Benjamin’s Musings

mesothelioma

When my Uncle Dave was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, it was already too late.  Unfortunately, I learned that this was pretty much the way it goes.  Apparently, the average survival time after being diagnosed is about 1 year.  This disease has a long latency (inactive) period of anywhere between 15 – 50 years.  So pretty much, we think that Uncle Dave got it when he was working in a factory when he was about 30, since the only known cause of this disease is asbestos exposure, that is all we can figure. 

Honestly, this whole thing has really rocked our family.  I can’t believe that you can be walking around find one minute and then dead the next.  My Uncle Dave was one of the kindest people you would ever want to meet, kind and loving.  He was the type of guy who would do anything for anyone.  Well, we had to bury Uncle Dave last week.  He was two months short of his 59^th birthday, and only 8 months and 2 days after his initial diagnosis.  The worst part was watching him suffer.  In the end he had lost so much weight, I don’t know exactly how much he weighed before or after, but he was never a small man.  By the last few weeks his cheeks were hollowed out and he seemed hardly recognizable.  It was hard sometimes to look at him and give him a smile, when I was truly horrified, but I did it anyway.  It was hard to tell how much he was acknowledging at that point as he mostly had an oxygen mask on to be able to breathe.  Although, I will miss him as will our whole family, I am glad that he can finally rest.  The end had to be an enormous burden for him.  I know that he was ready to go, although, he would never have let on to that.  He was the type of man that was a man’s man and would never admit that this could defeat him. 

I am writing this for anyone who knows that they have had prolonged exposure to asbestos.  Please go get yourself checked out.  You could have Mesothelioma and not know it, the earlier you can detect this disease the better chance you have to do something.  Realize the groups at the highest risk are white males over the age of 50, although, women can get it as well.  Don’t wait to get checked out and keep getting checked out, to be sure that if you do have this, you can catch it early.  It may save your life!