Emily Taylor and Christina Taylor were twins. They had the same friends and the same instincts.
Emily was there for her sister when she felt unwell. She booked her in to have some routine testing in 2018. Emily was also at her side during her hospitalization, where doctors discovered a tumor and she passed away just over one year later.
Christina discovered she had what Christina calls an ‘old men’s disease’. Christina’s skepticism that 30-year olds could die of bowel cancer disappeared before her eyes.
Daily Mail Australia spoke to Emily, 32, who lives in Newcastle and said, “Going through something such as cancer can be hard on any family member. But being a Twin it’s just impossible.”
“Being twins is an entirely different relationship, which only twins understand.” You get those feelings in your gut or thoughts that you know exactly what the other is thinking, feeling or doing.
Daily Mail Australia’s Emily said that while it is difficult for any person to go through cancer, being a twin in the midst of such a tragedy was unimaginable.
Christina was just 29 years old when she booked an appointment for a colonoscopy, endoscopy, and a colonoscopy. The doctors checked for Crohn’s disease, and even Irritable Bowel Syndrome (photos as children).
Christina, then just 29 in early 2018, booked in for a colonoscopy and endoscopy to find out why she hadn’t been feeling well, with doctors checking for Crohn’s disease and even irritable bowel syndrome.
Emily claims that she had no idea of anything more sinister as the reason for the nausea.
“As her date for the scopes approached, she became ill and worsened. She ended up being admitted to hospital. They saw the mass in April. She explained that it was an emergency procedure to determine the cause and remove it.
Emily said that there was no second thought about something sinister causing the nausea.
Emily shared her story (all siblings included): “She was told that it was cancerous and she had to remove the material.
Despite hoping she would avoid needing a ostomy bag after surgery – a small pouch used to collect waste outside the body – doctors were forced to attach one.
Emily stated that she was told she had cancer by the surgeons who removed it. She also was now faced with “poo bags” of problems.
“It was quite traumatizing to go through at the age of 29, but she handled it with grace and humor. After joining a few Facebook groups, she began learning more about bowel carcinoma.
The outcome of surgery was positive in Sydney. However, doctors were not satisfied with Christina’s wound healing and the fluid buildup underneath her skin.
Christina didn’t like the fact that her slow healing caused her to delay’mop up chemotherapy’ which would eliminate any remaining cancerous cells from her body.
Drs in Sydney were happy with the results of surgery. Christina was even asked if she needed to undergo follow-up chemotherapy. But her wounds took too long and fluid built up under one of them.
They celebrated their 30th Birthday in February 2019. It was an opportunity to forget all about cancer. Christina became ill shortly afterwards.
Emily stated that she believed the delay would cause her cancer to return and wanted her chemotherapy. Christina had the exact same mentality as me and wanted her chemo to speed up. I am a little bit of a worst-case scenario thinker.
The twins almost had a common instinct that predicted the next step. Christina was diagnosed with cancer after fluids were found in her lungs.
The first chemotherapy was performed in 1978.
In February 2019, the sisters celebrated their 30-year-old birthdays. Christina was soon ill shortly afterwards.
Emily stated that she had many plans for Emily and other things she wanted to do “just in case” for our family, like make small memories and pre-write birthday cards for her nieces and nephews. But ultimately, Emily ran out of time.
Christina, three months after her joint birthday, said farewell to her family (Christina’s grave is pictured).
Christina left her family three months later than their shared birthday.
She said, “In hospital, she did tell me how she valued me and thanked my for being such a wonderful sister. Which I’m thankful we had the opportunity to have that moment.”
“In the end, we all were there around her as she went.”
According to Bowel Cancer Australia, approximately 15.200 Australians are diagnosed each year with bowel cancer.
She is one of roughly 15,200 Australians diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, according to statistics from Bowel Cancer Australia, and among the 1,542 of those who are under the age of 50.
Bowel cancer is the third-most common type of cancer in Australia. It follows prostate and breast cancers.
Many people with bowel cancer feel the symptoms early on, but they are often confused by everyday problems. They may ignore warning signs that can cause long delays.
Stomach cramps, bloating and even bloody stool all can have fairly simple explanations. However, if symptoms persist, you should contact a doctor immediately.
Emily stated that cancer in general is not discriminatory.
It’s something that you cannot delay, ignore, or believe won’t happen.
The whole “it won’t happen to us” mentality needs to go. So should the mindset of doctors that you can’t have cancer because of your age and sex.
While bowel cancer is often regarded as an incurable disease that affects the elderly, there are many other young patients who have the same story and I am confident that if they can save even one person’s lives from it, then that will be enough.