05 September 2023 , 17:11
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Linda Evangelista, one of the world's most accomplished fashion models, opened up about her 2018 breast cancer treatment and diagnosis.
She retold the story of how her annual, routine mammogram is what flagged the cancer. Despite the margins, tissue surrounding the cancer, being 'not good', Linda was determined to ensure that "cancer was not going to kill [her]". She agreed to a bilateral mastectomy (also known as a double mastectomy) where both of her breasts were removed.
Linda explained that she told doctors: "Dig a hole in my chest. I don’t want it to look pretty. I want you to excavate. I want to see a hole in my chest when you’re done. Do you understand me? I’m not dying from this."
Linda kept her cancer diagnosis private (STEVEN MEISEL for WSJ. Magazine.)This was a part of Linda's philosophy to 'do what she had to do' to tackle cancer. She went through the process pretty quietly, not letting the entire world in on what was happening behind-the-scenes. At the time, it was important to her to keep the information to just a 'handful of people'.
She elaborated to Wall Street Journal: "I’ve kept it quiet. Only a handful of people knew. And I’m just not one of those people who has to share everything. I thought to myself, I will share this one day but while I am going through it, absolutely not."
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Moving forward, the prognosis for Linda's health is a bit uncertain. While her doctor informed her that it was 'good', Linda is concerned that it wasn't 'great'. Her post-cancer care oncologist further explained to her that 'there's a chance' it may come back in the future. "I know I have one foot in the grave," Linda added. "But I"m totally in celebration mode."
She was determined not to let the cancer beat her (STEVEN MEISEL for WSJ. Magazine.)Nonetheless, some of her life is headed back to normalcy. Following her chemotherapy, her hair has grown back. This time, it is darker and curlier than ever before. She noted that, just like her grandfather, she had lost the 'hair on top of her head', so now everything that you see is 'new hair'.
Even through her treatment, Linda remained a devoted to her craft. She recalled rude comments online that made fun of her during her appearance in Fendi's 25th anniversary celebration last year. Unbeknownst to those online trolls, there was something much more concerning going on behind the scenes. She laughed: “If they only knew—my [post-surgical] drainage tubes had just been pulled."