Mesothelioma Help Cancer News

Do You Hear What I Hear? Mesothelioma Nurse Explains What Can Influence What You Hear

• Lisa Hyde-Barrett
• Nurse's Corner

When you visit the doctor when you are dealing with a frightening diagnosis such as malignant mesothelioma, it is easy to get a little confused while you try  to familiarize yourself with new medical terms. You may hear something one way, but your support person, who was also at the appointment, heard something different.  This can happen to anyone. There are reasons for hearing the same words, but not hearing what the person is trying to say.

There is a four-second audio clip going around the internet that is an example of how people hear differently.  People are divided into two camps on what they hear in the computer-generated clip: half hear “Laurel” while the other half hear “Yanny.” When you say those words they sound totally different. How can people hear the same clip, but interpret it differently?

There are actually scientific reasons that can explain why we hear one or the other.  Whether someone hears Laurel or Yanny can depend on how old they are- as we age our ears hear fewer sounds on the high pitched range. Those folks will hear Laurel. What you are hearing the audio clip on also can influence what you hear. The more high pitched the sound or tinny the speakers , the more people hear Yanny.  There is also the element of someone putting the suggestion into your brain by asking in advance what do you hear, Yanny or Laurel. This can influence what you hear.

When you are at important medical appointments, remember to ask for clarification from your team. Repeat what you understand you heard. Clarification, explaining your understanding of the information, and repeating it out loud, can all help to avoid misinformation.

Communication and interpretation must be clear so that the same message is heard by both the patient and the family member.

Yanny or Laurel is an interesting, fun clip on the internet.  It shows how easily we can hear things differently. But it is also a lesson in discussing what it is you are hearing when it comes to your mesothelioma treatment.

Honor our Fallen Veterans This Memorial Day

• Lisa Hyde-Barrett
• Featured News

Pools open across the U.S., families flock to the beach, and school-aged kids look forward to summer vacation on Memorial Day. Although the day is seen as the unofficial start of summer, it is meant to honor all those who died while serving in the U.S. military.

According to USMemorialDay.org, over 1.8 million soldiers have given their lives for America since 1775. Among foreign wars, World War II was the deadliest for the U.S. with 405,399 lives lost. The number of U.S. military personnel killed in the Korean War was 33,686, and in the Vietnam War 58,209. Current U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have claimed over 7,000 American lives.

Still more lost their lives long after the battlefield or service from injuries or illnesses, such as mesothelioma, suffered from their service. Some U.S. soldiers have successfully ended their military career only to be stricken with health issues later due to exposure to toxic materials, including  asbestos.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans who served in any of the following occupations may have been exposed to asbestos: mining, milling, shipyard work, insulation work, demolition of old buildings, carpentry and construction, manufacturing and installation of products such as flooring and roofing. In addition, the VA reports that the latest generation of war veterans, those who served in Iraq and other countries in that region, could have been exposed to asbestos when older buildings were damaged and the contaminants were released into the air.

The inhalation of asbestos fibers has been associated with lung cancer and mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer affecting the lining of the lungs that is extremely difficult to treat and is virtually impossible to cure. Although nearly 3,000 new cases are reported annually in the U.S., statistics show that military veterans account for over one-third of those cases.

All of us at MesotheliomaHelp encourage all Americans to take a moment out of your busy Memorial Day to honor those who have served our country. In coordination with the National Moment of Remembrance, observed at 3:00pm local time, “pause for one minute … to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to provide freedom for all.”

Sources

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/index.asp
• National Moment of Remembrance
  http://www.usmemorialday.org/?p=97

Nurses Make A Difference to Mesothelioma Patients

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma

Nurses are an integral part to anyone’s recovery. During my father’s battle with mesothelioma, there were countless nurses on his medical team, cheering him on, taking care of him, and becoming his friends. They were each very special to me and my family, and we still appreciate all that they did to make my Dad feel like he mattered, and that he was being cared for by caring people.

When Dad had his pleurectomy at NYU Langone, there was a nurse’s aide named Doris. Dad enjoyed his time with her so much; I remember leaving the hospital when he was released back to the hotel and she wasn’t working at the time. We left a note on the white board in the room, thanking her and reiterating their inside joke once more, hoping that it would still be there when her next shift began.

Dad spent a fair amount of time in treatment facilities and hospitals, and he would always talk about the nurses as though they were his buddies. I know that they have an incredibly hard job that must wear them down at times. I just pray that my father was a bright light in their day, as they were in his.

On behalf of mesothelioma patients and their families, thank you for all you do. Your hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed.

Sheri Sanford Mesothelioma Essay

• Lisa Hyde-Barrett
• Scholarship

Watching a family member or friend suffer from mesothelioma is heartbreaking and life changing for an individual. The topic was briefly mentioned in my biology class in high school as an aggressive cancer in the lining of the lungs or abdomen. As the case may be, maybe I possessed a slight degree of naiveté that allowed me to believe my family was untouchable and that would never happen to anyone I loved. I was wrong. My beloved uncle, Dale, mentioned the most horrific word imaginable in the summer of 2016: cancer.

Dale had been in the construction business his entire life, once retired he found pleasure working on his 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra. He had been in the car garage when he experienced shortness of breath and a pain in his chest. He was referred to an oncologist the same day. It took less than a week for my world to crumble around me, and he went from working on his cherished vintage car to signing over the title to someone new to help pay for cancer treatments. In my family, I took the devastating news the hardest as my uncle was like a father-figure to me, and I began to disconnect from the world. I pretended it didn’t exist, but the truth was that it was very much present and it was aggressive like a destructive tornado rushing through not only my uncle, but our entire family and friends. You see, when a family member gets cancer, it’s like everyone has the disease, because it is so crippling emotionally and physically.

I received my BA in Political Science and International Relations in the spring of 2017. For the first time in a while, I felt this strange feeling of happiness, after realizing how far I’ve come in my education I was especially proud that I made my uncle’s milestone. He wanted to see me graduate college, and he did. Watching my ceremony over Facetime, his smile was from ear to ear. My uncle unfortunately died from the disease in the summer of 2017. After initial pain, shock, and sadness of my deceased family member started to slowly fade and the lingering throb of sadness pulsated in my body for weeks on end in an endless loop of a nightmare, I decided I needed to do something to help people like my uncle and their families. I completely reversed my career choices, I began to revoke my applications to law schools that summer and decided upon an education in medicine. I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Physician Assistant with a focus on Oncology. I am applying to Physician Assistant schools this summer, hoping to start next summer if accepted.

My uncle is not just a simple statistic. He is much more than that and Stage IV Mesothelioma will not define him. The people diagnosed with mesothelioma are real loving people, and like myself, most people think it will not happen to them or anyone they love when in fact “research shows more than 20 million people in the United States are at risk of developing malignant mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure” (“Mesothelioma”). Awareness about asbestos is extremely crucial for every individual to be knowledgeable of, to prevent this crippling disease or catch it in the early stages. Just education alone about asbestos seems to simple, but it is so crucial when it is life-changing knowledge. Asbestos exposure is the only cause of malignant mesothelioma. Asbestos were fibers once widely used in buildings, industrial, commercial, and housing products and it still present in millions of U.S. workplaces and homes (“Mesothelioma”). These fibers, once ingested or inhaled, take at least 15 years to creep up into your life in the form of a dangerous form of cancer. It is so important to be educated on the symptoms of mesothelioma and the locations asbestos may be present to catch the cancer early and have the longest life expectancy possible. I lost my uncle after he caught the cancer in a very advanced stage and he died in less than a year. People need to know that early detection is key to spending more time with your family and prolonging your life.

It’s hard to know what to say to an individual with mesothelioma or a family member of someone whom died from mesothelioma. Even when my hearts in the right place, it would be difficult for words to compile themselves to even make a solid sentence. It would be extremely important to me for them to know that there is no way to be truly prepared for the future and that having plenty caring and supportive people around you is crucial for healing. Walking into my uncle’s hospital room all I saw was tears, a room full of sadness and the word “cancer” radiate through the room. I wish I could be as strong for my uncle as he was strong for me. Yet, my uncles’ strength inspired me to face my fears. Hearing the word “cancer” in my uncles’ room so often, talking to a mesothelioma patient I would be sure to talk about topics other than cancer to help provide a sense of balance. I would try to stay as positive as possible and be hopeful of a brighter future. I would say to them “let me know if you need anything,” as this is especially essential considering most individuals will never ask for help even though they need it. I truly have gone through the experience of having a sick family member, and I could shed some light onto their experiences and grieving process in a positive way. Staying strong, never, ever giving up and letting them know they are not alone is key. I will never forget my uncle and the memories we shared, and I hope going in the Oncology field, I am able to keep his spirit alive helping other individuals suffering from mesothelioma.

References:

“Mesothelioma Statistics.” MesotheliomaHelp.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2017.

The World in Relationship to Asbestos – Devin Marsh

• Lisa Hyde-Barrett
• Scholarship

Early in my life I was unaware that natural materials could cause such devastation to the human body.  I never knew that diseases such as mesothelioma could happen from people making normal life decisions.  I always believed that people got sick from making poor choices, such as not wearing a coat on a rainy day.  However, I was introduced to the effects of asbestos when I was in high school.  The automotive teacher at the time became seriously ill, partially due to the exposure of asbestos in older brake systems.  He was one of the sincerest teachers that I’ve ever met.  He was somebody who never heard a dumb question, somebody who was happy to teach and looked forward to each day, and somebody who genuinely enjoyed educating others.  In my opinion he rarely made poor choices and was an outstanding person, so I was confused as to why he became sick.  It made me realize that there is a need for new materials that are less hazardous to the people around it.  People deserve to go and work in a safe environment and be given every chance to prevent exposure to things like asbestos.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 125 million people are exposed to asbestos in the workplace, and that in 2004, asbestos related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis from occupational exposures resulted in 107,000 deaths. These deaths could have been prevented by using an alternative source of materials when constructing buildings and other objects created using asbestos. With the education that I am receiving I hope to be part of the development process that creates alternative solutions to the use of asbestos in products and materials, particularly in third world countries.  As a mechanical engineer I could apply positive and environmentally friendly problem solving to prevent exposure to asbestos.  The United States Geological Survey states that from 1900 to 2003–when the last U.S. asbestos mine was shut down–the United States produced approximately 3.29 million metric tons of asbestos material. This reveals that there is still a large amount of asbestos material that still resides in people’s homes and offices. The future exposure to asbestos may not be entirely avoidable for individuals such as construction crews. Through the development of advanced prevention techniques and alternative solutions, the world will soon see the rapid decline of asbestos related diseases and deaths.

The more knowledge that is available about asbestos, and the dangers of it, increase the chances of public awareness.  Even if one person were to know and wear the proper protection when dealing with asbestos, it would make the effort worth it. Asbestos is much more commonly found than just dust in old houses and automotive brake systems. It was an extremely popular material to use and was cheap to manufacture. It is still in many different products and materials that people handle every day. The Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry states that the most at-risk industry for exposure to asbestos are construction workers.  An estimated 1.3 million people participate on these worksites and risk exposure.  With standards put out by OSHA these workers are relatively safe and well informed about the hazards and how to prevent exposure.

Foreign countries are where the focus of asbestos awareness should be.  Asbestos.com highlights the facts that foreign countries use and produce asbestos with no restrictions. China is the world’s largest consumer of asbestos. In 2007 China used 626,000 metric tons of asbestos in daily production of an assortment of different materials.  Russia, the world’s leading producer of asbestos, mined more than 1 million tons of asbestos in 2008, and shipped two-thirds of it to developing countries.  Expeditions to educate both the government and the workforce in these countries should be initiated.  This readily available material is regularly used with no restrictions or safety standards. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work estimates that, “the annual death toll from Mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos related diseases in China may reach 15,000 by 2035”.  The cost effectiveness of asbestos will mean that countries are unlikely to spring at the idea to an alternative material.  However, I believe that more precautionary methods and personal protective equipment will bring exposure rates down by more than 45 percent in high risk environments.

To somebody fighting Mesothelioma or a family member who recently lost a loved one to the disease, I would say this:  Do not feel like this is just a bad hand that you were dealt, it is not fair but it is also not in vain. Take confidence in the fact that your pain and suffering has been instrumental in raising change and awareness about the dangers of asbestos.  Because of your hardship, future generations of the world are changing in a better way to avoid hazardous exposure.

Works Cited

• Virtra, Robert L. Worldwide Asbestos Supply and Consumption Trends from 1900 through 2003. USGS, 23 Nov. 2016, pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2006/1298/.
• “International Program on Chemical Safety.” World Health Organization, 2018, www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_health/asbestos/en/.
  http://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_health/asbestos/en/
• “Asbestos Toxicity Who Is at Risk of Exposure to Asbestos?” Environmental Health and Medicine Education, ATSDR, 9 Aug. 2016, www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=29&po=7.
• Persaud, Nadia. “6 Countries to Watch for Asbestos Use and Abuse.” Asbestos.com, Mesothelioma Center, 7 Mar. 2017,
  www.asbestos.com/blog/2011/12/06/6-countries-to-watch-for-asbestos-use-and-abuse/.
•  Morris, Jim, and Te-Ping Chen. “Top Asbestos User China Faces Epidemic of Cancer.”Dangers in the Dust, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, 21 July 2010, www.icij.org/investigations/dangers-dust/top-asbestos-user-china-faces-epidemic-cancer/.