If you or anyone you know has a breast cancer, here are some guidelines from a patient herself that would help her to ease the burden she is carrying and to totally focused on her health.

Alice Swank's Top 10 Tips for Breast Cancer Patients

• Let your family and friends help you.

• Don't be afraid to ask for help.

• Pray. If you're not religious, rely on your friends and family for spiritual support.

• Find a good cancer support group.

• Educate yourself about cancer.

• Don't overdose on information, or you'll scare yourself out of your wits.

• Keep your checkups with your doctors.

• Remember that humor is so important.

• Talk about it.

• Remember that it's okay to let some things go around your house.

You don't have to make the bed or do the dishes every day. You've got to take care of yourself—and it's perfectly okay to let other people help you.

To ease this process, here are some guidelines:'

Set times for meals and snacks. This provides the child with structure and predictability, much like a bedtime routine. This also decreases the amount of "grazing" or frequent snacking between mealtimes, which can have a negative effect on appetite.'

Offer only water between meals and snacks, and keep juice to a minimum.' Involve the child in planning meals and snacks and offer healthier options to choose between. For example: "Would you like an apple or a yogurt for a snack?" "Would you like carrots or green beans with dinner?"' Keep mealtimes calm, relaxed, and fun.

Encourage the child to try new foods, but never force a child to eat anything he or she does not want.' Make the same meal for everyone in household.' Allow your child to determine when she or he has had enough to eat.

Carly D.G. Lion, M.S., R.D., C.D./L.D.N., is a clinical dietitian in the Gastroenterology Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin,