Official figures show that Fermanagh has one of the highest incidence of cancer in the south west.

In Fermanagh, 1,995 people have been diagnosed with cancer between 2004 and 2012. In Omagh the diagnosis rate was 1,548 while in Strabane it was 1,208 in the same period. More men (1,065) than women (930) were diagnosed in this period in the county.

Looking at incidence across Fermanagh, cancer incidence varies between electoral wards. Between 2008 and 2012, the incidence in Ballinamallard was 107 people, compared to 56 in Lisnaskea, 50 in Lisnarick, 52 in Newtownbutler, 90 in Castlecoole and 69 in Devenish.  Read moving, straight-talking interviews with cancer sufferers and survivors as they break down the taboo with their incredible stories of struggle and survival.

FROM milking cows and working on the farm to chairing the province-wide Simmental club, Pat Kelly had never known it any other way. For his entire life farming was in his blood, in his DNA. But you take a man’s tools from him and his way of life, his outlook, his routine is turned on its head and in 2011 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer that’s exactly what happened to him.

“Farming was my whole life; I am a farmer, just a farmer and always have been. I think for a farmer the whole thing is worse; he’s used to the outdoor life all the time and to be curtailed in a closed-up area it is a great shock to your system,” the Tempo man told The Impartial Reporter.

Mr. Kelly, 61, had been attending his doctor’s surgery for seven months suffering from pains in the back of his legs.

“The pains got severe and I asked to be sent for an x-ray. I got a phone call within two hours to go into the Erne Hospital. They did a PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) test on me and the level of a man of my age was supposed to be four or five; mine was sitting at 527 - through the roof. I got a scan the next time and it showed the cancer up on the vertebrae. I had to lie there for eight days on the flat of my back and then I was moved to the Royal Victoria in Belfast.

“It is a severe shock to your system once you are told you have cancer. You hear tell of people around you with cancer but you never think it’s going to come to your door. I never dreamt of it, it had never entered my head, but you have to face up to it. At that point I didn’t know how long I was going to live or not… my life was totally heeled upside down,” he said.

An operation was carried out to remove the vertebra that was affected and Mr. Kelly went through a session of radiotherapy. His treatment at the City Hospital lasted 12 weeks. During his time in hospital he was fortunate enough to have the support of his family, including wife Kathleen and his two sons; Frank, who looked after the farm, and Damien (former Fermanagh GAA player).

“Between them and my friends, they all helped me out powerful well, they really did,” he said.

However, there was something missing from his life - his other great love.

“The farm - I missed it. I was thinking about the farm every day; wondering how it was all going and hoping I would be there to carry it on at some stage and live to see it progress. I was in hospital during the longest day of the year and I remember at night the nurse coming in to pull the blind down, and I said’ ‘will you not leave that open for another while so I can look out at the sky?’”.

Despite changing his way of live, Mr. Kelly said at no point did having cancer make him angry.

“I was never cross, no. I had no fears, I was never angry, I just accepted it. You have to, don’t you? It’s your only chance for life. Everyone should do the same, that’s the way they should look at it and if there are any problems go immediately and see about things and talk about things. I think people should be more outspoken about cancer, I do. The experts say cancer will be on the increase and the more people who are educated about it the better,” he said.