Cancer and HIGH stress

I did have a really bad time two days before my chemo pump was to be removed. I got urethra blockage from an accumulation of white blood cells and crystals caused by the radiation treatments, and could no longer pee. After some difficulty, they were able to put a catheter in, and the ER doctor came in to talk with me. He thought it was urinary retention due to my morphine, and other various drugs (that was several days before we found out it was actually from the radiation treatments). The doctor was very concerned about my cancer more than anything. He said he was concerned because he was the same age as me, and wanted to know how i could've gotten rectal cancer at this age (i'm 38). I told him i was certain i got it from a prolonged heavy dose of stress that was put on me during my nightmarish divorce. He didn't believe that at all. He said that many people live stressful lives, and don't get cancer. He is right about that. I tried to explain to him that the stress that caused my illness was anything but normal. During my separation, my ex moved back into the family home with me. There was nothing i could do about it, and could not move out myself. We were fighting bitterly over a settlement in court while fighting bitterly living together too. I had to deal with his trashy girlfriends coming in and out of my home, and not knowing whether i was going to end up on the streets or not at any given moment. I remember all the court incidents having a hair brained attorney that knew more about the molecular structure of toothpaste than she did about my case. The stress was so intense at one point i lost feeling in my legs for twenty minutes, and thought i had gone paralyzed. I think now it was a nervous breakdown. My nerves have never been the same since. That whole experience started five years ago, and lasted for two years.

Enter my diagnosis and staging...I've had cancer for three to five years, according to my surgeon. The same exact two years as that nightmare divorce. Everything came into focus at that moment. I was symptomatic for two years prior to my diagnosis. They were chronic, and only seemed to manifest in moments of stress. Any stress at that point would trigger severe abdominal pains, and an uncomfortable run to the bathroom. Sometimes i'd even get fevers and secondary infections. I know this may seem strange, and even unfathomable, but i have talked to others who believe high stress caused their cancer, and i have since read some studies on it. I am absolutely convinced, without any doubt whatsoever that it was stress that triggered my cancer. Whether or not i would've gotten it eventually due to genes, bad diet, or predisposition. I would like very much to hear from anyone else who believes their illness was caused by stress. I don't care how long your story is, i have nothing better to do, and i think this is a very interesting topic.

Oh, by the way, i got really sick with stress when we had to evacuate from the wildfires this past week. I had a surge of adrenaline trying to rescue all of our farm animals, and practically lifted a 400 lb donkey myself to get it into the trailer. The stress had me in agony for days afterwards, but i'm feeling better now. The fire flanked us on both sides, and some of our neighbors lost their homes, but all we got was some soot and smoke damage. Nothing that can't be fixed. My heart goes out to those who lost their homes.

Many hugs,
Krista