Strength takes many forms.

It’s the muscular, brute force of the athlete competing in the arena.

It’s the sturdiness of hardened steel as it weathers stress, time and the elements.

And it’s the grit and determination of 49-year-old Molly Serna, battling to make the most of every day as she fights cancer.

In October of 2009, Serna, an English teacher at Auburn Mountainview High School, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

“It was just a complete shock,” said Serna, who previously taught at Auburn High School. “I was totally surprised. It’s one of those types of cancer that the symptoms are not real noticeable.”

For Serna, the first inkling that something was wrong came in the form of frequent trips to the bathroom, one of the few noticeable symptoms of ovarian cancer. A trip to the doctor confirmed the worst – stage 3 ovarian cancer.

“Sure enough, that’s what it was. I had two large tumors,” Serna said. “It’s one of those things that you think will always happen to someone else and not you. I was completely shocked.

“This is so strange, but my doctor was so upset when she told me,” Serna said. “I didn’t get it at first. I was so upset for her. I didn’t get what she was trying to tell me. I was so upset I jumped up to try to console her, then I realized what she was trying to tell me.”

After a hysterectomy, which also removed the tumors, and a round of chemotherapy, Serna’s cancer went into remission for 19 months. “That’s pretty good for ovarian cancer,” she said.

Last November, however, it came back.

“I had to do radiation because I had a large tumor in my neck that was interfering with some things,” she said, “so they had to get rid of that right away.”

The radiation therapy, combined with her current round of chemotherapy, forced her to take the year off from teaching.

“The school has been great. They’re so supportive,” Serna said. “A lot of the teachers donated sick days so I could get through the year. That was really nice. And then they’ve had several different fundraisers. I have people keeping in touch with me all the time.

“The whole school is really just a warm community and very supportive of each other, the students and the staff. I really miss not going in there every day.”

Serna said she will continue with her chemotherapy treatment until July. After that, she will determine whether she can return to teaching.

“Hopefully, after that, if I’m in remission, I would like to go back to teaching,” Serna said. “I don’t know if I’ll go back full-time or part-time (teaching), but I want to. My son (Tony) is going to be a senior (at Auburn Mountainview), and I just miss teaching. I miss the sense of community at the school.”

Although realistic about her fight, Serna remains confident in her ability to beat, or at least live with, the disease.

“It’s pretty serious. It’s the deadliest gynecological cancer,” Serna said. “But my doctors are hopeful with my prognosis because I’m pretty young. Mostly older women, in their 60s and 70s get it. The doctors feel that’s a good thing on my side. There are some pretty amazing stories of people who have lived a really long time with it.”

Serna plans on doing a little living this summer, including a trip to San Francisco with Tony and her husband, David, to visit her oldest son, Danny, a Yale student interning in the Bay Area.

“We’re also going to some baseball tournaments and some college scouting trips to California and the East Coast,” she added.

Serna is determined not to let her plight become the only thing in her life.

“The realization that I’m not going to live forever and that I have to deal with this illness all the time gives me a greater appreciation for just the everyday things,” Serna said. “In that sense, it’s kind of positive. I just try to work hard and keep living and not make my life all about cancer. I just try to keep doing things and living a full life that’s not just about the illness.”

“I value friendships more, just seeing people,” she added. “Mostly, I value relationships more. Even a sunny day like this, I can’t take it for granted. I just enjoy it more. And with all the days that I’m sick, I really enjoy the days when I’m well and I’m up doing something.”