A former Key 103 presenter who suffered tiredness and cramps thought it was due to her busy lifestyle - before doctors discovered she had incurable bowel cancer.
Michelle Mullane, who also worked as a host on XFM in Manchester, was told she would have six months to live without treatment when she was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in June last year.
The mum, who lives in Alderly Edge, said: “I never in a million years thought I’d have cancer – it was the furthest thing from my mind. Looking back now, I’d been feeling unusually tired and experiencing some cramping for a few months, but I put that down to living a busy life.
“Then one night I was throwing up for hours and experiencing the most excruciating pain in my stomach. The pain was worse than anything I’d ever experienced, even worse than childbirth.
“It got to midnight and I called an ambulance. I couldn’t stand up and to be honest I would have gone to hospital naked, I was beyond caring at that point.”
The 50-year-old was rushed to Macclesfield Hospital, where doctors discovered a life-threatening obstruction on her bowel.
The businesswoman and broadcaster said: “The room filled up with people and that’s when the doctors told me I had incurable bowel cancer.
That moment changed my life. They said I’d have six months to live without treatment.”
Her 23-year-old daughter Liv, who was in the hospital room, 'physically shook' and fell to the floor.
"The outlook seemed very bleak and neither of us could believe what was happening. Here I was in a hospital bed with a tube down my nose being pumped with painkillers – it was totally surreal,” Michelle said.
She had a stent fitted to push the tumour to one side and began chemotherapy at The Christie in Withington.
She still goes there for treatment to this day.
“Here I am a year on from being diagnosed and feeling extremely grateful. When you have cancer your only priority is to stay alive and it’s thanks to treatment that my disease is being managed and I am still here today", she said.
“My daughter thinks that sometimes I forget I’m on chemotherapy, but whilst the drugs are busy controlling the tumour, I intend to get on with life and live it to the full. Having a bit of energy is just the best feeling in the world.”
Michelle appears as a regular guest on BBC Radio Manchester.
She is also currently studying for a PhD in Sports Psychology while juggling her media work.
She said: “Science has benefitted me so much and I want other people who get a diagnosis know that there is often hope to be found in these situations.
“Along with the challenges that come with a chronic illness, I also have good days that I really cherish. And one of the sides effects of the chemo is that I’ve developed a taste for red wine, which was unexpected.”
Michelle has a blog, ‘SK9 Cheshire’, in which she documents her cancer battle.
She said: “My blog has already helped others get checked out and saved them from what I have, which makes me enormously happy. You’re never too young to get bowel cancer, so listen to your gut and get checked out if you notice any unusual changes.”
Michelle is supporting a campaign by Cancer Research UK to get donations to help get life-saving work back on track.
The charity has lost out on money this year as many fundraising events have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Research projects have also been put on pause due to the crisis.
Anna Taylor, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman for the North West, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Michelle for her fantastic support. Thanks to research she is enjoying precious time with her family and friends.
“However, COVID-19 has put so much of our research on pause, leaving Cancer Research UK facing a crisis where every day and every pound counts.
“With over 40,000 people diagnosed with cancer each year in the North West, we will never stop striving to create better treatments. But we can’t do it alone.
“Whether they donate, sign up to Race for Life at Home or shop at our stores - with the help of people in the North West, we believe that together we will still beat cancer.”
