All that we don't know

I don’t spend a lot of time wondering how I got breast cancer. I basically believe we encounter a lot of non-point-source carcinogens throughout our lives, and cancer’s genesis in a person largely remains a medical mystery. We know that certain factors are correlated with an increased risk of breast cancer, including:

-sedentary lifestyle
-obesity

-smoking

-moderate alcohol consumption (3 drinks/week or more)

-early-onset menses

-family history/breast cancer gene

-diet high in animal fat

-not bearing children or bearing first child after age 30

-not breastfeeding

-advanced age

I don’t have a single one of these risk factors, and two years ago a life insurance company examined me inside and out and deemed me fit for the ultra-healthy rock-bottom rate (ha, fooled them!). But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t or shouldn’t have gotten cancer, just that it was statistically less likely. Overall, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is about 12 percent. For women with more risk factors, that risk increases; with fewer, the risk declines, but it's not zero for anyone.

When I first met with a surgeon at Swedish, he took my medical history and I could see his internal head-scratching (I really am ridiculously healthy apart from this little cancer thing)… until he took my social history and learned my husband died two years ago in an accident.

“No wonder you got cancer,” he said. “You’ve been under a lot of stress.”

I felt an immediate warmth toward him, an intuitive feeling that this was the right person to lop off my boob. He gets that we don’t understand everything, I thought, that there is a connection between our social-emotional situation and our bodies.  

I don’t necessarily think stress “caused” my cancer any more than Chernobyl did (the latter is one of my physician father’s theories--it's a long story). But I’m intrigued by the connection between our feelings and our health.

One of the most fascinating pieces of journalism I have ever read is Tara Parker-Pope’s “Is Marriage Good For Your Health?”, published in April 2010 in the New York Times Magazine.* The short answer is, generally yes, but the more interesting and complex part of the story is that researchers have begun to correlate physiological responses to marital interactions.

One study used a suction device to make eight tiny blisters on a married couple’s forearms; the couple was then asked to discuss something pleasant and, in a separate session, a topic designed to evoke conflict. Researchers measured the rate of healing after each session:   

“After the blistering sessions in which couples argued, their wounds took, on average, a full day longer to heal than after the sessions in which the couples discussed something pleasant. Among couples who exhibited especially high levels of hostility while bickering, the wounds took a full two days longer to heal than those of couples who had showed less animosity while fighting.”

Lots of other studies corroborate the narrative. A Swedish study of women who had heart attacks found that women who reported marital stress had three times the rate of repeat heart incidents. Another researcher “coded” the emotional tone of married couples’ interactions and compared it to the subjects’ coronary calcium scores, concluding, “the emotional tone of a marital fight turned out to be just as predictive of poor heart health as whether the individual smoked or had high cholesterol.”

At the time I read it, I resolved to be a better, more loving spouse. I was also deeply struck by the notion that stress and negative emotion can destroy our bodies, and that kindness and affection can help keep us healthy. And of course, I wish the medical world would focus more on humans and less on interventions and pharmaceuticals, but that's another story. 

 *Here's a link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/magazine/18marriage-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=

Pics of the week...

I was surprised and so deeply moved to see this postcard from Juneau ... I love my friends and community so much. Thank you. (Photo by Steve Quinn)

My beautiful daughter also turns out to be a kickass runner. With my lovely friend Sonia in background. Love this pic! (Photo by Steve Quinn)

If I suck it up and drive a few hours, I can find something approaching the beauty of Alaska! Camping and hiking with KK and kids at Mt. Rainier was wonderful. (Photo by Guy On Trail Who Cut Off Our Legs)

Exploring the White River, near our campsite.

A visit with Brian and Hatcher capped the week. (Selfie)