Cork student: 'I had testicular cancer ... I think I am happier now than I was before'

UCC student Oisín Queva is not a man to turn down a challenge.

He and his pal, Ryan O’Sullivan, recently set out to complete the ‘Four Peaks Challenge’ - scaling all the province’s highest mountains - in just 48 hours.

And they ended up doing their fund-raising trek in just 24 hours.

The duo started out at 12.25pm on Saturday, June 21, and completed their task on the Sunday.

They benefited from fine weather for their trek, and scaled Mweelrea in Mayo in the pitch black. Carrauntoohil in Kerry proved their hardest ascent.

Oisín, 22, from Kinsale, organised the challenge to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society.

Did he and Ryan go into training beforehand?

“We’d been running,” says Oisín.

That’s a good thing surely?

“Well, the furthest I’ve run is 10km,” adds Oisín with a smile.

“What we were doing was the equivalent of a marathon!”

Oisín, up for a challenge and having an ambitious nature, was not fazed.

“I am a positive person,” he says. “I have an optimistic outlook.”

The young man has good grounds to be optimistic, as he explains to me why he took on the ambitious fund-raising challenge in aid of a cancer charity.

“I was always a pretty healthy guy,” says Oisín.

“I ate well, never drank too much, I don’t smoke, and one of the things I really enjoy is keeping fit doing a variety of sports, including bouldering, climbing and athletics.”

However, despite this healthy lifestyle and his relatively young age, Oisín was diagnosed with testicular cancer last September.

“It was caught early,” adds Oisín, who always looks on the bright side of life.

After his own journey of testing, surgery and chemotherapy, he took on the Four Peaks Challenge to raise awareness of the condition and to help raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society.

“I want to raise awareness of the condition and educate other young men about the symptoms,” says Oisín.

“The disease can have a range of symptoms. These can include pains and aches which many men could easily brush off.”

When Oisín found a lump, he didn’t brush it off.

“I always checked myself,” says Oisín.

“When I noticed an unusual bump during one of my checks, I knew I had to see a doctor right away.”

Finding any signs of a lump can be scary.

“Yes, scary for sure,” agrees Oisín.

He had only one symptom of testicular cancer.

Every year, about 170 men are diagnosed with it in Ireland. It is a cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.

Symptoms can include a lump in the testicle or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment can result in infertility.

“I genuinely only had one symptom,” says Oisín, who is in his third year of Digital Humanities studies in UCC.

“Just a lump. And it was caught fairly early on which made the whole thing much easier.

“I noticed something in August when I went to my GP, who sent me to an oncologist in the Mercy.”

Was he worried about having surgery?

“I thought when the operation was done, then I’d be OK,” says Oisín.

“A CT scan showed that the operation was a success. There seemed to be no problems.”

But there were.

“Two weeks later, blood tests showed I still had high levels of cancer in my body.”

That must have been a concern.

“It was,” says Oisín.

“I had to have chemotherapy treatment then, four rounds of injections that lasted from October to the end of January.

“I finally got the all-clear from Dr Power in February this year.”

Did Oisín suffer any side-effects from the treatment?

“The side effects weren’t too bad,” he says. “I suffered hair loss and nose bleeds.”

Losing his sense of taste, however, was more problematic.

“I love my food!” says Oisín.

Who is the cook in the family?

“My dad,” says Oisín. “He owns a restaurant in Kinsale, and he is a great cook. He makes amazing food.”

Does his entire experience all seem surreal now?

“I’m a fairly active guy,” says Oisín. “I don’t smoke, and I don’t drink often. It really shows that this kind of thing can happen to anyone.”

He is a fairly positive guy.

“I think I got lucky because the chemotherapy treatment didn’t have a huge impact on my life,” says Oisín.

“After I first noticed the hair loss, I got a buzz cut.”

Then he took matters into his own hands.

“A few weeks later, I shaved myself completely bald. My hair was all going to fall out anyway.

“I had tinnitus for a couple of months in one of my ears.”

Losing his sense of taste was a big deal.

“One of the biggest changes going through cancer treatment was with my palate,” says Oisín.

“Food tasted different. Water even seemed bland.”

Were his studies affected?

“No,” says Oisín.

“The timing was OK. I wasn’t doing any academic work. I was applying for jobs for work placement.”

Oisín and his pal, Ryan, applied themselves brilliantly to the Four Peaks Challenge.

“Another friend, Thomas Grennan, was signed up to do the challenge with us,” says Oisín. “Unfortunately, he couldn’t make all of it.”

Has Oisín’s experience with testicular cancer changed him in any way?

“I was already a very positive optimistic person before this happened to me,” he responds.

“Now, I think I am even happier than before! I am very grateful to be happy and healthy.”

Others have benefited from Oisín’s ‘glass half-full’ philosophy on life.

“Last Christmas, I bought gifts for everyone that I could!” says Oisín.

He spreads the joy.

“Even my girlfriend says that I am much happier!”

The trek by Oisín and Ryan has already raised more than €2,500, with a goal of reaching a total of €5,000.

To donate, see Climbing for Cancer: 4 Peaks Challenge.

Irish Cancer Society Support Line Freephone: Call 1800 200 700. 9am-5pm Monday to Friday

Email supportline@irishcancer.ie