This year I've had the pleasure of working with Alice Krumm, an energetic, charismatic woman who has started a wonderful company for breast cancer survivors, Beyond Pink, LLC. Alice is also the author of "I didn't order this pink ribbon" where she shares her breast cancer story and offers tips from a survivor's and nursing instructor's perspective that are beneficial to anyone battling this disease.

Alice underwent her breast cancer treatment at a young age, while in her thirties, with her two young daughters and her husband right there with her. But I wondered....was there a pet who offered his or her own special brand of healing love?

JPW: Alice, did you have a pet in your home when you were going through your diagnosis and surgeries? Tell us a bit about your pet.

Alice: Yes, I have a Bichon Frise. He was only about 2.5 pounds when we brought him home. I remember wearing a robe when I'd get up in the morning and he would fit into my robe pocket, that's how little he was. The girls were surprised because we told them that we were not getting any pets. We fell in love with him instantly. He went everywhere we went. We named him Popcorn.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2006. Popcorn seemed to sense that something was wrong. He was not as playful that whole weekend after I was diagnosed.

JPW: Did your pet seem to understand the severity of what you and your family were going through at that time? How could you tell he understood? Were there times he comforted you, or that his presence alone helped you deal with treatment or feelings at that time?

Alice: After my first surgery I had to sleep on the couch for a while. Popcorn was by my side the entire time. He didn't sleep in his crate, he didn't want to go anywhere else. He became very protective of me. He really didn't want me out of his sight.

When I would cry he just seemed to put his head in my lap and and comfort me. and I would pet him as I sat or layed on the couch while healing from surgery or was sick from chemo.

Even though he was by my side, he always seemed to know when to get out of the way so that I wouldn't trip on him. Say, when I was sick on chemo, he would come into my room with me but lay on his dog bed and not try to follow me into the bathroom

JPW: Do you think having a pet in the family helps children deal with their emotions when their parent is ill?

Alice: Absolutely. My girls would sleep in the basement family room on the weekends and Popcorn would be in the sleeping bags with them. It's weird that he knows when each child is supposed to get off the bus (One child at 3:20 and one child at 4 pm) and he knows when the kids are sleeping downstairs for the evening and not just hanging out. And he even tries to sneak past my husband and me to sneak to the basement on a night that we may not want him down there.

The girls could always count on Popcorn and cuddle with him and squeeze him and love him. He has a spot in each of the girls' rooms where he likes to lay.

JPW: Why did you choose this breed of dog, what are the strengths of this breed? Are there any challenges?

Alice: We chose a Bichon Frise because we wanted a small dog and this breed of dogs is loyal to the entire family not just one member.

JPW: In your work as a nurse and in talking with other breast cancer survivors, does the subject of pets and their healing comfort come up? If not, do you think this is an area that should be explored by patients and caregivers?

Alice: The subject doesn't come up as much with the patients, but other nurses talk about how it has really helped when they have been ill or had surgery.

I think this should be explored; in fact ,I know that some colleges (I think Capital University [Bexley, Ohio]) has a therapy dog on campus in the nurses' station to go through the dorms and such. The students love it!

JPW: Thanks, Alice.

Readers, Alice's book, "I didn't order this pink ribbon" is available on Amazon.com. Her business is at this link: Beyond Pink, LLC. Beyond Pink was started to "To promote a proactive approach to breast cancer awareness and treatment through empowerment versus acceptance in order to ultimately reduce the reoccurrence rate of breast cancer. And, to help patients and caregivers navigate through breast cancer treatment in order to treat their body, mind and spirit."

Alice Krumm, who lives near Columbus, Ohio, will be the honorary chair for this year's "Relay For Life" in Pickerington, Ohio, on June 21, 2008.