Linda Nolan reveals her family’s support has kept her positive after ‘incurable’ cancer diagnosis

Linda Nolan was recently diagnosed with "incurable" secondary cancer

Coleen Nolan revealed last week that her elder sister Linda Nolan devastatingly has "incurable" secondary cancer.

The Loose Women panellist revealed she was taking time off to spend time with Linda, who opened up about the diagnosis at the weekend, telling the Daily Mirror that: "I am really scared. I don't want to die. All my little nieces and nephews, my step-children and step-grandchildren, they are my life now because I never had children."

Linda appeared on Loose Women with her sister Coleen earlier today, explaining that her family were getting her through the difficult time.

Loose Women panellist Coleen was the one to break the news of Linda's diagnosis on the show last week, and explained that this was the reason she had not been on the show as often - refuting rumours that she was taking time off to focus on her marriage and escape social media trolls.

The sisters, who were broadcasting live from Blackpool, discussed with the Loose Women how it had brought them all together.

Coleen said: "We've had such good fun, had such a laugh, watching old family movies... It's a long time since all the sisters have been together."

Linda, who previously fought off breast cancer ten years ago, described how her family's support had been of the utmost importance to her: "I couldn't do it without their support. I think that's why myself and Bernie, God bless her, and Anne when she was diagnosed, I think that's why we talk about it so much because I can't imagine going through this on your own.

"There will be people sitting at home who – I've had messages already with people saying you're helping me get through my disease as well – the support has been amazing."

But Linda couldn't resist taking a swipe at Coleen: "I couldn't do it without them... Except for my older sister here..."

Coleen took the bait and said: "That's not funny. Right on my nerves."

Linda was referring to her recent facelift, which she revealed to sister Coleen for the first time on Loose Women.

Linda then explained that she's actually grateful she fell and broke her hip: "If I hadn't have fallen it could have laid there dormant, the cells, for maybe six months and then it could have spread.

"At the moment it's just located in my hip, so it was the fall that manifested it and then brought it to their attention."

She then touchingly spoke of her sister, Bernie, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2013: "I think it was Bernie up there giving me a shove."

Younger sister Coleen insisted that humour helped the family to cope with the newest diagnosis in the family: "It has always helped with all of us, humour gets us through everything. Linda's pushing it a little bit now with the whole 'poor me' card, it's becoming a little bit wearing. I've had to travel all the way here!"

Linda jibed: "Spent four hours in makeup and she still looks like this..."

Taking a more serious tone, she went into her next steps: "I had a bone biopsy last week. They've confirmed what we knew really – that it's secondary breast cancer. I'm now waiting until Thursday when all of the rest of the results will be in, which I think will tell me which grade it is, what size, all of that.

"I'm going to have injections into my bones to strengthen them and then have a blast of radiotherapy and then I'll have intravenous drugs to fight the cancer. I don't have to have chemo this time which is a big relief.

"It's very, very daunting - don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely devastated. I was devastated because I feel so bad for my family having to go through it all again. They've been amazing. Everybody."

Tearing up, she added: "I've had thousands of messages and cards from the public and I have to say thank you as it really does help. I'm sorry for crying."

Coleen reassured the audience and Linda herself: "She'll be fine."

Bolstered by Coleen's comfort, Linda continued: "They've told me it's not curable but it is treatable. I can live with it - I'm not going to let it take me. I'm going to live with it, fight it every step of the way. And give it my all.

"I've got so many things I do want to do. They sound like trivial things don't they? I've never flown First Class – I'd love to do that."

Coleen joked: "Oh she's looking for a freebie everyone – any airlines? She needs her younger sister with her!" to which Linda said: "Shut your gob!"

Linda added that she felt positive for the future: "This diagnosis has made me think I've got the opportunity now to do those things I want to do because I don't know how long I'm going to be here.

"Hopefully my prognosis is good and I could be here for 10, 15 years – and so I've been given the opportunity now to go, 'Actually I want to do that. I want to take my great nieces and nephews to Lapland and see Father Christmas with them.'"

Coleen added: "The positive stuff to come out of any diagnosis is that it puts everything into perspective. We've had well-documented family feuds over the years – all that's forgotten, it's brought us all back together and you just realise that nothing's as important as love and family."

We wish you all the best, Linda ❤️

Have you or a loved one ever been diagnosed with secondary cancer? How did you cope with it? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter.

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