Stripping down to her intimates and on the cover of magazines in swimsuits, supermodel Elle Macpherson has been called "The Body" for much of her illustrious career.
However, the Australian beauty has not shared all of herself with the public. She has been keeping her breast cancer diagnosis a secret for the last seven years.
Ahead of the release of her book, "Elle," in November, Macpherson is shedding light on her battle and why, after seeking the advice of 32 doctors and experts, she chose to fight the cancer her own way.
"It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in so many ways," the 60-year-old told Women's Weekly of her diagnosis. "And it really gave me an opportunity to dig deep in my inner sense to find a solution that worked for me… I realized I was going to need my own truth, my belief system to support me through it. And that’s what I did."
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Macpherson's doctor reccommended a mastectomy with chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy. The doctor also suggested the model have reconstructive surgery on her breasts, but after weeks of consideration, Macpherson decided "an intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach" was the best way to fight her cancer.
"It was a wonderful exercise in being true to myself, trusting myself and trusting the nature of my body and the course of action that I had chosen," she shared.
Macpherson used integrative medicine, focusing on alternative therapies and changes to her lifestyle, confining herself to a home in Arizona for eight months under her doctor - who specializes in naturopathy - supervision. She also saw an osteopath, chiropractor, holistic dentist and two therapists.
In an excerpt from her book, Macpherson detailed how her immediate family reacted to her pursuing a non-pharmaceutical route.
The model shares sons Arpad "Flynn" Alexander Busson and Aurelius "Cy" Andrea Busson with ex-partner André "Arki" Arpad Busson. At the time of her diagnosis, her children were 19 and 14, respectively.
"Cy simply thought that chemo kills you. And so he never wanted me to do it because he thought that was a kiss of death. Flynn, being more conventional, wasn’t comfortable with my choice at all. He is my son, though, and would support me through anything and love me through my choices, even if he didn’t agree with them. My children were extremely supportive in their different ways, but I knew they felt very scared."
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"Arki was really supportive … He didn’t agree with what I was doing … Yet he wrote to me to tell me how proud he was of the courage I was showing. Of course, he was scared because I’d decided not to take a conventional pharmaceutical route. He considered that extreme. I, on the other hand, felt the chemo and surgery route was extreme."
However, Macpherson acknowledged that her treatment plan is unique.
"I came to the understanding that there was no sure thing and absolutely no guarantees. There was no ‘right’ way, just the right way for me," she wrote in her book. "I chose 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 sense would have been even harder.
"Sometimes an authentic choice from the heart makes no sense to others … but it doesn’t have to. People thought I was crazy, but I knew I had to make a choice that truly resonated with me. To me, that meant addressing emotional as well as 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 removed from her initial diagnosis, Macpherson said she is now doing well.
"In traditional terms, they’d say I’m in clinical remission, but I would say I’m in utter wellness. And I am!" she revealed.
"Truly, from every perspective, every blood test, every scan, every imaging test … but also emotionally, spiritually and mentally – not only physically. It’s not only what your blood tests say, it’s how and why you are living your life on all levels."
