Recently, several different areas across the United States have been the target of government mandated asbestos cleanups. These sites have ranged from the Pacific Northwest to the most recent site in the Southeast, namely, Kentucky. One of the higher profile cases has been the cleanup in Spokane, Washington, where a production facility manufacturing Zonolite insulation, alleged to be contaminated with asbestos. The contamination chain starts with another cleanup site, this one in Libby Montana.
Libby, Montana was the site of one of the largest cleanups announced in the past year; the town was literally covered in a fine dust containing asbestos after years of nearby mining. The dust was contaminated with asbestos and had caused over 200 asbestos-related deaths in the small town. It soon gained Federal attention and a cleanup followed shortly thereafter. An investigation followed into the activities of the company in charge of the mine and additional testing was announced for the aforementioned Spokane, Washington site.
Recently, another similar cleanup was announced, this time in the state of Kentucky. The site in question was a former electroplating facility, previously known as Deena Products. The company was involved in the manufacture of lighting fixtures and production was halted in the 1980s. The structures were felled earlier this year and much of the metal was stripped from the site and reclaimed. Upon official inspection and testing of the remaining building materials, it was announced that asbestos was found to be present on site. However, since there is such a large volume of contaminated material and since the site has essentially unrestricted access, it has been declared an environmental emergency clean-up site. This declaration allows the local government to receive additional funds from sources that would otherwise be unavailable in order to speed up the process. And, indeed, this particular site appears to be in need of a dedicated cleanup crew with a broad funding base; the combination of large amounts of asbestos contaminated materials coupled with the open accessibility of the site lead to an extremely dangerous conclusion.
Asbestos exposure is a serious hazard. Inhalation of asbestos fibers leads to many conditions, including lung cancer, asbestosis, and malignant pleural mesothelioma. Oftentimes, patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are given a grim prognosis and medical treatments designed to combat this chronic illness are expensive and may not be covered by conventional health insurance. Those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer due to asbestos exposure should think about the possibility of legal action; the development of a mesothelioma lawsuit could potentially provide enough monetary compensation to cover treatment costs and improve the quality of life experience for an individual or their family.
LegalView.com provides a wealth of resources for individuals seeking legal help. Information regarding mesothelioma is available at LegalView.com’s mesothelioma information portal which provides an expansive selection of articles as well as a contact form fo an experienced mesothelioma lawyer.
Lung cancer – Mesothelioma? Do you know much about it?
I have been lucky, and have not had to deal with the nastiness of cancer. My grandpa has Mesothelioma, the cancer from asbestos. He has been in Stage 4 for the past 3 years and has defied all of the odds. They originally only gave him a couple months to a year to live, but Chemo has worked wonders. He just had a scan and the results showed it has increased in size significantly, so the last round of Chemo didn’t work. This has caused his ability to breathe to decrease, and the changed his Chemo. He had his treatment with the new stuff on Friday, and they rushed him to the hospital today because of his inability to breathe.
My question is are these signs of the beginning of the end? I know this form of cancer will eventually suffocate him, and he does have a living will, so oxygen is the only form of assistance he will receive. How long will oxygen help? I am very saddened by all of this and would hate to see him suffer for long like this. He is a good man and doesn’t deserve to die like this. Do your organs shut down due to lack of oxygen? Anyone with experience with Mesothelioma or that knows about this and can give me some insight, I’d appreciate any details no matter how graphic. I just want to know what to expect.
Don’t go into all of the herbs and stuff you can take to beat cancer. We know he is dying and cannot beat this. I really appreciate the thought though.
I know they cannot tell us when he will die, but I feel so helpless. Thanks for the link, but I have read everything out there about this and really was hoping to find someone who knows about this type of cancer first hand.
Answer
I understand where you are coming from. You just want the facts not someone to try to make you feel better (as if that is possible at this point). Although I deal with cancer everyday I really don’t know the answer to your question and honestly his oncologist would know the answer specifically to your grandfather better than anyone. However, I am on my way to a tumor board now and will ask one of the oncologist when I’m there and edit my answer when I return.
EDIT: According to one of my oncologists most often death is due to heart failure.
Now for the rest of your question., there is a small chance the new chemo may help pull him out of this for awhile, but it is more likely this is the beginning of the end. You will know when he loses weight, sleeps more, tires easily, coloring changes, gets confused and he doesn’t want to eat or drink much.
You may want to look into hospice so that when you and your family are ready, you have a plan. They help the entire family not just the patient and they are wonderful people. I am very sorry you and your grandfather have to go through this. May God bless both of you.
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