Mesothelioma Help Cancer News

Dad Keeps Up the Fight Through More Mesothelioma Complications

• Joseph Belluck
• Family, Mesothelioma

While living with mesothelioma there are so many worries on your mind that you do not even think about the small complications that could go wrong. Being focused on how fatigued the person is and how much pain they are in, it’s hard to notice other symptoms that occur.

The first signs experienced by my father are nausea and vomiting and we all knew something was wrong, but he didn’t do anything about it. This happened only one week after he was out of the hospital recovering from blood clots in his lungs. The doctors just told us to monitor him and make sure he was still eating and drinking. This was difficult because he had no appetite and could not keep anything down. One thing I was watching for when I was home on the weekends was if he was dehydrated.

I noticed he was dehydrated as soon as I came home one weekend. I finally got him to agree to go to the emergency room to get checked out because he was not eating or drinking anything and was still getting sick. He was checked into the emergency room and was treated for severe dehydration with multiple bags of fluids.

Another concern the doctors had in the emergency room was if he had C-diff because of the many occurrences of bowel movements. They tested him for that, and held him there until his results came back. Having C-diff would have caused a delay in him starting his next treatment. Thankfully this test came back negative and he could go home that night after being rehydrated and prescribed more anti-nausea medicine.

It is so important to monitor your loved one closely for any small symptom. Something small could turn into something very harmful. If my dad hadn’t gone to the hospital that night, his kidneys could have failed from dehydration and postponed receiving any treatment. With this aggressive cancer there isn’t a lot of time you have to play with in between treatments.

Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.

Another Scary Bump in the Road During Battle with Mesothelioma

• Joseph Belluck
• Uncategorized

Amanda’s father passed away on March 16, at home surrounded by his family. Amanda had written several articles about her father’s ongoing treatments and his determination that had not been published before his passing. She believes it is important for families dealing with mesothelioma to learn about her father’s ups and downs during his last six months. Here she discusses an issue with his Coumadin levels that sent him to the hospital. The next two weeks she’ll cover other challenges and lessons learned while fighting the cancer.

While Dad was still feeling up to doing household chores, he was loading up the fireplace with my brother Andrew. He bent over to pick up a log and collapsed. Andrew rushed to get his oxygen because Dad was gasping for air and was unconscious. It was very hard for him to regain his breath again, and he did just not feel right, so my mom took him to the hospital.

The doctors kept Dad in the emergency room for a few hours before deciding to admit him. They found that his Coumadin level was too high, and his blood was too thick. He had a few clots in his lungs and this was making his breathing very difficult. He ended up being in the hospital for four days recovering and getting his Coumadin level to where it should be. When a cancer patient is on Coumadin their INR levels have to be monitored regularly. Dad’s tests were too far apart and he should have been monitoring it much more closely with his local doctor.

Because of this visit, Dad ended up switching to the injectable Lovenox shots. These do not have to be monitored, and it does not interact with the patient’s diet like Coumadin. This is one less thing that needs to be monitored and one less trip to the doctor to have his INR level checked.

There are no “how to” guides on how to monitor and keep track of all symptoms that a mesothelioma patient could encounter. My advice would be to keep a daily log of symptoms and a list of conditions. The more you are educated about your condition and the more information you know about others living with Mesothelioma, the more aware you are going to be about your own symptoms. Also, with the amount of emergency room and doctors visits, it is a good idea to keep a log of names of the medications and dosage of each. This makes it easy when dealing with different doctors and keeping everyone on the same page.

Veterans Still Facing Long Wait Times at VA Facilities Despite Reforms

• Brian Eckert
• Veterans

A year after it was revealed that sick patients at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals were dying due to lack of care, the number of patients waiting more than 30 to 60 days for medical appointments remains flat, reports the Associated Press.

“VA statistics show that the number of patients facing long waits has not declined, even after Congress gave the department an extra $16.3 billion last summer to shorten waits for care,” writes the AP.

In April 2014 CNN reported that 40 U.S. veterans died waiting for appointments with the Phoenix VA health system. A retired clinical director from that system told CNN that the Phoenix VA deliberately covered up delayed veteran care through a secret wait list.

The scandal grew to include VA facilities nationwide. An investigation by Senator Tom Coburn released in June 2014 concluded that over a 10-year period, VA misconduct resulted in 1,000 or more veteran deaths. An internal VA audit ordered by the White House found patient wait time manipulation at more than 60 percent of VA facilities investigated. It concluded there was a “systemic lack of integrity” within some facilities.

The findings resulted in the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and the $16.3 billion Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act. Signed into law by President Obama last August, the Act aims to speed up veteran access to healthcare by funding the hiring of more health care workers and allowing patients facing long delays to receive private sector care.

But according to a new report by the Associated Press, from August 1 to February 29 nearly 894,000 VA medical facility appointments did not meet the agency’s 30-day timeliness goal, including around 230,000 appointment delays of more than 60 days.

Delays were unequally distributed across the VA network, with a high percentage clustered in the Southern states of Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Facilities in these states accounted for fewer than 6 percent of patient visits but were responsible for 20% of the appointments delayed 60 or more days. Long wait times were also found at facilities in New Mexico and Colorado.

It’s worth noting that the VA is dealing with rising demand. VA system enrollees increased from 6.8 million in 2002 to 8.9 million in 2013. The VA added 800 doctors and 2,000 nurses between April and December and is building new health centers, but demand still seems to be outpacing capacity.

“We are doing a whole series of things…to deal with the immediate issue,” Sloan Gibson, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, told the AP. “But we need an intermediate term plan that moves us ahead a quantum leap, so that we don’t continue over the next three or four years just trying to stay up. We’ve got to get ahead of demand.”

The VA provides health care to nearly 9 million veterans. It also offers monthly compensation and other benefits to veterans.

You can use our online tool to find out whether you qualify for VA benefits.

Cultivating the Next Generation of Mesothelioma Researchers

• Lisa Hyde-Barrett
• Mesothelioma, Nurse's Corner

The study of mesothelioma is led by passionate scientists, doctors, researchers and advocates who have dedicated their lives to making progress leading to a cure. Once a year, at the annual Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation conference, they get re-charged by meeting the victims and their families and by putting faces to the patients and families struggling with mesothelioma.

How does the next generation of researchers find out about mesothelioma and become impassioned to study towards a cure? There are several initiatives that are aimed at college students to gain the opportunity to learn and study about mesothelioma.

One is through the Jan Egerton and Don Smitley Mesothelioma Scholarship open to all U.S. college students, sponsored by MesotheliomaHelp. The scholarship is designed to spread awareness of mesothelioma, by having college students research and write about mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos. Increasing awareness of the facts regarding mesothelioma, also increases the number of young people who become knowledgeable about the history of the disease. Spreading the word to a younger generation, and encouraging them to get involved with the mesothelioma community, expands the community in a very positive direction.

Another initiative is a fellowship by the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators Union, named for their General President, The “James A. “Jim” Grogan Endowed Fund for Excellence” at Notre Dame University. Three students from Notre Dame, will be funded as a student intern in asbestos-related medical research, focusing on early detection, effective treatment and cure of asbestos diseases including mesothelioma and lung cancer. The start of their fellowship is attendance at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma. Hearing patients’ journeys firsthand gives the students a very personal perspective before they head to the lab.

As a new generation is learning and researching towards a cure – and the current researchers continue to make groundbreaking discoveries – we hope and pray, that together they will be successful in their research!

Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.

Help Ease the Pressure On Mesothelioma Caregivers

• Joseph Belluck
• Caregiver Stories, Faces of Mesothelioma, Family

Being a caregiver for a mesothelioma patient is a challenging, yet rewarding, experience. When you are helping out a loved one facing mesothelioma, remember to care for the caregiver as well.

Living three hours away from my parents, I was a part-time caregiver for my father. Helping him accomplish tasks that he used to do without hesitation was challenging, but mostly on an emotional level. Having family members and friends to talk to helped me tremendously. It was tough to see such a strong, active person as Dad having to ask others for help cutting the grass, cutting down a tree, moving something heavy. Being able to voice my concerns and share my feelings was (and still is) invaluable to me.

You might wonder what you can do for the caregivers, family members, and friends. As I said, for me, a listening ear made all the difference. You might offer to prepare a meal for them or to give them a night off and take over their duties for the evening. Sometimes, it’s tough to get out to run errands; pick up some groceries for them!

I know that for my Dad, it was hard to be stuck in the house in the cold weather. He loved being out in the snow, but with the meso and its effects, it made it difficult for him. In cases like this, go visit them. Take over a movie or a board game; make it a fun night in for everyone. This could also allow the caregiver some light-hearted time. They appreciate the gestures and company just as much as the patient does.

Above all, remember that just because someone has mesothelioma and their family and loved ones are caring for them, they are the same person as before their diagnosis. They need prayers, love, and support. Your friendship and concern can provide respite and peace to them when they need it the most.

Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.