Lung Cancer Awareness Month - Mesothelioma

Focus on Mesothelioma Education During Lung Cancer Awareness Month

For many people, November means apple cider, pumpkin pie, and Thanksgiving. In the health and medical fields, November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which emphasizes education and awareness of all things about lung cancer and other cancers affecting the respiratory system – such as mesothelioma.

This year, help out by making November a month to educate others about mesothelioma and lung cancer by taking part in Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Teaching the facts about mesothelioma, its symptoms, and its causes can help patients, family members, and friends better understand the disease and help advocate for the community.

Pleural mesothelioma is caused by inhalation or ingestion of airborne asbestos fibers. The fibers then become lodged in the lining of the chest, where, over the years, they begin to irritate the tissue leading to cancer. Not everyone exposed to asbestos will develop mesothelioma, but those who do often are not diagnosed until decades after exposure. The treatment protocol for pleural mesothelioma is similar to that of lung cancer.

People who live with pleural mesothelioma, or who care for someone with the cancer, know that educating the public about the struggles facing rare disease sufferers often takes a focused effort from organizations, the government, the medical community and many volunteers.

Early Detection of Mesothelioma is Important

With a vision of “a world where no one dies of lung cancer,” LUNGevity is 100% focused on increasing and improving lung cancer survivorship. In addition, the 501(c)(3) charity focuses on building and sustaining a community for all those affected by lung cancer and through “accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments” the organization aims to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship in lung cancer patients.

The key to increased life expectancy when battling mesothelioma is early detection. When treating mesothelioma patients, the best outcome is achieved with early detection of the disease by increasing treatment options and improving the patients‘ quality of life while battling the cancer.

“LUNGevity believes strongly that everyone can drive progress and change for people affected by the disease, whether through research funding, mentoring a fellow lung cancer patient, or organizing and participating in events and activities to raise funds and awareness,” as stated in the 2016 press release kicking off the awareness month.

Know What Questions to Ask Your Mesothelioma Doctor

According to the American Lung Association, “The diagnosis of mesothelioma is very serious and may be overwhelming and affects all aspects of life in a profound way.” The ALA recommends being actively prepared for each healthcare visit by writing down questions to ensure you get everything you need in the short visit, and that your family and caregivers are thoroughly informed about your wants and needs.

What is the goal of the treatment you are proposing? Is the intent to cure me from the disease or manage its symptoms?
What are the side effects of the proposed treatment and how will they affect my quality of life?
Am I a candidate for any clinical trial?
What are my options for palliative care to address management of my shortness of breath and pain?
Can you help me and my family make decisions about how I will be treated at the end of my life?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women with an estimated 222,500 new diagnoses and 155,870 deaths in 2017, according to the National Cancer Institute. Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.

My Dad’s Memories Will Last

October 15 will mark three years since my Dad lost his battle to mesothelioma but won his wings in Heaven. Three years. Three years. I have to keep repeating it to myself to even make it seem true. This time of year is always very difficult for me. As the dreaded anniversary date draws closer, I always think to myself, “Three years ago, this was Dad’s last Sunday”, “Three years ago, this was Dad’s last Monday.” I go on and on, torturing myself, really. It’s so hard to think that no one had any idea that they would be his lasts. What would we have done differently if we had known?

Then, I turn my thoughts. I begin to think about the other kinds of “lasts” for my Dad, the ones that really count.

These “lasts” are the things that he left behind that will always endure. His effect on people will always last. His memory will last. His impact on my life will last. His stunning example of how to live a life full of grace in the face of the toughest adversity… will last.

Sure, I still think about the last time I saw Dad, the last time I spoke to him. These things will be forever etched in my mind, yes, they will last. But thinking about these other lasting legacies that he left for me bring me such great comfort.

Another way to look at his lasts here on earth is to think about the firsts. His last seconds here led to his first in Heaven. How can that be a sad thing? For us who remain, we don’t get to experience what he did. He was instantly relieved of his pain, his worry, and his illness. Our first seconds without him were unconceivably different from what was happening to him. During our greatest shock and suffering, Dad was going through his greatest joy.

As much as I feel selfish for wanting him back, how can I not? But realistically, I would never want to take that away from him for my own benefit, even though I miss him desperately.

These past three years have been full of a gamut of emotions running wildly most of the time. I find comfort in thinking about all of the good times that I was able to share with my amazing father; remembering him is a beautiful tribute. This is how my Dad will last.

DOD Continues to Allocate Millions to Mesothelioma Research

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the fiscal year 2017 Defense Appropriations bill and kept mesothelioma-eligible funding for 2017. Mesothelioma was first funded through the bill in 2011 and has been on the list every year since then.

The funding is available as part of the DOD’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP). The DOD Appropriations Bill, 2017, which was submitted on May 19, allocates $30 million for distribution among eligible cancers through the PRCRP. In addition to mesothelioma, other cancers sharing in these research funds include: bladder cancer, brain cancer, colorectal cancer, listeria vaccine for cancer, liver cancer, lymphoma, melanoma and other skin cancers, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, and cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults.

An additional $12 million is set aside specifically for the lung cancer research program. The bill provides a total of $282 million for cancer research.

The Defense Appropriations bill funds critical national security needs, including military operations and readiness programs, as well as health and quality-of-life programs for U.S. troops and their military families. The PRCRP grants are offered with a goal to improve quality of life by decreasing the impact of mesothelioma cancer on service members, their families, and the American public. The entire bill provides $517.1 billion in funding.

“This bill fulfills the Congress’s most important responsibility – providing for the common defense. And it does so responsibly – funding those military needs that must be addressed now, planning and preparing for the future, and respecting the taxpayer by making commonsense budgeting decisions,” Chairman Hal Rogers said in the June 16th press release announcing the House’s passage of the bill.

http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394614

The DOD is responsible for funding and promoting research on diseases related to military service. Veterans account for nearly 30 percent of all cases of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen, caused by exposure to asbestos. Former military troops have a higher risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases because of the wide use of asbestos in thousands of buildings and Navy ships from World War II until the 1970s.

“The Committee commends the Department of Defense for ensuring that projects funded through the various peer-reviewed cancer research programs maintain a focus on issues of significance to military populations and the warfighter,” noted the Committee members in the bill report. “This includes promoting collaborative research proposals between Department of Defense researchers and non-military research institutions. These collaborations leverage the knowledge, infrastructure, and access to clinical populations that the partners bring to the research effort.”

Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. There is no cure for the cancer.

Sources:

Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program
http://cdmrp.army.mil/prcrp
Committee members in the bill report
https://www.congress.gov/114/crpt/hrpt577/CRPT-114hrpt577.pdf

Mesothelioma Nurse Recommends Book By a Terminally Ill Doctor

“When Breath Becomes Air” is a New York Times bestseller by Dr. Paul Kalanithi, who at age 36, was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer as he was completing his training to be a neurosurgeon. This book is not just for those among us who have been unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with mesothelioma, or any cancer – it is for all of us. It is a moving account of how Kalanithi’s life and his family’s lives were changed by his diagnosis and treatment.

As he was training and mapping out his life, never did the possibility of dying young enter into his plans. As a doctor in a highly specialized field, he saw other’s lives change every day when diagnosed with illnesses. Like a lot of people who are diagnosed with a devastating illness, he fought to take back the life he had planned.

When diagnosed with any disease, we all want to know the statistics. Many mesothelioma patients over the years have been fixated on the statistics. Many take and hold on to the numbers and can quote them for their particular type of mesothelioma, stage, lymph nodes, survival curve. Sometimes doctors even quote statistics when they are presenting the various options to their patients. As a doctor, Kalanithi knew the statistics and he knew the prognosis.

“Only 0.0012 percent of thirty-six-year-olds get lung cancer… It occurred to me that my relationship with statistics changed as soon as I became one.” What do those numbers actually mean? “The angst of facing mortality has no remedy in probability.”

The book is thought provoking and remarkable. It is well written, honest and worth reading for everybody. There are so many lessons in this book, so many inspirations. On the back cover Dr. Atul Gawande says, “Dr. Kalanithi’s memoir is proof that the dying are the ones who have the most to teach us about life.”

Intellectually, we all know we are going to die. But for a lot of us, we think it will be later. We assume we have time and options. Faced with neither, though, how will we cope? Are we paralyzed with fear and regret or do we live the best lives we can?

I strongly urge you to read this book, to appreciate the time you have, and to live your best possible life before, during and after a mesothelioma diagnosis.

You can find this book on Amazon.

Dunbar Fall Festival Raises Funds for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

Sept. 24 was the Dunbar Community Fest, a wonderful day full of food, fun, and fellowship. Each year my family has a raffle booth there to benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. We appreciate all of the work that the committee puts in to make the event so successful each year!

We had 24 items to raffle this year, plus t-shirts, and our Dining with Donnie cookbooks for sale. All of the visitors to our area seemed to really enjoy taking their time placing their raffle tickets carefully in the items of their choosing.

One of my favorite parts of this event is listening to the stories that people come to share about my Dad. There were several gentlemen who worked with him who spoke about his funny nature and gentle spirit. There were others who told stories about adventures they went on with my father, and even one who told me that her first date with her husband was to my parents’ wedding!

All in all, it was a great time, even though I missed Dad through it all. He loved being involved in any project that I would undertake, particularly planning an event. He was so proud of the efforts we did together to raise money and awareness for the mesothelioma community, and I know that he was smiling down on us that day!

Thank you to everyone who helped to make Dunbar Community Fest and our raffle table a wonderful success and for your continued support and prayers for my family!

Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.

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