Does Stress Cause Cancer?

I haven’t really given much thought to why I have cancer, but now that I’m a little calmer in myself with fewer bouts of weeping and less anxiety I’ve been giving the question more consideration. Have I got cancer because I’m a bad person, or is the universe paying me back for some wrongs I’ve committed in the past? Maybe it’s the food I’ve eaten, or not eaten! The problem is that neither doctors nor scientists seem to know exactly what defines a ‘healthy lifestyle’.

I’ve never smoked, but enjoy a glass of wine with my evening meal and sometimes a whisky before bed. I’ve exercised forever, and I mean like a gym bunny. When I was working, I was at the gym at 5.30 am before going into the office. I’m a firm believer that exercise is health-giving as well as stress-busting. 

I’ve been thinking more and more about ‘why me’, partly because of a discussion with a lady in the next bed during chemo, who also has ovarian cancer. We both agreed that stress had probably caused, or played a part, in causing our illness. But what exactly is the trigger? I’ve had a number of stressful incidents over the years. However, I suspect that the final straw was when I received some very distressing letters and a phone call about six months before I started to feel something was wrong, but who knows?

Anyway, it’s been two days since my first round of chemo and I feel OK. I’ve had some twinges in my ovaries and stomach but nothing serious and no nausea. It feels like the chemo drugs are attacking my ovaries, which are saying, “Whoa! What the f**k’s going on now?” However, on a positive note, I’ve slept reasonably well, though I have a constant battle with Restless Leg Syndrome. On the negative side, the feeling of utter depletion is overwhelming. Sometimes, my head feels too heavy for my neck and permanent brain fog means I can’t multi task anymore.

So what is a typical day at the moment? In the morning, I usually try to write and reply to people who are checking in with me. I also do some small chores such as wash up the breakfast dishes or put the washing machine on. Rob, meanwhile, is now learning about how to clean a home! (During our working lives we had help in the house once or twice a week.) He’s now mad about keeping everything clean in the kitchen!  Oh, how happy that makes me. He wanted to go out and buy more chopping boards as he said we now can’t chop meat and vegetables on the same chopping boards.  I had to remind him that he’s never seen me chop meat and vegetables on the same chopping board, I’ve always used different ceramic boards. When I said that, he stared at me with big eyes. I could actually see the thoughts tumbling through his brain. Oh, how you can’t help but love him. Now, I think he’s using a new washing-up sponge every day because I see a different coloured scourer each morning. Soon, I expect to walk into kitchen and find him wearing a full hazmat suit…

Today, Rob’s exercised in the garage and after that we had a slow walk around the harbour, where we bought fruit. No grapes for me. Much as I love them, as I can’t peel and wash them! On instructions from my doctor, I now peel and wash any fruit I eat. This is to make sure I don’t ingest any harmful bacteria while my immune system is depressed.

I try and rest in the afternoons and evening because I’m too fatigued and I’ve found that if I try to work, even just answering messages, then it’s more difficult to settle down when I go to bed. Nevertheless, I’m extremely grateful for all the wonderful people who are constantly checking up on me. I just hope they understand if I sometimes can’t reply directly.

“It is not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” Hans Selye

Hans Selye (1907-1882) was a pioneering endocrinologist renowned for his work on the effects of stress on the human body.