The way to prevent mesothelioma is by banning asbestos. Research is vital in making progress for a cure. Banning asbestos in the United States will prevent future generations from acquiring these asbestos related diseases.
The Center for Disease Control- CDC- is charged with protection of public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease. As noted on the CDC website www.cdc.gov asbestos victims are still threatened by mesothelioma and other issues caused by asbestos exposure. According to data, an estimated 1.3 million construction and general manufacturing workers are potentially being exposed to asbestos. Approximately 1,700 metric tons a year of asbestos is still used in the U.S. in a wide variety of construction and manufacturing applications.
OSHA has tried to enforce limits of what is legal in the work place. OSHA has also taken the position that no level of exposure is safe. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency attempted to ban asbestos but were unsuccessful because of court challenges.
Each time we have the privilege of meeting new mesothelioma patients it reminds us that mesothelioma is not going away. We have seen patients as young as 18 and as old as 90. These patients are not statistics — they are all unique individuals with their own story to tell. For most the asbestos exposure happened years ago. The period from exposure to symptoms can be 20 to 40 years.
How do we raise awareness about the use and banning of asbestos in the United States? There is one organization that is dedicated to banning asbestos, Asbestos Disease and Awareness Organization- ADAO. Linda Reinstein and Alan Larkin founded this organization in 2004 after the death of Linda’s husband, around the same time a close relative of Alan’s also died from mesothelioma. For the 13th year ADAO is hosting a conference in Washington D.C. from April 7th to 9th at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel.
Getting involved in prevention and research for a cure is a positive way to honor all those effected by mesothelioma. Raising awareness amongst others and our government leaders that asbestos needs to be banned, educating all of us to the dangers of asbestos, can serve to honor all that have died and all that are suffering with asbestos related diseases.
– Lisa
This past weekend I had the honor of attending the Army- Navy football game. Although Army won, it was an experience of a lifetime. As we observed American finest young men and women in the prime of their young lives, healthy, it seemed like a foreign thought that some of them in the future could become victims of mesothelioma by simply choosing to serve their country.
In a study published in 2011 of pleural mesothelioma patients, 30% presented with unexplained weight loss. Losing weight for no reason can be a presenting symptom for different cancers. During a patient’s journey with cancer most all patients lose weight at some point. Some lose before and during treatment.
I recently read an article that was written about a man named Steve McQueen who had Mesothelioma. Steve McQueen was a famous movie actor in the 1960’s and 1970’s. This article was published in The New York Times almost 25 years since his passing. When reading the article, many things stood out to me. However, what stood out to me in particular was his path. When someone told him he had no more options in regard to his illness, he still moved forward.
Many of us plan so much for our lives, however, sickness is usually not included in the equation. We plan our marriages, children, vacations, but illness is not one we plan for or foresee. As a professional in the medical industry, we meet many types of patients. For instance, some patients want to know everything about their illness and others desire to know nothing at all. Despite what type of person they are, the first step in fighting an illness is a plan. Most people who plan appear to mentally have an easier course. Goals are what make us get up every morning and work hard. Goals become measurable and let us see improvement. That being said, it is important to have measurable goals. This is something people can still stick to even when everything is not going according to plan. In simple terms, when someone is diagnosed with an illness, the ultimate goal is to achieve better health.
