The day had finally come; Miriam Maldonado was headed to the appointment that would clear her to go forward with her breast reconstruction. Having already had children, her daughters didn’t understand why she cared so much, but not having a breast had been very difficult for Miriam. She had been diagnosed with Stage III, ductal carcinoma of the left breast in 2015 and had been eagerly waiting to feel “whole” again. But during the appointment, the doctors felt a new lump, this time beneath the right armpit. The reconstruction was put on hold and new tests were ordered. It was spring 2018 and Miriam’s cancer had returned. During her first diagnosis, Miriam didn’t doubt for a minute that she would be ok. Cancer, it would be like any other illness. She just had to get through the treatments. The second diagnosis was harder to grasp and Miriam spent two months in denial and took even more time to share the heavy news with her family. When she was ready to share with her family, it never seemed to be the “right” time. There were school exams, weddings, birthdays and graduations to consider. Miriam didn’t want to put a damper on any of those special moments or distract from her loved one’s goals. Though she found that she was able to hide her pain from her family, coworkers and friends, she knew that she needed to share her diagnosis. When she finally shared, she found that those who faced illnesses prior to hers knew exactly what to do and friends and family were eager to help. Miriam has started a new treatment and has managed to stay hopeful while recommending to others receiving similar news that they need to, “Let go of pride and be humble. Love those around you and let them help you.”