Kate Middleton shares cancer update, to make first public appearance since diagnosis

Hope, gratitude and a resolve to heal faster: Princess of Wales Kate Middleton’s latest Instagram note is a testimony to her battle with cancer. In March this year, the British royal broke the news about her fight against cancer. She has been receiving preventive chemotherapy, and has been away from the public eye. In the new post, Kate Middleton has shared a moving health update, as well as announced her first public appearance since the cancer diagnosis.

Owing to the challenging nature of the treatment, the Princess adds that not all days are the same, but she is coping fine. The mother of three will be making a public appearance at the official birthday parade of King Charles III, revealed the post that was shared with the public via Prince and Princess of Wales, the official social media account of Kensington Palace.

Kate Middleton shares cancer update

Kate Middleton’s Instagram note is the first health update that she has shared since March when she revealed in a video that she was suffering from cancer and had started chemotherapy.

In her Instagram note, the Princess of Wales thanks her family as well as the public for encouraging her and standing by her side during this tough time. She writes, “I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.”

Kate Middleton on chemotherapy: There are good days and bad days

Tiredness, hair loss, infections and loss of appetite are just some of the known side effects of chemotherapy, a common radiation therapy used to treat cancer. Kate writes that no two days are the same, and she takes each day as it comes. “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 writes.

Check out the full post here!

Kate Middleton on cancer recovery: Not out of the woods yet

On her stronger days, she makes sure to do things that give her happiness and has even resumed working. She writes, “My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.”

She is all set to make her public appearance today and also informs her followers that she hopes to be a part of many more public events over the summer. “I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet,” she writes. Kate would be attending Trooping the Colour, the King’s birthday parade, alongside her husband as well as children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. She was last seen publicly on Christmas last year.

The Princess of Wales concludes her note by sharing her battle with the uncertainty that the disease brings with it. “I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal. Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me,” she says.

What is preventive chemotherapy?

The Princess of Wales had informed the public that she had been receiving preventive chemotherapy in March this year, following an abdominal surgery. Adjuvant therapy or preventive chemotherapy is used to kill any microscopic cancer cells that remain in the body, after surgery. It is also to destroy any cells that have spread to the other parts of the body. A study, published in Frontiers in Oncology, suggests that Adjuvant therapy removes minimal residue and has the potential to increase the survival rate of the individual.

Adjuvant therapy is also used in cases when healthcare providers cannot see any cancer cells in the body. Since these cells are microscopic, it is more of a preventive measure to ensure that the cancer does not return. It reduces the risk of the cancer coming back. The various therapies that are included in this line of treatment include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy. Adjuvant therapy may last a few months or even years, depending on the kind and extent of the cancer you had.