Linda Evangelista Divulges Secret 'Horrible Health Issues' She's Dealt With
Supermodel Linda Evangelista is a survivor, that's for sure. The 58-year-old recently revealed an intense personal health battle, opening up about both the emotional and physical stress she's faced in the past few years.
In an interview for WSJ. Magazine’s Fall Men’s Style issue, Evangelista shared that she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, but it wasn't the last time.
She recalled, "It was detected in my annual mammogram. The margins were not good, and due to other health factors, without hesitation, because I wanted to put everything behind me and not to have to deal with this, I opted for a bilateral mastectomy. Thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me.”
Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as that for her, as she went on to say that, in July 2022, the breast cancer returned.
After the second diagnosis, Evangelista told her doctor, “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," she proclaimed.
Regarding her strong attitude towards treatment, Evangelista told the publication, “I just went into this mode that I know how to do — just do what you’ve got to do and get through it. And that’s what I did.”
Thankfully, the doctors were able to remove the second bout of cancer, but the 58-year-old shared that there's a high chance that she'll get it again. She said that she got a “horrible Oncotype score,” which is a number that represents the risk of cancer recurrence.
But Evangelista understands this and is happy to be where she is now, taking it one day at a time: “I know I have one foot in the grave, but I’m totally in celebration mode. I’ve come through some horrible health issues. I’m at a place where I’m so happy celebrating my book [Linda Evangelista Photographed by Steven Meisel], my life. I’m so happy to be alive. Anything that comes now is bonus.”
She described herself as a "survivor on standby,” maintaining an optimistic perspective on her future
Not long ago, Evangelista disclosed a different health battle she was facing, as the model underwent a cosmetic surgery that led her to develop Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia (PAH).
In 2022, Evangelista finally opened up about her condition and returned to modeling after years away.
Next: Linda Evangelista Opens Up About Salma Hayek Being a Stepmom to Her Son