Tracey Emin reveals cancer battle “changed everything for me”
Artist Tracey Emin has spoken further on her recent cancer battle and health scares, explaining how such events in her life have completely changed her perspective.
In 2020, Emin was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer, but is now firmly on the mend and is in remission. While it has been a lengthy tumultuous journey, and Emin has been forced to make seismic changes to her lifestyle, her love of creating art remains as potent as ever.
In an interview with The Guardian, Emin revealed the extent to which her body has suffered and the shocking amount of surgery she has had to undergo. “I’ve had my urethra removed, a full hysterectomy, lymph nodes, part of my bowel, bladder, urinary tract and half my vagina removed,” the artist said.
According to Emin, the surgery took “seven and a half hours”, with her surgeon telling her, “It doesn’t get much bigger than that!” Still, Emin possesses a kind of defiance against her health problems, noting, “Whatever. It’s cool! I got through it.”
Revealing how her health issues redefined her view on the world, Emin continued, “For someone like me who spends a hell of a lot of time thinking about the past and hoping for the future, I do spend more time now than I ever have in the present. And it does actually make you happy.”
While the cancer battle made the artist stare her mortality in the face, it also made Emin realise the positive side of life. “It took a massive bout of near-death cancer to make me realise how good time is now,” she admitted. “The present. Cancer changed everything for me.”
Emin has now given up smoking and drinking, which she in hindsight wishes she might have given up many years ago. “When you think you’ve got six months to live, you really don’t want to have a hangover or forget what happened the night before,” she admitted. “You need every single moment.”
Late last year, Emin revealed that she had fallen ill in Thailand following surgery complications. “My small intestine nearly exploded,” the artist wrote on Instagram. “Luckily for me, I was in Thailand on my way back from Australia, so I spent a few days in a very good hospital and now recovering in luxury.”
As she has made a recovery following serious surgery issues and cancer, Emin has a completely new lease on life. “It’s not just like I’m a better person because I don’t drink. It’s not as boring as that. Every bit of me feels better. It’s like being born again,” she said. “Like having a second chance. And I haven’t fucked up yet.”
