‘I don’t want prognosis of have got left cracking on
CITY WOMAN DEFYING ODDS AS SHE FIGHTS HER CANCER
A WOMAN with incurable cancer throughout her body is determined to live her life to the full - and does not want medical opinions on how long she has left.
Michelle Teale, 59, of Thorpe Astley, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2019.
That tumour was removed by surgery in January last year but a scan the following month brought terrifying news - the cancer returned and was all over her body.
She had secondary cancer in areas including her shoulder blades, back, hips and lungs, and had even progressed down to her leg.
Michelle said she was determined to try to live her remaining life to the full and hopes others who find themselves in her position will do the same.
She said: “I don’t want to know my prognosis - I’m just cracking on with life one day at a time.
“If I can inspire one other person to have this outlook that’d be great. Life is for the living.”
Lockdown made 2020 even worse for Michelle, who couldn’t see her mum, Mariam, who lives in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
She finally got to go to visit her on August 1 last year after five months apart and they got to share a hug once again.
Michelle said: “Lockdown affected my mental health really badly. Not seeing my mum for 22 weeks when I was that poorly is a long, long time.
“That was one of the hardest things for me throughout the whole journey.” She said seeing her mum on a phone screen was no substitute for real contact.
She said: “It’s not the same when you need a massive hug and you can’t get it.
“I was emotional before we set off and ended up screaming with joy when I saw her.
“It was such a release to see her again. It was such a weird feeling and incredibly hard to describe. We’ve never gone that long without seeing one another.”
However, Michelle took a turn for the worse at Christmas - it was so bad that doctors told her she only had three days to live, but she managed to defy that prognosis with her mum’s encouragement.
Mariam, who has been widowed twice in the past, said: “She held my hand and said ‘I’m dying.’
“But I’ve already nursed two husbands who sadly died and I told her that wasn’t going to happen.”
Reflecting on everything she had been through, Michelle said: “When I was diagnosed, it made things so different though. I didn’t expect to be diagnosed with cancer.
“I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t think it would be that.
“You start asking yourself ‘why me?’ and feeling guilty, especially for my
husband, Melvin, as I didn’t want him to suffer too.
“Christmas was the worst moment for me. I was told I had three days to live and I didn’t know if I was going to even make it to Christmas itself.
“On December 26 I thought that was it. I told my mum I was dying, I was scared, really scared.”
She is also urging everyone to keep a close eye on their health - particularly those who have had cancer in the past.
She said: “People need to understand that just because your cancer has gone once, doesn’t mean it won’t come back.
“People need to keep an eye on themselves and maintain their bodies. I want women to be fully aware of what can happen after breast cancer.
“If something isn’t right, get checked out.”