Have you Heard of Mesothelioma?

I was a teacher by profession and life-long learning has always been important to me. I now homeschool 8 of my 12 children; I hope to instill an attitude of life-long learning in them, as well. So, when I was asked to blog about mesothelioma, I agreed, not knowing what to expect, as I'd never heard the term before. I learned that mesothelioma, of which there are three types, is a rare, aggressive, deadly cancer of the thin lining of organs, such as the lungs and abdomen, caused by exposure to asbestos. It is difficult to diagnose, since the symptoms mimic other respiratory diseases and may not appear until 30-60 years after exposure to asbestos. It turns out that U.S. veterans have been affected greatly by mesothelioma. There is no cure.

Did you know cancer is an overgrowth of your own cells? Normally, our cells grow then reproduce to create more cells, then die. When we are growing children, our cells reproduce a lot. As adults, they mostly reproduce to replace dead or dying cells as they age. Sometimes, something causes our cells to change and to reproduce radically without dying. These cells can grow into large masses and even grow into other organs or break off and grow in other parts of the body. That's cancer.

Asbestos is a sharp, microscopic substance. It can wreak havoc in tissue.

When I bought my first house in 1998, my one and only next-door neighbor was a nice, kind older gentleman. Fit. Athletic. Took good care of himself. He had a grown daughter and a granddaughter that I knew of. Shortly after I moved in, he told me he had a doctor's appointment to have his lungs looked at. He later had a biopsy done, then got sick very quickly. He had been a veteran but he also had worked with plumbing and insulation his whole life. He told me he had lung damage from his exposure to asbestos insulation. He died shortly thereafter. I thought, "How sad to give your life for service and working for others only to die upon retirement. How sad that we didn't know the dangers of asbestos a long time ago (or did we?)."

I have worked with asbestos-filled insulation in my attic a few times. I did wear a mask, sometimes, but that stuff got stuck in my clothes and hair and settled on our furniture and it took days or weeks to get rid of it. It was sticky, itchy and irritating. It stayed lodged in my skin for days. Maybe there's still some lodged in my lung tissue, years later? I did think about my former neighbor and what it must've done to his lungs as he breathed it in. I wondered if his family suffered exposure to it since, clearly, it stays with you and on your clothes, hair and skin for quite some time. It must've followed him home.

I gladly share this information. If even one person is made aware, if anyone can be diagnosed early enough to prolong their life due to information gained here, it was well-worth sharing. Thank you, friend, for bringing it to my attention.