Anna Bligh appears bald in Australian Womens Weekly as she opens up about her cancer battle ANNA Bligh was like any other guest at a high powered luncheon, holding her own alongside TV stars, business leaders and socialites. But, despite her casual appearance, Bligh was personally celebrating a milestone, having beaten cancer and her brave appearance showing off her bald head in the latest issue of Australian Women's Weekly. "I don't want anyone to think, "Oh, she's been so brave,"" the former Queensland premier tells the magazine, in stores Thursday, of her battle with Non-hodgkin's lymphoma. I had to find a lot of resilience, but so does everyone. At the time of my diagnosis, I was 52 years old. I felt like I was in the prime of my life. So it was absolutely terrifying and there were lots of tears and I found it very hard to talk about it. I wouldn't want anyoneto think I shrugged it off and thought, okay, no problem, I'll beat this. Bligh was a guest of honour at the Women's Weekly 80th birthday lunch at Apollo in Potts Point, mingling with the likes of Governor-general Quintin Bryce, Samantha Armytage, Lisa Wilkinson, Leigh Sales and Kerri-Anne Kennerley. She wore black pants, a crisp white jacket and a wig with her trademark short brown hair. Bligh shaved her head during chemotherapy before she went bald from the treatment, making a moment of it by inviting friends and family and sharing a bottle of champagne. Anna Bligh says she was going for a Sinead OConnor or Ellen Ripley look post-chemotherapy. Pic: Australian Womens Weekly (out Thursday) She left the salon "feeling like an egghead. but feeling very loved. There's something weirdly wonderful about a cancer diagnosis that seems to bring out the best in everyone. AWW editor in chief Helen McCabe said she was impressed by the way Bligh had dealt with her battle with cancer. "She was extraordinary, incredibly cheerful and upbeat and very pleased to be there," McCabe said. Anna Bligh has opened up to the Australian Womens Weekly, laying bare her fears and courage as she battles cancer. ``I've just been through a very gruelling experience with chemotherapy and I guess I just wanted to be honest about what that was like,"" she told Nine News. ``It was a big decision to be part of it and a very difficult decision for me."" ``Having lived with cancer now I know a little bit about what it's like and I just say to anybody - if you've got anything you're worried about, any lump or bump, go get it checked out,"" she said. A before shot from the Australian Womens Weekly feature, out on Thursday.