time in Australia, Liverpool and then Manchester, where he eventually settled. However, life wasn’t done dealing crushing blows.

Five years passed before Paul began to feel ill again and went to the doctors during the pandemic. Unbelievably, the GP told Paul his sickness was Covid-related, leaving Paul fuming.

“I was so angry! I’d been through this before, knew the symptoms and knew it wasn’t Covid. I changed GP’s quite a few times until one actually took me seriously.”

Did Paul ever think that maybe this time, he wouldn’t be so lucky?

“Absolutely. After my third diagnosis my doctor said chemotherapy wasn’t working, the tumours were getting bigger. A trial treatment costing £3,000 was required and I had to aply for a grant to get it.”

Paul packed his bags once more and returned home to Strabane for treatment. This time he was able to endure thanks to a shared love of music.

“I used to go sit with my brothers when they played music in a bid to keep my mind off of being sick all the time.

“It helped me get through the tough times and it’s something which I’ll always cherish.”

Unbelievably, the trial treatment’s effectiveness was short-lived and Paul had to endure a fourth diagnosis, this time requiring a stem cell transplant.

His brother Connor was a match, and Paul spent five weeks in hospital over Christmas 2021 in a bid to finally rid himself of the disease. Thankfully, it worked and Paul is now celebrating his one year remission.

“After spending Christmas 2021 in hospital, we made sure this one (2022) was special, with a party in the house,” Paul enthused. “I’m still living in Strabane, working, and DJ’ing with my brother at weekends. I can see a future now and it looks bright; I’m making plans and couldn’t be more excited with what’s ahead.

“When you get cancer, you find out exactly what you’re made of and how strong you are with the right outlook. I’m hoping that this will give some hope and encouragement to anyone who is fighting a similar battle.”