Cervical check campaigner Vicky Phelan had a "wonderful" 4th of July celebration ahead of her return to Ireland this week following six months in the US where she was undergoing a trial cancer treatment.
Earlier this year, Ms Phelan disclosed that she developed a new tumour for the first time in over two years and had to travel to the US for treatment.
A scan revealed a new 3mm tumour in her lung, in addition to growth in three separate tumours.
Last week, Phelan posted a video online where she said that she's "feeling a lot better" and is "back to myself again."
"I just wanted to give you all a quick update just to say I'm feeling a hell of a lot better. I feel back to myself again. The Bell's Palsy is nearly gone, there's still a small bit here in my mouth but it's not moving the same as it was before. My eye is blinking again and while there's a slight little delay, it's all gonna come back. I'm not gonna worry about these things.
"It's not getting any worse and it is improving. The acupuncture is definitely helping so I'll go back there on Thursday for my last session before I go home. I'm like a child waiting for Santa at Christmas at the stage," she said.
The cervical cancer campaigner can not wait to see her family in Limerick and thanked everyone for their support.
"Thank you everybody for all your support, all the messages, the prayers, the candles, the novenas, relics, messages and all the different things that people have done for me. Honestly, I think it has all kind of got me to this point today. Thank you everybody for all your support and my next update will be after my scan next week. If I get some kind of provisional results, I'll do an update with that and then after that my next update will be from home, so thank you very much," she said.
In a post on Instagram, Phelan gave her followers an update on her week and said she had a fantastic 4th of July celebration.
After enjoying the very best that an American barbecue has to offer at her friend's (Geraldine Holtzman), she then headed off to watch the fireworks on a cruise at Washington DC.
Speaking on the Sunday with Miriam programme, Phelan said she hasn’t seen any of her family including her two children Darragh and Amelia in six months due to Covid-related travel restricitons.
“I really didn’t think when I came out here in January that it would be six months before I’d see my children. I honestly thought that they’d be able to come out,” she said.
On social media, she said that she's now "ready to wind down and get ready to go home for some TLC with my children and my family and friends."
Phelan also told the RTE show that she will have to return to the US again for more treatment and that she is worried that travel restrictions still won’t be lifted.
“It’s going to be hard to come back because know I’m coming back here on my own again for God knows how long, so it’s tough but it just makes it much more emotional really knowing that I am going to see them,” she said.
