Kate Middleton reveals ‘rollercoaster’ cancer journey amid 'hard times' with new normal after treatment

LONDON, ENGLAND: Kate Middleton opened up about her difficult road to recovery following her cancer diagnosis, calling the journey a “rollercoaster” while visiting Colchester Hospital on July 2.

The Princess of Wales spent time in the hospital’s well-being garden, which offers a calming space for patients, visitors, and staff. 

Kate Middleton reveals 'life-changing' cancer journey 

While speaking to staff, volunteers, and patients at the hospital’s Cancer Wellbeing Centre, Middleton addressed the emotional toll cancer takes, in reference to her own experience. 

“It is a life-changing experience both for the individual patient but also for the families as well and actually it sometimes goes unrecognized, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time, you don’t appreciate how much impact it is going to have,” said Middleton during the group discussion.

She also revealed the often overlooked challenges of the period after medical intervention ends.

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal,' but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult," the Princess of Wales said, People reported.

Kate Middleton reveals difficulty in getting back to normal routines after cancer treatment

Middleton pointed out that patients often feel lost once they are no longer under direct medical care, even though they haven’t returned to their normal routines at home.

"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," Middleton said.

"And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable," she added.

She also praised the Cancer Wellbeing Centre’s “holistic” support for patients and families, which includes counseling and dietary guidance. 

Kate Middleton compares healing to a ‘zig-zag’ and says support networks are ‘so valuable’

Middleton, who revealed in March last year that she was undergoing “preventative chemotherapy” following a cancer diagnosis, confirmed in January that she is now in remission.

“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,” said the Princess of Wales. “You have to find your new normal and that takes time," she said. 

She also highlighted how the recovery process is far from linear, adding, “Someone described the sort of healing, recovery journey to me as being like a sort of zig-zag."

She continued, “It’s a rollercoaster, it’s not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be, but the reality is it’s not, you go through hard times and to have a place like this, to have the support network, whether it's through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be, is so valuable and it’s great that this community has it. It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support.”