in my previous post i mentioned that
i received contact from a reader asking that i
share her story of battling cancer.
with the recent chain of events, i couldn't
help but feel like this is something i was destined to do.
without further ado, i welcome Heather!
here is her story:
Finding
out that you have cancers is one of the most devastating experiences that can
happen in your lifetime. I know, because I've gone through this harrowing
event.
Just 14 weeks after giving birth to my child, I found out that I suffered from a specific kind of cancer. It's called malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer and is a cancer that attacks the lungs. It usually happens after exposure to asbestos. I had it, even though I had never worked in asbestos factory or even been in a building with asbestos insulation.
Just 14 weeks after giving birth to my child, I found out that I suffered from a specific kind of cancer. It's called malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer and is a cancer that attacks the lungs. It usually happens after exposure to asbestos. I had it, even though I had never worked in asbestos factory or even been in a building with asbestos insulation.
Most people can't believe
that I contracted a type of cancer associated with this material. After all,
they usually think asbestos was banned decades ago. After they get over their
initial shock, a lot of people wonder where I was exposed. The truth is that
asbestos has only been banned in some countries and in some very specific
applications; the material is still used. My exposure was through my father's
work clothes.
My dad worked in construction as a drywall taper. That meant that he cut, sanded and handled products that were made with asbestos. He brought the dust home on his work clothes, but it also found its way into his car and many areas of our home. This apparently harmless white dust was actually full of billions of tiny, dangerous fibers.
It was actually very unusual for me to receive a diagnosis in my mid-30s. Most of the people who end up with mesothelioma are older guys who have worked in construction or factories. A significant percentage of them got exposed in the military. Female patients are usually the wives of factory or construction workers who were exposed while doing the laundry.
Of course, working in a school or other building that contains a lot of asbestos can also harm you, as can being exposed to a parent who has the powder on his or her clothes. I was among the first of a generation of mesothelioma patients who found out their cancer came from their parents' jobs. Hugging my father when he got home from work, and putting on his white dusty jacket to feed the rabbits is responsible for my exposure to asbestos.
The more time I spend in the mesothelioma community, the more I get to know other young patients. These people are in their 20s and early 30s, with careers, children and marriages. It all comes to a stop when they find out they have cancer, however. Mesothelioma can completely derail your life.
The good news is that many new treatment options are available for people with this disease. More people survive it and go on to live their lives free of mesothelioma.
It's true that it can be devastating to find out that you have cancer, but it isn't the end of everything. Like other patients with this condition, I hold onto hope and share my experiences with the community. We're working to support each other, increase awareness and reduce the risk of even more young people hearing those tragic words: “You have cancer.”
My dad worked in construction as a drywall taper. That meant that he cut, sanded and handled products that were made with asbestos. He brought the dust home on his work clothes, but it also found its way into his car and many areas of our home. This apparently harmless white dust was actually full of billions of tiny, dangerous fibers.
It was actually very unusual for me to receive a diagnosis in my mid-30s. Most of the people who end up with mesothelioma are older guys who have worked in construction or factories. A significant percentage of them got exposed in the military. Female patients are usually the wives of factory or construction workers who were exposed while doing the laundry.
Of course, working in a school or other building that contains a lot of asbestos can also harm you, as can being exposed to a parent who has the powder on his or her clothes. I was among the first of a generation of mesothelioma patients who found out their cancer came from their parents' jobs. Hugging my father when he got home from work, and putting on his white dusty jacket to feed the rabbits is responsible for my exposure to asbestos.
The more time I spend in the mesothelioma community, the more I get to know other young patients. These people are in their 20s and early 30s, with careers, children and marriages. It all comes to a stop when they find out they have cancer, however. Mesothelioma can completely derail your life.
The good news is that many new treatment options are available for people with this disease. More people survive it and go on to live their lives free of mesothelioma.
It's true that it can be devastating to find out that you have cancer, but it isn't the end of everything. Like other patients with this condition, I hold onto hope and share my experiences with the community. We're working to support each other, increase awareness and reduce the risk of even more young people hearing those tragic words: “You have cancer.”
mesothelioma, please visit Heather's website:
http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/heather/
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