Marie Helvin said shared her feelings towards her ‘life-saving’ mastectomy.
The model, 70, first found a lump on her birthday around her birthday in August.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer swiftly after and needed an urgent mastectomy.
Marie admits her new breast will ‘never be perfect’ but it’s ‘beautiful because it saved my life’.
The supermodel, who was married to famed fashion photographer David Bailey for a decade, said she did not think cancer could happen to her because she kept herself fit and healthy.
‘I had a vision, an idea of myself, I suppose, of how fit and healthy I was. As a model, my body was my instrument and I have always looked after it,’ she said.
How should you check your breasts for lumps or irregularities?
Discussing the importance of being breast aware, Addie Mitchell, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Now, wants women to know there is no right or wrong way to check your breasts.
‘It’s about looking and feeling regularly so any changes can be spotted quickly,’ she said. ‘The sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the more effective treatment may be.
‘Whatever your age, being aware of all the signs and symptoms of breast cancer is crucial – it’s not just a lump to look out for. Other changes could be a nipple becoming inverted or a change in texture of the skin.
‘While most symptoms won’t mean breast cancer, if you notice anything unusual for you get it checked out by your GP.
‘Anyone with questions can call Breast Cancer Now’s nurses free on 0808 800 6000 or visit breastcancernow.org.uk.’
Marie continued to the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I exercise every day, so I guess it made me think that something like this could not happen to me because I didn’t fit the profile.
‘Now I know what a lot of rubbish that is. It’s made me realise that appearances are deceiving.’
The Tokyo-born star added that she should have known better, having been involved with many breast cancer awareness campaigns over the years.
‘You think I would have known better, because I had so much experience in the charity part. But it never actually occurred to me that this could happen to me.’
Delving deeper, she admitted she will sometimes just ‘sit in bed and cry for no reason’ as there is still part of her that ‘can’t believe it happened’ and ‘no one can explain to me why it did.’
The model said her mother’s previous experience with breast cancer helped calm her nerves after discovering she would need a mastectomy.
‘I was determined not to panic. It helped that I had helped nurse my mum through breast cancer in the 1980s, returning to Hawaii for a month to look after her.
‘So I’d seen what it looked like and what she had experienced, but also that she made it through and survived another 25 years. So, of course I was scared, but not as scared as someone who has never witnessed anyone going through that.’
Marie said she ‘made a choice’ to place her faith in ‘the system and myself.’
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
