Christina suddenly began to feel ill and nauseous and booked in for some routine tests in 2018. Photo / news.com.au
Christina suddenly began to feel ill and nauseous and booked in for some routine tests in 2018. Photo / news.com.au
Twins Emily and Christina Taylor were inseparable.
The sisters, from Newcastle, NSW, did everything together, from sharing the same group of friends, to even having the same thoughts. Basically, when they weren't at work, you would usually find them together.
But Emily's world came tumbling down when she lost her beloved twin to bowel cancer – commonly referred to as an "old man's disease" – just days after celebrating their 30th birthday.
"I remember coming home from work and Christina had been at my house, not feeling well and in pain. I basically forced her to go get it checked at the hospital as I didn't want it to be her appendix and left untreated," Emily told news.com.au.
Christina, who was 29, had booked in for some routine tests after feeling nauseous, where it was discovered she had a tumour.
Christina had been feeling nauseous at the time and in early 2018 had scheduled to undergo a colonoscopy and endoscopy to find out why she hadn't been feeling well.
Emily said they never thought it was anything sinister with doctors also checking for Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
Emily (right) lost her sister Christina (left) to bowel cancer in 2019. Photo / news.com.au
"The doctors were not even looking for cancer, they thought IBS or 'girly issues'. She didn't have the 'normal symptoms' of bowel cancer, which is a common case for a lot of bowel cancer patients," Emily explained.
However, in the lead up to her appointments, Christina's situation worsened and she ended up in hospital for her scope tests.
"That's when they saw the mass, in April. It was emergency surgery from there to confirm what it was and to remove it," Emily said.
She explained that not only was Christina told it was cancerous, but she also had to deal with having a "poo bag".
Emily said her sister died shortly after their shared 30th birthday. Photo / news.com.au
But while it was traumatic experience to deal with at 29, Emily said her sister took it all in her stride, joining various Facebook groups and learning about bowel cancer.
Doctors were so pleased with the outcome of the surgery, they were even questioning whether to do chemo at all.
The sisters went on to celebrate their 30th birthdays on February 24, but Christina began to feel unwell again and unbeknown to her, she had a collapsed lung.
The pair were inseparable. Photo / news.com.au
"Due to the cancer spreading, it had reached her lungs and this caused fluid build up on her lungs," Emily said.
"It then had spread to other areas in turn affecting her liver resulting in her to go yellow in colour [which was fixed with a small operation inserting a stent in her liver]."
Once Christina recovered from lung surgery, she began chemotherapy.
"However, the cancer had already spread too far and she ended up passing away a few days after her chemo," Emily said.
Emily said her sister had many plans and things she did want to do "just in case" like pre-write birthday cards and make little memories for her niece and nephews, "but ultimately ran out of time".
"We had a few moments of goodbyes, and 'I love you's, but in the end we didn't have the final goodbye moment, but I never left her side for all her hospital stays," Emily explained.
"I would stay overnight on a bed or chair and in the end, we shared a bed together and she passed peacefully with all her siblings, mum and family in the room."
Emily said it has been a huge struggle without her sister as they did "everything together".
"Most events are hard, especially Christmas as that was 'our thing' with matching outfits and celebrations."
"Then there's all the future moments we will miss out on, her being an aunty to my future children, being the first person I would tell, being my maid of honour – all those exciting events. I wish she was here everyday."
To their shock, doctors found a mass in her bowel that was cancerous. Photo / news.com.au
Emily said while bowel cancer is often known as an "old man's disease", it's definitely not the case from the Facebook groups she still takes part in.
"People don't look at bowel cancer as a cancer that affects young people – but it certainly has a high rate and the age bracket of its affected patients is getting lower and lower.
"There are so many younger people in the groups I'm in, along with unfortunately the cases where they pass away at such a young age."
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world.
According to Bowel Cancer New Zealand, more than 3000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, and it can affect people of all ages, with more than 350 people aged under 50 diagnosed each year. More than 1200 people will die from the disease with it being the second-highest cause of cancer deaths in the country.
The most common symptoms are bleeding from the rectum (this may be noticed as blood in the stools), a change in bowel habit (loose stools, constipation or stools that are narrower than usual), abdominal pain, cramping or bloating.
After it was removed doctors then found a fluid build up in her lungs. Photo / news.com.au
"I think it's so important to keep talking about those we have lost, as it keeps them alive in your stories, memories and thoughts. But with Christina's story it's even more so important as it shares awareness and she was so big on that," Emily explained.
"If reading her story helps others potentially get a second opinion or ask for a blood test, or a colonoscopy, then my small effort has helped, while keeping Christina's awareness campaigns alive."
