Stress vs. Immune System Research

[Tom]

This article reveals the physiological mechanism by which stress impairs the immune system, allowing diseases including cancer, to take a foothold. So let's try and relax people...lol. Yeah, right.


http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/12/04/051205001220.1k2kjzco.html

[al from Canada]

LOL is right all right! This paradigm has been well excepted for 20 - 30 years, eversince the first movie star in Hollywood heard that his dog got run-over by a bus and he put both hands on the left side off his chest, had this groteque grin on his face and collapsed......enter Marcus Welby MD who sends the patient to a commune in the San Fernando Valley to get some spiritual therapy.

All LOL aside; after the inital diagnosis and your first infusion of the "red devil", how many oncs worry about your level of stress. They assume that if you need some ativan or celexa you will ask for it. And how about us caregivers (patients in waiting according to the article), forget it. I'm not laying blame on our doctors...I'm merely reiforcing the fact that you have to form a medical partnership, you know your body best and if the little red light in your head starts to go off.....Do somthing about it!
Thanks for the article Tom and thanks Maryanne, for my cyberspace initiation with LOL!!

Have fun guys,
Al

[Tom]

You said a mouthful that time Al. I actually asked the onc the other day, how he can walk through the infusion suite every day, smiling, as we listen to the occasional patient in a side room wretching their guts into a plastic basin.

This is the most stressful thing I have done since caring for my Dad as his cancer consumed and finally took him. I try to direct my stress into an anger-based pursuit of solutions. I get more relief from talking with you guys on this website, via posts or now chat, than I would from a bottle of Ativan. I can't relax unless I think I am doing something positive to help Mom physically, or find out how to help her through reading.

I really enjoyed yakking with you and the others during the chat session last night. I feel like I know you personally. I at the very least, have some idea what you are going through being the loved one of a breast cancer patient. I apologize for blabbing so profusely in the chat room, but I had so many things swirling in my head by the time I logged on, that I was afraid I would forget to mention something. Next time, I think I'll sit back and just read the chat posts. I have always enjoyed your posts on this site, and find them most stimulating...like I need more stimulation...lol. Have a beer for me tonight. I'm afraid if I started to imbibe for relaxation, I might never stop till my liver exploded.

Thanks again to all that participated last night. Let's do it again sometime soon.

Best Wishes,
Tom

[Lolly]

I'm sorry I missed the chat last night; I got busy getting our Christmas tree up and totally forgot! I'll tie a piece of string around my finger for the next one :)

<3 Lolly