There is nothing unusual about a non-profit organization publishing a calendar. There is something very unique about this one. Life is a Carnival is a bold approach to mastectomy and reconstruction education.

This 2008 calendar features photos from FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered members who have undergone bilateral mastectomy -- with or without reconstruction. To retain the anonymity of the models, they are wearing mardi gras masks.

This project is meant to celebrate life after mastectomy, to showcase many types of reconstruction and non reconstruction options in a nonthreatening and positive light. The calendar contains information about the models surgery with references included to the chapters in the Breast Reconstruction Guidebook which explains each procedure. A secondary goal of this calendar is to raise needed funds for FORCE programs.

I'm an organizer, a plan-maker, a woman of many lists. It's all part of my Type A personality -- the one that contributes to a bit of stress but also helps me stay on top of things. I like staying on top of things.

Lists have become more important to me than ever, thanks to cancer and chemo and my forgetful brain. If I want to remember something, I must write it down. If I let just a moment pass without recording the thought I want to keep, it's gone. So I have ongoing grocery lists, household to-do lists, task lists, even lists of questions I want to ask my doctor. Since I see my doctors just once every few months, I keep a running list. Sometimes the list is quite long when I arrive for my appointment. Sometimes I don't have time to cover each topic. Sometimes I transfer questions onto future lists.

It would be nice if I could get all my medical questions answered at each visit. I once read that the typical amount of time a doctor spends with a patient is eight minutes -- so it makes sense I never cross off all my list items. But in the future, I may do better at covering my bases, thanks to this advice I found in the in the July 2007 issue of Good Housekeeping.

Edward Yang, best director winner at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, died Friday at his Beverly Hills home from complications of colon cancer. He had been battling the disease for seven years but kept his condition private. He was 59.

Yang, an American citizen born in Shanghai, first made a career for himself as a computer engineer. On his 30th birthday, he decided to change directions. He became a filmmaker.

Known for his realistic movie portrayals of modern Taiwan, Yang favored stories set in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei. He is responsible for the 1991 film A Brighter Summer Day. First-time actor Chang Chen worked on this film and then went on to star in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Ang Lee kung fu hit.

Nicole Labrecque was only three years old when she lost her battle with hepatoblastoma, a rare liver cancer. That was 16 years ago and for the last six years, Nicole's father Richard has been raising money to help seriously-ill children like his daughter have their special wish come true.

Richard said his daughter died suddenly three days after the family's Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World. Richard Labrecque told reporters, "She spent a beautiful week having fun and for a few days, she was able to forget about the pain of surgeries and chemotherapy. It is priceless to see these kids have fun. Nicole was three years old and we were swept off our feet. I'm dedicated to this organization."

In the past five years, Nicole's walk has raised over $70,000, which has gone to the Vermont Make-A-Wish Foundation. The annual walk, which will be held this year on May 20, 2007 on the Toonerville Trail in Springfield, VT starts at 9:30 a.m. The trail is 6.2 miles.

All participants get a purple T-shirt -- purple was Nicole's favorite color.

Kim Goebel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, at the age of 43. Her sister Kris noticed a lot of moms saying "How am I going to tell my kids?"

Partners for a Cure Foundation was founded by the sisters and they began planning a doll and a book to familiarize children with the physical and emotional effects of cancer treatment. The dolls are soft and lovable but depict the hard truth in a special way so that the kids will be less scared of what is happening with their mom's treatment process.

Call Me Larry, that is his name. This remarkable young racehorse came in first in the sixth race at Aqueduct Raceway. His owner Suzie O'Cain, will donate ten percent of his earnings to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The horse is named after Dr. Larry Norton, Breast Cancer Research Foundation Scientific Director and Chairman of the Medical Advisory board, in a cute story. Suzie felt obligated not to use Dr. Norton's first name when addressing him. However, he kept urging her to 'Call me Larry'!

So the horse was named Call Me Larry in honor of Dr. Norton and to raise funds for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Green peas are bursting with nutrients. They provide very good amounts vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin B1 or thiamine, vitamin A vitamin B6, B3, and B2 and lots if dietary fiber, manganese, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc and potassium. Green peas are that little food that is supercharged with nutritional and can supercharge your health.

Green peas are one of the important foods to include in your diet if you oftentimes feel fatigued and sluggish. That is because they provide nutrients that help support the energy-producing cells and systems of the body. They provide nutrients that are important for maintaining bone health. With its great source for iron green peas build normal blood cell formation and function. Low amounts of iron can result in anemia, fatigue, decreased immune function, and learning problems.

Vicki's Green Pea Salad
2 cups fresh green peas. (You can substitute with a 16 ounce package of frozen green peas. Rinse and thaw them for use in the salad.)
1 cup chopped fresh cauliflower ( make sure pieces are chopped about the same size as the peas.)
1 - 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts (drain and rinse thoroughly and cut into strips)
1 - 8 ounce container sweet grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1/2 onion minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry dill

Whisk together the lemon juice, dill, and mayonnaise.
In large bowl mix all of the vegetables. Pour in the mayo and dill dressing and toss.

Bounty -- the Quilted Quicker Picker-Upper -- is celebrating its 40th birthday and in celebration of this milestone is giving $500,000 to charity.

Bounty's promotion of this charity give-away takes the form of Cards That Count, inspired by three charitable organizations -- the American Cancer Society, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. -- and created with Chandra Wilson of Grey's Anatomy who says she strives to teach her three children about the importance of giving back.

Wilson's children -- and all of us -- can give back by helping Bounty decide how to distribute their $500,000 birthday gift. Just send one of the Cards That Count, and Bounty will allocate donations based on the percentage of e-cards sent in support of each charity. Choose from birthday cards, all-occasion cards, or create your own specialized card -- and cast your vote for the charity of your choice by sending a card that really does count.

Journey to the End of the Earth: 26th annual Dawn of a Dream benefit concert to support Children's Cancer Research Fund will be held on Saturday, November 4, 2006. In 1980 after losing their daughter to leukemia, Diana and Norm Hageboeck and their friends organized the first Dawn of a Dream benefit concert, raising $50,000. Today, Dawn of a Dream is one of the largest gala events in the Twin Cities. This year's event, held at Historic Milwaukee Road Depot, Minneapolis, will feature a few surprises along with the traditional silent and live auctions, dinner and live entertainment by Los Lobos.

Children's Cancer Research Fund is a leading non profit organization committed to funding innovative and progressive research in the fight against childhood cancer.

Camp Mak-A-Dream opened on July 1995 in a beautiful facility in Western Montana. The camp offers cost-free programs for children, teens and young adults with cancer.

The camp was founded by Harry and Sylvia Granader who donated 87 acres of their Western Montana ranch and money to begin the construction of the camp. The camp was created to carry out the mission of providing a medically supervised, cost free Montana experience, in an intimate setting for children, young adults and families affected by cancer.

Activities of the camp include hiking, fishing, arts and crafts, ropes course, carnival and pool parties. For the Teen Camp and the Young Adult Conferences, Camp Mak-A-Dream offers small group discussions, guest speakers, workshops and more.

For more information about Camp Make-A-Dream call 406.549.5987.

There have been many strides over the years when it comes to treating childhood cancer. Many are surviving but some children will still die of their disease.

Parents of dying children have certain issues that are very important to them when going through the end of life process. The quality of care that is delivered at the end of life plays a critical role in the well-being of both child and parents prior to the child's death. It can also influence how the parents cope with their grief after losing their child.

Researchers surveyed 56 parents of children who had died in pediatric intensive care units in the Boston area. One of the most important aspects was that the care included honest and complete information. One woman noted "What we cannot handle is not knowing what is going on".

The parents need ready access to staff, communication and care coordination, emotional expression and support by staff. One parent said "Parents need to feel that people really care, not that it's just a job". Faith also played an important role when the parents said that chaplains and community clergy can be an important resource for parents.

The parents that were in the study were asked if they had any advice for other parents. Parents encouraged other parents to make decisions based on their own values and beliefs and to sustain hope, trust and love.

All Macy's stores nationwide are having a Macy's Shop for a Cause day on September 16th, 2006. If you make a five dollar donation to breastcancer.org then you will receive a 20 percent off discount card for the entire day.

Breastcancer.org is a non profit organization and their mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast cancer, so they can make the best decision for their lives. This year is breastcancer.org's fifth anniversary.

There are more fundraisers coming up in the month of September on the breastcancer.org website. There might be something in your area so check it out!

If I could go back in time, I would not repeat my journey with breast cancer. I would choose a different path -- one free of disease and treatment and the fear that comes with it all. I would choose the route where my children would never hear me say, "mommy has cancer." The route where there would be less worry about dying, less worry about how my kids would do without me, less worry about how all my loose ends would be tied up without me here to tie them. I would choose another direction in a heartbeat. But there are some things I do treasure about my trip down breast cancer lane -- some things I do not wish to give back, even if given the chance to choose a different path. They are the hidden treasures I discovered along the way, in the midst of a harrowing, sometimes horrendous battle. There are many treasures that have come my way -- and I'm sure there are more to come. Here are seven of my valuable finds.

I just received in the mail my Certificate of Completion for St. Jude's  Campaign for a Cure. I have never really known much about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital -- except that I can be brought to tears by the television specials that showcase sick children whose lives depend on the research and treatment that this hospital offers. But I came to know more about St. Jude this year after a friend asked me to make a donation for the Up 'til Dawn program he sponsors on the college campus where he works -- a program that involves more than 150 college campuses nationwide and partners faculty, staff, students, and communities in an extravaganza of activity, education, and fundraising to benefit the children at St. Jude. So I made a donation and then was contacted by St. Jude with an invitation to help them further -- and I did. I sent out 10 pre-written letters to friends and family asking for their support. I was given an attainable fundraising goal. And I met it. So this is why I received my certificate -- and some cheery address labels too.

Fenretinide, a substance found in the synthetic variation of vitamin A, has been shown to protect breast cancer survivors from a recurrence of cancer by 38 percent in younger women, and 17 percent in postmenopausal women. According to researchers, the younger the woman, the greater the protection.

"The magnitude of the protective effect is so marked that there is reason to believe this effect is real and replicable in new clinical studies," said Veronesi, Italy's top oncologist. "The protective effect lasts some 15 years even if the substance is only taken for five years after the tumor is removed." The researchers are hoping to obtain funding for additional clinical trials to continue the research into the cancer prevention benefit of vitamin A in reducing breast cancer risks.

Update: Now that you have read the positive study findings -- read Vitamin A raises breast cancer risks -- for both research opinions about fenretinide.