"Can you stop driving?" my doctor asked when he called. I was on my way home after walking my dog at the neighborhood park. Conversations that start like this with a doctor rarely end well, and mine was no exception. "Rita, the nodule on your breast is cancer." I had just undergone a biopsy four days earlier and was not expecting this at all. As a health-conscious person with no family history of cancer, the news was completely unexpected.I went straight home and told my husband, who was just as shocked as I was. My next call was to my mom in Rio de Janeiro, my hometown. Her reaction was similar, but she immediately took action: "I'm coming to be with you." Everything moved quickly. The very next day, I was consulting with an oncologist, who explained that my case was aggressive and possibly stage 3. Further tests later revised this to stage 2A, but it remained aggressive, requiring me to start chemotherapy within a month.Fast forward through six months of chemotherapy, a six-hour surgery, a month of radiation, and twelve months of immunotherapy, and I emerged from this "experience" not only cancer-free but also mentally and emotionally stronger. My hair grew back, along with a renewed desire to follow my heart and passions—things I had neglected, which, in my view, contributed to the onset of cancer.For some, cancer or any serious illness can stop the story of their life. For me, it added new chapters, filled with growth and resolve. What’s my next chapter? To live fully!