'Live in the moment': Rachel Purcell on making a life she is happy with after cancer shock

Rachel Purcell

I grew up on a farm in County Tipperary. There are five of us in the family, my mum, dad, and my two sisters, Rebecca and Roz. I just remember us all outside all of the time playing. I feel like I spent most of my childhood outdoors exploring.

I’m surprised by how much I love living back home in Tipperary. I thought I would end up permanently living in Dublin but with Covid I made the decision to move back and now I don’t ever see myself leaving. I love the pace of life. Everything seems much more relaxed.

I work in digital marketing and to be honest I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do after school. It was my sister Rebecca who initially suggested I look into doing a marketing degree. My sisters are definitely the people I turn to most. They are my go-tos, whether I have a problem or good news to share. It’s just automatic that I would tell them first and ask them for advice if I needed it.

I think if I took a different fork in the road I would be working in something to do with food. Growing up my family was always cooking and it was something we always did as a family. I’ve actually taken the leap of setting up my own coffee and food truck recently, Fetch Coffee, with my boyfriend. We’re so excited to get up and running. We’re currently making some adjustments to the aesthetic and we’re on the search for the perfect location in South Tipperary to set up.

The greatest challenge I've faced was probably getting diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML. It’s a slow-growing type of leukemia that can stop white blood cells from working properly, leaving you more at risk of infection or feeling tired and weak.

The initial period when I found out something wasn’t right but didn’t know what, was probably the most mentally and physically draining few weeks. I was constantly thinking 'what if?'. Once I got my diagnosis there was some relief, as then I could make a plan and I knew exactly what I was facing.

Rachel Purcell 

I was 28 when I was diagnosed. I had been feeling extremely tired for almost six months but always put it down to working long hours. I went on holidays to Thailand with Roz at Christmas and while I was there I was exhausted and kept bruising randomly. When I came back the tiredness was still there but I thought it was just jet lag. I got my bloods done and that evening the doctor called to tell me I needed to come in. I didn’t think much of it. I thought my iron was low and he was going to prescribe me medication.

When I did go back in, he explained that my white blood cell count was extremely high. He did mention leukemia and at that point, I got my mum on the phone as I wasn’t taking anything in that he was saying to me. It felt very surreal, I was young and healthy and didn’t look sick apart from being exhausted and run down.

Thankfully, CML can be managed with targeted therapies. I take a targeted therapy drug every day which means I can live a relatively normal life.

The advice I would give to anyone going through a cancer diagnosis is to talk to your family and friends. I bottled everything up and tried to put on a brave face but talking really does help. Also, as tempting as it is, don’t look at Dr Google — get your information from your consultant, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

There have been so many great pieces of advice I’ve been given in my life, but the one I love the most is to live in the moment. Since my CML diagnosis, I’ve learned to take each day as it comes and to really be present. I also don’t wait around for things to happen. If I want to do something, I go for it. My biggest fear is having regrets. I don’t want to look back and think “I wish I tried that”.

My proudest achievement would have to be creating this life that I am so happy with. I feel very lucky for all I have and the people around me. I’m very grateful and wouldn’t change anything.

I think my positive attitude is my greatest quality. There are things that phase me and don’t go to plan, but I accept them and move on. I always try to focus on the positives. The thing I’m best at though is organisation though. I love to have things organised. I’m like Monica from Friends.

The lesson I would like to pass on to others is to do things that make you happy. If something or someone doesn’t make you happy then make a change. I was such a people-pleaser in my 20s and it wasn’t until my late 20s that I realised I wasn’t actually really that happy and I made some big changes. It wasn’t easy but I’m so glad I did.