Leah Bracknell, who played Zoe Tate in Emmerdale from 1989 until 2006, has been living with incurable lung cancer since discovering her illness three years ago.
The former soap star has spoken openly about her battle with terminal lung cancer via her blog, Something Beginning With C.
And in her latest post, titled Take Me Back To Normal, Leah said she wants her “life back”, amid a series of knock-backs.
She began the post: “I am fed up of being fed up. And I’d like a break please.”
The former soap star said she mostly has a positive attitude but also has days where she feels “sorry” for herself.
She wrote: “I know that I have a great deal about which to be grateful.
“But that little part of me that is feeling sorry for myself just wants to be seen and heard.
“She wants to jump up and down shouting ‘It’s not fair’, ‘I want my life back’, ‘I want to feel normal again’.”
Leah added: “Will I have the luxury of even being here later in the year?”
The star explained she recently had a trip to the A&E after enjoying herself on holiday with her husband.
“Life took a little turn off course,” she said. “And rather than being allowed to return home, I was admitted immediately via A and E to a ward where I was treated for an infection, (I had been hacking away in France but thought that I’d shake it off no problem, just like the good old days) and slightly more seriously to prevent sepsis, for which I was borderline.”
After being discharged, Leah revealed she was readmitted days later and in the following days went on to hurt her back, plus was in hospital more recently for a high temperature.
In her last blog post, Leah explained she suffered a fall and was “forced to slow down”.
She wrote “I tripped over some washing (I know, ridiculous, and painful!) and have been forced to slow down, to stop, confined to the static safety of the sofa out of harm’s way for a few weeks.”
Attempting to find the positives in the situation, Leah revealed she is planning on releasing a book.
“Good in the sense that I have no alternative but to get on with writing my book,” she divulged. “But oh the yearning for the sweet nourishment of my heart and soul.”
Leah added: “No matter, the memory and promise of nature’s caress inspire me daily, she is going nowhere. And neither am I.”
The former Emmerdale actress uploaded the link to her blog on her Instagram page alongside a snap of herself posing in front of a monolith.
One of her 1,140 followers praised the star’s photo and wrote: “Beautiful picture.”
Another said: “You look so tiny against that monolith!”