Embracing Gratitude After Breast Cancer
- Two-time breast cancer survivor Linda Evangelista, 60 is celebrating Christmas by praising her resilient Elf on the Shelf duo, which returned this year and continues to inspire good behavior at home.
- Evangelista was first diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2018, prompting her to undergo a double mastectomy. She later had breast cancer recurrence in her pectoral muscle in July 2022.
- Gratitude means being thankful for what you have and showing appreciation for it. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, several studies have indicated that learning to live with gratitude can lead to more happiness and less stress.
- One way to exercise gratitude is to take time to think about things you appreciate every day. One way to exercise gratitude in your life is to write down those things in a journal.
In the days leading up to Christmas, mom-of-one Evangelista took to social media to announce that her Elf on the Shelf, a popular Christmas tradition and toy, and its Carolina Panthers-inspired companion have come back for the Christmas season.
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After noting how these adorable elves were strong enough to survive an “attack by Mini Moon,” her French bulldog who passed away four years ago, she went on to say, “I’m very grateful to them for all the good behavior they have brought to our home.
“Wishing everyone the happiest and healthiest holidays. We believe.”
Evangelista, who has family connections to professional hockey and has been spotted at NHL games, seems to have had this Elf since December 2014, when she shared a photo of Santa’s little helping sitting in a wreath.
“Thank you for 3 weeks of the best behavior,” she captioned the post, which was shared when her son, Augustin James Evangelista, was 8 years old.
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Two years later, she posted another photo of Clitter in a glass jar, writing, “Merry Christmas and thank you again Clitter for 3 weeks of the best behavior.”
Evangelista’s son is now 19 years old, and she celebrating his recent birthday with a trip to Africa.
Sharing a carousel of photos from their recent vacation, she wrote, “Today, as I celebrate Augie’s 19th birthday, I thought I would share a trip we did this past summer that had always been top of my bucket list… to visit Kenya with him. Trip of a lifetime.
“Sharing with him these places I will continue to support, that are dear to my heart, was such a joy. It was a profound and emotional voyage. We lived in the moment and captured these images on our iPhones.”
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Evangelista’s Breast Cancer Journey
Linda Evangelista previously opened up about her breast cancer recurrence and how she was diagnosed with the disease twice when she was featured in The Wall Street Journal Magazine’s 2023 Fall Men’s Style issue.
Evangelista, hailed by Vogue as “the fashion world’s ultimate hair chameleon,” revealed that she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2018.
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“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,” she told the news outlet. “Thinking I was good and set for life. Breast cancer was not going to kill me.”
However, in July 2022, the iconic model discovered a lump on her breast and sought immediate medical advice. She ultimately underwent an MRI scan and needed a biopsy done. It revealed she had cancer in her pectoral muscle.
Following the second diagnosis, Evangelista recounted telling her oncologist, “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.
“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.”
Her oncologist recently disclosed that her prognosis is good, prompting Evangelista to ask, “Why isn’t it great?”—to which he replied, “Well, once it’s come back, there’s a chance.”
Noting that she has a “horrible Oncotype [a test that measures the risk of cancer returning] score” and insists on living life to the fullest, she said, “I know I have one foot in the grave, but I’m totally in celebration mode.”
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Referring to her breast cancer diagnosis, she said, “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 would share this one day, but while I was going through it, I absolutely did not. I don’t want the Daily Mail waiting outside my door like they do every time something happens. ‘Linda seen for the first time since blah blah blah.’”
Tips On Reducing Chance of Breast Cancer Recurrence
As triumphant as breast cancer survivors can feel after learning they are “cancer-free,” many worry about recurrence, meaning the cancer has returned.
While the chance of recurrence varies based on the biology of the tumor, the stage it was when diagnosed, and the treatment received, according to the Susan G. Komen organization, “Most people diagnosed with breast cancer will never have a recurrence.”
Dr. Erica Mayer, a breast cancer medical oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, previously told SurvivorNet, “Once a patient has finished his or her active therapy for breast cancer, we will often refer to that time as breast cancer survivorship.
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“This is a time when patients are still being actively monitored by their treatment team, not only to ensure that they remain healthy and cancer-free in the years ahead, but also to make sure that they have recovered from any side effects of their initial treatment, and that they are pursuing healthy behaviors for example, getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and keeping up with all their other routine medical care.”
But recurrence happens, so it’s important to do everything possible to reduce your risk.
Here are some tips:
1. Follow Treatment Guidelines
“The best way to reduce your risk of recurrence with breast cancer is to follow treatment guidelines and complete the course of treatment that’s given,” says Dr. Port, who sat down with SurvivorNet and offered the following advice.
For example, she says many women have breast cancer that’s hormonally driven, and there are treatments that they give, such as pills like Tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, to reduce the risk of these hormonally-driven cancers coming back. The issue is that the course of treatment may call for patients to take the pills for 5-10 years. While some have no side effects, others may experience a host of unpleasant side effects, even to the point where they’re severely debilitated and have no quality of life on these medications.
“So the challenge is to work with every individual person to make sure we give her the best chance of getting through these treatments and enjoying the benefits of these treatments, which is the lowest rate of cancer coming back,” Port says.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight may also reduce the risk.
“We know that obesity or being overweight can increase the risk of cancer recurrence in breast cancer,” Port says. “And so I say, maintaining a healthy body weight, whatever that is for the individual… You know, we talk a lot about healthy body weight, and there’s a very big range of this, but there are certain numbers beyond which it does affect one’s health. So we try to keep people within a range of a healthy body weight.”
3. Limit Alcohol
Port says the other lifestyle factor that may increase one’s risk of breast cancer recurrence is heavy alcohol intake.
“We say alcohol in moderation is probably fine, which is defined as three to five drinks a week,” Port told SurvivorNet. “More than that can also potentially increase the risk of recurrence. So the big lifestyle factors are healthy body weight and moderate alcohol intake.”
4. Eat a Healthy Diet
She says there’s no one dietary element that can give you an edge against breast cancer recurrence. It’s not eating more broccoli, eating more blueberries, or becoming a vegetarian. She says the fact that sugar feeds cancer is a big myth, too. However, everything you eat does contribute to your overall health.
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“These things are all really helpful in maintaining an overall healthy, well-balanced diet and a healthy body weight. We know that diets that are heavy in sugar content are also usually unhealthy and can lead to weight issues. So it all really funnels back to maintaining a healthy body weight when it comes to lifestyle factors.”
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The Power of Gratitude: How Cancer Survivors Find Strength in Appreciation
Many cancer survivors who’ve shared their journeys with SurvivorNet speak not only of resilience, but of gratitude. In the face of life-altering diagnoses and grueling treatments, they consistently point to the people, moments, and simple joys that bring light into their lives.
Defined as the practice of recognizing and appreciating what we have, gratitude can be a powerful mindset for those navigating the uncertainty of cancer. Experts interviewed by SurvivorNet encourage both patients and their loved ones to embrace gratitude as a tool for emotional well-being and mental strength.
WATCH: Finding gratitude and its impact on your well-being.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, has seen firsthand how this mindset can transform the treatment experience.
“The patients who do well with cancer live life with gratitude—not for the disease itself, but for the clarity it brings,” he explains.
“They’re grateful for the opportunity to understand that life is finite, and that every moment matters.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, multiple studies show that cultivating gratitude can lead to increased happiness and reduced stress—two critical factors in supporting mental health during treatment.
Practicing gratitude doesn’t require grand gestures. It can be as simple as pausing each day to reflect on what brings you joy or jotting down a few things you’re thankful for in a journal. These small acts can help reframe even the most difficult days, offering a sense of control, hope, and emotional grounding.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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