When Taylor got home from a European holiday in August 2022, she expected jet lag but instead she was bloated, tired and out of breath.
She put it down to travel and being out of routine. A few weeks later, she got the shock of her life.
At just 21 years old, Taylor was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The symptoms were easy to ignore
During her overseas trip, Taylor started noticing changes in her body and despite barely eating, she felt constantly full.
"I was very bloated in my stomach. I normally eat quite a lot but because I was on holiday, I was out of routine and didn't notice," says Taylor.
She also had a persistent cough and was struggling to breathe, putting it down to COVID-19 or a chest infection.
Soon Taylor was back in Sydney but couldn't see a doctor in person because of COVID restrictions. However, via telehealth, a doctor prescribed antibiotics for a suspected chest infection.
But things kept getting worse. During lunch with a friend, where Taylor could barely stomach food, her friend insisted she do something.
"She made me call the doctor right there with her. I'm insanely grateful to her for making me do that."
A shock diagnosis at just 21
Taylor was finally able to see a doctor who diagnosed her with inflamed asthma and prescribed tea and remedies for bloating. Still, Taylor knew something wasn't right, so she pushed for more tests and the doctor agreed to an X-ray and CT scan.
"After the X-ray, they made me lay in the room for a crazy long time and proceeded to call every person on the floor to look at my scan."
It was clear that something was wrong.
"I just lay there silently crying… the man in there held my hand and said, 'You're going to be okay. You're going to get through this. I can't say anything more.' And I was like, 'What do you mean?!'"
Finally, she was told, "You need to go to the doctor immediately."
At her appointment, the doctor said there was fluid in her lungs. When Taylor asked about her stomach, the doctor walked to the other side of the room, looked at the floor and mumbled, "You have ovarian cancer."
Treatment and a rough road to recovery
Once at the hospital, six litres of dark fluid was drained from Taylor's lungs, helping her breathe.
She also had a 22cm tumour that required removal in major abdominal surgery.
"It was really bad… I laid on my side for so long, and I couldn't roll to my back because it felt like I had been stabbed in my stomach," Taylor remembers.
Unfortunately, the stage 3 ovarian cancer had spread, and Taylor endured four rounds of chemotherapy, leaving her exhausted and weak.
To make light of a stressful situation, Taylor (who's star sign happens to be cancer), shared her diagnosis on Instagram, captioned, "Well, I guess I believe in star signs now," with pictures of scans and a series of light-hearted photos.
Luckily, overwhelming support from friends and family gave her strength and hope during this vulnerable moment. It wasn't long before Taylor rang the bell to mark the end of chemo and threw a 'hat party' to celebrate.
But that wasn't the end.
Over the next 18 months, Taylor would need two surgeries to remove more cancer.
Giving back and finding purpose through volunteering
While recovering, Taylor saw an opening for a Cancer Council NSW volunteer role. Feeling a deep desire to help, she started volunteering with Australia's Biggest Morning Tea.
After all she'd been through, volunteering gave her a sense of purpose. "I enjoyed it and stayed for the rest of the year helping with lots of different events," says Taylor.
Taylor still has regular scans and blood tests and is gradually rebuilding her strength.
She is a passionate advocate for awareness, and early diagnosis and wants all young people to know: if something feels off, say something and ask the questions.
Learn more about ovarian cancer, what support is available for young people with cancer, and how to volunteer with Cancer Council NSW.
If you, or someone you know is living with cancer, call us on 13 11 20 for free, confidential support.
