Author: Lisa Hyde-Barrett
Top reasons to be seen at a Mesothelioma Center of Excellence
We always recommend that patients diagnosed or suspected to have malignant mesothelioma be seen at a dedicated Mesothelioma Center of Excellence for diagnosis and treatment by an experienced medical team.
The pandemic we are currently in has made it difficult and sometimes impossible to do this. As people all over the country follow distancing guidelines, we are realizing in our own worlds that we cannot be teachers, hairdressers, cook like chefs, do DYI projects like on TV, and we cannot treat ourselves for medical issues.
One of the perspectives we are gaining out of this pandemic is the one to respect experience. There are skill sets involved in being an expert. With experience comes relationships – respect what experience can bring to your situation.
The pandemic has allowed us to re-examine our relationships with each other and what is important to us. Caring for patients with malignant mesothelioma is complex. Everyone is different and their expectations are different.
When we slowly get back to our lives before the pandemic and start looking to our experts for care, what should that care look like?
In 2017, The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute of Healthcare Improvement along with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States came up with the “4Ms.” These are four evidence-based elements of high-quality care. The guidelines are aimed at treatment of the older adult, but really apply to all.
- What Matters – what are the persons goals, what do they want?
- Medication – what medications are necessary? How do these medications affect the person’s mobility or cognition? Is that what they want?
- Mentation – is the person depressed? Are they suffering from delirium? Has their dementia been identified?
- Mobility – is the person safely able to move around? Are they falling? Are they safe?
In the Mesothelioma Center that we are very familiar with, these are standards of care. When you come to a Mesothelioma Center of Excellence you will be treated by experienced professionals that have incorporated these evidence-based practices into your care – before and after the pandemic.
How Mesothelioma Patients Can Take Care of Themselves During Coronavirus
As we continue social distancing, washing our hands, and staying in our homes, a new normal is settling in. For people that are dealing with malignant mesothelioma as well as the COVID- 19 virus, day to day living can be extremely stressful during these uncharted times. What can people who have malignant mesothelioma do day to day?
- Back to basics like eating right, high protein diet.
- Walking daily outside if able.
- Limiting your alcohol intake.
- Taking your medications as prescribed.
- Keeping your spirits up.
- Having a routine that includes adequate sleep.
- Limit your time watching the news and social media.
At times, fear creeps in for all of us. We fear what is going on around us, what is coming, when it will all end and when our “normal” lives come back. For those dealing with malignant mesothelioma either as a new diagnosis or have been living with the diagnosis, this is a particularly challenging time. An article in Psychology Today by Laura Markham PHD, “Coping with Fear in the Face of a Pandemic,” has suggestions for when worry and fear take hold of us.
- Use your pause button – stop and take several deep breaths to calm your body down.
- Notice what you are worried about – if it is something in the future, it might not happen and you cannot control it anyway.
- Calm your mind by taking charge of your thoughts – you can handle it.
- Empower yourself and your family – cultivate positivity.
- Consciously choose love instead of fear.
If you are under treatment for malignant mesothelioma there could be some specific questions requiring answers. Although the focus is on taking care of coronavirus patients in most hospitals and Centers of Excellence, the mesothelioma team is still available.
Call your team. If you don’t have a dedicated mesothelioma team, reach out – the experts are available. Remember you are not alone even when it feels that way.
Balancing Mesothelioma with the Coronavirus Pandemic
When someone is diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, the battle is both mental and physical. The symptoms are numerous and some more frightening than others. Mentally it can have an outsized effect on one’s peace of mind, affecting your physical wellbeing as well as your emotional wellbeing.
So how does a mesothelioma patient keep mind and body in sync during a strenuous time like the coronavirus pandemic?
First, look around at yourself and jot down your physical symptoms. Put factual numbers to paper. A few strategies you might consider include:
- Monitor daily weight.
- Monitor calorie intake if you can, or just list what you eat.
- If you have an O2 sat monitor use that and record the findings.
- If you don’t have an O2 sat monitor monitor, record the distance you can walk each day.
Now that really is the easier part. Mental wellbeing can be a challenge. How do you keep your head in check and not get carried away to dark thoughts and fear? If you are having a hard time being calm, there is a fair amount of advice available. Here are some different approaches:
- Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and exhale slowly.
- Say out loud three things you are grateful for today.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
- Take a break from news, including social media.
If these ideas aren’t working, contact your primary care provider and they will try to help with your physical or mental challenges at this time. Reach out to your mesothelioma team. Remember that mesothelioma patients are high risk when it comes to coronavirus and the COVID-19 virus’ related respiratory symptoms.
You are not alone. These times are uncharted territory for all of us. We can get through it with help from one another.
Minnesota Student Wins Fourth Place in Mesothelioma Scholarship Contest
Mesothelioma Help is proud to help a future physician’s assistant in Minnesota achieve her education goal by awarding her $500 as part of the annual Jan Egerton & Don Smitley Mesothelioma Scholarship contest. Sheri Sanford, a student at Normandale Community College, was awarded the fourth-place prize in the cancer organization’s national essay contest this year.
In her essay, Sheri shared her inspiration for switching gears in her career ─ going from dreams of becoming a lawyer to pursuing a master’s degree as a physician’s assistant with a focus in oncology.
In 2016, Sheri’s uncle was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer whose only known cause is exposure to asbestos. Her uncle had spent his life working in the construction industry, one of the high-risk fields for exposure. “I lost my uncle after he caught the cancer in a very advanced stage and he died in less than a year,” she explained in her essay.
Sheri’s experience inspired her to change career paths and go into medicine so she could help other cancer patients and their families. “My uncle is not just a simple statistic. He is much more than that and Stage IV Mesothelioma will not define him. The people diagnosed with mesothelioma are real loving people,” she wrote.
“Awareness about asbestos is extremely crucial for every individual to be knowledgeable of, to prevent this crippling disease or catch it in the early stages.”
About Mesothelioma
Each year, about 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the chest cavity and lungs. The cancer is caused by exposure to microscopic asbestos fibers, which are inhaled and can lodge in the body.
For decades, asbestos was commonly used in construction, industrial and household materials. Although it is recognized as a known carcinogen, asbestos is still not banned in the United States.
Mesothelioma can develop 15 to 60 years after a person was exposed to asbestos.
About the Scholarship Contest
The Jan Egerton & Don Smitley Mesothelioma Scholarships are named after two respected mesothelioma warriors who put up a brave fight against the devastating cancer. Four scholarships are awarded each year to deserving students in universities and colleges throughout the country.
In total, $5,000 in scholarships was awarded this year to four dedicated students. Out of dozens of impressive entries, the winners were selected based on the thoughtful and heartfelt essays they wrote.
The MesotheliomaHelp.org scholarship contest is generously funded by the nationally recognized asbestos law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP.
“We are proud to support these deserving college students in their mission to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and its long-term health effects,” Belluck & Fox managing partner Joseph Belluck explained. “As a law firm focused on fighting for those harmed by asbestos, we know how important it is to warn people about exposure, and we appreciate these students for sharing their personal stories and insights.”
About MesotheliomaHelp.org
Mesothelioma Help is a comprehensive resource for individuals and families who are coping with a mesothelioma diagnosis. The site connects patients and caregivers with knowledgeable medical providers, respected legal professionals and the most up-to-date information on treatment developments. Get directions to Mesothelioma Help now to learn more about mesothelioma.
Arizona Student Wins Third Place in Mesothelioma Scholarship Contest
MesotheliomaHelp.org is proud to award a mechanical engineering student from Northland Pioneer College in Arizona with the $750 third-place prize as part of the annual Jan Egerton & Don Smitley Mesothelioma Scholarship contest. Devin Marsh, a 22-year-old college junior, was one of four students from across the country to earn a scholarship in this year’s essay contest.
In his essay, The World in Relationship to Asbestos, Devin describes both his personal connection to asbestos disease and his goal of developing alternative materials to eradicate the use of asbestos around the world. In high school, Devin watched his respected automotive teacher become seriously ill due to exposure to asbestos in old brake systems. “It made me realize that there is a need for new materials that are less hazardous to the people around it,” he wrote in his essay. “People deserve to go and work in a safe environment and be given every chance to prevent exposure to things like asbestos.”
Although it is a recognized carcinogen, asbestos is still not banned in the United States and continues to be used in many countries around the world. As a future mechanical engineer, Devin hopes to help develop alternatives to asbestos that would not put workers’ lives at risk. “I could apply positive and environmentally friendly problem solving to prevent exposure to asbestos,” he wrote in his winning essay.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma
Asbestos has been shown to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and many other serious illnesses. Each year, about 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the chest cavity and lungs. Mesothelioma can develop 15 to 60 years after a person was exposed to asbestos. There is no cure.
About the Scholarship Contest
The Jan Egerton & Don Smitley Mesothelioma Scholarships are named after two respected mesothelioma warriors who put up a brave fight against the devastating asbestos cancer. The scholarships are awarded each year to deserving students in universities and colleges throughout the United States.
In total, $5,000 in scholarships was awarded this year to four hard-working students. Out of dozens of great entries, the winners were selected based on the thoughtful and heartfelt essays they submitted.
The MesotheliomaHelp.org scholarship contest is generously funded by the nationally recognized New York mesothelioma attorneys of Belluck & Fox, LLP.
“We are proud to support these deserving college students in their mission to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and its long-term health effects,” Belluck & Fox managing partner Joseph Belluck explained. “As a law firm focused on fighting for those harmed by asbestos, we know how important it is to warn people about exposure, and we appreciate these students for sharing their personal stories and insights.”
About MesotheliomaHelp.org
Mesothelioma Help Cancer Organization is a comprehensive resource for individuals and families who are coping with a mesothelioma diagnosis. The site connects patients and caregivers with knowledgeable medical providers, respected legal professionals and the most up-to-date information on treatment developments. Visit MesotheliomaHelp.org now to learn more about the disease.
Free Mesothelioma Patient & Treatment Guide
We’d like to offer you our in-depth guide, “A Patient’s Guide to Mesothelioma,” absolutely free of charge.
It contains a wealth of information and resources to help you better understand the condition, choose (and afford) appropriate treatment, and exercise your legal right to compensation.
Download Now