Update

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-13-2004
Update
7
Wed, 12-15-2004 - 6:01pm

hi there everyone--

Just wanted to quickly tell you that I am doing fine with the cancer care--I will recover. The chemo isn't making me puke so far and I am doing really well emotionally. Family and friends are amazing, as are my boss and my co-workers. I am working at home almost exclusively--I have quite the set-up! And in case you are curious, XMM is still being a good friend and giving me positive support with no reference to our inappropriate relationship from the past. My whole situation with regard to getting over my A has settled due to my focus of attention shifting to breast cancer survival.

I have been reading a lot about women's health and cancer. All you please remember to stay aware of what your body is telling you about your helath status. There is a really good book out there called "Intuitive Healing" by Beth Moran. I HIGHLY recommend it to each of you. One of the specific things that I want to mention to you guys is a part in this book about relationship problems and what the stress from them does to your bodies. The author is a certified nurse practitioner and in her practive she is amazed by the women who present with things like fibroid tumors -- women who also have relationship problems occuring in their lives. The women who are having issues in their relationships have a much higher incidence of "female type" health problems. Most physicians don't ask about what else is going on in our lives. They usually address the symptoms presented (I am not knocking the medical profession--I have some EXCELLENT physicians--it's just that we need to take control: ask questions, get the facts, and LISTEN TO WHAT OUR BODIES ARE TELLING US.

There are so many new people on this board, many of you may not remember me. There are good thangs and bad things about so many new people, but I commend each of you for being here. There is great support here :-)

Happy Holidays!

Meg

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2003
In reply to: meg_at_peace
Wed, 12-15-2004 - 7:35pm

HI Mag

Glad to here that your doing well, NO QUESTION YOU WILL BEAT IT.

One thing I have learned is that on top of what ever problems that may exsit in your marriage AFFAIRS add a huge amount of stress to your life and it does effect your health no question about it as they say STRESS IS A KILLER, anyone prepared to die for there affair.

Health and best wishes to you

Free

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-13-2004
In reply to: meg_at_peace
Thu, 12-16-2004 - 5:20pm

Thanks, Free. You're right -- stress affects our bodies in many ways. Not sure that the cancer started because of the A, but it certainly helps the receovery process to be relaxed and stress-free :-)

Take care...

Meg

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-23-2004
In reply to: meg_at_peace
Fri, 12-17-2004 - 5:18pm
Meg, I am glad that your are doing well. Loving support is very important in treatment and recovery. How is your H handling this crisis for you? Is he providing you with comfort and support? My best wishes be with you.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-13-2004
In reply to: meg_at_peace
Sat, 12-18-2004 - 10:21am

Thanks Jackson :-)
My H is providing a ton of comfort and support through this difficult time. I think he is taking the whole thing harder than I am though! All along he has been a great guy; he was never my problem, nor my reason to start my A--he gave me no reason to stray when I did. He really is a gem.

Meg

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2003
In reply to: meg_at_peace
Sat, 12-18-2004 - 2:59pm

Meg

Stress has been proven to surpress the immune system, not saying it caused cancer just that it may possibly contribute to a reduced ability to keep it in check, I was reading and it said that everyone has cancer all the time (one or two cells) but the body deals with it most of the time but for some reason in some cases it gets out of control.

An interesting subject

Free

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-13-2004
In reply to: meg_at_peace
Sat, 12-18-2004 - 6:14pm

Yes, I think stress does a ton of really bad things to our bodies. In my case, I also eat a lot of junk food...sugar and fat are the worst things we can put into our bodies! But meditation, relaxation and eliminating stress have been a big help to me.

I can't agree that stress causes cancer. Medical science has come a long way in treating cancer, but we still don't know why certain people get it and others don't. If stress caused cancer, we'd all be jumping to that other board :-) But unfortunately we haven't stumbled upon the root causes of cancer--and there are so many different types--even breast cancer has several different cell types, which dictate many different treatment approaches.

happy holidays to all of you :-)

Meg

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2003
In reply to: meg_at_peace
Sat, 12-18-2004 - 9:13pm

Meg

I was not suggesting that stress causes illness so much as it may reduce the ability to fight it, I expect were it comes to many ilnesses like cancer there is a genetic predisposition that may get triggered by enviromentel issues (to many potato chips, if so I am a goner for sure ;o} ) chemicals and the like.

They spend billions each year learning about it so maybe one day we will not have to worry or wonder any more.

Mary Christmas

Free