Co-author of Nordie's at Noon, Jana Larsen Peters, passed away on December 9th at the age of 35. She battled breast cancer for eight years.

Jana was a registered nurse who learned about the importance of performing monthly breast self-exams (BSE) during college, where she attended the University of Kansas and was active in the Delta Delta Delta sorority. She later transferred to Washburn University, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.

Jana's breast cancer diagnosis came shortly after she became engaged to be married. At 27 yours old, while in the midst of planning her wedding, she underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Her cancer spread to her bones 18 months later. In October of 1999 Jana founded the Ribbons of Pink Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the mission of promoting breast health and supporting young breast cancer survivors.

Nordie's at Noon shares the personal stories of four young professional women diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30 or younger. Once a month, Patti, Jana, Jennifer, and Kim met at Nordstrom's Cafe for lunch. It was their special place to laugh, cry, support, and educate each other -- and celebrate the journey of life after a cancer diagnosis.

Nordie's at Noon encourages women to be proactive with their health, and to realize that no one is too young for breast cancer.

During the month of October, Sears Portrait Studio is celebrating the beauty and strength of breast cancer survivors. Sears will donate 10 percent of their retail sales of the Picture the Cure products to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer awareness.

Sears is offering a Survivor Package. Breast cancer survivors will receive a FREE 8X10 and won't have to pay the session fee. Other products offered are the breast cancer awareness photo bracelets and the supporter package that includes a portrait CD.

So lets go get those beautiful bald heads captured on film!

"It's said that chemotherapy is like skiing in front of an avalanche. You do one thing wrong, and the avalanche is going to get you." -- Harvey Rushfeldt

Using the principles he learned in Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, helped Harvey Rushfeldt, 72, diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last October, create a strategy for successfully living through the often grueling ordeal of chemotherapy. Rushfeldt sees both cancer and alcoholism as mortal threats and he approached his cancer treatments with the same 12 step attitude and perspectives alcoholics adopt on the one-day-at-a-time road to recovery.

Karen Neuburger, Chief Lifestyle Officer of KN Ltd., has been on a lifelong quest for comfort, and as a result, brought comfort into the lives of many women. According to the profile of Neuburger, she shed the corporate dress code of her fashion career, shred her pantyhose, tossed her pumps, and created her comfort lifestyle brand. In 1994, at age 40, she became a stay-at-home mom and introduced her first pair of all-day pajamas. Oh, if you are a mother, you have to appreciate her sense of comfort and admire her marketing creativity in making it acceptable to wear pajamas during the day. If you are a woman diagnosed with breast cancer, going through chemotherapy or experiencing chemo-induced or chemoprevention hormone therapy menopause, you are going to love this woman for what she has designed.

Hot flash PJs, a line of sleepwear inspired by the sweat-wicking properties of modern athletic clothing, is one of the lines of clothing offered by The Karen Neuburger company. Made with a cotton/poly blend to keep women cool and dry at night, the 2 and 3-piece pajama sets, gowns, and short sets in pretty floral prints, plaids, stripes and solids are available in missy and plus sizes. To learn more about this line of clothing, go to KN Cool.