Kate Middleton has been open about her canc3r struggle from her initial diagnosis in March 2024.
The Princess of Wales, 43, began preventative chemotherapy in March of last year, and nine months later announced that her treatment was complete.
Kate also disclosed that she was recovering and gradually returning to royal duties before disclosing that her canc3r was in remission in January of this year during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
She posted on Instagram that it was a “relief to now be in remission,” adding, “I remain focused on recovery.”
And now, the Princess of Wales provided a new update yesterday (2 July), when she visited Colchester Hospital’s wellbeing garden and planted ‘Catherine’s Rose’ to aid c*nc3r rehabilitation.
She opened up about what life’s been like post-treatment and explained: “You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment.
“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to.”
When asked about the time required to recuperate, she remarked that everyone wants you to feel better right away.
Kate went on: “There is this whole phase when you finish your treatment that you, yourself, everybody, expects you, right you’ve finished your time, go, you’re better, and that’s not the case at all.”
In her first comments on her treatment at the time since revealing her diagnosis, she explained how going through chemo means there are ‘bad days’ where your body feels ‘weak’.
The mother-of-three said: “I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days.
“On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
She continued, “I’m learning to be patient, especially when faced with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and giving myself the necessary time to recuperate.”
As Ca**er Research UK points out, there are over 100 different chemotherapy medications available, and each drug might have a particular set of adverse effects.
Some of these symptoms include fatigue, nausea, a painful mouth and throat, a loss of energy, and a compromised immune system.
Chemotherapy k*lls cells that are dividing into two new cells by destroying the genes in the nucleus.
However, the treatment has an impact on healthy bodily tissues where cells are constantly growing and dividing, such as your hair, bone marrow, and skin.
The damage to these cells might result in side effects such as exhaustion, vomiting, and nausea, however it is crucial to note that normal cells can replace or repair the healthy cells that are harmed by chemotherapy, thus the damage to healthy cells is usually temporary.
