Writing and Cancer

I would consider myself to be an incredibly lucky person. I have a wonderful life. I’m about to celebrate my eighteenth wedding anniversary in June. I have two teenagers, a boy and a girl who are the light of my life. Especially when they choose to actually talk to me – that normally happens when they a) need a lift somewhere b) need money or c) if they’re sad or sick. But, that’s normal right?

I have a dog. He’s a Golden-doodle called Herbie who looks at me adoringly at all times and lollops in delirious excitement every time I come home from being out. My two cats Tom and Tigger purr on my lap in stereo as soon as I’m sitting down.

We built a house in my parent’s garden so I have constant support and there’s always someone to have a gossip and a cup of coffee with.

The only real fly in the ointment is that I’ve had cancer. Not just once or twice or even three times. No, I’ve just been diagnosed for the tenth time. The main reason is because I carry the Brca1 gene. This is the one that Angelina Jolie made famous. While Ms Jolie brought worldwide awareness for the gene, sadly it’s nowhere near as glamorous as she is.

I discovered I carry the gene back in 2005. The following year I opted to have a bilateral mastectomy and my ovaries removed. You see, I had an 85% chance of developing breast cancer and a 50% chance of developing ovarian cancer. The surgery reduced my risk to five per cent. But alas, I developed cancer anyway for the first time in 2007.

Before you think that my life became shrouded by shadows and despair, I am delighted to assure you that I found light in that dark tunnel.

I began to write.

At first I was merely logging what was happening to me. But very quickly I realised that propping my laptop onto the hospital bed wheelie table and typing, took me away from everything.

As I endured further surgery and chemotherapy with all the dreadfulness that brings, my mind was safe. It was tucked away with the story and characters. I learned to zone out from the clattering of hospital trolleys and fug of sickness I’d been thrust into. Instead I fired my imagination and used it like my own personal shield.

For me, writing is cathartic and freeing. It allows me to immerse myself in the world of make believe.

I had never considered a career in writing. In fact, I had never had so much as an article published. All I had to go by was the advice from English teacher while writing essays at school. That teacher had drummed into us that a story must have a beginning, middle and end. That it must be engaging – if the writer was bored, so too would the reader be!

That was all I needed and I took off and began a story that mirrored what was happening to me. The BrCa1 gene hadn’t been talked about in the media at that point and very few people had heard about it. So I figured it might be topical and interesting, especially if it were woven into a story.

Once I started to write it was as if a dormant creature had been awoken and unleashed from within. My hands used to ache by sleep time each night such was the speed of my typing. I simply couldn’t get the words out quickly enough.

I adored the way the story grew legs and took off meandering and working it’s way into a full manuscript.

By the time that first draft was completed I was elated to have written a book but I had no notion of doing anything with it.

But one of my best friends paid me a visit one afternoon. You may have heard of her? Her name is Cathy Kelly! Well, Cathy had noticed all this typing I’d been doing and demanded to know what I was up to. I shyly admitted that I’d (organically) written a book.

As Cathy was going away for the weekend, I agreed to email her the script on one condition. If she thought it was a load of rubbish, we would never mention it again. EVER.

Later that night, Cathy rang to tell me that she was locked in the hotel bathroom while her husband and children slept, reading my book and she loved it!

Things moved so quickly after that. With Cathy’s encouragement I sent it off to two publishers. Within weeks I had offers from both! The whole situation was totally surreal seeing as I had never even dared to dream that I would be a published author.

In 2009 my first novel Designer Genes hit Irish shelves and was an instant bestseller.

As my second novel came out, I was diagnosed with cancer for the second time.

A pattern began to emerge. A rather strange one at that… To date, as I mentioned I have been diagnosed with cancer ten times. I have just released my tenth novel, The Perfect Gift. It is also ten years since I had all my preventative surgery.

Suffice it to say, I haven’t been bored over the last decade! But I can honestly say I love my life. I appreciate the good things and try not to sweat the small stuff. I don’t take things for granted and I am incredibly grateful that I found writing when I did.

Life is great. Life is precious and I know that I am one of the lucky ones. The treatments I’ve been given have all worked. Although my cancer keeps returning I live in hope that the scientists and doctors will find a cure. I would love it if my cancer diagnoses didn’t continue. But I definitely hope I can continue to have books published. Most of all I hope that I will be around for many more years to enjoy what this world has to offer!

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Emma Hannigan lives in the seaside town of Bray, Co Wicklow in Ireland. She is married with two children, two cats and a dog. Emma carries the BrCa1 gene and has battled cancer ten times.

Writing is her therapy. This is good as it helps her to stay sane and keeps her out of the shops. She is a self confessed shopaholic and needs to be protected from herself. She believes in positivity and living life to the full.

For more information about Emma, go to her website: emmahannigan.com

Or find her on Twitter @MsEmmaHannigan

Or on Facebook: Emma Hannigan Author

Tags: cancer and writing, featured, women writers

Category: On Writing