When Caitlin Taylor was diagnosed with a rare cancer, she turned to her mum and said “but I’ve not done anything yet”.
At just 27, she was not prepared for such life-changing news, or the aggressive treatment she was about to embark on – which could have ended her ability to have children.
Since her diagnosis – which came in the midst of the pandemic – she has promised herself she will say “yes” to more opportunities – including signing up to become a Courage on the Catwalk model in aid of Friends of Anchor next month.
She wants to give back to the charity who made her sudden diagnosis a little bit easier, and will take to the Beach Ballroom stage with 23 other women next month.
Miss Taylor began suffering a small stitch-like pain in her side in 2021, but one night it got so bad she was struggling to breathe and felt like she had a balloon in her chest.
Unable to get an in-person appointment with her GP due to Covid, she was assured during a telephone appointment it was probably nothing to worry about and the pain would likely go away on its own.
It did not, and eventually her mum convinced her to call again.
Things then began to move quickly. From an initial in-person appointment, Miss Taylor was sent straight to hospital and kept in overnight. She was given an ultrasound, which showed a mass.
Following a biopsy, she was given the news she had Renal Ewing’s Sarcoma.
“They left us alone for a minute,” she recalled. “It was just me and my mum, I just looked at her in shock and said ‘I’ve not done anything yet, I’ve not been anywhere’.”
Aggressive treatment for rare cancer
Because it is such a rare and aggressive form of cancer, she started her chemotherapy two weeks later.
Her clinical nurse had thought ahead and booked an appointment for her at the fertility clinic to give her options.
“It was a good job she did,” Miss Taylor said. “Because of the timing of everything if I hadn’t got that booked in I wouldn’t have been able to go through the process of freezing my eggs because of how quickly chemo started.
“I was really grateful to her for giving me that option. I was 27 and single, kids were the last thing on my mind – I’d never thought about whether or not I did want kids, but I knew I wanted the option.”
Miss Taylor, from Portlethen, has had a total of 936 hours of chemotherapy since she was diagnosed in 2021, as well as a stem cell transplant.
She was also transferred to Glasgow Royal Infirmary for surgery to remove her kidney and part of her liver.
A long road to recovery but plenty to celebrate
When she first arrived at the Anchor Unit there was a welcome box waiting for her, including little touches like colouring books, pencils and a fan.
The Anchor nurses also supplied her with ice lollies when her treatment left her with ulcers.
During her five weeks in the hematology ward for her stem cell transplant, she was not allowed visitors due to Covid rules. But again, the nurses were second-to-none – helping her mum deliver fresh clothes and care packages and giving her regular updates.
Miss Taylor’s grandparents also supported her, FaceTiming her every day to ensure she did not get lonely.
Although Miss Taylor finished treatment last March and has officially been cancer free for a year, she has taken her time to get back to full health and return to her work in recruitment – recently starting a new job at Subsea7.
She is looking forward to her 30th birthday this year and is busy making plans to travel more – with Seville next on the list.
Courage model ‘never felt alone’
Her travel plans are part of the promise she made to herself to see and do more, including Courage on the Catwalk.
At first, she was adamant she wouldn’t be involved. But, after realising it would be an opportunity to “give something back” to Friends of Anchor, and raise awareness that cancer can happen at any age, she signed up.
She also wanted to take the opportunity to be part of a community and connect with others who have shared the same experiences.
Having spent most of her time at the Anchor Unit in her own room because of her compromised immune system, she felt like she missed the chance to bond with anyone else going through what she was.
“It’s been so good,” she said. “The women are such an amazing group and everybody is just so kind and funny. You would never know that any of them have been through this hard time – they just don’t let it bring them down.
“Every time we have a rehearsal everybody is so full of positivity and light and there’s so much laughter in the room all the time.”
Miss Taylor is fundraising for the Anchored Together appeal and has raised over £900 on her JustGiving page so far.
Courage on the Catwalk will take place at the Beach Ballroom on May 6 and 7.
Conversation