A Glasgow estate agent has been diagnosed with cancer for a fourth time, after losing her mum to the devastating disease.
Michelle MacDonald, from Old Kilpatrick, has been battling various kinds of the disease for seven years as well as the tragic loss of two siblings and her parents. Despite her hardships, the 51-year-old has been described as 'full of life' by colleagues who are taking on a fundraising challenge in celebration of her determination.
The mum-of-one was shocked to have been diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer despite going through a mammogram, biopsy, and various scans that all came back clear. The cancer wasn't detected until she underwent an MRI scan in 2015.
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She told Glasgow Live: "I want to get the message out there to people who rely on machinery to give results because if I had relied on the machinery in the hospitals I wouldn't here today.
"I had to get 22 lymph nodes removed as well as a mastectomy in April 2015. The prognosis of the cancer was one of the worst ones, I went through gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy and lost all my hair.
"My dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the same time so we went through our treatment together. I lost my mum to cancer of the rectum as well and four months later my brother took his own life.
"The journey has just been absolutely horrific. I took a couple of years out to get back on my feet and then in 2018 I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, from which I have a permanent stoma, and ovarian cancer."
Following the shock of her initial diagnosis, Michelle was just as stunned to be given the news that she had colorectal cancer as she hadn't experienced any symptoms. After bleeding in what she described as being like a really heavy period, she had been referred to the gynaecologist who discovered she had the disease which starts in the colon or the rectum.
Michelle then had to start treatment all over again but this time it was even more gruelling. She also faced the additional trauma of losing her sister to suicide.
She added: "This chemotherapy was more gruelling than the first because it was every two weeks. I was just starting to feel better when my next round was due.
"I ended up ringing the bell halfway through it because I just couldn't do it. I had to choose, do I live the rest of my life with no quality of life?
"I was in a wheelchair on oxygen, you'd never have recognised me - I was given six to 12 months to live after that because it was just so bad. I was diagnosed with my fourth cancer last month and have had part of my thyroid removed."
Michelle attributes her strength to her close network of friends and family, including her 16-year-old daughter, husband Tony and colleagues at Keys Estate in Dennistoun.
She said: "I have three F's in my life - my faith, I believe the Lord's helped me, my family, and my friends - I couldn't have done it without them."
Michelle's colleagues are planning to take on the Pretty Muddy Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research and to show their appreciation for Michelle and her determination. Kayla Stewart, 21, Gillian Armour, 34, and David Thompson, will be taking on the challenge and have so far raised nearly £500.
Kayla told Glasgow Live: "She's like my work mum, seeing her go through everything has been really hard and we want to do something for her because she does so much for us. We were talking after Michelle was diagnosed with her fourth cancer and we saw the pain she was going through and we just wanted to do something."
Gillian added: "We had originally thought about doing the races and the next one was the Pretty Muddy which I thought would be a bit more fun and a bit more Michelle because she is absolutely full of life. She puts everyone above herself so anything we can do we will because we love her to bits.
"There's never a dull moment with Michelle and looking at her you would never think that she's gone through all she has, not even just cancer. She never lets it define her and she's a miracle."
To donate to the team's fundraiser, click here.
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