When I first told people about my breast cancer diagnosis, waves of wonderful things arrived in my home unbidden. There were cards, flowers, a cookie bouquet, and a food basket. As time went on, there were gifts of homemade soup and a housecleaning, given by a neighbor and friend. Caps, first knitted by one friend, then another, then purchased by a man who works with my father at Guide Dogs for the Blind appeared. I especially like the cap from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It even fits!

Books about cancer arrived on my doorstep and appeared in my mailbox from out-of-state. My initial reaction to these was, “I’m living this. Why would I want to read about it?” The question was quickly answered as I wanted information about treatments, side effects, and how to read a pathology report. Two of the books are well-thumbed through, another remains to be explored.

There is a book, one I picked up at my HMO shortly after my diagnosis, that I set aside and did not intend to read. It’s title, “I flunked my Mammogram!”--in pink and complete with exclamation point--was just too off-putting. It seemed to trivialize such a devastating disease. I’ve since picked it up and determined it must be intended for the younger reader. It lays out topics in a basic, clear form. There is a page for notes after major sections.

“I flunked my Mammogram!” has this to say under the heading What Exactly is Cancer?: “In its simplest terms, a cancer cell is a cell that just doesn’t know when to stop dividing. All cells have a natural lifespan, but sometimes a cell just won’t die when it’s time is up. The cell may have been altered by some outside factor, or in the case of inherited cancers, a mutation to its genetic code may have been passed down from earlier generations, causing it to keep dividing and growing. Cancer just doesn’t appear overnight; it takes years to develop to a detectable stage.”

Under the heading of Prevention?, the mammogram flunking book says breast cancer cannot be prevented. “Not yet, and maybe never.” However, researchers are focusing on diet and on specific vitamins and minerals that appear to have a “cancer-preventive effect.” Exercise is again recommended. The book notes that studies have shown that regular exercise can lower estrogen levels. Estrogen has been linked to breast cancer. “Fat cells store estrogen. The less fat you carry, the less estrogen you store--and the less potential stimulation of breast cancer cells.”

So the shunned “I flunked my Mammogram!” book, authored by Dr. Ernie Bodai, MD, and Richard A. Zmuda, has its place. Maybe it’s just the title that wants changing.