Caoimhe Jennings was on holiday with her now-husband Ollie to celebrate his 30th birthday
09:30, 03 Aug 2026Updated 09:34, 03 Aug 2026
Caoimhe Jennings after surgery(Image: Jam Press)
A woman has revealed how she thought she was “going mad” while on a dream holiday – but then doctors found the cause.
As Caoimhe Jennings looked out at the picturesque beach, she hoped this would be a trip to remember. It was – but for all the wrong reasons.
The 28-year-old woman had jetted her now-husband, Ollie, to Thailand to celebrate his 30th birthday and was eager to make memories that would last a lifetime. But their time together was about to be cut very short. The tax specialist had multiple signs her life on Earth was rapidly dwindling, but the one that stuck out for her was paranoia.
“I thought I was completely losing my marbles,” Caoimhe, from Derry, 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.
Caoimhe Jennings and her husband, Ollie(Image: Jam Press)
“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.
“On a boat cruise, there were giant lizards along the side of the water. What’s really crazy is that I couldn’t see them – at all – even though they were four feet long and easily visible in all our photos.”
Another instance that left her worrying that something worse was at play was when she suddenly forgot how to ride a bike. It began in January 2025 when Caoimhe had a bout of dry eyes.
She was advised to use some eye drops to help ease the symptoms, but this had little to no effect. While she wasn’t a big drinker, she would often enjoy a glass or two of wine in the evening.
But when she woke up violently ill, including not being able to hold down water, it rang alarm bells. At the time, she had just scored a new job, which had scope for her to move back to Ireland after living in Liverpool.
Her start date was confirmed a week before they were due to jet off on the trip to Thailand and so Caoimhe put her symptoms down to stress. Sadly, things only continued to decline to the point where it was clear her body was giving up.
Ollie proposed to Caoimhe before surgery(Image: Jam Press)
She had wet herself completely out of the blue while sober and woke up one morning with her entire face and feet swollen. Caoimhe also began to get double vision and so she visited her local optician for a scan. When the results came back, she was advised to get to A&E immediately.
She said: “The doctor’s face dropped as I told them what was going on. I truly thought it would be nothing.
“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, which involved poking a hole in the membrane to encourage it to drain itself. As the tumour was in such a tricky position, it was unable to be removed.
The surgery came with the risk of death and so Ollie took his chance to propose. He was planning to do so the following weekend, but pulled this idea forward before it was potentially too late.
Caoimhe Jennings’ head CT scan result(Image: Jam Press)
Luckily, the procedure was a success – and, even though there was a long road to recovery ahead, she was excited for the future. Sadly in October it was confirmed that the tumour had mutated and it was terminal.
She said: “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.”
Caohime spent the weeks leading up to the surgery planning her wedding, so she could tie the knot before her time was up. In January 2026 they became husband and wife.
Now, even though each day is being treated as her last, the tumour has shown signs of shrinking, which has proved hopeful. To not waste another second, Caoimhe has retired from her career and is using her pension to live the best life she can.
Caoimhe Jennings before her diagnosis(Image: Jam Press)
She added: “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.
“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.”