Guest Post: Surviving Cancer from Asbestos

When I heard those three dreadful words—“You have cancer”—talk
about total devastation. My life was great prior to the heart-breaking
diagnosis. I should have been enjoying the newness of being a mom to my
three-and-a-half month old, but the pleasure was cut short after I had learned
the worst. I was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, a type of cancer
associated with exposure to asbestos.

“But I thought asbestos was banned” is what I hear frequently
along with the puzzled looks on the faces of those who I share my story with.
Following this statement is the question “Were you exposed to asbestos?” Yes, I
was. Secondhand.

My father worked in construction. He performed primarily mudding,
sanding and drywall taping jobs with materials that contained asbestos. His
clothing, skin, hair and anything else with direct contact, absorbed the dust
from those materials. Thus, I was exposed in different ways by physical contact
from his jacket, clothes, car, etc. The white dust, just by appearance, seemed
harmless though it contained millions of poisonous asbestos fibers that would
later prove hazardous to not only him.

I was diagnosed with
pleural mesothelioma at 36 years old. The Mayo Clinic had only learned of one prior
case of someone at my young age having this type of cancer.  Mesothelioma
is typically believed to affect older tradesmen in the lines of heating,
plumbing, mechanics, electricians and other construction-related fields.
However, numbers of women have now begun falling ill as they were exposed to
the fibers through doing their husbands’ laundry. Moreover, women who worked in
schools that had asbestos tiles in them weren’t immune either.

The diagnosis among a younger generation—children of men and women
exposed to asbestos—has been on the rise. Those schools that were built with
contaminated materials put children at risk. The tiles and insulation of the
attics these children played in or around contained the fibers of this deadly
cancer. Children who greeted their fathers with hugs after a long day’s work
were easily exposed to this monster in disguise. Children who wore their
father’s polluted work jackets or tagged along with their dads because of the
special feeling it gave them were innocently affected.

With time, I have grown to learn more about this monstrosity and
how it has affected men and women of a younger generation in addition to the
older generation; people who are newlyweds, have great jobs and families, who
have to manage their life-threatening illness while maintaining their
households and careers. Also with time has come the advancement of treatments.
More people are surviving this cancer than ever.

To hear those three words is a devastating blow to anyone. My hope
is fierce, and the support of a community of people who have been affected
provides a cushion of support we all need. Sharing our experiences give us
strength to endure, shoulders to cry on when we need them and allows for
celebration of triumphs for those who have overcome.

I share my story to create awareness. I share my story to uplift.
Without awareness there is no hope. At the end of the day if my story has
shined a light at the end of a tunnel for anyone suffering from mesothelioma, I
have made an impact.