5. Patience. Indeed is a virtue. Any body that goes through this journey needs to arm themselves with plenty of patience, this is a long and difficult road to travel and there will be many days your faith, endurance, courage and fortitude will be tested. Yes, it’s a long journey, but one that will pass.

6. Forgiveness. One self and others. We carry too many burdens, these only brings us down, letting go of these feelings can make us free to growth and become better people. Forgive those around you and specially forgive yourself. This is a liberating felling.

7. Self-evaluation. This journey has giving me the opportunity to examine my life you will have the time to slow down, and think of the dreams that you never followed, how short life is, how we concentrate in the little things and not in what is truly meaningful in our life. We learn to appreciate, enjoy and savor life because suddenly we are reminded how fragile it is. We learn what is really important in life.

8. My mission. What good can come out of my journey? I am convinced that from this journey some good will come, be it that I become a better person, a more patience, forgiving, less demanding one, or that I may go on to educate and help other women in their journey, maybe a will help raise awareness and educate other women, or raise funds for research, perhaps I learn to enjoy life more, worry less about the small stuff and decide to live my life to the fullest.

9. Seek support. This is an essential part of the journey. There are many organizations that help you, educate you and give you support. I took part in some of these groups at the recommendations of my oncologist Dr. Grace Wang, I went to the Wellness Center, which is a fantastic center run by a great staff and where you meet patients, participate in events, classes such as yoga, gentle exercises after surgery, mediation, nutrition, belly dancing, and many interesting and informative conference by doctors and speakers. The best part of these sessions was meting other survivors that have been where you are now and tell you their stories and that they are survivors for many years. There is the American Cancer Society which is incredible in its support.

10. New beginning. The final chapter of my journey which is the beginning of my new life. When you are done with your treatments, surgeries and rejoin work and life. My commitment to live my life with a very different perspective. I also made a list of the 10 things I want to do with my new life. I know that what got me through this was: my deep faith, my wonderful family and friends, my amazing and skillful doctors, a healthy dose of humility, patience, forgiveness, acceptance and hope for a better day tomorrow.