In this series, we capture the bravery, strength, honesty, hope and resilience of Albertans living with cancer.
As told to Colleen Seto
Photo by Jared Sych

In spring of 2022, longtime CTV Calgary news anchor Jocelyn Laidlaw discovered an enlarged lymph node in her groin area. After months of monitoring, ultrasounds and testing, there was still no diagnosis, so she advocated to have the lymph node removed. Three days after her surgery in September 2022, pathology confirmed the lymph node was cancerous. Within a week, Laidlaw was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
She underwent six weeks of chemotherapy and 30 consecutive radiation treatments, and currently has no evidence of disease (NED). Laidlaw shares her cancer journey to raise awareness and transform how colorectal cancer is talked about.
“I never for one second suspected that I had cancer. I had GI [gastrointestinal] symptoms for at least a year, maybe two years, prior to finding the lymph node. I had shooting pains up my spine coming from the lower region. But I didn’t tell anybody. I’m telling my story now because I know there are other people out there who would behave in a similar way. And it could cost them their lives.
“I never connected those brief intermittent shooting pains to the discovery of that lymph node or my changes in bowel movements. I dismissed those symptoms. I never mentioned them to my doctor. I didn’t know they were related. But it’s important to note also that I don’t feel I was properly screened for what might have been causing those symptoms. And so, part of my goal in speaking out is to get Albertans to be very clear and honest about their symptoms, even if they don’t think it’s anything. Likely, it’s nothing, but it may be something very serious and you want to catch that as early as possible. Early detection means a better chance at survival and a full recovery.
“I’m NED now, which means that on my scans, they can see no cancer. But I’m mindful of the fact that there are limits to what imaging can see. I’m cautiously optimistic. I live my life in that ’in-between’ place. I never declare myself cancer-free, which is not a negative approach to my cancer. It is simply practical. I celebrate where I’m at, and I understand and accept it with a massive amount of gratitude every single day. But I still live with cancer as my reality.
“Every single aspect of my life is different. And this is going to sound very strange, but many parts of it are much better. The way I approach life is different. I take nothing for granted. I embrace the ridiculously mundane things of life because that’s where the sweet stuff exists — in the everyday things.
“After my treatment was over, I couldn’t figure out why I was despondent and sometimes hysterical. Your mind starts to ask: ’What just happened?’ The mental and emotional challenges often set in later after you’re out of fight-or-flight mode. I encourage everybody to take advantage of oncology psychology supports, which are available to every cancer patient in Alberta. Not everybody will feel they need it, but I promise, you will benefit from it.
“I would urge all Albertans to take their routine screenings seriously. Do the FIT [fecal immunochemical test] at home. It’s easy. And life is too precious to be worried about a bit of embarrassment. Nobody wants to talk about pooping or pain down there. But the truth is, not talking about those things nearly killed me.
“Self-advocacy is a fundamental part of the cancer journey. Now, I read all my reports and ask questions. You’ve got to help lead your care because no one will care more about your survival than you.”