Tracey Emin shared a powerful topless snap showing her stoma bag as she marked her 62nd birthday over the weekend after extensive bladder cancer surgery.
The artist marked the milestone by sharing the empowering picture as she cleaned a pool said she wanted to celebrate 'being alive'.
Tracey found she had a tumour in her bladder in June 2020 and was suffering with very aggressive squamous cell cancer, which surgeons feared would kill her in months if it spread to her lymph nodes.
Tracey then announced in 2021 that she was cancer free.
She penned alongside her birthday post: 'It's been five years since my life changing surgery to beat a very bad nasty uncontrollable cancer,' she wrote.
'Against all the odds, I beat it. I fought it with all my heart and soul because I wanted to live. I would have hated to die then. So much more I want and need to do.'
Tracey Emin shared a powerful topless snap showing her stoma bag as she marked her 62nd birthday over the weekend after extensive bladder cancer surgery.
The artist marked the milestone by sharing the empowering picture as she cleaned a pool said she wanted to celebrate 'being alive'.
Emin continued: 'My love for art and my home town of Margate has in the last few years had a chance to shine through.
'I love everything I'm doing here and how the town is such a brilliant, creative, pumping art house. I love that I've been sober for five years. I never want to be drunk again.
'I love being a Dame. I love my cats, Teacup and Pancake, and I love my friends. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such good people. Really, I’ve never had it so good.'
She concluded: 'Thank you everyone for all your love and support, especially over the last five years when I truly needed to feel loved and wanted.'
She underwent a series of major operations in 2020 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer during lockdown.
Medics removed her bladder, urethra, lymph nodes and parts of her intestine and vagina to prevent the tumour from spreading.
She was fitted with a stoma pouch, an opening on the abdomen, to allow urine to be diverted out of the body and disposed of via a urostomy bag.
Tracey has been frank about adapting to life post-surgery and often shares candid updates about her health on social media.
Tracey found she had a tumour in her bladder in June 2020 and was suffering with very aggressive squamous cell cancer, which surgeons feared would kill her in months if it spread to her lymph nodes.
Tracey then announced in 2021 that she was cancer free and would continue to use her stoma bag.
In an old Instagram post, she wrote: 'This is my stoma. Most people have never seen one. It's something I'm supposed to hide forever.'
She added: 'It's part of my intestine attached to the outside of my body. Without it being there and functioning correctly, I will die.'
'[It's] live flesh. Fragile and delicate. Surrounded by scar tissue and swollen puffy fatty flesh.
'I have almost total muscle wastage in my core abdomen, stomach. My body will never be the same.
'To be honest I find wearing the bag quite depressing. Nothing cool about carrying a bag of p* around with you.
'But it’s life.. my life now. Many disabilities can not be seen. But I thought I’d show you mine.'
Tracey has been frank about adapting to life post-surgery and often shares candid updates about her health on social media.