Last year, on July 14th, I took the day off work to get a tattoo of my dad's initials on my wrist. Today, on July 14th, I will make breakfast, go to the gym, try to get some work done and have dinner with my family. But the significance of the day won't be lost on me. It was 2 years ago today that I watched my dad take his final breath, losing his short battle with cancer. It's an awful thing to see -- watching someone wheezing, struggling to get air, then finally giving up -- and I had nightmares about that for so long, nightmares in which I was the one struggling to breathe. The last time I saw my dad alive, we were fighting -- he, trying to take off his oxygen mask because it was pinching his nose; I, forcing it back on, forcing him to breathe, for my sake more than his own. And when it was over, I thought my life was over. I was certain I would never laugh again.

I took grief counselling after my loss, and the counsellor told me that days like this would be hard -- these anniversaries of tragedy. And they are but on this particular day, I don't like to dwell. I'd rather celebrate the anniversary of his birth than the mourn the day of his death. But the memories are more fresh than usual.

If there's one thing I want to get across here, it's this: Fathers, mothers, husbands, wives -- take care of your health. You owe it to those who love you . Visit your doctor. Insist on taking the tests. Buy yourself that extra time with your family. Do it for them, the ones who will be left behind.

These seven breast cancer survivors have been featured on The Cancer Blog before, all because of their own personal blogs and their own personal battles with cancer. Today, I offer you an update on these remarkable individuals whose stories have undoubtedly touched many lives.

Adriene

On April 26, 2006, Adriene wrote a final entry on her Survivor Blog. "This will be my last entry on the Survivor Blog," she writes. "I am finished. And I am complete, at least I feel I am. Now it's time to be in health and in love and in gratitude. To be at another level. It's time to move. Move. The wind beneath."

Breast cancer -- and writing about it -- is behind her. But Adriene is still inspiring readers on her blog. Check out her site's photo.a.day feature. It's nothing but moving.

Jen

Jen, a young wife and mom who blogs My Journey through Motherhood, once wrote about breast cancer every few days. Now she can't seem to find time to keep up with her entries. What good news for this survivor who is busy with life and not cancer.

Sandee

Sandee, author of I Will Survive, is quite a breast cancer warrior. She has been fighting the disease and it's cruel spread for many years and finds herself living with constant treatment. Her most recent blog entry, posted on April 14, reads:

Feeling down, I just can't shake this tired feeling, cancer treatments may keep you alive but they totally change everything about you. I know I should be grateful but I miss the way I used to be. I miss my hair ... I miss my eyebrows ... I miss my eyelashes ... I miss my toenails ... I miss my slender body ... I miss my energy ... I miss shopping for hours ... I miss not being afraid ... I miss not taking medication ... I miss volunteering ... I miss working out ... I miss being pain-free ... I miss feeling pretty ... I miss wearing high heels ... I miss driving 5-speed ... I miss not being able to plan ahead ... I miss going to family functions ... I miss feeling immortal ... I miss my health ... I miss my old breasts ... I miss having flawless skin ... I miss a lot!

Despite her uphill battle, Sandee ends each blog entry with a random thought and something for which she is thankful. Her random thought on April 14: Regardless, I'm still happy to be alive! And then: Today I am thankful for my kids.

Valerie

Valerie blogs The Beck Family and fills her space with happy photos and positive words. Busy recuperating from a hysterectomy, growing out her post-chemotherapy hair, and training to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Valerie is doing well -- and keeping busy going to baseball games and Las Vegas with girlfriends. She has a new puppy and a great outlook on life after cancer.

"Our life is back to normal and normal things are happening," she writes. "Our transmission went out on our Yukon last week, and it was under warranty, so it is in the shop. Our washing machine stopped working due to me overloading it too many times, so we went out and got a new front loading one. Its pretty cool!!! and that's it. Everyone else is doing great. We still love our new puppy.

Patty

Patty's husband blogs Patty's Journey. "Patty hasn't been feeling great the last few days," he writes on April 25. "She's had a light headed feeling and can't seem to get a deep breath. She's not sure if she's just become acutely aware of her breathing or what. I've read that the Herceptin can cause dizziness in 13% of patients so I'm not sure if this is what this could be or not. Hopefully, it is nothing. She's sees the doctor tomorrow so we'll see what he says. Pray that these issues resolve for her."

Patty, a mom to four young daughters, is finishing up radiation while receiving Herceptin treatment.

Marjorie

Marjorie and her husband Gordon take turns updating Beating Breast Cancer. But the last entry on this site was posted on November 28 and other than what Marjorie writes on this date, I am not sure how she is doing.

"On the day of the poisoning by taxotere I feel OK," writes Marjorie on this November day. "Next day my body feels strange and tired. The answer should be wee nap in the afternoon, but NO. My mind is so wired and agitated I found myself planning next year's Christmas dinner -- not this year's. This goes on for two or three days then WHAM, I'm the most depressing person to be around."

I hope Marjorie's absence from writing is an indication she is thriving and is too distracted by the joys of life to take a seat at the keyboard.

Kristina

Kristina blogs for The Cancer Blog -- and also for herself, her friends, and her family on her personal site.

Kristi, who calls herself a young Breast Cancer Survivor, Freethinker, New Marine Aquarist, Reach for Recovery Volunteer, reluctant accountant, freelance writer, voracious reader and cancer blogger, most recently is mourning this loss of her beloved cat Cleo, making a difference with the Young Survival Coalition, and laughing it up with friends traveling similar breast cancer paths.

The way I see it, there are two threads common to the journeys of many cancer patients and survivors -- the desire to hear stories of others walking in similar shoes and the desire to be heard.

These threads have definitely woven themselves throughout my own cancer experience. When first diagnosed, I searched long and hard for personal stories of women struggling with and conquering breast cancer. Once I was well on my road to recovery, I wanted others to hear my story, in hopes it would resonate with those looking for the same comfort I once craved.

Won't you consider sharing your story too? It might just help you. It will surely help others.

Think about this:

On the Discovery Health website, an offer awaits you.

"We would love to hear your story," reads a portion of the site. "So would the many others who share your relationship to Cancer."

If you are at least 18 years of age and have a few minutes to spare, simply call 888-890-6339 and follow the instructions to record your voice. When all stories are ready to be published in podcast format, an online notice will be posted.

Listed on the website is this important note:

Considering the nature of this application, it is impossible for us to review or confirm the validity of information submitted. We do not vouch for or warrant the , and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The entries express the views of the individual calling, not necessarily the views of our website or any entity associated with this initiative. Any user who feels that a posted podcast is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email. We have the ability to remove objectionable recordings and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. This is a manual process, however, so please realize that we may not be able to remove or edit particular entries immediately.

You agree, through your use of this recording service, that you are at least 18 years of age and will not use this recording to post any material or links to material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. You agree not to submit by telephone any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you.

Although this website does not and cannot review the messages recorded and is not responsible for the content of any of these entries, we at this website reserve the right to delete any recording for any or no reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your recording, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless this website, and their agents with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your recording(s).

We at this website also reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message recorded by you.

Please note that advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are inappropriate on this initiative.

Jack Nicholson has been serving up a steady stream of cheer for cancer patients at the Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles hospital.

The Hollywood icon and Oscar winner has been visiting terminal patients and cheering them up with jokes, card games, and behind-the-scenes stories about his career.

Nicholson's next career move comes in the form of a movie called The Bucket List. He plays a dying man in the film and began spending time at the hospital to research his role. But once his film finished, Nicholson kept visiting. He was that touched and moved by the patients.

Hospital staff say the actor's visits do wonders for the patient spirits. The only down side is for Nicholson who finds it hard to leave, knowing he may have seen some of his new friends for the last time.

Tomorrow, the second issue of Beyond: Live & Thrive After Breast Cancer hits newsstands. And I, for one, can't wait to pick up a copy of the Spring/Summer edition of this positively powerful publication.

If you read the first issue -- the Fall/Winter magazine released in October -- you know what this glossy book has to offer. There are personal stories and interviews, shared wisdom and sound advice. There are exercise tips and health tips and survival tips. There are stories about chemo brain and fertility and relationships. There is information about breast cancer research and resources and products that are tried and true.

I want to tell you so much more -- but really, I want you find out for yourself just how moving and soothing this magazine can be.

So plan to get your copy -- tomorrow -- and tell all your friends to do the same. If you need a gift for a loved one newly diagnosed or someone who has long survived this disease, try this on for size. Buy a few copies and donate them to your favorite doctors' offices -- a fresh magazine can do wonders for any waiting room. Share one with a neighbor, a relative, a new acquaintance.

Do what you can, will you -- to both reap the benefits of this solid source of inspiration and help sustain the life of this magazine? Because magazines are only as strong as the readers who embrace them. And trust me, this is one catch we cannot afford to lose.

I'm sharing seven bits of wisdom this Sunday that are not my own. I am borrowing them from Pat McRee who has collected all sorts of survivor stories, affirmations, quotations, poetry, lyrics, and resources, has wrapped them with a bunch of hope and humor, and has packaged them in a box she calls Support to Go, The Unbook for the Journey through Breast Cancer.

McRee's colorful, lively box contains 80 cards. And on each card is some type of tip, idea, recipe, myth, truth, and essay that makes the breast cancer road easier to travel.

Live it. Learn it. Pass it on. That's what McRee says -- and exactly what she did when she stacked her deck of cards with such meaningful and magical material.

There is no way I could easily choose seven cards from my own box of support -- there's just too much good stuff, and it all deserves equal attention. So I drew seven random cards from the pile that sits before me, and this is what I got.

Queasy Made Easy
This card lists menu items targeted for the chemo tummy. A registered oncology nurse for 20 years, Betty Dozier shares what she has learned about what to eat -- clear, cool drinks, fruit juice, plain baked potatoes, Cold canned or fresh fruit, saltines, rice, toast, clear broths, sherbet, Popsicles -- and what not to eat -- gravy, sauces, potato chips, sour cream, heavy creamed soups.

Safety in Numbers
McRee doesn't put much stock in statistics and numbers generated by calculators that have nothing to do with real people. But she does believe in numbers when it comes to survival. On this card, she lists the names of genuine survivors with real numbers. She lists Shirley Weinman, a 20-year-survivor, Janice Johnston, an eight-year survivor, Linda Beebe, a 15-year survivor -- and so on.

No Smile Left Behind
McRee offers a prescription for play, an invitation to smile and laugh and rejoice in the face of cancer. "Cut eye holes in a paper bag and wear it to treatment," she says. "Tell 'em you just couldn't face another day." Another idea -- "Pass the word that everyone who enters the waiting room will get a Standing Ovation. They all deserve 'em just for showing up."

Fuzzy Logic
Check out this oh-so-true poem:

Too gray, too wavy, too doggone thick,
Smack in the front ... a big 'ol cowlick!
Split-ends and frizzies whenever it rained,
Now it's hard to believe I ever complained;
So, Lord, let's grow something! I'll nevermore whine ...
Gray, thick and wavy will suit me just fine.

Postcards
McRee provides a few postcards intended for mailing to surviving friends. One says, I hear you're patched, retreaded and approved for the road. Another says, U are not alone.

Hair Tomorrow
McRee offers a souvenir keeper for a lock of pre-chemo hair. Why not save it, says McRee, who shares that what grows back might be as different as your new life will be.

Buttoned-Up
Make your own buttons -- and wear them proudly. This card gives button wording ideas -- like Symmetry is so yesterday, Cancer: Been There, Beat That, and Stamp Out False Hopelessness.

Seven down -- 73 to go. I can't wait to read more.

With the intention of inspiring and offering hope to those facing the physical and spiritual challenges of surviving illness, The Healing Project is a collection of books featuring the stories of cancer survivors and survivors of other life-changing illnesses.

Founded by breast cancer survivor, publisher and successful businesswoman Debra LaChance, The Healing Project began from a place of personal cancer survivorship.

When LaChance was diagnosed with breast cancer, she said, "I would forever be tagged as someone who had cancer. It is a strange feeling and at first blush, a really lonely place to be. I knew my friends and family would care, but would anyone else? It would not take long to find that answer - and in learning of the infinite capacity of others to give of themselves."

The first volumes, Voices of Lung Cancer and Voices of Alzheimer's, are set to be released this coming May. Project editor Richard Day Gore, who is a thyroid cancer survivor sensitive to the issues of cancer survivorship, is putting out a call for breast cancer survivor stories.

"We are hoping to publish a breast cancer volume in the Fall. We have received many wonderful submissions of great depth and emotional impact, but we need more to fill out the volume and, hopefully, to fill additional volumes in the future." If you are a breast cancer survivor who would like to share your personal story as part of The Healing Project anthologies, visit The Healing Project website for details.

I used a written journal and then a blog to record the stops along my cancer journey. I kept a file for financial paperwork, and I made lists of questions in anticipation of medical appointments. I saved all prescription instructions to track the abundance of drugs entering my body, and I earmarked a large white cardboard box as my cancer treasure chest. The contents of this box include cards, gifts, newspaper clippings, books, literature, and more. It's practically spilling over with stuff -- the stuff of cancer.

My system -- which may seem a bit unorganized and splintered -- worked well for me as I tried to keep my head above water following my cancer diagnosis. For others, a more central system may work -- a system that incorporates all pertinent information in one convenient location.

The LIVESTRONG™ Survivorship Notebook, offered by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, is one option for those seeking a clean, concise way to manage the details of cancer. It's designed to organize and guide. It's portable. It's available for the cost of shipping and handling only. And it includes the following:

Survivorship Tools -- this section includes a personal health journal, an appointment diary, a list for medications, a summary section for health and financial information, and a medical history and treatment area.

Survivorship Stories -- this section features stories of cancer survivors that will inspire and empower.

Survivorship Topics -- this section offers readings, answers to questions, and resources about physical, emotional, and practical issues related to cancer.

This yellow notebook -- a symbol of one man's fight and victory against a mighty disease -- could be the perfect accessory for someone facing the unknown. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of organization to calm nerves, minimize anxieties, soothe fears, and instill a sense of control over an otherwise uncontrollable journey.

Puja Thomson, counselor, healing facilitator, educator, and minister, has a newly-released book -- After Shock: From Cancer Diagnosis to Healing: A step-by-step guide to help you navigate your way -- that is just perfect for just about anyone dealing with cancer.

Thomson, surviving her own bout with cancer, offers practical suggestions to help others clarify their cancer journeys in this book that features topics such as reaching out for help, designing your own personal wellness program, crafting challenges into hopeful perspectives, and organizing financial records and medical paperwork in simple ways.

Thomson shares her own firsthand stories and borrows reflections from other fellow cancer travelers. She offers a well-balanced sampling of ideas from which readers can pick and choose as they create their navigation plans. She does it all because she knows cancer can come as a shock. She also knows life goes on after the shock.

As complied by Forbe's HealthDay, half of the top ten health news of 2006 feature issues of interest to cancer patients and the cancer community in regard to cancer research, treatment and prevention. The top health story involves the concern over cost of medical care among those with health insurance and the continually growing numbers of uninsured. A recent study shows that one in six, or 50 million people, are struggling to afford medical treatment as they now spend more than ten percent of their income on medical expenses.

After much controversy regarding ethics and morality, this year saw the approval of the first cervical cancer vaccine. The federal government recommends that girls as young as nine-years-old be given the vaccine. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) re-approved the use of silicone breast implants. Although banned in 1992 because of concerns that silicone leakage might be linked to cancer, silicone implants were still offered to women undergoing breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery. Supposedly the implants are now safe for all women. Some consumer advocacy groups still strongly disapprove of the FDA decision.

Another controversial issue being debated based on ethics and morality is stem cell research. According to Forbes, the majority of Americans are in favor of stem cell research and the promise it holds in the cure of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and many other diseases.

Lastly, scandals swept throught the research community as fake research and researchers were exposed, as was conflict of interest over questionable financial ties in the research community.

Other health news stories that made Forbe's HealthDay top ten list included: Tainted-Food Scares Rattle Public; Drug-Eluting Stents May Stay; 'Morning-After' Pill Goes OTC; Antidepressants' Link to Suicide Debated; and More Progress Against Alzheimer's Disease. You can read the Forbe's top ten list in its entirety here.

I love it when seven of something lands before me, offering me potential material for the Sunday Seven series. In fact, it just happened. And I can't wait to start writing about the Seven Levels of Healing common to cancer patients and those who love them.

I have a new book. It's called The Journey Through Cancer: Healing and Transforming the Whole Person by Jeremy Geffen, MD.

Dr. Geffen knows cancer. He lost his father just three months after a stomach cancer diagnosis. He became an oncologist. He founded a cancer research center. He travels and speaks and writes about health and wellness. And inside the pages of his newly revised and updated paperback, he details the Seven Levels of Healing -- a blend of conventional and complementary principles-- and the true stories of cancer patients who have directly experienced them.

It occurred to me while first flipping through this book that I might read it in its entirety and then write a review of the material. Then I determined it would take much too long for this approach. With two small children, a few jobs, an exercise routine I must revisit, and all the other bits and pieces of life that keep me occupied, this would be quite an undertaking -- the actual reading, the remembering, the writing. Somehow, this would be too much to manage. But small steps. I think I can handle small steps. So this is how it's going to work.

I will present to you in this post the Seven Levels of Healing. I don't know much about them yet -- although by title alone, I am sure I have lived most of them in my own cancer journey. So I will simply lay the groundwork. And then I will start reading. And as I read, I will write. This will be my own one-woman book club -- with an open invitation for new members. Read my posts and reflect on them. Agree. Disagree. Leave comments. Buy your own book. Read with me. Apply what you learn to your own life. Share what you learn with others. The possibilities are endless as I journey my way through this new book in search of peace, clarity, and comfort -- all of which flow from these seven levels.

Level One: Education & Information
Level Two: Connection with Others
Level Three: The Body as Garden
Level Four: Emotional Healing
Level Five: The Nature of Mind
Level Six: Life Assessment
Level Seven: The Nature of Spirit

And so that's what I have to offer for now. I'm sorry to keep you hanging. But rest assured, I am hanging right along with you, eager to find a moment to dive into this book. To sink my teeth into the words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters. To relay it all to you. I can't wait -- to really understand the Seven Levels of Healing.

Stay tuned for:
The Journey Through Cancer: Introduction

TIME magazine has faithfully followed the issues defining cancer. The topic has made the covers of many issues, and it receives plentiful press on the pages in between. Stories spotlight an array of different cancers, address research and new developments, and offer personal glimpses into the lives of both everyday survivors and those with celebrity status. A look into the archives of TIME magazine -- seven specific issues -- illustrates a proven commitment to the cancer cause. And it proves the mystery of cancer is much the same today as it was many years ago.

Photographs tell powerful stories. They depict people and objects and landscapes and emotions in deep, meaningful ways. They capture permanent visual representations of moments in life. They paint pictures that even the most well-crafted words could not reproduce.

When Mary Ann Nilan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 at the age of 40, she knew her story must be told -- through pictures. So she asked a photographer to record it all, stating, "I hope the pictures make the road easier for other women." The rest is history.

She calls it a photo essay and titles it The Diary of Healing. For 17 frames -- with photographs dominating each space and text kept to a minimum -- Nilan shares her journey that began with the discovery of breast cancer in both breasts and several lymph nodes, the journey that took her through chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and reconstruction with implants.

Her photographs document significant stops on her physical and emotional trek. They show her bald head, the wig she wore only once and then let hang on a hook, the scars that crossed her flat chest after surgery, an injection of saline that painfully pierced the skin of her new breasts, her children measuring her hair as it grows in after chemotherapy. The photographs are both hopeful and chilling. They are breast cancer. They are more than words could ever capture.

My father taught me that when you have a problem, find someone else who has the same problem and talk to them about it. Real life experiences trump almost every other kind of information. Although women are 100 times more likely than men to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and less than one percent of breast cancer patients are men, men do get breast cancer.

Some of the signs of breast cancer include:

• Lump or thickening in the breast.
• Skin dimpling or puckering.
• Development of a new retraction or indentation of the nipple.
• Redness of scaling of the nipple or breast skin.
• A spontaneous clear or bloody discharge from the nipple.
  

Some of the known risk factors include: age, family history, genetic predisposition, radiation exposure, Klinefelter syndrome (a congenital abnormality of the sex chromosomes X and Y), exposure to estrogen, liver disease, excess weight and excess alcohol consumption.

Breast cancer resources for men are few and far between, but to follow my father's advice about finding someone to talk to and learn from that has faced the same real life experience, I tracked down several resources men diagnosed with breast cancer might find of interest.

Newsday is featuring the personal story of breast cancer survivor Cameron Alden. Alden tells his breast cancer story as part of a personal cause to raise awareness that men can be diagnosed with breast cancer.

USA Today's Richard Roundtree 'Knows the Score' on cancer features breast cancer survivor Roundtree's personal story and his work with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise men's awareness about the disease.

The John W. Nick Foundation was created in memory of John W. Nick, who died from breast cancer at the age of 58. Male breast cancer survivors John W. Nick, Captain Edward J. Wilson, Bob Stafford, Walter Creekmore, David Eisenberg, Mark Eldridge, Dave Lyons, and Ken Graham by Sue Graham share their personal stories of breast cancer on the foundation website.

MALEBC is a discussion mailing list for men with breast cancer. Currently it has 27 members.

Because men often face shock, embarrassment and isolation when diagnosed with breast cancer, the National Breast Cancer Centre has launched Breast Cancer in Men, Australia's first website launched for men with breast cancer offering information and resources from diagnosis to living beyond breast cancer written specifically for men.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,720 men will receive a breast cancer diagnosis this year, and 460 men will die from the disease. For men, breast cancer is most frequently diagnosed between the ages of 60 and 70. If any of our readers are aware of other internet resources specifically written for men facing breast cancer, please leave the resource and a link in the comments area following this post.

Celebrities catch our attention. They cause us to pay attention too -- which is likely why the media uses celebrities and prominent people to send messages about all sorts of issues, like breast cancer.

It's not just the real-life survivor celebrity stories -- about Melissa Etheridge and Elizabeth Edwards and Sheryl Crow -- that make headlines and attract ratings. It's also the portrayal of cancer survivors on television that raises awareness about this disease. It's not a new trend -- it started long ago when All in the Family's Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) experienced a breast cancer scare, marking one of the first times the issue of breast cancer was discussed openly on TV.

Tough cop Mary Beth Lacey (Tyne Daly) of the TV show Cagney & Lacey traveled a breast cancer journey. Sisters eldest sister Alex (Swoosie Kurtz) was diagnosed with breast cancer and survived chemotherapy with family by her side. Beverly Hills, 90210 character Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) found a lump in her breast and shed light on the fact that young women are not immune to breast cancer. Sex and the City's Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) developed breast cancer and proudly pulled off her wig on television. The L Word's Dana Fairbanks (Erin Daniels) lost her battle with breast cancer. And on Angela's Eyes, FBI agent Angela Henson recently learned her mother once had breast cancer -- and that it has come back.

There are many others television story lines woven with the thread of breast cancer. They draw viewers and boost ratings. They also raise awareness -- because people pay attention to celebrities.