If you hear that someone is diagnosed with cancer, you might jump to the conclusion that they’re going to start undergoing chemotherapy treatments. It’s also possible that they may have radiation and/or surgery. While that is true for many people who get cancer, it is not true for everyone.

Seven years ago, supermodel Elle Macpherson was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her doctor recommended chemotherapy and radiation, but she ultimately decided against his suggestion. And yes, 7 years later, cancer hasn’t got the best of her.

Macpherson revealed her cancer diagnosis for the first time in an exclusive interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly. She also revealed the diagnosis in her new book, titled “Elle.”

The title  of the chapter in her book where she describes her cancer journey is called “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.” It was Friday the 13th, and Macpherson received a call from her doctor with the results of the lumpectomy she’d had. She was diagnosed with HER2 positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma. Her doctor recommended chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, a mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

Instead of simply following her doctor’s suggestion, Macpherson did more research. She told The Weekly, “It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in 
so many ways.” She added, “And it really gave me an opportunity to dig deep in my inner sense to find a solution that worked for me…I realised 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.”

Macpherson ended up meeting with 32 different doctors before deciding on the approach she would take. She ultimately said “no” to chemo and chose a holistic approach instead.

In her book, she explained, “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.” She added, “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.”

Macpherson explained that her sons, who were 19 and 14 at the time of her diagnosis, “were extremely supportive in their different ways but I knew they felt very scared.” Her ex, and the father of her children, Arki Busson, was also supportive even though “he didn’t agree with what I was doing.”

Macpherson’s treatment involved living in Phoenix, Arizona, for eight months under the care of her primary doctor and several specialists. She rented a house there where she lived alone “focusing and devoting every single minute to healing myself.”

Today, the model is doing great. She explained, “In traditional terms, they’d say I’m in clinical remission, but I would say I’m in utter wellness. And I am!”

Watch the video below to learn more about Macpherson’s breast cancer battle.