The one lesson I’ve learned from life: Strictly star Anastacia on why illness doesn't have to define you
Anastacia, 48, is a singer/songwriter who has sold over 50 million records worldwide. She has twice been diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently partnering Brendan Cole on Strictly Come Dancing. Single, she lives in Los Angeles.
Illness doesn’t have to define you
I think it’s fair to say that I’ve had more than my share of illness. At 13, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s, a disease that attacks the bowel. I had to have part of my intestine removed, which left me with a large scar across my stomach.
Anastacia, 48, pictured above, says: 'I think it’s fair to say that I’ve had more than my share of illness'
That was tough on a teenager for whom a single spot seemed like the end of the world. But the way I came to deal with it was to regard it as a badge of honour.
Then, out of the blue at 34, I discovered I had cancer in my left breast. I was so shocked. No one in my family has had cancer, although I now know around 70 per cent of all cancers are non-hereditary.
Ironically, it was discovered when I’d gone into hospital for a breast reduction. So that turned out to be a blessing because there had been no signs that anything was wrong. It’s how I turned a negative situation positive: I told myself how lucky I’d been to catch it so early.
On that occasion, I had a lumpectomy and about as much radiation as a human body can take. That seemed to have done the trick but then four years ago, when I went for my regular mammogram, they found a lump in my right breast.
I was told by my doctor that I could have the same procedure I’d had ten years earlier. But I made up my mind to ask for something more radical — an elective double mastectomy — to deal with the problem, I hoped, once and for all.
That was a difficult time, not least because it felt like I was losing part of my femininity. But hardships are what shape a person and I was determined to remain as strong as I could.
The operation involved taking a muscle from my back to use as part of the breast reconstruction. It took a year to recover and even now there are certain moves I can’t make when I’m dancing on Strictly because of the impact it has on my back — as anyone who’s watched me will know!
But I’m loving it. It’s part of my quest to find the inner girl in me that I lost through the mastectomy and to empower other women who are going through the same thing.
For more information about Cancer Research UK's work on beating breast cancer and to make a donation, visit: cruk.org/Anastacia
Interview by Richard Barber
Most watched News videos
- CCTV captures final tragic moments of Mirna Salihin's life
- Mother shaves daughters hair after she 'bullies cancer girl'
- GRAPHIC CONTENT: 'Ghost' rises from body after fatal crash
- Bulls head butt each other then die instantly from brutal blow
- Shocking moment girl gets viciously beaten after starting fight
- Mother releases devastating footage of son's final moments
- Lorry smashes into car leaving driver with severe injuries
- Is this the creepy moment the corpse of a girl OPENS her eyes?
- 'Big fat gypsy wedding' in Romania goes on for FOUR days
- Groom ALREADY tired of marriage life just after 15 minutes
- 'Pascal's a G!' Kim Kardashian speaks well of her bodyguard
- GoPro captures the moment a croc swims amongst swimmers
- Donald's Great Escape: Trump keeps his campaign alive with...
- Today show's Savannah Guthrie tells viewers about Billy...
- 'Bill raped me and Hillary threatened me!' Trump unveils...
- Daughter live streams her parents on a 'heroin binge' after...
- The real winner of the second debate? The internet falls in...
- Matthew's destruction from above: Shocking aerial photos lay...
- Inside Angelina Jolie's new neighborhood that is so...
- Will this be the dirtiest debate ever? Anderson Cooper to...
- 'The biggest racist organization since the klan': Professor...
- Pictured: The group of teenage friends who were all killed...
- Now Wikileaks reveals how Bill Clinton's closest adviser...
- PIERS MORGAN: The night Bill Clinton and his loose zipper...