PN Mentor Text: If you give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

If a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she will seek knowledge to make her many
decisions.

To help her with her decisions, she will meet with many doctors. They will discuss her
pathology report, surgical options, as well as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She will
receive many pamphlets and papers to read that outline all of the information discussed in the
doctor’s office.

When she leaves the doctor’s office, she will sit down on a bench and cry. She will ask, “Why
do I have to go through this? Why me? What am I supposed to do now?” She will want to talk
to her friends and her family.

When her friends and family arrive, she will ask them to pray with her. They will share their
favorite Bible verses of hope and encouragement to help her make her decision.

Once her decision is made, the process will begin. Surgery first, then chemotherapy possibly
followed by radiation.

She will visit the local boutique to choose a wig to wear when her hair falls out. She will try on
many different styles. She thinks, “Do I want to be a red head or a brunette? Do I want long or
short hair?” However, what she is really thinking is “Why can’t I wake up from this bad
dream?”

Many friends will visit and bring meals during her treatments. She will want to thank everyone
who has helped her, so she will need some paper and pencils to write thank you cards.

After she finishes the thank you cards, she will need stamps to deliver them. She will go to the
post office to buy stamps and mail her thank you cards. While she is there, she will meet a breast
cancer survivor.

The breast cancer survivor will share her story and give her tips on how to make it through this
difficult time. This will remind her that she has more decisions to make.

She will make another appointment with the radiation oncologist to seek knowledge to make the
next of her many decisions.