Elle Macpherson is going into detail about her breast cancer journey for the first time. Discussing her new book, Elle, the 60-year-old Australian supermodel opened up in an interview about how her life changed after her diagnosis and the steps she took throughout to deal with the cancer. Elle received a diagnosis seven years ago in 2017 following a lumpectomy for a growth that needed to be removed. Now, currently in remission from the disease, she's reflecting on her journey.
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Elle opened up to Australian Women's Weekly.
“It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in so many ways,” she told Australian 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. So, 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 decided to take a natural approach.
The supermodel made the big decision to not undergo chemotherapy and instead take “an intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach” to treat her breast cancer. With the help of her primary doctor, who specializes in integrative medicine, she used therapies and lifestyle changes to battle the disease.
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The supermodel realizes the decision was the right one for her.
“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," Elle writes in her book. “I chose an 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."
Of course, many people didn't agree with Elle.
“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," she continued in the book. "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.”
Her sons and former partner were supportive.
The supermodel got mixed reactions from her sons Flynn and Cy, who were 19 and 14 at the time, along with their dad, Arki Busson. Cy thought chemo "was a kiss of death" and Flynn "wasn’t comfortable with my choice at all." Arki was also "really supportive" even though he didn't agree with what she was doing.
Elle says the three of them surrounded her with support, but she knows they were scared.
Elle is now in clinical remission.
As of now, the supermodel is doing great. “In traditional terms, they’d say I’m in clinical remission, but I would say I’m in utter wellness. And I am!” she told the magazine. “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.”
