Caoimhe Jennings, a 28-year-old tax specialist from Derry, was celebrating her now-husband Ollie's 30th birthday in Thailand when she began experiencing alarming symptoms that made her believe she was losing her mind. She became convinced a tsunami was coming, feared she had been poisoned, and even forgot how to ride a bike.
"I thought I was completely losing my marbles," Caoimhe told creatorzine.com. "We had been sitting for dinner at the beach when the tide seemed a bit higher than the night before. I was absolutely convinced there was about to be a tsunami, so I made Ollie go back to the hotel with me."
"I also had convinced myself that I was feeling unwell because of methanol poisoning from one sip of an alcoholic drink. I was properly paranoid," she added.
During a boat cruise, giant lizards were visible in photos along the water, but she could not see them at all, even though they were four feet long.
Symptoms began months earlier
Her health problems started in January 2025 with dry eyes that eye drops did not help. Although she was not a heavy drinker, she enjoyed wine in the evenings, but one morning she woke up severely ill and unable to keep down even water. She had just landed a new job that would allow her to return to Ireland from Liverpool, so she initially blamed stress.
Her condition worsened. While sober, she wet herself; she woke up one morning with her face and feet swollen; and she began experiencing double vision. A scan at her local optician led to an urgent transfer to A&E.
Diagnosis and surgery
"The doctor's face dropped as I told them what was going on. I truly thought it would be nothing," she said. "Within an hour, I was in surgery for hydrocephalus, where they had to put a drain in my brain to rid of the excess fluid. And then the next morning they told me there was a large brain tumour at the centre of my brain."
In September 2025, Caoimhe underwent further surgery to create a hole in the membrane to help the fluid drain naturally. Because the tumour was in a precarious location, it could not be removed. Ollie, who had planned to propose the following weekend, brought the proposal forward before the operation.
The surgery was successful, but in October she was told the tumour had mutated and was terminal. "When I asked what the life expectancy was, they told me it was months, not years. Chemotherapy wouldn't help at this stage and while radiotherapy wouldn't shrink the tumour, it could buy me some time," she said.
Making the most of every day
The couple married in January 2026. Despite her terminal diagnosis, there have been encouraging signs that the tumour is shrinking. Caoimhe has retired from her job and is using her pension to live life to the fullest.
"I'm trying to stay positive about it all now. I'm in no pain compared to what I was like this time last year," she said. "I weirdly see myself as very lucky compared to other people in these situations. I have an amazing husband, a supportive family that isn't giving up on me and great in-laws who would do absolutely anything for me."
"I know I'm going to die young, but I'm not accepting the months they've given me – I'm praying for years. I'm making the most of every day and I've recently started baking. I'm either getting good at it or no one wants to upset the girl with cancer."
