Eddie Bowden: 'Lung cancer forced me to reinvent myself'
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At 48 years old, Dublin man Eddie Bowden was left in shock after his back pain and persistent cough turned out to be lung cancer.
He quickly started chemotherapy and a range of other treatments and was left exhausted, struggling with sleep and trying to come to terms with what had happened to him.
When Eddie walked through the doors of ARC Cancer Support Centres in 2010, he had no idea that the place he had come to for support following his lung cancer diagnosis would become part of his life for the next 16 years.
“I remember the first day I came to Eccles Street. I was welcomed by Linda who is the Centre Manager and we had a cup of tea and a chat.”
Over the months that followed, Eddie began accessing the different supports available at ARC. He had counselling and stress management sessions, as well as reflexology, relaxation and Tai Chi. For someone who had never considered himself particularly interested in complementary therapies, it opened a completely new way of looking after himself.
“I just started getting into Tai Chi and I love it. It’s just the whole concept of relaxation and the different movements. I just sunk into it.”
But it was the people he met at ARC who made the biggest difference.
Eddie took part in a 12-week support group programme with other people affected by cancer. Their diagnoses and treatments were different, but the emotions they carried were remarkably similar.
“We were all crying the same way. It was just because we were all feeling the same.”
For the first time, Eddie felt that other people truly understood what he was experiencing.
“Cancer almost got me, but I wasn’t alone. They could understand what I was going through. They could feel my pain, and I could feel their pain.”
That sense of connection helped Eddie begin to rebuild his confidence. ARC gave him practical tools to deal with what he was facing, but it also helped change the way he thought about his future.
When Eddie received the all-clear in 2015, his relationship with ARC didn't end.
He continued to stay connected, including through volunteering, and the confidence he had gained gave him the courage to open new doors in his own life.
At 52, he returned to college, eventually being named student of the year in his class and student of the year at the college.
“I had to retire from work at 48. I had to reinvent myself. ARC gave me the courage and the confidence. I ended up going back to college, I got a distinction in project management and event management. Without ARC, I could have never done that.”
In 2020, Eddie was re-diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer after suffering from recurring chest infections.
"I knew ARC would be there for me again and I started counselling to try and deal with everything that was happening.”
Today, Eddie is 64 and loves spending time with his grandchildren and children. He has been living with his cancer journey for 16 years, and his outlook is remarkably clear: cancer is part of his life, but it does not get to decide how he lives it.
“I’m busy living. Cancer is not controlling me. I live my best life with my grandchildren and children. I will never forget what ARC has done for me. It’s gotten me through the hardest time of my life.”
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month as lung cancer is the 4th most common cancer in Ireland, with almost 2,600 people being diagnosed each year. It usually affects people over the age of 50.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
- A cough that doesn’t go away, or a change to an existing cough
- Repeated chest infections that won’t go away, even after antibiotics
- Coughing up blood-stained phlegm
- Pain in your chest, especially when you cough or breathe in
- Swelling around your face and neck
- Difficulty swallowing
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Loss of appetite/weight loss