Supermodel Elle Macpherson has explained why she opted for holistic treatment instead of chemotherapy when she was diagnosed with cancer, despite her family's reservations.
The 60-year-old Australian supermodel revealed her diagnosis in a new interview with Women's Weekly, which shares insights from her new book Elle.
It was revealed that Macpherson has kept her health issues secret for seven years, since she underwent a lumpectomy and learned she had HER2 positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma.
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“It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in so many ways,” Macpherson told Women's Weekly.
In response to the diagnosis, Macpherson's doctor recommended she undergo a mastectomy with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and reconstruction of her breast.
Each procedure was intended to help treat Macpherson, but rather than immediately agreeing to the doctor's advice, she took the opportunity to 'dig deep in [her] inner sense to find a solution' which worked for her.
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Over the course of a few weeks, the supermodel sought advice from 32 different doctors and experts. Finally, she came to a decision on how to approach the diagnosis: she did not want chemotherapy.
Instead, she opted for what she described as 'an intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach', though still under the guidance of her primary doctor.
Macpherson explained: "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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"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.”
Her chosen approach uses a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes, which are intended to treat and heal the patient.
Her decision didn't come without controversy though, as Macpherson admitted some of her family members had reservations.
Referring to one of her children, Flynn, she explained in her book: "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.
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"My children were extremely supportive in their different ways but I knew they felt very scared."
Macpherson also said her children's father and her former partner, Arki Busson, was 'scared' that she didn't take a 'conventional pharmaceutical route'.
She said of his reaction to her refusal of chemo: "He considered that extreme. I, on the other hand, felt the chemo and surgery route was extreme.”
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Macpherson admitted that going against her doctor's recommendations and 'saying no to standard medical solutions' was the 'hardest thing [she's] ever done'.
However, she added: "Saying no to my own inner sense would have been even harder."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Emily Brown