Mesothelioma Help Cancer News

“Ring of Theory”

• Nancy Meredith
• For Your Family

When a friend or family member is diagnosed with mesothelioma, knowing what to say to them is critical. Jennifer Gelsick, whose father is fighting the disease, offered some suggestions about saying the right thing like ensuring what you say “comes from the heart.” Now, a clinical psychologist offers the “Ring of Theory” as a guideline when communicating to mesothelioma patients and others who are facing a debilitating disease or other serious medical condition.

In an April Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times, Susan Silk proposes using a series of concentric circles as a “simple technique” to help people avoid the mistake of saying the wrong thing. The theory being that the patient has the right to say anything he or she would like. As Silk explains, the patient “can kvetch and complain and whine and moan and curse the heavens.” But, anyone else talking to the patient or close family member needs to consider “if what you are about to say is likely to provide comfort and support.”

Mesothelioma is a scary disease, and dealing with the treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, are challenging. During this time, patients and caregivers are under a lot of stress and the more help you can provide the better. Sometimes listening is better than saying the wrong thing.

To build the ring, write the patient’s name in the center of a piece of paper and draw a circle around it. Next, write the name of the person closest to the patient outside that circle, such as the spouse or child, and draw another circle. Continue adding names and circles until you have a “kvetching order,” as Silk calls it, with those closest to the patient in the smaller, inner rings, and friends and colleagues in the larger, outer rings.

Saying things like, “I don’t know if I can handle this,” to the spouse of someone who may have a terminal diagnosis, is not helpful, and is inappropriate, according to Silk. The spouse needs someone to offer comfort, and does not want to offer comfort to someone else. Although you may be upset, discuss your feelings with someone in the outer circles and farther removed from the trauma.

“Remember, you can say whatever you want if you just wait until you’re talking to someone in a larger ring than yours,” said Silk.

Dealing with Mesothelioma and The Reality of this Disease

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma

The sad thing about having any illness, be it cancer or arthritis, is that no one tells you how it will really affect you. Having mesothelioma is no different. There are thousands of websites out there telling you how you will be diagnosed, the outcome of the cancer and the treatments available, but no one tells you the ins and outs of what to really expect.

I have tried over the years to convey how I am feeling through my blog – “Mesothelioma – Jan’s Journey.” I didn’t write my blog when I was originally diagnosed or when I was on chemotherapy for the first two cycles. In a way I am pleased I didn’t because I went through a living hell, but that was me, not everyone is the same. Unfortunately, a lot of sites don’t truly represent that you may go through this or that.

I know there are several discussion groups on line these days, boy do I wish they had been there in my early days. The internet has helped many get answers, but still the sites we hope will give us the information we desperately seek, sometimes don’t.

Mesothelioma is a strange cancer, it is the second most painful to endure, the first being bone cancer. Over the years I have surfed the net to see if anyone was having the same symptoms as I was going through, but many times I was left with no answers.

I am glad to share my story on MesotheliomaHelp because this site is unique by offering the perspectives of a caregiver (Jennifer Gelsick), a nurse (Lisa Hyde-Barrett) and a patient. I know that all the information presented is thoroughly researched, and they turn to me sometimes to get “real information.” I hope that by sharing my information here, I can help others find the reality of what happens to people with mesothelioma.

I was quite happy believing that mesothelioma was what they classed as a local cancer, that means it didn’t travel to other areas but stayed in the area it was found. In my case, it is in my left lung. Now we know that mesothelioma can travel, in some cases it has even traveled to the brain. But this isn’t what this article is about, it’s about the lack of knowing what to expect.

Many of us mesothelioma patients have had fluid at one time or another, either in our lung or abdomen, depending on which site the cancer has flourished. In those articles we read it doesn’t say that the fluid can make you feel unwell. Usually you can’t describe how you feel other than you are clammy, sweaty, maybe your temperature is up and you feel like you are getting a chill. If this happens, you should go to your doctor immediately.

If you have flown recently and feel this way it could be fluid, a pneumothorax or a DVT.  Where does it tell you this? Nowhere, but now you know.

Recently, I noticed my stomach was increasing in size, when I returned from holidays not only could I not zip up my jeans, but they didn’t even come close to fitting me. My stomach had ballooned. I had mentioned the growth of my stomach to my doctor prior to my holiday, and I was told that the excessive weight I had on my stomach was probably middle age spread, even though I am relatively slender.

One morning, a couple days after I returned home, I felt as I described above, clammy, etc., and I went to my doctor who sent me for an X-ray. The doctor there had me admitted to another hospital. At first they were only interested in my lung, my good lung now had fluid. I just happened to mention my stomach. On examination they found it was full of fluid, it had probably been accumulating for months and whether the flight had exasperated this or not I will never know. Although it felt like a struggle to get results, finally I had nearly 4 litres of fluid drained from my abdomen, and it is just now slowly returning to a more normal size.

Trying to research whether this was normal for someone with pleural mesothelioma was a dead end. Once again, now you know because of my experiences. I don’t know if it is normal, perhaps nothing that happens with mesothelioma is normal, but it can and does happen.

People writing about their own experiences can help those who aren’t sure if what they are going through is part of the disease. Does this happen? Should I feel this way? These questions are only answered on discussions or by those willing to share what they have gone through.

With mesothelioma it is hard to say this could or couldn’t happen. My illness has given me totally different symptoms to many that I know, while theirs has acted differently to mine. Do most people want to know what they may have to face while dealing with this deadly killer?

By going to the personal blogs out there like Lou’s, Mavis, Tess, and Linda’s [other mesothelioma warriors who blog about their experiences] to name but a few, we know people are looking for more information. Information on how to survive and whether what they feel is what becomes normal.  On my own blog, many search keywords come up like How Do you die from mesothelioma? Can you feel it growing?

I think it is important for mesothelioma patients and their families to know the medical facts of the disease, but it is almost more important to understand the reality of the disease. Perhaps by sharing the “raw” details of what I have gone through for so many years I can allay some of the fears of others, and give them a place to go for what they are up against.

Considering the Workers Facing the Risk of Mesothelioma On Labor Day

• Nancy Meredith
• Asbestos Exposure

Mesothelioma is one of many cancers that is still considered to be incurable, and the tragedy is that mesothelioma is an entirely preventable disease. Associated with exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs, chest or abdomen that is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

Most at-risk for developing mesothelioma are trade workers such as insulators, plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, sheet metal workers, auto mechanics, refinery and factory workers, construction workers and shipyard workers linked to asbestos exposure in workplaces.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1.3 million construction and general industry workers in the United States potentially are being exposed to asbestos.

The World Health Organization estimates that asbestos causes approximately half of all deaths from occupational cancer, and 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in the workplace due to lack of knowledge about the risks.

Today, as Americans celebrate the Labor Day holiday, a federal holiday designated as a day to celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers, remember that many workers continue to endure unnecessary health risks from asbestos exposure.

Most often mesothelioma patients had been exposed to asbestos over a period of years. Mesothelioma has an extended latency period and strikes 15 to 60 years after exposure to asbestos. Each year 2,500 to 4,000 patients in the U.S. are diagnosed with mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseasesaw.

Mother / Daughter Bond Gets Stronger When Mesothelioma Threatens

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma, Uncategorized

I have always been incredibly close to my parents.  Being an only child, they were my first playmates, first friends, and always my biggest cheerleaders.  After Dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma, these relationships were tested by nerves and stress, but ultimately strengthened by faith and love.

My Mom has always been the strongest woman I’ve ever known and that has rang true throughout this journey.  I remember looking at her in the little room in the hospital when we were told that Dad had cancer.  Through the tears and confusion, I still saw strength.  When I asked her what we were going to do, she responded in a way that gave me faith and reassurance.  When I would break down, she would pick me up.  When I was scared, she reminded me that we needed to trust that God would take care of everything.

Going through a traumatic situation will undoubtedly bring people closer together, and this definitely happened between my Mom and me.  As close as we were before, we are even tighter-knit now.  Being in this together has been a comfort to both of us.  We have realized that it is important to cherish every moment that you have with your loved ones, as life can change in a heartbeat, like it did for us.

To me, every relationship in my life is a treasure and blessing.  The greatest joys in life involve the people you love.  And when you are given a mother as amazing and special as mine, it’s easy to enjoy making those memories that you know you will never forget.

Belluck & Fox, LLP Announces $10,000 College Scholarship Contest

• Nancy Meredith
• Featured News

The New York City law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP and Mesothelioma Help are once again offering the chance for U.S. college students to win up to $5,000 in an essay contest about mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

With a goal to help the educational efforts of students while also raising awareness of mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos, Belluck & Fox, LLP will award 10 prizes with a total of $10,000 in scholarship money for students 18-years-old or older enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities as of October 1, 2013. Belluck & Fox, LLP is a nationally recognized law firm that represents individuals with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related claims.

Scholarship Prizes

• $5,000 – First Prize
• $2,500 – Second Prize
• $1,250 – Third Prize
• $500 – Fourth Prize
• $250 – Fifth Prize
• $100 – Honorable Mention (there are five Honorable Mention awards)

Students are asked to write an original 750- to 1,000-word essay that addresses a mesothelioma sufferer’s personal story, the history of asbestos use in American industry / manufacturing or the latest developments in medical treatments for mesothelioma. Submissions will be accepted September 1 – October 14.

This year’s essays will be judged by Jan Egerton, a mesothelioma survivor, and Lisa Hyde-Barrett, a thoracic surgery nurse. Judges will look for clear, original essays that are logically organized and well-supported.

Nearly 60 entries were received last year. The first prize winner was Betsy Warren of Attleboro, MA. Ms. Warren was a returning student pursuing a degree in nursing at Rhode Island College. Her story, “The Ugly Elephant,” was about her father’s battle with mesothelioma.

MesotheliomaHelp is one of the Web’s primary resources for information on malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The website provides in-depth coverage of the disease, as well as detailed information about the available diagnostic procedures and treatment options for mesothelioma sufferers.

Belluck & Fox, LLP is featured on the list of America’s best law firms, which is published jointly by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers magazine.