How to Navigate a Cancer Diagnosis

What to do if you (or a loved one) gets hit with the dreaded "C" word.

When Kate Middleton publicly announced her cancer diagnosis last month, I had an unexpectedly emotional reaction to her news. While I enjoy a sane amount of royal-watching (and, fine, I was first in line to read Spare when it came out), I am not particularly invested in the day-to-day lives of members of the British monarchy. So, when Princess Catherine bravely addressed the world and revealed that she had been diagnosed with an unnamed cancer and was beginning treatment, I felt weirdly connected to her, especially as a fellow “mum” with little kids. She described her diagnosis as a “huge shock”, as it almost always is. My eyes filling with tears, I wished I could reach through the screen and hug her.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had this reaction to someone revealing a cancer diagnosis. It happens nearly every time I get an email, DM or comment from anyone who has heard my story and now, unfortunately, has their own battle to fight. I know the fear, the confusion, the disbelief and the overwhelm. I know the isolation and the shame, and the dread in trying to figure out how to share the news.