'I almost died of blood cancer and now I'm living every day like it's my last'
Edinburgh woman marks five years since life-saving stem cell transplant
An Edinburgh woman who was told she had blood cancer as she was rushing into a board meeting is celebrating the anniversary of a stem cell transplant which saved her life.
Jacqui Gale MBE, from Newton Grange, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma after discovering a small lump in her throat during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Initially, she was told it was likely to be swollen glands, but following a biopsy she received a call with news that would change her life.
“I was actually about to go into a board meeting,” Jacqui said.
“I said, ‘I’m really busy, can I call you back?’ And he said ‘No, we have to discuss your results.’
“He said, ‘You’ve got Hodgkin lymphoma.’ And I went, ‘Oh, that’s pretty good. That’s not cancer then.’ And he went, ‘No, that’s blood cancer.’”
Jacqui revealed that she immediately returned to her meeting, compartmentalising the diagnosis before later beginning chemotherapy.
She underwent treatment every two weeks for 18 months, often feeling extremely ill at weekends before returning to work on Mondays.
Keeping her life as normal as possible became a way of coping with the illness and the lack of control that came with it.
She said: “I was determined that I would stay fit, stay positive and keep life as simple and as normal as possible.
“The control that cancer takes away is really awful.”
When chemotherapy failed to fully clear the cancer, Jacqui was faced with two options. She could either continue to wait and see what happens or undergo a stem cell transplant.
She explained that the treatment involved collecting her own stem cells before she was given an intensive course of chemotherapy, designed to destroy the cancer and effectively wipe out her immune system.
The cells would then be returned to her body to help rebuild it.
“It was very dangerous and I was very, very sick,” Jacqui said.
But this week marks five years since the transplant - the success of which means the chances of the cancer returning are significantly lower.
This milestone has reinforced her determination to make the most of her life.
She said: “I say to the kids all the time, ‘live every day as if it’s your last,’ because you just don’t know what is around the corner.”
Her experience has also driven her commitment to cancer research, where she now sits on the board of Business Beats Cancer Edinburgh which raises money for cancer research at the Western General Hospital.
The group is hoping to raise £1 million with every penny going towards research.
On Friday, August 28, Jacqui will join around 300 people for the Seven Hills of Edinburgh challenge to raise funds for the cause.
She will be joined by her husband Clive, friends, family, colleagues and those who have been directly effected by cancer.
Jacqui explained that the seven hills represent the “uphill struggle” faced by people living with cancer, with each hill named after a different type of cancer.
“Everyone wants to keep coming back, and now it’s getting bigger and bigger,” she said.
“I would love for it to be something like the Race for Life, if we could ever get to that level, where anyone can join.”
Having experienced first hand the difference research can make, Jacqui now hopes that her fundraising will help spare others from going through the same journey.
She said: “If I can stop others from, or raise awareness for others to make sure they don't have to go through this, then that’s why I’m here.
“It’s not all about taking. There is a lot more to life and there’s a lot more to give.”