Post-Treatment > Cognitive/Emotional Issues

does anyone think?

<< < (2/6) > >>

jazzfunkanne:
could be we all relate to stress in different ways, i dont know if we will ever know the answer

lori67:
I think that if AN's were caused by major stressful events, we'd all have one!  Or more!  I know I'd probably be dead by now!

I blame mine on a combination of genetics, bad luck, pregnancy hormones and having radioactive iodine treatment for an overactive thyroid.  And maybe growing up in NJ didn't help either.  Hmmm....maybe that pet goldfish I had once added to the list too, but for fear of this thread being relocated, I'll leave that alone.

Lori

Jim Scott:
Anne:

Thanks for the conversation-starter but I find this hypothesis difficult to accept, although it beats the cell-phones-cause-ANs theory.  Everyone experiences stress of some kind and as others have stated, if stress were a 'trigger', ANs would be ubiquitous.  During my 65 years, I've experienced many life events that were definitely stressful; including job loss and resultant financial problems that threatened our lifestyle (none too luxurious to begin with), a sick baby that had to be hospitalized and undergo surgery (he recovered nicely) a wife with ongoing medical problems, a near-fatal auto accident (in 1989) and so on.  I've lost both parents and so has my wife.  Friends have died unexpectedly and I still miss them.  Yada, yada, yada.  I'm certain most of the folks on this board could list similar stressful events in their lives.  Despite all this, my AN didn't manifest itself until I was 63, after I had retired and yes, I was very much enjoying my retirement, as was my wife.  No boredom or tension at home and a full life in every way that matters to us.  My surgeon commented that my AN was 'probably' growing for close to 15 years.  It finally grew large enough to manifest symptoms and motivate me to seek treatment.  I see no real connection to 'stress' and the unchecked growth of the Schwann cells of the vestibulocochlear nerve.  This is obviously a case of blaming 'stress' for whatever can't be adequately explained by medical science.  Happens all the time.  It is human nature to want concrete answers to vexing problems and someone is always around to offer one, often sans real evidence.  Hence, the dubious cellphone-AN theory, fish hatchery-AN theory and now, that old stand-by: 'stress'.   

I'm not a doctor or scientist , just another AN patient - and I'll stipulate that this theory may yet prove to have some validity - but I have my doubts.  'Stress' is real, as we all know, but while it's a fact that stress has negative effects on our health, I suspect it is becoming a catchall culprit for problems (such as acoustic neuromas) for which the medical community can't accurately pinpoint a cause.   

Jim

CROOKEDSMILE:
If AN's are stress related then my husband must have a basketball size one by now after being my support person/caretaker the last 15 months. Maybe an MRI should be ordered STAT~
Angie

Kaybo:
Even though it is an interesting theory, I can honestly say that I had no MAJOR trauma before my AN - I guess you could say I have had my fair share now!!  ;)  Truly, I was just the happy go lucky high school, college, first job & then marriage kid...so nope, really nothing too stressful even (unless you count some of those honors classes I took!).

K   ;D

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page