AN inspirational grandma has written a book helping others deal with terminal cancer.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer campaigner Julie Roberts says she refuses to know her life expectancy after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in spring 2009 and told it was terminal on Christmas eve 2010.

The 50-year-old, from Callands, has instead turned her attention to writing the book Don’t Cancel My Newspapers Yet which describes her cancer journey as well as information and help including a funeral planner and bucket list.

The mum-of-one said: “When you’re told the cancer is terminal, you think you’re going to immediately die but then the realisation kicks in that’s it’s not going to happen that day which is where the title of the book came from.

“When I was first told I was walking around Marks and Spencer thinking there was no point buying anything because I would never wear it.

“I took all of my winter clothes to a charity shop thinking I would never need them again.”

Since then Julie, whose husband Steve died of kidney cancer aged 56 in 2006, said she has put her life into perspective and wrote the practical guide to living with terminal cancer.

The psychotherapist added: “I have had permanent chemotherapy to keep my tumours a certain size and have probably exceeded my sell by date but I’m still functioning and delighted for every single day.

“It’s amazing how cancer affects your life and a shame you have to be told you’re going to die to feel like this.

“I was in deepest shock when I was first diagnosed but if I’m told my life expectancy I feel like it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Julie has also been promoting Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s Touch Look Check (TLC) breast awareness message in the town centre to make more women aware of the early signs of cancer after she also lost her mum Doreen to the condition aged 50 in 1993.

Text TLC to 84424 to get Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s free breast awareness guide.