University of Toronto Study

A study by the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and Dept. of Family and Community Medicine shows that people subjected to childhood physical abuse have higher odds of developing cancer in adulthood than those who have not been abused.  This 2009 controlled study showed a strong correlation despite confounding factors of childhood stress, socioeconomic status in adulthood and adverse adult health behaviors i.e. smoking, alcohol consumption and lack of physical exercise. 

One possible explanation may be a dysfunction in cortisol production.  Cortisol--aka the "fight or flight" hormone--is produced in the body's adrenal glands as a natural reaction to stress.  Prolonged childhood exposure to this hormone may contribute to the suppression of the immune system and the body's subsequent inability to fight disease. 

I live in a "Zits" cartoon

Being the parent of three young men--two post-puberty and one in the midst thereof--is never dull.  Or cheap.  These guys are reincarnated horses.  Open the refrigerator door and inhale.  Repeat until said fridge is empty.  That usually takes about a day.  Ditto for the pantry.  I've worn a groove in the road to the grocery store and am on a first name basis with most of the cashiers.  The guys at the deli counter laugh when they see me.  "What?" they ask, "Only three pounds of ham this time?"  I sigh and slowly wheel my wagon train to the checkout.  Unloading takes awhile.  "You MUST have kids," the lady behind me comments.  "No," I reply whilst rubbing my aching arms, "I have Clydesdales."  Cue weird look.

My guys do help me unload the family truckster....eagerly.   "Where's the Skittles?!" roars my youngest as he dives into one bag after another.  He has to fight off the other two looking for their own buried treasure.  I sigh as I watch the carnage and vow for the upteenth time to buy a horse trough and just dump the load of groceries...bags n' all...inside.   Then I smile.  These guys are big....and Budweiser just might be interested. 

"We are what we think.  All that we are arises with our thought.  With our thoughts we make our world."  Buddha

And with our thoughts, we CAN change it. :)

Fall colors

I know there are many who will disagree with me, but I sure miss my russet-colored October.  It's pink now, and while I'm all for breast cancer awareness, too much of a good thing is, well, too much.   Pink clothing, pink M&M's, pink ribbons, pink this and pink that.  I've even seen pink gardening tools.  Egads.  Don't know about the rest of you, but I "pink" I've had enough. 

Raising money and awareness are noble and necessary endeavors, but can I please, please see a wee bit less of spring hues and more of fall? The minute I see a pink jack-o-lantern I'm running for the hills...the russet-colored hills. :)

Making a link between child abuse and cancer

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I will be providing links to articles that discuss the possible correlation between childhood abuse and adult-onset cancer.  Here is the first:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.24372/pdf 

Forgiving the person who hurt us the most is a difficult--sometimes impossible--thing to do.  If you find yourself unable to forgive, first forgive yourself...then turn it over to God.   He will take care of it for you, and you can relax and find peace. :)

From Edgar Cayce:

"Be patient, all. For all will pass through, in material experience, the greatest bounty of all. When ye fail here or there, ye must learn thy lessons. Humility, patience, faith. These make for the proper relationships, of the MIND; that is the builder for the Body, for the Soul."  262-9

I have heard both publicly and privately from a few people who strongly believe that my idea of a connection between childhood abuse and breast cancer is completely wrong.   They argue that there is no medical proof or studies to suggest such a link (not true, and I will post some of these later), and that I am placing the "blame" for getting cancer on the victim.   Exploring the mind/body connection through other avenues (i.e. Edgar Cayce, Deepak Chopra, Louise Hay etc.) has elicited strong, negative reactions.   That's ok with me.  I respect these opinions but would like to suggest that maybe intellectual or scientific reasoning does not hold all the answers.  

Our opinions and experiences are generally shaped by our five senses...what we see, hear, feel, taste or touch.   We also place high regard on those experts who do the same--those scientists and researchers who base their conclusions in materiality.  But my question is this: why do we limit ourselves to those five senses when we have another based in spiritual reasoning?  We are spiritual beings...pure energy...and most of us completely ignore or deride that aspect of ourselves.   Some will argue that what cannot be seen, heard or felt can therefore not exist, and that what psychics and intuitives experience is baloney.   Are we so afraid to consider another possiblity...so entrenched in our material lives--that anyone who suggests there is something more is automatically wrong?  

I suppose that if the door to one's mind is firmly closed, nothing I or anyone else says can open it.   But for those of you willing to consider that we are more than just biological creatures surviving only by good luck and coincidence, I invite you to open that door just a crack, and take a peek at what's on the other side.  You may be shocked, surprised or even fascinated by what you begin to experience, because when the door begins to open?  God walks in. :)

I am reading "The Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships" by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D.  This is a wonderfully insightful book written in plain, easy to understand language.  It addresses anger...something we all feel but don't always use in a constructive way. 

Women have been indoctrinated since birth to hold in anger.  It isn't feminine or lady-like to show it.  Those who do are labeled bitches, hags, shrews or worse.  Men are uncomfortable with angry women...many will even say we are irrational or unbalanced.   It's ok for them to get angry, but us...not so much.  The thing is, we all feel anger in our relationships, but we don't always understand what's behind it...or how to use it correctly to address a problem before it becomes a crisis.  This book shows you how.

I was absolutely amazed to see myself in the stories and advice offered here....wow.  My relationships have suffered significantly from "the dance"....well....I have chosen to stop dancing to this tune....maybe I'll try salsa instead...:)

BTW....this book is great for men too...:)

Don't be a hostage to the past...just let it go and make a conscious choice to be  happy. :)

A tough topic

Knowing how the topics of child abuse and cancer are difficult for many to think about let alone talk about,  I'm pretty certain that few people are comfortable reading my blog.  Even fewer will be at ease with posting a response.  That's ok.   I expect that.  My own family is probably uneasy, but rest assured that even though I'm bringing this "out of the closet,"  there are some things that won't be shared here out of respect for those I love.  

I was thinking about how many people don't like to get involved when they know or suspect that something isn't quite right with another person.  Whether it's abuse or cancer, it's far easier to turn away or pretend you don't see.  "It's not my business" is often cited as the reason.  Sticking one's neck out on behalf of another is hard to do...you're taking a risk of course, but isn't the welfare of another human being worth it?  

Most folks would say that we're all individual...separate and apart from everyone else.   I don't believe so.   All life--human, plant and animal--is connected.   What affects one affects all.  A collective energy binds us together, so when one of us is sick or depressed or abused, the rest--unknowingly--feel it too.   The same thing happens with kindness, compassion and love.   It spreads like ripples on a pond.   It's up to us whether or not we're sending out positive energy or negative energy.    I'll pick the alliance over the dark side every time. :)

9/11

Remembering on the tenth anniversary all of the souls who perished on this day, their friends and families.  God bless you all.

It was the best of times....not

I was born in 1960, the first child in my family.  Marcie followed a year later, and two more sisters arrived in quick succession.  Four girls in four years.  My only brother (you have to pity the poor guy...lol) came along after that, rounding out our Catholic clan.   My mother had five kids by the time she was 26.   I can't even imagine what that was like for her.   No wonder she rebelled and started taking birth control.   I didn't even have my first until I was 28 and waited a few years before having my second.   I may have kept my ears closed to my mother's advice at times but certainly had my eyes open to her example.

Life for us kids was....difficult.  That's putting it nicely.    The one thing about my childhood that has stayed with me even until now is this....the FEAR.  I was afraid...always afraid.   Afraid of my parents....my mother's anger and my father's sexual abuse.   Afraid for my younger siblings...how to protect them?  Afraid of bringing home a bad grade, afraid of disappointing my mother,  afraid of being noticed (not seen and not heard was best),  afraid of the nuns at my school (got slapped across the face on my very first day there for crying, and I won't even talk about the piano-teaching nun from hell.  Until a few years ago the smell of coffee brewing--prevalent in the convent-- caused a visceral reaction in me: gut-wrenching anxiety), afraid of not doing my chores correctly...afraid, afraid, afraid.   The kind of fear that makes you hide behind your bedroom door for hours on end or stay outdoors all day long because of what...or who...waits inside.   That was my world...and Marcie's...and the rest of my siblings.   It was not a wonderful life......

Hello and welcome

As a 12-year survivor of breast cancer who was negative for all known risk factors, I have often wondered why both my younger sister, Marcie, and I were stricken with breast cancer in our thirties.  I now believe that our history of childhood abuse was the trigger that initiated biological changes in our bodies. 

Seventy-five percent of all breast cancer cases are attributed to unknown causes.  Surprisingly, a poll I've conducted on an online breast cancer forum shows a striking correlation between early childhood abuse/trauma and the later development of breast cancer. 

I believe strongly in the mind/body connection.  Few medical experts dispute its existence.  In fact, I have discovered some medical studies researching the possible link between child abuse and breast cancer.  My book will explore these studies and the holistic approach to mind/body theory.  I will also relate survivors' stories--firsthand accounts from women around the world.

The current rate of breast cancer in women is one in eight.  By investigating this topic and shedding light on the ability of the human mind to improve one's health, I hope to lessen those odds and bring comfort to other victims of abuse by empowering them with the knowledge they need to change their lives.