On a personal note: I have contracted an outstanding case of breast cancer, from which I intend to recover. I don't need get-well cards, but I would like the beloved women readers to do something for me: Go. Get. The. Damn. Mammogram. Done.

In 2001, I was being treated for breast cancer, and I was pretty sure I was going to recover.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004.

The only reason to have a positive mental attitude is that it makes life better. It doesn't cure cancer.

Conventional wisdom suggests women really don't need to worry about mammograms or breast cancer until they're 40 or unless there's a family history. But statistics tell us that 85 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history, which is why it's so important for all women to start asking for and getting a high-quality CBE every year.

Once I overcame breast cancer, I wasn't afraid of anything anymore.