Breaking the news: How do you tell your kids someone in the family is dealing with a serious illness?

I got the news on a Friday afternoon. The three words you never want to hear: You. Have. Cancer.

I was 45 years old. My daughters were 5 and almost 2. What would I tell them? When? And how much would they need to know?

I was one of the lucky ones. Not only was my breast cancer caught early (Stage 1), but my daughters were so young that after my lumpectomy, I only had to tell our 5-year-old not to hug me on my right side for a while. I didn't need chemotherapy, so I never lost my hair. ...