When Rachel Coats began experiencing pain in her hip she put it down to overdoing it in spin bike classes.
As an active young woman in her 20s, she could never have imagined that she was suffering from cancer.
But it marked the beginning of her long battle against an incurable illness that would bring her to the brink many times in the years to come.
Over a decade on, the 36-year-old from Broughty Ferry is continuing to fight the disease, while squeezing every last drop of joy out of life.
“Thanks to life-saving treatment I’m still here,” she said.
“And I can’t thank everyone enough for the love and generosity I’ve been shown.
“I’m making the most of my life and in the last ten years I have lived more special moments than I could ever have imagined.”
When was Rachel diagnosed with cancer?
In the summer of 2013 Rachel began to experience pain in her hip and was gaining weight, despite having no appetite.
This soon developed into feeling pain all over her body so she went to see a doctor.
Her GP took some blood tests which came back normal but, as she was still feeling unwell, Rachel was referred to Ninewells.
“I went to hospital for an ultrasound on September 7 but they couldn’t see anything,” she explained.
“So I was admitted on September 10 for further tests.
“A consultant was doing rounds and she asked me if anyone had checked my breasts.
“I said no.
“She felt them and never said anything. But she asked me to get my mum so we could speak to the oncology doctor.
“I didn’t even know what oncology was, but my mum knew what it meant.”
With her mum by her side, Rachel was next sent to the breast cancer unit in the hospital where a biopsy was done there and then.
“The results showed a cancer tumour in my left breast,” Rachel continued.
“This might sound strange but my reaction wasn’t one of sadness.
“I was just glad to know what was wrong.
“I remember my mum getting upset though and that broke my heart.
“What I didn’t realise then, was that this was just the beginning.”
Being told her cancer was incurable
Rachel was sent for more scans including an MRI. And a few days later, on Friday, September 13, it was discovered Rachel had secondary breast cancer as the disease had spread to her right hipbone and spine.
And more devastating news followed.
“I was told that day my cancer was incurable, but treatable,” Rachel said.
“Earlier that week they had thought I might have gallstones.
“So to hear I had incurable cancer, I was completely shocked.
“I wasn’t able to take it all in so the doctors told more to my mum and dad.
“I didn’t feel great at hearing it was incurable.
“But when they said it was treatable, I thought well ok, right, let’s go and start treatment.
“I have always had that attitude towards my cancer.”
The former marketing assistant soon started a week’s worth of radiotherapy treatment.
This was followed by six sessions of chemotherapy which ran from October 2013 to January 2014.
“I was determined to be positive about it, ” Rachel said.
“I just felt there was no other way to be.”
After those initial sessions, Rachel received further chemotherapy treatment, Herceptin, every three weeks and this targeted her particular cancer.
She has continued having the sessions regularly ever since as well as trying other treatments.
Achieving milestones while living with incurable cancer
But it is thanks to those treatments that Rachel has been able to achieve some incredible milestones over the past decade.
This includes doing a fundraising walk along The Great Wall of China for breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel in 2015 and marrying her partner Adam, 32, in a ceremony in Cyprus.
“When I was diagnosed, the founder of Coppafeel, Kris, was the only person around my age who had a similar story to mine,” Rachel said.
“They do a charity trek every year and this one was the Great Wall of China.
“It was an amazing experience and I raised around £7,000 for the charity.”
Tests showed cancer had spread
The following year, in May 2016, Rachel started having headaches and getting pain in her neck.
And it came as a hammerblow when tests showed the cancer had spread to Rachel’s brain.
She had radiotherapy, which unfortunately didn’t work.
And so the following year, in July 2017, she had brain surgery at Ninewells Hospital to remove the tumour at the back of her head.
This took place just two months before she married Adam, in Cyprus in September 2017.
“This one got to me,” Rachel said.
“Not only because it was a tumour which is hard to treat.
“But also because the treatment I am getting to fight the cancer in my body isn’t necessarily getting through to my head.
“The fact that it was so close to my wedding though helped to take my mind off it.
“The wedding gave me something to focus on.
“We were in Cyprus for two weeks and it was amazing.”
Second brain surgery
However, in January 2018, Rachel’s headaches returned.
Tests revealed the tumour in her head had grown back so she had to have brain surgery at Ninewells for a second time.
“I am quite good at knowing my own body so if something doesn’t feel right, I get it checked out.”
Then three years later, in July 2021, Rachel had surgery to remove her left breast at Perth Royal Infirmary.
She explained: “The tumour in that breast was getting bigger and wasn’t responding to treatment the same, so it was decided that I should have a mastectomy.
“The operation went fine, it healed well and six weeks later I did another trek in the Scottish Highlands over five days.
“Again it was a fundraiser for the charity Coppafeel and I raised £2,500 this time.”
Special celebration to mark a milestone
In September last year, Rachel marked a decade of living with cancer by holding a 10th cancerversary party at Forthill Community Sports Club with friends and family.
Rachel, who continues to be supported by her mum Avril, dad Ian and sisters Angela, Jenna and Lauren, said: “The party was a real celebration of life.
“I’m forever living in hope and I’m able to be the way I am thanks to the people who surround me.
“I am always thankful too for the work of Cancer Research UK which is paving the way for new treatments.
“There are a lot of treatments available now which weren’t around 10 years ago.”
Ten years living with cancer
She added: “I haven’t got a bucket list as such but there is a lot I have done and places I have been to that I wouldn’t have gone to otherwise.
“I try and do a lot of city breaks and I love exploring new places and making memories. Japan is definitely one I would like to visit.
“When I was first diagnosed with cancer I remember thinking, just get to your 30th birthday.
“Once I hit that milestone, there was the wedding to look forward to.
“Turning 35 was another milestone for me and now I’m 36 and it’s been ten years living with cancer.
“I realise how lucky I am because not everybody gets that.”
Rachel is supporting Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.
Entries are open now for Race for Life events to raise funds for life-saving research.
These include Race for Life Dundee on Sunday June 16, 2024 and Race for Life Fife on Sunday May 12, 2024.
To enter, visit raceforlife.org
Conversation