The Princess of Wales made her first public speech about her cancer treatment on Wednesday while speaking to patients and volunteers at Colchester Hospital in England

Also during her visit, Kate took a moment to serve in the hospital’s Royal Horticultural Society Wellbeing Garden, which offers respite to patients, visitors and others. Kate planted several Catherine’s Rose plants in the garden, a rose the hospital named after the princess.

Kate described the cancer diagnosis and treatment as "life-changing" for both patients and their loved ones. "You have to find your new normal and that takes time … And it's a roller coaster. It's not smooth, like you expect it to be," she said, according to the outlet. "But the reality is you go through hard times."