“I hope my story shows people that there is a way back to health and fitness no matter what you have been through”
A Derry man who lost his wife, was diagnosed with bowel cancer and then took a heart attack is set to take part in a half-marathon just months after regaining the ability to walk.
Paul Duddy is set to reach a significant milestone in his rehabilitation next month when he runs in the Waterside Half Marathon in Derry.
Paul, who sadly lost his wife Elaine following a long battle with illness in May 2022, has endured a life-threatening struggle with serious cardiac issues and cancer.
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A process engineer at LYCRA in Maydown outside the city, Paul has made remarkable strides in his recovery and is now looking forward to taking part in the third and final leg of the relay race at the Waterside Half Marathon on September 7.
A runner for more than 10 years, his struggles began when his wife became seriously ill five years ago.
“Elaine had Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency that affected her lungs and liver as well as autoimmune disease and chrones,” he explained. “The majority of the time she was strong and had a good life but she suffered a number of setbacks in 2020. Her mobility was significantly reduced and she became housebound and passed away after a double lung infection in May 2022.”
While Paul had been caring for Elaine at their home he was unaware that his own health challenges were just around the corner.
“A week after Elaine was buried I began to notice some bleeding when I went to the toilet, I ignored it at first and thought it might be something I’d eaten. I would never have been one for contacting the doctor but when I eventually called the surgery I was put straight through and given an emergency appointment and the tests went from there. The Biopsy showed that I had benign tumours and I was immediately scheduled for chemotherapy and surgery.
“A week before my second operation in 2023 I had a heart attack and had surgery for a stent to be inserted.”
He continued: “My scans were showing that the cancer had returned to my bowel but they couldn’t operate for six months after my heart surgery. When they did operate on my bowel at t he end of 2023 they picked up other cancer clusters and two and a half weeks later I started chemo again.
“After all the setbacks I really wanted to get physical activity back into my routine and in February of this year, one year after I had started walking again, I returned to light running.”
He credits his ongoing recovery to the help of his work colleagues Jaye-Katrina Nangle and Liam Quigg.
“I still experience periods of fatigue but I am enjoying eating well and being active again and the Waterside Half relay has been an ideal target to aim for,” he added. I live alone so the training has been a good incentive to get out of the house and meet up with people.
“I don’t feel it but I am technically disabled, I have to be careful and do a long warm up and my colostomy bag can present some challenges – but the buzz is still there.”
He added: “I hope my story shows people that there is a way back to health and fitness no matter what you have been through, you might never get back to levels you were at when you were younger but you’ll still experience the joy of taking part and sharing your experience with others and all the wellbeing benefits that come with that.
“I want to thank everyone at Macmillan for the help and support they gave me during my treatment and the Stoma nurses and community for their help with exercise and nutrition classes which were a big help in guiding me on the road to recovery.”
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