As a 20 plus year veteran nurse, I understand the body’s processes and potential to truly heal and fully restore optimal health, and I employ the following information myself to help with insomnia, but foremost to prevent recurrence.

Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence is Achievable

My observations and medical and personal experience lead me to propose that it can take up to five years after treatment ends for restoration of health after breast cancer (due to the intense stress of physical, mental and emotional turmoil associated with a cancer diagnosis and treatment) provided there is no recurrence in that interval. Even if there is, sufficient sleep and rest will combat cancer growth as a primary defense.

Breast cancer patients can absolutely achieve a greater level of health that is above pre-diagnosis and combat /prevent recurrence with simple, intentional life changes.

Two foundationally important interventions which are dynamic inhibitors of disease (cancer, particularly) and deterrences to breast cancer recurrence are full nocturnal sleep and mindful daily rest.

Medical interventions such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation result in the primordial need for eight or more hours of sleep to effectively heal from the results of those interventions. Daily rest periods in our ongoing recovery are equally crucial.

Breast cancer treatment follow up in most cases is primarily a series of appointments, over the subsequent 5 years past treatment, dotted with some labs and scans, usually sparse in comparison with what feels safe or comfortable to the recovering breast cancer patient.

Most cancer patients will relay that they received no information in their post treatment plans that include either the teaching of the preventative power of full sleep cycles to prevention of recurrence, nor any other clinically proven (natural) actions to take which arm them against recurrence.

Rather, these plans universally focus on highlighting the fear of the “likely possibility” of recurrence. The patient is left looking over their shoulder (as my oncologist advised was my expectation) for the rest of their life and are unsure at best what to do to live confidant and cancer-free.

Most often, we are offered only the option of taking brutal medications that seriously inhibit our quality of life and mental health.

Refusing to live in hopelessness, I have researched many natural defenses which can tangibly be employed to combat insidious cancer regrowth, the most important of which is sleep.

How Does Lack of Sleep Cause a Risk Of Recurrence?

Most women do not get enough sleep to begin with, which predisposes the body to disease states and especially breast cancer, as it is commonly linked to adverse, imbalanced hormonal states, which occur with lack of REM sleeps.

The few studies done since 1976 on the results of poor sleep vs long sleep in post treatment breast cancer survivors reveal a correlation between recurrence and long sleep times (nine or more hours consistently, which is suspected to include fragmented, interrupted sleep), but document that the inconsistency across the board is whether or not these women had undiagnosed underlying conditions (such as depression, sleep apnea or heart disease) predisposing them to excess cancer-friendly cytokines caused by (disease-related) increased stress states. It is important to note that “long sleep times” did not necessarily mean actual uninterrupted sleep of nine hours duration, but rather, nine hours of being in bed attempting to sleep. What was confirmed was that persistently interrupted sleep, fragmented sleep, and short sleep times correlate positively with breast cancer recurrence.

Hormone restoration and distribution occur during sleep, but do not occur adequately in less than 8 hours of sleep. Aldosterone (regulates sodium and potassium) and renin (manages blood pressure) are two important renal (kidney) hormones necessary to help distribute cortisol (the fat and fluid retention stress hormone) and remove excess fat, toxins and fluid from the body, among other important anti-inflammatory and immune functions.

Reduced sleep and inconsistent sleep patterns distort the circadian rhythm of the body, altering the ways these and other hormones perform within the body’s natural defense against inflammation and disease. The end result is altered cell function, which produces disease states, profoundly, cancer.

A little known fact rarely discussed with breast cancer patients is that lingering DNA particles from (treated) and dying cancer cells move into the bloodstream and can lie dormant in the body. They become activated anytime later from diverse sources of persistent and excess inflammation such as stress, dehydration, cell starvation (not enough nutrients), lack of oxygen to organs and organ systems, and other internal states that hinder or halt the body in regenerating and restoring itself. (See this company’s information on ctDNA and end of article for more information. Ask your oncologist or PCP to order this for you. To pay out of pocket, if your insurance will not cover it requires just the doctor’s order and costs in the range of $80)

Chronic stress can cause insomnia and vice versa. In turn, vulnerable internal body regions (ex: mastectomy sites and lymph node(s) (function) restricted by excess, blocked lymphatic fluid) become rich environments for tumor growth. The lymphatic system is how displaced DNA from cancer cells get from one place to another in the body; in addition, body systems that are not consistently restored and regenerated during adequate sleep times are also highly vulnerable to altered cell division, which ultimately leads to abnormal cell growth. This abnormal cell growth if not checked or caught has a strong potential to become cancerous.This is what can cause a secondary or separate cancer state in the body.

What Happens During Sleep That Works To Prevent Recurrence?

The regeneration and restoration of cells and organ systems which occur during optimal sleep duration are imperative to health and especially in preventing cancer in the first place, as well as recurrence.

During sleep, the brain sends signals to the entire body, calling for a slowdown in most functions, elicits the release of necessary hormones that cause growth and repair to skin, muscles and tissues and more. Blood flow is increased to problematic areas for healing.

The brain also regenerates new brain cells, forms myelin (which protects the neural pathways) processes problems and thoughts through dreams and chemical reactions. These reactions reduce a constant of the negative stress-related “fight or flight response” states during the day as the body and mind has been “worked on” to create a more calm state. A body that stays in this FOF mode predominantly or frequently is incredibly strained and at risk for illness and overall system-wide decreased function.

Daily rest breaks, even in 5 minute intervals during the day, allow the body to stop demanding of itself to perform for a bit, giving itself a momentary reboot. This is necessary for mental and physical health.

Real Solutions To Insomnia and Jagged Sleep Patterns:

The insomnia related to (breast) cancer can be long-lasting, induced by several factors both inside and outside our control.

Our mental health is adversely affected by a diagnosis of cancer, the fear of dying, treatment modalities, (processes, techniques) the fear of the unknown, and many other deeply individual idiosyncrasies that, many times, breast cancer patients have no words to verbalize.

So, how in the world do we obtain enough adequate sleep to benefit from it?

1. Obtain Trauma Therapy. Getting professional help as soon as, but preferably before, you notice any changes in your mental and emotional health after diagnosis will go a long way in creating a calmer self and more peaceful life perspective. This will do wonders in restoring rest and sleep, especially if your mental and emotional health were compromised to begin with. This decision is a catalyst to our healing.

Therapy teaches us to reframe our thoughts (which are paramount to our health and healing) and experiences and arms us with new thought processes that highlight the importance of being compassionate to ourselves and focusing on the fact that “we are doing the best we can” in any given life situation. We must learn to stop living in guilt-producing self-condemnation. That will keep you up at night, by itself.

Effective therapy guides us to creating a peaceful mind, and teaches us positive times to focus on problems and form effectual solutions, rather than at bedtime, which we all naturally do. These changes positively produce optimal functions in the brain’s synapses causing less inflammation, irritation and unpleasant feelings, which inhibit falling and/or staying asleep.

2. Get a prescription. When lack of sleep is fostered or caused by menopause, chemotherapy effects, or the formidable radiation process, medicinal approaches appear to be imperative to successfully achieving restful sleep. I am 18 months post treatment and must take both Ambien and low dose Trazodone to sleep. I am not addicted. I need to sleep.

Here are some options: (Read this article about medications in the aforementioned link on sleep.)

• Ambien
• Wellamoon (this is new to me, but as a nurse, I see no problem with it and am going to try it!) Read the positives on the product, but also read the reviews on distribution.
• Trazodone
• Lunesta
• CBD, full spectrum hemp, and here (Important hint: for breast cancer treatment and prevention of recurrence, you will need higher, concentrated doses, including CBG and ThC. Yes, you can get an actual prescription or do your own rogue research to purchase.
• Restoril

3. Reboot your mind after a no sleep jag (and to prevent a long one). I realized recently during one of the 1–2 week episodes of (absolutely) no sleep I experience sometimes, that I was stressing so much at night to fall asleep, that I was actually keeping myself awake trying (I am sure you can relate). I expected to stay awake, so I did. Here are the simple things I do that help me break that cycle and begin returning to regular sleep:

• Move my pillow to the opposite end of the bed. (Why? I don’t know. It works a lot of the time.)
• Sleep in another bed (my child’s. I move him.)
• Not being the last one to go to bed. ( I am weirded out being the only one awake in the house after my diagnosis.)
• Invest at least $40 in a sound machine. Both my mother and I swear by them.
• Journal writing: getting feelings, frustrations and fears out on paper restores my inner center and I sleep every time.
• Purposely change my thought process each day after I experience no sleep, from a helpless outlook to one that reminds me I can still accomplish things and have a good day. This entails checking my feelings about the lack of sleep the night before (or the previous 5) which are usually a regalia of fearful responses (what if I never sleep?, what if brain metastasis is causing this?, I must have done something wrong and my conscience is pressing on me?, I’m so frustrated, I can’t do anything I want or need to after no sleep. This is hopeless.) Just a few pages into this book helped me dramatically change my perspective in dealing with bouts of insomnia.

Cancer cells thrive on strain and stress, so reducing daily stress and inflammation that occur from the hectic nature of life is an attainable goal we all have the power to work toward through rest and sleep.

Breast cancer patients do have many tangible options to create a hostile environment for breast cancer recurrence. We can survive and live out our lives healthy and confident in our ability to do so. Knowledge and education on our options always better our outcomes.

It’s difficult as a female many times to stand firm in self-care when we spend most of our waking time planning and executing the care of so many others in our lives. However, prioritizing our rest and sleep, is not debatable and cannot be compromised. We literally need it to survive our diagnosis.

Further Reading

See my other associated on Prevention of Recurrence:

The post Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence appeared first on Medika Life.

Researchers are waking up, but in the meantime, women suffer. A recent newspaper article summed up part of the problem.

A survey by ResearchGate, a social networking site for researchers, of studies on the site found five times more research on erectile dysfunction, which affects 19 per cent of men, than on premenstrual syndrome, which affects 90 per cent of women.

The journey I had may serve as an illustration of medical information neglect. I was taken from a train at Grand Central Station in NYC, hauled off to the downstairs medical office, and scoffed and scolded by a nurse who said I would have to be quiet and lie there. OK, perhaps they had nothing for me in terms of a pill, but a few comforting words might have helped.

I had doubled over on the train, nauseous, unable to walk because of the intense pain, and this was the care I got. Hours later, I would be put on another train to go home alone after they gave me aspirin.

It wouldn’t be the first time the pain had incapacitated me, nor the only time I couldn’t go to work that day because of it. I’d suffer with it despite many visits to various physicians and medical centers. One famous NYC gynecologist insisted she’d only prescribe birth control pills to control the pain — didn’t help, but she refused anything else.

The situation in the professional literature is summed up as follows:

Primary dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation in the absence of pelvic pathology, is a common, and often debilitating, gynecological condition that affects between 45 and 95% of menstruating women. Despite the high prevalence, dysmenorrhea is often poorly treated, and even disregarded, by health professionals, pain researchers, and the women themselves, who may accept it as a normal part of the menstrual cycle.

Yes, I’ve even had to depend on the kindness of strangers. Once, while at work, the pain and lowering of my blood pressure struck, and I had to go home via subway that time. Of course, to get to my home in my mother’s house, I’d have to change trains, and that was where a kindly Black woman came to my aid.

She saw how I looked and that I couldn’t possibly walk up the two flights of stairs to the next train, so she called my mother and asked her to come to get me. “I’ll stay with you until your mother arrives,” she said, and we sat on a bench together. We didn’t speak but knowing she was there provided more comfort than I had ever received while in this state. My mother came, and the woman left with a wish for me to feel better. I will never forget her.

After the unsatisfying appointment with the NYC OB/GYN (featured in Cosmo, BTW), I tried a major NYC medical center. The physician there told me he would be “your doctor now” and proceeded to put me into a clinical trial and “treat” me with a diuretic medication that lowered my potassium levels. Do you know what that does? It does nothing for menstrual pain, but it brings on a host of other problems instead. I stopped going back to him.

My next venture was to a physician (I can’t remember how I got his name), and he prescribed what turned out to be an addictive, highly effective medication that stopped the pain but increased my activity levels 100-fold and had me sweating profusely. It worked, and I was determined to stick with it until it was taken off the market because of its addictive qualities. Sorry, I can’t remember its name. I know a major NYC corporation’s onsite medical office regularly gave it to female employees.

Years later, I would be told how an aunt of mine had similar pain, and while taking her home, my mother met her future husband, who gave the two women a lift home. Yes, it ran in the family.

Still more years later, I discovered we have a genetic anomaly that may cause the pain as well as migraine, depression, miscarriage and a variety of other ailments. But, a researcher told me I shouldn’t worry because there’s a town in Australia where “half of the population has that genetic signature.” Oh, so comforting to know.

Menstrual Pain Known Causes

The evidence is there that women suffer, and there’s a paucity of research on why they suffer from this pain. But the literature has suggested several areas where some research has shown promise as to its roots in their research. Results of this work’s applicability to most women may be sadly limited.

After ruling out physical problems in adolescent females, such as endometriosis, fibroid tumors or underlying pathology, dysmenorrhea is often treated with NSAIDs, hormonal therapy, lifestyle changes and perhaps complementary medicine. The complementary medicines that are most usually recommended are peppermint, cinnamon, ginger and other herbs and supplements.

If endometriosis is a potential cause of the pain, referral to a gynecologist is recommended. The article, however, has an important caveat that indicates the etiology of primary dysmenorrhea is not completely understood…

The presence of a specific genetic configuration was found to be involved in a sample of women who experienced menstrual pain. Those with this genetic component were three times more likely to have pain than those who did not have the genetic condition. Not only did the condition cause pain, it had major implications for education and careers because of the lost days in school and work as a result of pain.

An investigation of a plethora of 566 articles on menstrual pain found that childhood adversity played a role. Sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder appeared to be associated with dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, and dyspareunia, but it was unclear whether this relationship was mediated by poorer mental health.

Now, those researchers brought in the factor of mental health. Are they intimating that the females had mental health issues that brought on their pain? Is this more “unconscious conflict” possibly about being female? Sounds like a throwback to me.

We are reminded, however, of the paucity of research (as noted in the ResearchGate investigation) on the subject and question the potential skewing of the pool of subjects for the studies. How many of those studies included a genetic component?

Another study looked at postural stability and menstrual pain. Did women who had this pain have difficulties in this area? It seems they concluded they did, but how would that account for the pain? More research needed and they recommended preventive rehabilitation strategies can be given to improve postural stability. Suppose they had included a genetic evaluation and didn’t concentrate solely on postural stability? Would they have come to a different conclusion?

The jury is still out on this one and there is no question that women deserve better information to provide relief that will benefit every area of their lives.

The post Women Suffer Because of Medical Misinformation About Debilitating Menstrual Pain appeared first on Medika Life.

Evert shared more details about her journey in the cancer realm, co-authoring an article with sports journalist Chris McKendry. It is a story of early detection, surgery, and chemotherapy for cancer that began in the tennis great’s fallopian tube.

Today, we look at Chris Evert’s experience before turning to some takeaway messages about cancers of women’s ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Here is how it began, according to a text from Evert to her friend McKendry:

“I can’t talk right now, but the pathology report came back today and revealed I have a malignant tumor in my fallopian tube; going in for more surgery next week then chemo … f — — me…”

Fortunately, the cancer is in an early stage. Evert discovered cancer while having a preventative removal of her uterus (hysterectomy). There appears to be no cancer elsewhere in her body. Now, Evert is receiving chemotherapy.

Ovarian cancer numbers, signs, and symptoms

We typically include cancer in the fallopian tubes under the general category of ovarian cancer. The fallopian tubes extend from the right and left ovaries to connect to the uterus.

There are an estimated 21,410 cases of ovarian cancer in the United States annually, according to the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Ovarian cancer represents 1.1 percent of all cancers and corresponds to about one in 10,000 women.

The Mayo Clinic (USA) explains that when ovarian cancer first develops, it is often not associated with apparent symptoms. When symptoms occur, they are often attributed to other, more common conditions. Here are some of the symptoms that may occur:

• Weight loss
• Abdominal swelling or bloating
• Quickly feeling full when eating
• Pelvic discomfort
• Tiredness
• Back pain
• Bowel changes (for example, constipation)
• A need to urinate frequently

Please see a health care professional if you have any symptoms of concern.

Ovarian cancer risk factors

It is not clear what causes cancer, but we know of risk factors that increase the probability of getting the disease. Ovarian cancer begins when cells in the ovaries or fallopian tubes develop genetic (DNA) changes or mutations. The cellular DNA instructs the cell what to do.

Mutations can lead the genes to tell the cells to grow and multiply quickly. The result? A mass or tumor of cancer cells. Unfortunately, the cancer cells can break off (metastasize) to spread to other parts of the body.

The American Cancer Society offers these risk factors for ovarian cancer:

• Being overweight or obese
• Having no full-term pregnancies before age 35
• Taking menopausal hormone therapy (estrogen alone or in combination with progesterone)
• A family history of breast, ovarian, or colorectal cancer
• A personal history of breast cancer
• Fertility treatment (in vitro fertilization (IVF) appears to increase a type of ovarian cancer known as “borderline” or “low malignant potential.”
• Smoking increases the risk of mucinous ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer — Inherited genetics

The next category applies to our tennis star — her sister died of ovarian cancer in 202 at age 62. The two sisters raced through the airport to make their flight to the WTA Finals in Singapore in October 2017 when Chrissie realized that her sister Jeanne was out of breath and couldn’t keep up.

• A family cancer syndrome — Up to 25 percent of ovarian cancers are a part of family cancer syndromes secondary to inherited changes (mutations) in specific genes.

In the case of the Evert sisters, both had an inherited mutation in BRCA1 (breast cancer gene #1).

Ovarian cancer can run in families; the more relatives with the disease, the higher the risk. And remember — this increased risk can come from your mother or your father’s side of the family.

Mutations in the BRCA gene are responsible for most inherited ovarian cancers. BRCA mutations are ten times more common in those who are Ashkenazi Jewish, compared with the general population in the United States.

Listen to this frightening statistic: The lifetime chances of getting ovarian cancer for women with a BRCA1 mutation is 35 to 70 percent. For those with a BRCA2 mutation, the risk by age 70 is between 10 and 30 percent.

Relevant to Chris Evert, these mutations also increase the risk of fallopian tube cancer. In contrast, the lifetime ovarian cancer risk in the general population is less than two percent.

Ovarian cancer prognosis

What are the odds of survival for our beloved tennis star? The US SEER database informs us that the overall survival chances are about 29 percent for ovarian cancer.

Chris Evert joins the 16 percent of those with ovarian cancer who catch it early (having risk-reducing surgery as a “preventative” maneuver). When caught in a localized stage, the odds of surviving ovarian cancer are 93 percent.

Early detection matters — for those with regional disease, the survival rates drop to 75 percent, and if the disease spreads to distant sites, it is 30 percent, looking at the 2011 through 2017 time frame. Fortunately, long-term survival rates have been improving significantly over time.

Ovarian cancer — Lowering your risk

The Mayo Clinic reminds us that there is no sure way to prevent ovary cancer. However, women may reduce their risk by taking birth control pills (oral contraceptives). These medicines have other risks, so it is crucial to dialog with well-informed healthcare professionals.

If you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancers, please discuss this with a health care team member. You may be referred to a genetics counselor. If you have a concerning gene mutation that increases your risk of ovarian cancer, many women consider surgery to remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes as a preventative maneuver.

Someday, we may have a better way to catch ovarian cancer early:Detecting Cancer: Dogs, Electronic Noses, and MoreOVARIAN AND PANCREAS CANCERS are challenging to diagnose early. In this context, I am delighted to bring you good news…medium.com

Left ovarian cancer, Stage IC3, high-grade serous type

As is the case for many women, Chrissie Evert had no noticeable symptoms. This lack of symptoms is not surprising, as early-stage ovarian cancer is challenging to detect. Evert also had annual tests for the cancer antigen 125 protein in her blood, and her imaging (ultrasounds and MRIs) was unrevealing. In this context, listen to Evert:

“I am so lucky. ” Evert speaks with the conviction of someone who has witnessed the unlucky. Continuing, she offers this advice: “Be your own advocate. Know your family’s history. Have total awareness of your body, follow your gut and be aware of changes. Don’t try to be a crusader and think this will pass.”

Ovarian cancer is uncommon. If you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, get genetic counseling and testing if indicated). Thank you for joining me today. One more thing: Inherited genetics such as the breast cancer gene mutations (BRCA1 and BRCA2) can affect men, too.

Today, one week ago, I saw this disturbing observation published: “Despite unequivocal recommendations for universal genetic testing in ovarian cancer, only 34 percent of patients [in the USA] with commercial insurance were tested between 2008 and 2018 — clear evidence it remains underused.”

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