Famous model Elle Macpherson announced on Monday that she has been living with a breast cancer diagnosis for seven years and has decided not to undergo chemotherapy.

In an interview with Australian Women’s Weekly, the 60-year-old explained why she decided against standard treatment and instead opted for what she called a “more holistic” approach.

“It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was disheartening in many ways,” the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model said of the diagnosis in the interview published Monday. “And it really gave me the opportunity to look deep within myself to find a solution that works for me.”

Macpherson, whose book Elle is coming out soon, said it was difficult for her to take this unconventional path.

“I decided to take a holistic approach. Going against standard medical answers was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But going against my own inner feelings would have been even harder,” she wrote, according to excerpts from the Australian Women’s Weekly.

“Sometimes an authentic decision from the heart doesn’t make sense to others… but it doesn’t have to be that way.”

She acknowledged that this approach is not suitable for everyone.

“People thought I was crazy, but I knew I had to make a decision that really affected me,” Macpherson wrote. “For me, that meant confronting both the emotional and physical factors associated with breast cancer. It was time for deep, inner reflection. And that took courage.”

Macpherson’s two sons, 19-year-old Flynn and 14-year-old Cy, disagreed with their mother’s decision.

“Cy just thought chemo kills you. And that’s why he never wanted me to do it because he thought it would be a death blow,” she wrote. “Flynn, who is more conventional, was not at all happy with my decision. But he is my son and would support me in anything and love me for my decisions even if he didn’t agree with them. My children were very supportive in their own way, but I knew they were very scared.”

Her medical team includes a naturopath, a holistic dentist, an osteopath, a chiropractor and therapists, according to Australian Women’s Weekly.

She is healthy and happy today.

“Traditionally you would say I’m in clinical remission, but I would say I’m perfectly healthy. And I am!” said Macpherson.

“Really, from every perspective, every blood test, every scan, every imaging test… but also emotionally, spiritually and mentally – not just physically. It’s not just about what your blood tests say, it’s about how and why you live your life on every level.”