A GREENOCK woman who suffered FOUR heart attacks and was diagnosed with diabetes has saved her own life - by losing six stone.

Mum-of-two Charlotte Taylor now no longer needs to even take medication for her type 2 condition after taking control of her own fate.

Charlotte says she was forced to act as her health deteriorated and she was living in fear that she would not live long enough to see her daughters grow older.

Her drastic action came 14 years after she had a double mastectomy to increase her life chances, having discovered she carried the gene which greatly increases the chance of breast cancer.

Charlotte, 49, who wore size 24 clothes just last year, said: "I was devastated when I was told I'd had a heart attack the first time and I was diabetic.

"It felt like the end of the world.

"I have to admit I was in a bad place for a time.

"I was only 46 and in coronary care.

"I was the youngest there, everyone else was an OAP.

"I was taking 16 tablets a day and didn't want to live like that for the rest of my life. I was scared."

Charlotte, who works nightshift at a Premier Inn hotel in Braehead, is married to husband Bobby, 52, and has two daughters Leslieann, 22, and Rachel, 16.

She sustained her first heart attack in 2014.

The mum of two said: "I had a pain in my arm that wouldn't go away and drove myself to A&E. Next minute all hell broke loose. I was in resuscitation and hooked up to machines.

"They told me it was a heart attack and that I was type 2 diabetic."

The Greenock mum, who'll celebrate 25 years married later this year, had taken a major life-saving decision after a separate scare ten years previously.

She decided to have the gene test after her older sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and it emerged she carried it too.

Charlottee added: "I decided to have the double mastectomy."

A decade later she found herself back fearing death after suffering four heart attack, in addition to battling diabetes and coping with all its complications daily.

She said: " I knew I had to do something after going through all that.

"I wanted to be here on my daughters' wedding days."

On Valentine's Day last year Charlotte plucked up the courage to act and went along to Slimming World with her daughter Leslieann by her side.

At that time weighed 18 stone having spent years working anti-social hours and eating all the wrong foods.

She added: "I sat there at the group in a panic. They were all speaking and I thought what am I going to say, 'I'm Charlotte and I am obese'? I just thought, no way, I can't do this."

But week after week Charlotte went along and soon the weight started to fall off.

Now a healthy 12 stone and fitting into size 14 clothes the super slimmer has never felt better.

She said: "I am a different person now.

"I go to keep fit classes on my own - I never went anywhere on my own before, I always needed someone by my side.

"I wouldn't even walk to the shop two minutes down the road.

"I just feel that if I can do it anyone can do it."

Charlotte says the happiest moment in her fightback to good health came when she went for a diabetic checkup.

She said: "They told me my count was fine and I didn't need the medication.

"That was a big moment.

"I am very proud of what I have achieved."

Charlotte goes to Slimming World in Aberfoyle Road every Tuesday and her class organiser is thrilled with the dramatic transformation she has achieved.

Her consultant Carol Quinn said: "When Charlotte reached her six stone target there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

"She looks fabulous.

"Charlotte deserves so much credit for what she achieved."