I don't say I'm dying of cancer.. I say I'm living with it

Apr 20 2008 By Lesley Roberts

Carol Tyre Has Fought Cancer In Each Breast, Had Double Mastectomy Surgery, Been Through Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy And Discovered Tumours In Her Brain And Lungs...but She Is Determined To Live Life To The Full For Her Young Sons And Make Her Debut On The Catwalk

MUM-OF-TWO Carol Tyre looks a picture of health as she plays with her boys on the beach.

The 41-year-old has fought primary cancers in each breast, had double mastectomy surgery, been through chemotherapy, radiotherapy and discovered secondary tumours in her brain and lungs.

But as she chases Alastair, seven, and five-year-old Andrew along the shore, no one could ever guess at the trauma she has been through.

Now pharmacist Carol wants to prove to the world you can battle against even the bleakest outlook.

She is this year's first applicant for Breast Cancer Care Scotland's incredible fundraising fashion show and will do everything in her power to get up on the catwalk in front of her sons and husband Scott, 44.

She said: "I'm here today because I set myself goals and I fight like hell to meet them. I'm a great believer in mind over matter.

"The fashion show is my goal for this year. It's in September so that's what I'm focusing on at the moment.

"It would be the most amazing thing. I'd love to look out and see the boys and Scott cheering me on.

"I know I'm not curable now but I keep on fighting to achieve things and I do believe that I've got a lot more years ahead of me.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm not dying of cancer, I'm living with cancer."

Every day is a struggle against the disease that has taken such a grip on her body she knows it will never leave.

But Carol has given her life a total overhaul to stay the healthy mum her sons know for as long as she can.

She has given up her job to spend more time at home, taken up yoga and started making her own healthboosting juices.

She consults an Indian faith healer, practises Japanese therapy and takes 17 different supplements every day.

Scott, who runs the family blacksmith business, admits he thinks half the techniques she tries are crazy.

Carol, of Dunoon, Argyll, said with a laugh: "But they seem to work forme and that's all that matters.

"I put so many of my symptoms down to stress that I will do anything to minimise the pressures in my life.

"Breast cancer forces you to put things in perspective. We went on six holidays last year despite my problems and my treatment. My kids have a fantastic life and I want to be around to enjoy things with them."

Carol was first diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, when she was 37.

Her body was returning to its prepregnancy shape after breast-feeding younger son Andrew, then aged one. But as she undressed for bed one night, Carol felt a lump. Five days later, at Inverclyde Royal Hospital in Greenock, specialists confirmed she had a tumour.

She said: "I took it quite well. I thought I could cope as long as I knew what was happening. But I don't think I really knew what it meant.

"Six weeks after my mastectomy, Scott and I hit a wall.Weboth needed answers. I had to be healthy for my two kids.

"So I decided I wanted the other breast off too. It felt like a threat to my life. Doctors talked me out of it by tellingme breast cancer doesn't work that way. It doesn't necessarily come back in the other breast."

A year later Carol's intuition was proved right when she found a lump in her remaining breast.

It turned out to be exactly the same type of cancer - an aggressive grade three tumour but it was unconnected to the first.

No one could explain why it had happened, insisting that to find a second primary cancer in the breast is very rare. Carol went through another mastectomy and more chemotherapy, and the Tyre family started trying to get back to normal.

She said: "We had 16 months where everything was great. We were putting it behind us and moving on."

By April last year, Carol felt well enough to undergo reconstruction surgery, dismissing as nerves the niggling headaches she was having in the days before her op.

But when she failed to come round from the anaesthetic properly, medics realised something was causing pressure on her brain.

She had a 5cmtumour in her head and was rushed off for emergency surgery, while still recovering from the radical reconstruction.

Carol said: "I knew this was a secondary cancer which meant it may have spread to other places. We decided to take the kids to Florida instead of waiting to hear the news."

Specialists eventually discovered small tumours on Carol's lungs, which continue to be controlled with radiation. Her latest tumour was found in her brain just five weeks ago.

It is inoperable but surgeons hope to shrink it with specialised radiation treatment, which will start this week.

Carol said: "I wanted to wait until the kids' Easter holidays were over."

But she is confident she will get through it by concentrating on her latest target - being well enough to model in the Breast Cancer Care Scotland show. She was a guest there in 2004, after her own diagnosis, and was so moved that she vowed to take part herself one day.

She said: "It was the most fantastic day. Elaine C. Smith was the presenter and she was brilliant. All the models were absolutely amazing.

"I had gone with other women who'd been diagnosed and we left that show feeling great about ourselves."

And the last thing Carol wants is anyone feeling sorry for her.

In her local community, few people have seen her looking poorly.

When she faces the world, her skin is clear, her eyes are bright and there is a smile on her face.

Carol simply refuses to appear like a "poor soul" who has been mown down by breast cancer.

She is just Carol, the wife andmum - and budding catwalk model.

She said: "Right now I'm walking a path where I'm going to beat this.

"I'm not naive. I know there's a parallel path which doesn't have a positive outcome and I've made preparations for that, like putting things in a memory box for my boys.

"But that's not the road I'm choosing. I'll fight to stay on this one and I don't want people feeling sorry for me.

"I live in the 'now', for the day I'm in - and that's a lovely place to be."

'I know I'm not curable but I keep fighting to achieve things'

'The fashion show is my goal this year..it would be amazing'

READ BELOW TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE PART OF BREAST CANCER CHARITY SHOW

HERE'S your chance to take to the catwalk for the Breast Cancer Care Scotland fashion show.

We've teamed up with the leading charity to launch a nationwide search for two truly 'super' models - one female and one male - to represent the Sunday Mail at the event.

They will join 18 other people with breast cancer to strut their stuff at the glittering show in aid of Breast Cancer Care Scotland.

You don't have to be the next Claudia Schiffer or Brad Pitt. We want to hear from anyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer - recently or in the past - and would relish the chance to show you can still look and feel great.

The charity's Colin Graham said: "This is a fabulous event which gets better each year.

Last year we raised an incredible £144,000 and this year we're aiming for £160,000.

"This provides invaluable support to our services in Scotland and we're so grateful to everyone who joins in, particularly our models."

There will be two shows on Thursday, September 25, at Glasgow's Radisson SAS Hotel - one at lunchtime and one at night - both in front of audiences full of VIPs and celebrities, friends, families and supporters.

Sponsored by National Tyres & Autocare and the Sunday Mail, the Breast Cancer Care Scotland fashion show is the most inspirational event in the social calendar.

The Sunday Mail has proudly sponsored this incredible event since 2004. This will be our fifth show and we are confident our readers can help make it the best yet.

Tickets go on sale in June and we will bring you more details on how to buy them.

But if you would like some A-list pampering as a model for the day, get your application in by April 30.

Or call 0141 221 2244 and ask for a form to be mailed out to you.

Write to Breast Cancer Care Scotland, 2nd Floor, 40 St Enoch Square, Glasgow G1 4DH.

l.roberts@sundaymail.co.uk