Claire Quinn reached a milestone in her life when she found out she was officially cancer-free.
So she did what other patients do when they beat cancer at the Altnagelvin Hospital – she went to ring the 'celebration bell'.
But the Derry girl, from the Lenamore area, got so carried away with excitement while celebrating she ended up pulling the ringer off the bell – and gasped with shock as she did so.
Luckily, Claire and workers at the hospital saw the funny side of the accident, with the patient exclaiming "I broke the bell!" and bursting out laughing with one of the nurses saying "that's a good sign".
In an interview with MyDerry , the 31-year-old told how she was first diagnosed with cancer in July last year and how it felt like her whole world was "falling apart".
Claire, who went to work as normal that day at the Playtrail, explained how she went for an appointment on her own due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time and was told after several procedures and scans she had Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hodgkin lymphoma is an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, which is a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body.
She is now speaking out about her experience to encourage others to ensure they don't put off appointments and to get checked.
Claire said she "never thought it was cancer" and first put the early signs of fatigue and tiredness down to planning her wedding during the pandemic.
She said: "I put down all of my signs and symptoms to planning my big day at the time because I had a covid wedding.
"I put it all down to the stress of planning that and then I am a facilitator and youth worker for disabilities and I worked 12-hour shifts. I thought my tiredness was just down to working long days.
"I was then getting other symptoms too such as itchy skin and night sweats but you never think that it could be cancer.
"You always think of other things first. I thought it might have been my washing powder, the warm weather or something that I changed in my diet.
"It was only when I started to get tests done and they told me that my blood was quite inflamed and that my protein was quite high, that's when it struck a chord with me. I know something wasn't right but I continue on as normal. I don't know why but I did.
"Even when I found a lump under my arm I was still putting this down to other things and I thought that I had an infection.
"I had these symptoms for a few months, even before my wedding day in April, and I didn't go and get checked for months afterwards."
Claire had to undergo six months of intense treatment in Derry and Belfast before undergoing her final chemotherapy session on January 12.
She has now started an Instagram page to raise awareness of Hodgkin lymphoma and to offer those without a support system a person to reach out to.
Claire added: "I was so lucky that I had my husband, David, and my family. I couldn't have asked for better people in my life that had my back and were my strength every step of the way.
"They were devastated when I told them because I found out on my own due to the restrictions in hospitals at the time and when I phoned David to tell him he told me that he nearly hit the floor. It was hard for him because he had just lost his daddy a couple of months before.
"The chemo was also very hard for me, but for them too, because they had to watch me go through this intense treatment which isn't nice at all.
"I lost all of my hair, which has thankfully grown back, and you do get mouth sores, severe fragile and you get extremely nauseous. I was somebody who would've been out doing everything and working all the time so, to be reduced to taking leave work and having to stop and take care of myself was a shock to me.
"If I didn't have David here with me every day, I don't know what I would do because he takes care of me so well.
"That's why I am encouraging people to go and get checked if they feel unwell or if they think is something wrong. No one understands their body better than themselves and that's why it's always better to be safe than sorry.
"I think deep down in your gut you know there's something not right and people shouldn't feel silly for asking if they have a concern."
Claire said she understood there were "many hurdles to clear yet" on her journey, but she said that cancer had shown her what's "truly important in life".
"It's changed me for the better I think, that's the only positive that I take away from it all," she added.
"It opens your eyes to what is truly important and it's not eating out in fancy restaurants or getting that materialistic item. It's your family and spending time with the people that you love.
"I wouldn't have been the biggest materialistic person before I got cancer anyway, but I would've worked a lot and had no time to spend with my husband, family or friends.
"I have to be careful now because after my treatment I have no immune system and with Covid still in the community, it can be quite dangerous for me, but when I can I love to have a coffee with somebody and just enjoy living in the moment and being with the people who matter to me."
She added: "As I said before, I was lucky that I have the support system that I had because, without it, I don't know how I could have coped. I can't even walk up the stairs these days without feeling out of breath.
"That isn't the case for a lot of people who get Hodgkin lymphoma or other cancers in general. Some people don't have a proper support structure in place and with the pandemic, a lot of people are not able to get avail of the support that would've been there in the past.
"That's why I started recording my journey on Instagram and it seems to be having some sort of an impact because I've had people reach out to me already about their journey and it's lovely and I'll always be here if someone wants to have a chat."
If you'd like to follow Claire's journey or reach out to the Derry women you can follow her on Instagram HERE.
For more Derry news, visit our new site MyDerry.
