How many of you have/had difficult childhoods/marriages?

allicat1214

I have had chronic health issues all my life.

They started in 8th grade after my parents divorced and I was diagnosed with "nervous stomach" in mid 70s.

FF to today where in the course of a 30-year marriage to an increasingly abusive and now alcoholic man, I have had Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue and now ER+ breast cancer.

Over the years, I've read a lot about stress and chronic illness and I'm sure the impact of stress on my body caused my illnesses, but I didn't realize it could cause cancer. I discovered a book called "When the Body Says No" by Dr. Gabor Mate' where he cites numerous scientific research that proves that stuffing emotions can lead to breast (and other hormone-related) cancer. He even said numerous research called those who stuff their emotions "the cancer personality." ( http://drgabormate.com/book/when-the-body-says-no/ )

I've been on a quest for health and clarity since July when my daughter (DD19) pointed out that my husband was an alcoholic. It's been an 8-month quest for health since then and I've changed the way I eat, increased exercise, set out boundaries for him, and ultimately separated from him. I moved out between diagnosis and lumpectomy.

I haven't made final decisions about divorce and telling him he must change. He says he will do whatever it takes but I think he's just going through motions.

I've lost 39 pounds since then and felt guilty that I was so overweight and that could have led to the estrogen build up. But it hit me over the weekend when I saw an overweight woman that it wasn't just obesity that causes ER+ breast cancer because then all overweight women would have it.

I was a perfect storm of being overweight, hormones crazy, cortisol overload, and stuffing my emotions in an unhappy marriage and bad luck.

Today I am doing everything I can to prevent recurrence: eating right, exercising, using only natural ingredients on my body and in my home. Yet I read the latest report that recurrence in ER+ cancers could come as long as 5-10 years down the road and I should take tamoxifen or equivalent for 10 years. And it occurred to me that if I'm doing EVERYTHING to prevent recurrence, that means I more than likely will need to go through with a divorce.

Anyway, if you've read my rant, thanks. I was just wondering if there were many others out there like me.

fizzdon52

Yes, yes yes. I am sure the experiences I have had both with my childhood and my marriage have got something to do with my breast cancer. I am sure stress is a key factor as well as all the other things you mentioned like weight, etc.