Sarah Ferguson Says She's 'Taking Time to Myself' amid 'Shock' Skin Cancer Diagnosis

The Duchess of York she said is "feeling blessed" for her family's love and support in an Instagram post Monday

Sarah Ferguson is feeling grateful for the support she is receiving following her skin cancer diagnosis.

On Monday, the Duchess of York, 64, shared a post on Instagram saying she had been "taking some time to myself" following the “shock” diagnosis, which came months after she announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last June.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Sunday, a representative for Fergie said that “Following her diagnosis with an early form of breast cancer this summer, Sarah, Duchess of York has now been diagnosed with malignant melanoma.”

According to the spokesperson, the Duchess had a number of moles removed and analyzed by a dermatologist while she was undergoing reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy, and one of the moles was identified as cancerous.

“It was thanks to the great vigilance of my dermatologist that the melanoma was detected when it was,” Fergie wrote Monday alongside a smiling photo of herself in a mountainous location. “Naturally another cancer diagnosis has been a shock but I’m in good spirits and grateful for the many messages of love and support.”

Related: Sarah Ferguson Is 'Resilient and in Good Spirits' amid Skin Cancer Treatment, Friend Says (Exclusive)

The Duchess then went on to urge her followers to check their own moles, writing, “I believe my experience underlines the importance of checking the size, shape, colour and texture and emergence of new moles that can be a sign of melanoma and urge anyone who is reading this to be diligent.”

She concluded the post, “I am incredibly thankful to the medical teams that have supported me through both of these experiences with cancer and to the MAYRLIFE Clinic for taking gentle care of me in the past weeks, allowing me time for recuperation. I am resting with family at home now, feeling blessed to have their love and support. ❤️‍🩹.”

While Fergie has been receiving treatment for her melanoma in London, she has been recuperating at the MAYRLIFE Clinic in Altaussee, Austria.

Related: Sarah Ferguson Gushes Over Exciting Family News Amid Cancer Diagnosis

“She is undergoing further investigations to ensure that this has been caught in the early stages,” her representative continued. “Clearly, another diagnosis so soon after treatment for breast cancer has been distressing, but the Duchess remains in good spirits.”

Meanwhile, a friend of Fergie told PEOPLE that her time in Austria had “helped her gather her strength, and her family is supporting her.”

In November, the Duchess told PEOPLE just how supportive both her daughters, Princess Beatrice, 35, and Princess Eugenie, 33, had been throughout her breast cancer journey.

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“My two wonderful daughters are my wholehearted cheerleaders, my devoted champions and my soulmates, and they have been as supportive as can be, as they always are,” she said.

Fergie then revealed in a New Year’s Eve message on Instagram that she had “beat breast cancer” amid a year of “ups and downs.”

“I beat breast cancer and now I have got a Derek on my left,” she wrote, referring to her reconstructed left breast, which she named “Derek” following her successful mastectomy.

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