When I sit still in the middle of the day, I fall asleep. I'm not sure if it's a side effect of cancer or of life in general, but as a result, I keep myself moving at all times.

I'm always doing something -- writing, emptying the dishwasher, packing a school lunch, reorganizing cabinets and closets and drawers. There's always something to fiddle with, something to keep my body from crashing into a deep sleep.

My little boys have been playing with Lego all afternoon. For hours they have been content and happy and full of imagination. They've built flying boats and castles and pirate contraptions. My wish: to just sit and watch them, to absorb their words, their sound effects, their interactions.

I tried to just sit and watch, tried to hone my quiet observation skills. And then I fell sleep.

It's a dozing-off kind of sleep that creeps up on me and for brief moments, I am lost to the world, sometimes even dreaming for short periods of time. So I find I am more alert and productive in the study of my children when my mind is busy with some sort of task. It's not my ideal scenario. But I figure it's better to be awake and bonding with my boys -- even if it means I'm multitasking -- than sleeping through their special moments.

My boys are still building -- they are making flags for their ships -- and I'm awake. And writing and preparing dinner too.

There are four pages in the March 2007 Reader's Digest featuring amazing discoveries, devices, tests, and cures. And many of the snippets of information are -- yes -- somehow linked to cancer.

Think about this:

• A new ultrasound technique lets radiologists distinguish between malignant and benign breast lesions. Using elasticity imaging, researchers accurately identified harmless and cancerous lesions in almost all of the 80 cases studied. If results can be reproduced in a large trial, this technique could significantly reduce the number of breast biopsies required.

• Scientists seeking new treatment for diseases can use an online tool developed by researchers at MIT and Harvard. The Connectivity Map matches diseases with compatible drugs, based on the genetic profiles of both. So far, about 160 drugs and compounds are cataloged, and a few new uses for existing drugs have already been suggested. Eventually, all FDA-approved drugs will be included.

• For those who sometimes forget to take their pills, a new device -- that can be preloaded with up to 100 doses of medication -- could one day be implanted in the body and programmed to administer drugs via wireless signals. This device, successful in tests using dogs, was designed to deliver medicines that are less effective when taken orally.

Sometimes it seems cancer's grip is tightening. Other times, in the war against this pesky disease, it seems we are on the verge of something really great.

A doctor found something suspicious when she read the results of the breast MRI I had on Friday. What she found is of unknown significance. This means something caught her attention. She just isn't sure what it is.

This doctor does know that whatever it is inside my right breast appears to be a low-risk something. But still, there's a concern looming in the air -- for her and for me.

I spoke with my oncologist about this concern, and he told me anything suspicious must be pursued by further testing. I'm thankful for that. He also said he expects that nothing actually significant will come of this. But if it does, it will have been caught early.

On Friday, I will report for further testing -- a mammogram and an ultrasound -- and then I will learn more about this unknown something that inhabits my breast, this something that takes me back more than two whole years when another something turned out to be what I feared more than anything. Breast cancer.

Most cancers do not happen overnight, but develop quietly over a number of years. While no one can do anything to reduce their risks of cancer by 100 percent, in about 50 percent of the time, there are lifestyle choices and habits that can go a long way towards cancer prevention. Eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise are two major lifestyle habits that can make a difference in reducing cancer risks. It is never too late to start, but because cancer can take years to develop, the earlier in life one does start healthy habits -- the better.

The Do Something Foundation was created to inspire and support young people to change the world with community service, and in these endeavors, reap the benefits of personal health. The Teens for Greens is a program that challenges teens to eat well-balanced meals and exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Included on the challenge page is a daily activity journal for tracking progress. The Do Something generation even welcomes old people. To prove they mean this, they point out that the Do Something Foundation CEO, who is 35, is an old person.

Each month, teens are challenged in three areas: community building, health, and the environment. The Do Something Foundation concept and organization is a terrific idea and approach to getting youth moving and health aware, all with the intention of making this world a better place. Cancer prevention for the individual and the planet! From an old person -- very cool!