A Sunshine West single mother of two has been told she has until the end of the year to live.
Sissy Keenan has spent 15 months battling an aggressive form of cervical cancer and was told three weeks ago that nothing more could be done.
“The doctors told me they’d hit me with all [the treatment] they’ve got,” she said.
“The cervix has responded, but the lymph nodes haven’t. It’s a bit of a shock.”
The 34-year-old is spending what time she has left with daughter Maddison, 14, son Liam, 13, and her mum Pat, who all live together in Ms Keenan’s childhood home.
Pat wants to spend as much time as she can with her daughter, but the past 15 months have taken a toll emotionally and financially.
The 62-year-old, a customer service officer with Brimbank council, has already used up all her sick leave, holiday leave and long-service leave and plans to cut down her four-day working week to be there for her daughter.
After Ms Keenan is gone, Pat will care for her grandchildren.
Ms Keenan’s ordeal started early in 2013 when she went to the doctor with stomach pains and a general feeling that something wasn’t right.
After months of visits and an increase in symptoms, a pap smear revealed cervical cancer.
When doctors went to perform a hysterectomy, they discovered the cancer had spread and Ms Keenan had four tumours, including one the size of a doughnut, on her cervix and several on her lymph nodes.
The tumours were too large to operate on, so Ms Keenan spent last year having radiotherapy, chemotherapy and brachytherapy at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in a bid to reduce their size so she could be operated on later.
Unfortunately, the cancer was too advanced for the treatment to have the desired effect.
The Keenans are no strangers to cancer. Ms Keenan’s father died of prostate cancer when she was 15 and her sister-in-law and aunt are also battling it.
“I know what my kids are going to go through and that scares the hell out of me,” Ms Keenan said.
“I just want to make sure I’m getting everything right now and setting up what I can for their futures and making every day special.
“I want my kids to see my true emotions, but I also want to be strong and let them know mum’s not going without a fight.
“They say I have nine months … well I plan on 19 months, nine years.”
Ms Keenan, who admits to not having had regular pap smears, called on all women not to make the same mistake.
She also believes patients should get a second opinion if they believe their concerns aren’t being taken seriously.
“I do believe I may have had a different prognosis if this had been picked up earlier,” she said.
Two of Pat’s colleagues, Robyn Xuereb and Emma Craddock, have started an online fundraiser and are hoping to raise $200,000 so the Keenans can spend as much time together as possible.
To donate, go to www.gofundme.com/Pat-Sissy.
