Supermodel Elle Macpherson stripped down to her underwear and appeared on magazine covers in swimsuits, and was known as “The Body” for most of her illustrious career.
However, the Australian beauty has not shared everything about herself with the public. She has kept her breast cancer diagnosis secret for the past seven years.
Ahead of the release of her book Elle in November, Macpherson opens up about her battle and explains why, after seeking advice from 32 doctors and experts, she decided to fight cancer her own way.
“It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was disheartening in many ways,” the 60-year-old told Women’s Weekly about her diagnosis. “And it really gave me the opportunity to dig deep within myself to find a solution that would work for me… I realized that I would need my own truth, my belief system, to support me through this. And that’s what I did.”
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Macpherson’s doctor recommended a mastectomy with chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy. The doctor also suggested the model undergo breast reconstructive surgery, but after weeks of deliberation, Macpherson decided that “an intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach” was the best way to fight her cancer.
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“It was a wonderful exercise in staying true to myself, trusting myself and trusting the nature of my body and the approach I had chosen,” she said.
Macpherson used integrative medicine, focusing on alternative therapies and lifestyle changes. She lived in a house in Arizona for eight months under the supervision of her doctor, who specializes in naturopathy. She also visited an osteopath, a chiropractor, a holistic dentist and two therapists.
In an excerpt from her book, Macpherson detailed how her immediate family reacted to her taking a non-pharmaceutical path.
The model has sons Arpad “Flynn” Alexander Busson and Aurelius “Cy” Andrea Busson with her ex-partner André “Arki” Arpad Busson. At the time of her diagnosis, her children were 19 and 14 years old, respectively.
“Cy just felt that chemotherapy was fatal. That’s why he never wanted me to do it because he thought it would be a death blow. Flynn, who is more conventional, was not at all happy with my decision. But he is my son and would support me in everything and love me for my decisions even if he didn’t agree with them. My children were very supportive in their own way, but I knew they were very scared.”
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“Arki really supported me… He didn’t agree with what I was doing… But he still wrote to me saying how proud he was of my courage. Of course he was scared because I had decided against the conventional pharmaceutical route. He thought that was extreme. I, on the other hand, thought the route with chemotherapy and surgery was extreme.”
However, Macpherson acknowledged that her treatment plan was unique.
“I came to understand that there was no sure thing and absolutely no guarantees. There was no ‘right’ way, only the right way for me,” she wrote in her book. “I decided to take a holistic approach. Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But saying no to my own inner feeling would have been even harder.”
“Sometimes a genuine decision from the heart doesn’t make sense to others… but it doesn’t have to. People thought I was crazy, but I knew I had to make a decision that was truly resonant with me. For me, that meant dealing with both the emotional and physical factors associated with breast cancer. It was time for deep, inner reflection. And that took courage.”
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More than half a decade after her initial diagnosis, she is now doing well, Macpherson said.
“Traditionally you would say I’m in clinical remission, but I would say I’m perfectly healthy. And I am!” she revealed.
“Really, from every perspective, every blood test, every scan, every imaging test… but also emotionally, spiritually and mentally – not just physically. It’s not just about what your blood tests say, it’s about how and why you live your life on every level.”
Source of the original article: Elle Macpherson ignored her doctor’s advice after being diagnosed with breast cancer: “People thought I was crazy”
