The important thing is to take that first step. Bravely overcoming one small fear gives you the courage to take on the next. -- Daisaku Ikeda

When your diagnosed with cancer you sometimes feel that you don't know how to take that first step. What is the first step? For many it is very different. You might need time to accept what is happening, or you could be the kind of person to jump right into researching your disease, you'll probably need to find a surgeon and an oncologist and maybe even a plastic surgeon. Getting through the first steps can lead to making the rest of the journey easier.

One thing I have learned throughout my cancer experience is that I surprised myself at what I could actually handle. I took a scary step and got my port put in my chest so I could receive chemotherapy. I dreaded the fact that I had to get that port. I felt like such a freak. Even though the port was under my skin completely, it was protruding from my chest and I really felt like a cancer patient at that point.

An Easier Recovery is a company that was founded by Catherine E. McGrath. Catherine created three products that can help make a woman's journey through breast cancer treatment a little bit easier. Being a breast cancer survivor herself and going through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, Catherine saw a need.

One of the products that Catherine designed is called The Jackie. Unlike the Johnnies we are familiar with, The Jackie is specifically designed for women going through the breast cancer treatment and recovery process. It's features include being very warm and cozy, having specially designed pockets for holding the drains and the Velcro buttons on the sleeve gives easy arm access for taking blood pressure or blood samples.

Another great idea is the Been There Bag. This bag is a great gift if you know someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It is filled with things that a woman might need while going through chemotherapy. Some items include special mouth wash, lotions, tee oil and lip balm.

The final of the three items you can find on the website can help you keep your cancer paperwork organized. We all know how much of it can accumulate. Its always a great idea to keep all your information together in one place. Insurance paperwork, disability and Medicare forms, pharmacy and medicine information, doctor reports and also bills and receipts.

I know for sure that dangling drains are painful! I had to come up with my own creative ideas when I was diagnosed. Its nice to see someone addressing these special issues.

I remember going through the prostate cancer scare with my grandfather. Louis is 86 years young and a few years ago he had a high PSA score of 21. I took him to the doctors since I found out that the test's normal range was much lower. The physician recommended a prostate biopsy and gave us some information. My grandfather was 84 years old and he said about 70 percent of men his age will develop prostate cancer. He also said that with such a high PSA score he was almost sure it was prostate cancer. On a positive note, he did say that prostate cancer usually is a slow growing disease and in my grandfather's case he might be able to just take hormonal therapy to control the disease. ( I already had all this information printed out of course!)

We scheduled the biopsy and I picked Lou up the day of the procedure. The nurses had given him a valium to take before the biopsy. I made sure he took it on the way to the doctors office. After about 15 minutes I asked him if he felt anything from the drug. He replied that he felt nothing yet.

We enter the doctors office and he gets called back quickly. I was in the waiting room eating my bagel and reading a magazine when this other couple came in sat across from me. They smiled and the man said some pretty goofy things and was laughing. I realized that maybe HIS valium was working. My grandfather I guess needed a double dose.

My grandfather gets finished and after we walk out the door I tell him how much that guy was laughing in the waiting room. My grandfather replied (not even trying to be funny) "He isn't going to be laughing when he gets in there." Also, I have to mention that my grandfather told me exactly what they did to him, every detail. It did not seem fun and was painful for him.

On May 24, 2006, The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation will be launching White Lies, a campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of consuming dairy products. Why You Don't Need Dairy, an event to mark the beginning of the campaign, will feature Heather Mills McCartney as a speaker who will call for milk to be dropped from the nation's diet. At the same time, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, PCRM, a nonprofit health organization comprised of physicians and nutritionists, will be asking consumers to eliminate dairy from their diet for three weeks to see if they notice an improvement in health.

In three short weeks, PCRM is confident those who take the dairy-free challenge will notice immediate benefit in better digestion, easier breathing, better sleep, a lessening of headaches and for sufferers of acne or dermatitis -- clear skin. Health benefits that are not immediately noticeable but of significant value is a reduction in the risk of prostate and ovarian cancer. Research had proven the link between dairy and these two cancers. Because dairy products such as cheese, ice cream, milk, butter, and yogurt all contain high levels of fat, it is reasonable to assume there might be a dairy link to other cancers as well.

The Nutrition Resource Centre of the Ontario Public Health Association, has published Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium, available as a PDF document online, with food suggestions that offer plenty of calcium.