Cork TD Thomas Gould opens up about bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment

The Sinn Féin TD received the shock diagnosis three months ago but doctors are very positive about his recovery

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould at Leinster House, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Cork TD Thomas Gould has publicly revealed that he is undergoing treatment for bowel cancer.

Mr Gould received the shock diagnosis three months ago but doctors are very positive about his recovery.

"I hope to be here for many more years to come," he said.

When asked why he decided to share the personal news, Mr Gould joked that he had gone to a hospital in Cork, and "there's no way you can keep things quiet in Cork."

The people of Cork showed him great kindness and he has spoken about how grateful he is for his community.

"When I needed help, I didn't have to ask. They turned up, rain or shine, myself and my family will never forget their support," he said.

In an interview with Cork's 96FM Opinion Line with PJ Coogan, Mr Gould said he wanted to be open and honest with the public and spoke of the fears he felt before and after his emergency surgery.

The weeks after his surgery gave him a lot of time to contemplate life, and he had some very honest conversations with his daughters during this period, he said.

"I think Michelle (his wife) and the girls and my dad and my sisters and my friends and family, they have felt it more than me," he said.

"Michelle said to me, you're very relaxed about it. I suppose my attitude is, I'll do what the doctors tell me, I'll follow the instructions, and they are the experts and you have to listen to them."

When he was diagnosed it came as a surprise as overall, he did not feel unwell.

The only initial sign that something was wrong was a persistent state of exhaustion that had been going on for around 18 months.

Doctors ran different tests and tried a number of treatments to remedy the situation, but it was only when he met with a consultant last September that the cancer was discovered.

Sinn Fein's Thomas Gould celebrates following re-election for Cork North-Central, at Nemo Rangers GAA Club in Cork. Picture: Jacob King/PA Wire

Mr Gould went to the appointment alone to get some results, as he never expected to hear that he had a tumour in his bowel and that they needed to operate as soon as possible.

"It's so sudden and you hear about people having cancer but I wouldn't have thought I was that sick," Mr Gould said.

Afterwards, he went home and broke the news to his family. Finding it difficult to process, they asked whether they should seek a second opinion. However, the consultant was clear that surgery could not wait.

Five days later, Mr Gould underwent an operation where the doctors successfully removed the tumour.

Unfortunately this was not the end of the journey, tests after the surgery revealed there were cancer cells in the lymph nodes.

"It looks like they got all the cancer but to be doubly sure, and be precautionary we think you should start chemo when you get over the effects of the operation," he said.

The timing of the diagnosis meant that the general election was on top of him before he had time to recover.

Not running in the election was not an option Mr Gould ever considered.

His doctors were confident that he would recover, and Mr Gould felt he was doing well after the surgery. Not only that, but the Knocknaheeny man said he had an incredible group of people around him who were more than happy to lend a hand, whether it was putting up posters, knocking on doors, or dropping leaflets.

When things go wrong, people will show up for you, he said.

"What I found out when I got the diagnosis and people found out and they were coming up to me - the amount of people that go to work, go to school, go to college every day, who raise families while getting chemo or radiation or a different type of cancer treatment," he said.

"One in two people will get cancer in their life. That is half the population."

As he continues his chemotherapy treatment, Mr Gould is doing his best to keep up with his political duties, attending the Dáil in Dublin, holding clinics and meeting with groups.

The treatment and side-effects are difficult but Mr Gould said the staff looking after him are amazing.

The famous Cork sense of humour has helped him through difficult times, he said as he recalled a story about a couple of men undergoing chemo alongside him, joking about their kids needing a house and how they'd "talk to him after."

"Cork people even crack jokes during chemo. That's just who we are," Mr. Gould said.