Christina Applegate has bravely faced her battle with breast cancer and gone public with it. But at first she was very private about her diagnosis. Sharing with only a few members of her inner circle the truth of her double mastectomy.

“I told my make-up and hair people and people that are really close to me …,” she explains. “I had a protection wall [on set], so that no one was pushing me.”

The 36 year old star of ‘Samantha Who?’ will be on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ today. Applegate and DeGeneres recently bonded at the ‘Stand Up to Cancer’ fund raiser. An amazing event that also featured other cancer survivors and suffers like Patrick Swayze and super stars like Jennifer Aniston.

“[I'm feeling] so much better than the last time I saw you,” she tells the talk show host. “I was really … afraid of people hugging me. People are really huggy at those things.”

“I apologize,” DeGeneres says. “I hugged you.”

But these days, Applegate insists, “I’m good. I’ll grab ya.”

It is good to see Christina looking so healthy and happy. Breast cancer does not need to be a death sentence any more. Christina is living proof. She is one very strong woman and we are all happy for her.

[People]