I have been thinking about Dana Reeves

[TallahasseeGrannie]

and her untimely death. She died of lung cancer and she never smoked.

I wonder if seeing her husband on a ventilator for so many years had any mind/body type of effect on her that somehow affected her immune system and allowed the cancer to start in her lungs, ironically.

I have no idea if that is hogwash or not. But I've been sitting and thinking...it is so ironic.

[KitchenWitch]

1. Stress does adversely affect the immune system.

[billyskank]

2. You don't have to smoke to get lung cancer

it just makes it significantly more likely.

[Shine]

3. It is ironic and tragic.

I've been thinking about their whole family all day. Esp. their son, Will, only 13yrs old. :cry:

What I think is also interesting is how they both went out BIG, so to speak. Lots of people knew when they checked out, in other words.

Their deaths have reminded us, collectively, as to the ephemeral natures of our lives....and to be grateful for life's everyday, simple pleasures because we're only passin' through....

:grouphug:

[skygazer]

4. The article I read said that 1 in 5 women diagnosed

with lung cancer NEVER smoked. That's a pretty grim statistic. I wouldn't doubt that stress affected her immune system - stress can do so many strange things to your health. That's why so many people go for so long before being diagnosed with things like depression - they get headaches, so they seek treatment for headaches. They have difficulty sleeping so they seek help for that. They have stomach problems like ulcers or IBS so they get treatment for that. Etc. Eventually, someone puts all the dots together and realizes it all stems from the same place - stress.

My doctor tells me to avoid stress - she's never explained how that's done. :shrug:

[KitchenWitch]

5. Yes, I love the "avoid stress" advice!

x(