Somewhere on a dirt road on the Navajo Nation in Arizona, a roadside sign reads In honor of our daughter and our sister. The painted pink-ribbon sign honors Jackie Francke, who says it was one of many ways her family and tribe supported her as she went through treatment for Stage IIA breast cancer in 2009.

Her family, her culture, and the inspiration of strong native women—some breast cancer survivors—reminded Jackie of her own strength. Now, having completed her treatment, these same resources have helped her find peace with her prognosis.

“I went into fight mode for nine months, then all of a sudden everything just stopped,” she says. “It was surreal—eerie—and every now and then I ask myself, Did I really go through all that?” Her mantra—I am a strong, healthy woman—helps keep her mind from returning to that sense of dislocation, but she says it takes work. “I try to keep myself from going down that road of insecurity and uncertainty.”

For many breast cancer survivors, the uncertainty of long-term prognosis can be the hardest part of recovery. When treatment ends, often so does the regular interaction with and supervision of the medical team, leaving many women feeling vulnerable.

To be reminded that you have choices, to be supported in those choices, and to hear how other women have managed their cancer diagnosis can be of tremendous help.