Surviving Stage 4 Cancer: Sandy Duarte’s Journey of Strength, Healing, and Creativity

There are moments in life that redefine us, that strip us down to our core and force us to find strength we never knew existed. For Sandy Duarte, being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer was one of those moments. Alone in Los Angeles, far from her family in Canada, she faced the unimaginable. But rather than allowing cancer to silence her, she chose to write.

During chemotherapy, she penned Cancer Ramblings, a raw, heartfelt reflection of her journey - one that captures both the devastation and the resilience that comes with facing mortality. Featuring powerful words of support from RapARTivist, Public Enemy's Chuck D on the back cover, Cancer Ramblings is a testament to resilience and strength.

Now cancer-free, Sandy is sharing her story with the world, hoping to inspire others navigating their own battles - whether with illness, loss, or life's unpredictable challenges. Her journey is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, light can be found in the act of creating, expressing, and embracing the present moment.

Being separated from your family during such a challenging time must have been incredibly difficult. How did you find strength while navigating this journey alone in LA?

Sandy: The entire experience was a true test of mental grit. I made it through with the power of meditation, visualization, prayer, faith, and writing. Without mental grit, it's, in my opinion, nearly impossible to come out of something like this - or at least come out with a sense of emotional and mental well-being. The body can endure so much, but the mind is the tricky muscle that must be tamed, especially when you're faced with the darkness that the cancer cave tries to pull you into.

My daily rituals of meditation, prayer, gratitude, and writing became my lifeline, my rafts through the dark, choppy seas. When I wrote, it felt like I was reaching for the light, seeking something beyond myself to help guide me. I needed to see that light in my heart and mind to keep the dark at bay. Writing is powerful. I never planned or intended to write, but one day, it simply begged to begin. In a relaxed, non-judgmental way, I allowed myself to just "be" and release everything that was pouring out of me from this new experience.

It helped me find warmth in the aloneness that cancer often brings. It allowed me to connect, to feel connected, and to be less alone. Prayer and the daily practice of gratitude also helped me see beyond the lack, to recognize the abundance in my life - even with the cancer cave surrounding me. I couldn't have made it through without these things. Also, fortunately, my sister visited me several times from Canada, from her breaks from work, and those times have stayed with me as very special times from beginning to end. It wasn't the quantity of time, but the beauty of the quality of time that we had together.

What were some of the toughest moments you faced during your treatment, and how did you push through them?

Sandy: Some of the toughest times I faced, which I call "the in-betweens" in my book, were those moments spent rebuilding my body and mind between each round of chemotherapy. I had six rounds of chemo, each followed by five days and nights in the hospital with nonstop treatment, then two weeks at home to regain my strength and health - almost like a fighter preparing for their next match. The challenge was seeing my body grow weaker, knowing I had to prepare for the next round of higher-dosed chemotherapy. Watching my body sustain itself while slowly fighting to live was both humbling and agonizing.

The toughest part was the rebuild. Those in-between moments, when I had to find my way again at home and create some structure or ritual, were the hardest. It's the emotional and mental yo-yo of back-and-forth that made the experience so taxing. This is why I truly believe that mental grit and the things you do to sustain a strong heart and faith are the #1 key to maintaining some semblance of sanity through the madness.

The rebuild forces you to trust yourself again, to trust life, and to trust the unknown. This whole experience was a dance with change, a dance with the unknown - two things we, as humans, don't exactly embrace on a typical day.

And then, there's chemo-mouth. It wasn't just cancer; it was chemo-mouth, which would always hit me about a week into my recovery. It progressively got worse as I approached the last round of chemotherapy. It was truly terrible - one of the most underrated adversaries in the whole process. Everyone's cancer experience is different, with its own pains, but for me, chemo-mouth was something else. It required you to walk through the fire and let it pass. There was no way around it.

There were many tough moments, but I wanted to highlight the recurring, relentless ones - the ones that didn't just come and go, but came, went, and came again - like a crazy yo-yo.

Writing a book while undergoing chemotherapy is an incredible feat. What inspired you to start writing Cancer Ramblings?

Sandy: Thank you for asking. The story is quite simple. I never intended to write a book or journal about my cancer experience - I thought, Who needs another cancer story? There are already so many books out there. But one day, as I was walking the hospital halls with my chemo-friend on wheels, I started getting these inspirations and downloads for book titles. I literally found myself talking to myself, saying "no" to this one and that one, and even questioning, What is going on? A book? No.

Then, Cancer Ramblings dropped into my heart and mind, and just like that, the book was born. The informality of the title allowed me to let go of judgment, to just ramble whatever my heart and mind needed, and to be free. It gave me the permission I needed, and the door was flung open.

From that moment, writing became a necessity, a form of therapy, a calling, and something I had to do in order to get myself out of the darkness of cancer.

How did the process of writing help you cope with your illness and bring you healing?

Sandy: Maybe I answered this one already - sorry to repeat, but the process allowed me to get out of the head into the heart space of faith and light. It helped me to digest the emotions and the things I never felt or experienced before. It helped me to process. It helped me stay sane in the insanity of cancer. In the absurdity of cancer and life together. I also wrote with a deep sense of need to connect and hopefully help anyone out there going through it too, to use my experience to help others feel more loved and lighter helped me carry on with some more ease in this disease. To find purpose through pain when your whole life is put on hold, your work, your rituals, your social, your everything, this was my purpose, and we all need purpose. So the simple process of unapologetically writing without judgement or fear created the peace and relief I needed to understand me and at the same time be okay with not being okay or knowing everything.

You included meaningful words from Chuck D in your book. How has his influence and support impacted you during this journey?

Sandy: Chuck D is a dear friend and a true inspiration. He is a human deeply tapped into the creative light of this planet. Art, music, expressions, especially by such creative giants, can make all the difference in a cancer journey (and life!). It helps shift your focus away from the obvious and into the realm of the dreaming mind. I'm incredibly grateful for friends like him - those whose art and presence empower and inspire. His music definitely uplifted those dreary hospital walls and empowered me!

How has this experience changed the way you view life and resilience?

Sandy: I am forever changed since dancing with my cancer-friend in our temporary romance. Cancer has given me a grander perspective, a macro look into this life, where small human foibles, and life's areas of nonsense don't matter anymore. Where the heart and mind has such an urgency for life, that there is no time to step in puddles when you want to drown in the ocean's touch. Things become more macro, your sense of self love becomes deeper, and nothing matters when it comes to your peace. Cancer is (was) in its way a meditative majesty in my life, and for that, I bow and say thank you.

Many people fear the unknown when it comes to illness and adversity. What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with a difficult diagnosis or life challenge?

Sandy: Great question. Cancer or not, the fear of the unknown resides in all of us. Yet, the unknown, the change, the shifting, is the only constant. Allowing life to unfold without grasping or forcing actually opens up much more tranquility than holding on tightly. My big piece of advice is to stay in the simple, in the slow, in the daily rhythms through illness and adversity. Before you know it, life embraces you and shifts to the next phase. Nothing is forever, not even pain, illness, or challenges. The storm passes. It really does.

Then, you can embrace the beauty of the next season, knowing you made it through the stormy one. Sit with the discomfort - it's the only way through. I experienced many moments of daunting aloneness and uncertainty - wondering what comes after. The best thing is to allow yourself to feel it all and trust that all will pass. Trust this moment now. Enjoy this moment now. It truly is the only thing we have. Easier said than done, I know.

I don't know if any of this makes sense, but it takes a strong surrender into the now, the storm, trusting the sun is on the other side. I write about this in my book, offering tools like love chants and writing to the light. Simple tools to help you embrace the challenge, see it fully, and transform it - without fear, but with gratitude. The power of gratitude is knowing that we can live, even through this.

Now that your book is available worldwide, what do you hope readers take away from your story?

Sandy: I hope readers will take away the poetry of pain and the power to find purpose through it. To find some light in the cancer-cave of darkness. To feel held, to feel loved, to feel less alone and empowered. A piece of my heart to you. May you rise out of this storm, and may the sun shine on you again.

How do you plan to continue sharing your message of hope and resilience beyond the book?

Sandy: I am excited to bring my message to hospitals, schools, and organizations, and to continue sharing my story with amazing people like you who offer a platform to do so. I've become more active in sharing this personal journey through social media channels like Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook, and I look forward to collaborating with others who want to share my wellness modalities and voice with their communities. It's a magical time of love, purpose, service, and embracing all the arts that life has to offer.

If you could go back and speak to yourself on the day you were diagnosed, what would you say?

Sandy: I would say: woman, you got this. Your life is going to bring you such joy, and this experience is going to be your greatest pleasure as it will deepen you to the other side of yourself, the side you wouldn't have met if it weren't for she - Miss C.

Follow online:

TikTok: @cancer.ramblings

Instagram: @sandy__duarte

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-duarte-98761011/