More than 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed this year with pancreatic cancer. Around 75 percent of those diagnosed will die of their disease. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, yet one of the most underfunded for research.

Only one percent of the National Cancer Institute research investment money was spend on pancreatic cancer in 2006. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) are calling on Congress to support a minimum of 6.7 percent increase to meet this urgent need.

Julie Fleshman, PanCAN President and CEO, says "The need for more research is tremendous and our voices must be heard. No effective early detection methods currently exist and there are minimal treatment options available. And very little research being done due to limited research funding".

There are about 150,000 women in the United States living with advanced breast cancer. Musa Mayer and Susan E Grober, consultants for the study called Silent Voices: Women with Advanced (Metastatic) Breast Cancer Share Their Needs and Preferences for Information, Support and Practical Resources, say that over the years many of the women living with metastatic disease have expressed that they feel isolated, marginalized and alone.

The study found that nearly one-third of the women living with advanced breast cancer do not know where to access programs or medical treatments and emerging research. This study's finding is among several that could impact healthcare professionals and advocates who serve women living with Stage 4 disease.

Women in the study said that many of the support and information networks for breast cancer focus mostly on early-stage disease. The information on metastatic disease is often hard to find. There is not one website dedicated to bringing together the existing resources on advanced breast cancer.

A survey was given to the women in the study. Here are some of the findings:

• 75 percent of the women look for information about advanced breast cancer either daily or weekly.
• 69 percent said they find it helpful to listen or read about the experiences of other women living with advanced disease.
• 44 percent prefer online support groups while 38 percent prefer in-person groups.
• 57 percent of women with the lowest level of knowledge about their advanced breast cancer report feelings of anxiety, whereas only 19 percent of those with the highest level of knowledge report anxiety.

Flowers can lift spirits, brighten days, and heal hurting souls. They can actually make us healthier too. And while there is not a lot of science backing this fact just yet, it's long been understood that flowers really do help us Get Well Soon.

In ancient Egypt, physicians ordered walks in gardens for patients with psychological problems. Currently, horticultural therapy is a well-established method of rehabilitation for patients with physical and mental difficulties. Medical institutions all over have created flowering spaces intended as therapeutic gardens. One study determined that 100 percent of women presented with a flower bouquet reacted with a genuine smile that involves the eyes and the mouth and indicates changes in the brain. There was no such common happiness reaction among women presented with other gifts. Further studies found that men also reacted positively to flowers. A study of cardiac patients found flower therapy improved mood and lowered heart rates, possibly reducing stress that contributes to heart disease. It seems some patients seem to forget about their pain when strolling through gardens. They forget about their pain medication too. One flower expert's research brightened her own world at a time when chemotherapy and surgery for breast cancer had her feeling pretty low. Studying flowers gave her a whole new, brighter look at the world.

Flower therapy includes almost any contact with plants. Color, texture, and scent all play a part in the relaxation and healing that results from a little flower time. Why it works is a mystery -- it could be that we associate flowers with pleasure, that flowers fulfill emotional needs, that they are the pets of the horticultural world. We breed them for traits that please us and then capitalize on how they lighten the load and enhance our moods.

The bottom line is this -- we just don't know exactly why or exactly how flowers do what they do. We just know intuitively that they work, that they spread hope and renewal and peace like nothing else.

For more information on the healing power of flowers, pick up a copy of the November 2006 issue of The Oprah Magazine.

I am struggling to find healthy lunch items for my kindergartner who has been a picky eater since the day he was first introduced to food. He won't eat a sandwich -- well, he will eat a peanut butter sandwich but for some reason he thinks it must be warmed in a microwave. But microwaves are not available in his school cafeteria, so peanut butter sandwiches won't work -- nor will anything else that must be heated to satisfy Joey's picky palate. And he won't eat lunch meat or cheese or tuna fish or anything that seems to fill most kids' lunch boxes. He does eat fruits and vegetables -- which is primarily what I send him with to school -- but it seems he needs something more. Something with a kick of protein. But I'm stuck. So today I went to the grocery store in search of the magic item that will both satisfy Joey and satisfy even the smallest of nutritional needs. I ended up with yogurt.

I have never been a huge fan of yogurt because it's loaded with sugar. But yogurt does contain some vitamins and some calcium and a little bit of protein -- 5 grams -- and I opted for the light, fat-free variety which makes me feel better about my purchase. And tomorrow, my experiment begins. If the yogurt container is missing when I open Joey's lunch box after school, I will assume he has eaten the yogurt. If the container is still in the lunch box -- and is still full of yogurt -- I will start back at square one. And I'll just hope he doesn't figure out that he can toss the whole unopened yogurt container right into the trash. Surely, a five-year-old wouldn't think of that. Okay, yes he would.

Even though Joey may not take to my yogurt idea, something good has already come from my purchase of 10 servings of Yoplait Yogurt -- each one features a lid reading Save Lids to Save Lives with a pink breast cancer ribbon printed on the pink foil top. I didn't even notice this until I was in the check-out line, but now I know that for every pink lid I send in, 10 cents will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Yoplait will contribute up to $1.5 million and guarantees a $500,000 donation. So regardless of Joey's decision regarding the yogurt, someone will benefit from this purchase -- if only I can convince Joey to save the lids.

And so somehow, helping fund a cure for breast cancer seems easier than convincing my child to try new foods. Both are difficult ventures. And hopefully, a remedy will one day surface for both.

Cancer has helped me slow down -- a little. I am more patient in the moment without racing to the next task I think is waiting for me. I can better manage my priorities and can offer the most important things the majority of my time. I am better at passing on opportunities that are low on my wish list. And I can typically say "no" if I don't have the time or energy to devote to a request. I know that I have to be healthy and happy and fulfilled in order to operate effectively and joyfully in this world. So I try to enjoy peaceful moments and put priorities first and not overextend myself and slow down. I'm not completely there -- yet. But I plan to keep practicing. And I'm going to try these seven strategies -- offered by a freelance writer, wife, mother of two, and reformed over-committer -- in an article I stumbled across in a local family magazine I picked up this week.

A ninth Hole in the Wall camp is in the works -- thanks to actor Paul Newman who started the first camp for critically-ill children in Connecticut in 1988. Hole in the Wall camps host thousands of children for free and are now scattered all over the map -- in California, New York, France, and other locations. And one will soon open in Israel.

Each Hole in the Wall camp is a separate entity with its own distinct personality and name -- like The Victory Junction Gang in Randleman, NC and Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, Florida. All camps share a common goal of building self-esteem and restoring joy in the lives of seriously-ill kids. And typical camp activities -- for kids whose diagnoses range from cancer to muscular dystrophy -- include rope climbing, face painting, horseback riding, swimming, and sports. It's a typical camp where children can enjoy childhood, without compromising their medical needs, due to state-of-the-art medical care.

Newman makes periodic visits to the camps and only partially funds the camps that mostly survive on their own through charitable contributions. He clearly loves the camps that have served more than 100,000 kids from 34 states and 31 countries and says he wants the camps to be the legacy he one day is remembered for. And what a legacy it will be.

When Someone You Love Is Being Treated for Cancer is a book of tips and insight from caregivers for caregivers when it comes to the needs and issues of being a caregiver for a loved one diagnosed with cancer. Published online by The National Cancer Institute, the introduction states, "The purpose of this book is to focus on you and your needs."

In reviewing it, I found it to be a valuable and realistic resource for family members who find themselves in the role of caregiver because a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer.

According to data available on cancer patients and caregivers, of all the patients diagnosed with cancer, at least 50 percent will be cared for by a family member. Cancer Caregivers Strength for Caring points to a survey from the Journal of Family Nursing that provides insight into the life and unmet needs of a cancer caregiver.

Some of the information from the study reveals that 82 percent of cancer caregivers are women; 71 percent are married; 54 percent live with the patient; 47 percent are more than 50 years old and 36 percent reported care giving took more than 40 hours of time per week.

Cancer caregivers make certain the person they are caring for has everything they need and often take care of the cancer patient's normal daily tasks, errands and chores that the loved one with cancer might not be able to do for themselves while undergoing cancer surgery and treatments. What the study found was cancer caregivers do not take time to take care of themselves and the toll it takes on the caregiver can be negative and profound.

Nearly seven in ten marriages touched by breast cancer do not survive. Trauma of any kind can split a weak marriage and divorce rates are at an all time high with 6 out of 10 marriages ending. So how do you support your spouse, wife, or life partner when they are going through breast cancer so your relationship does not end?

We are all given trials and life threatening trauma has got to be one of the worst. It can tear you apart or it can build character. For a long period of time one partner may have to shoulder most of the responsibility while the other is sick, weak, and going through surgery and treatment. This can lead to stress and arguments between the two of you or worse it could cause you to harbor feelings inside and start looking for a way out.

Some of the simple things you can do as the supporting spouse is tell her you love her. Don't be silent in your thoughts and discuss your concerns, feelings, and needs. Seek the help of friends and family with every day chores to help with things in and around the home. Don't feel like you have to be super man or wonder woman. Let her know you love her and not her breasts and be sensitive to her feelings and emotions. Find time to do things together that you both enjoy. And one very important thing to remember is let her lead back into the sexual relationship between the two of you giving her time to feel desirable and wanted.