Category: Family

Mesothelioma Patients Take the Time to Enjoy the Simple Pleasures of the Holiday

• Nancy Meredith
• For Your Family

Today, many people across the country are celebrating the holiday season with family and friends. Mesothelioma patients and their families are more than likely taking a little extra time to appreciate the simple pleasures of the day. Whether it is enjoying the lights of the season, a light snow falling, a fire in the fireplace or the bite of a delicious cookie, taking the time to “smell the roses” can ease some of the stress of the season.

Although, when undergoing treatment for mesothelioma, the appointments don’t stop during the holiday season, patients that take the time to forget about their disease for just a day will feel a little more relaxed when they return to their treatment routine.

If you have a friend or a loved one suffering from a serious illness, consider taking the time to send a hand-written card, deliver a homemade treat or simply stop by for a short visit to let them know you are thinking of them.

While many factors determine survival for a mesothelioma patient, such as treatment plan and overall health and fitness of the patient, physicians also believe that a positive outlook and affirming thoughts can result in the improvement in a patient’s health. Mesothelioma patients should use the holiday cheer to help raise their mood and lower their anxiety level.

Happy Holidays.

Moving on with Life After a Year of Mesothelioma Treatment

• Joseph Belluck
• Faces of Mesothelioma, Uncategorized

Don Smitley and Jennifer Gelsick

Dad began his chemotherapy on March 19, 2012.  His treatments were alimta and cisplatin; it was four treatments, 21 days apart, ending on May 21. During this time, he also had a port installed to make things a little easier. It was a scary time, not knowing the impact the chemo would have on Dad.  Everyone is affected differently by the treatments.

Throughout the chemo, Dad continued to keep his positive attitude.  He called me after the first one, saying, “One down, three to go!” Dad was very tired during this time, certain smells made him nauseous, and his stomach was uneasy more often than not.  He just kept saying that no matter how bad it was, it could definitely have been worse.

Dad’s first scan was scheduled and we were all a nervous wreck.  The oncologist treating Dad at home, came in and told them the good news, everything looked great!  We celebrated the amazing news, the continuation of our miracle, and moved on to the next step we were hoping to take:  a clinical trial.

We had been communicating with some people from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, an amazing group dedicated to finding a cure for mesothelioma, and had gotten some information about a clinical trial in NYC offered through Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with Dr. Lee Krug.  There were strict criteria to be a part of this trial, and we were praying that Dad was a candidate.

We left for New York again on June 24 for an appointment with Dr. Krug.  We were happy to find that Dad was a great candidate for the trial and it would begin two weeks later.  The trial was a series of six vaccines that required trips to the city every two weeks.  We knew it would be a long, busy summer, but we were so excited to have another treatment option to help keep Dad cancer free.

Dad had his next scan in NYC and got more amazing results!  As a part of the trial, we will travel back every three months for two years, and every six months for a period of time after.  He has received excellent care at MSKCC as well as NYU Langone and we are so blessed to have these doctors.

The journey we have traveled has been long and arduous, but miraculous at the same time.  I hope that Dad, a walking miracle, will inspire people to turn to God and never give up hope.  There is help for mesothelioma patients and my Dad is a testimony to that and to the power of prayer.

Thank you for allowing me to share this story with you.  I have learned so much this year; never take anything for granted and always keep strong in your faith.  Please keep Dad in your prayers, and be assured of mine for you.  May you and your families have a blessed, Merry Christmas and a beautiful, healthy New Year!

Mesothelioma Survivor Pleads with Researchers to Find a Cure

• Nancy Meredith
• Faces of Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma, Patients

Many people will say that when they were told they had mesothelioma it hit them like a bolt of lightning, leaving them shocked and depressed. Although many of the patients experienced symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and fluid on the lungs at the time of their diagnosis, they assumed they had the flu, bronchitis or some other “simple” respiratory ailment. Jan Egerton, however, was practically relieved to learn she had mesothelioma.  Even though she knew the disease was life-threatening, for her, knowing the source of her years of pain meant she could begin treatment.

Due to its similarity to other illnesses and the rarity of the disease, diagnosing mesothelioma is difficult. But Egerton endured seven years of excruciating pain, missed diagnosis, fear that she was losing her mind, and skepticism from doctors before finally finding one willing to work with her to identify the source of all her symptoms.

Egerton first began having pain in her back in 1998, and was finally diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in August 2004. At that time, she was told she had just one year to live. Eight years later, Jan is a mesothelioma survivor.

Since her diagnosis, Jan said, she has been “on a mission to live as long as possible and, if I can buy more years, then I will.”  Although Egerton has survived many years beyond her doctor’s prognosis, the road she has traveled has been extremely difficult. As a result, she is working hard to raise awareness of the “nasty cancer,” and to urge researchers to continue to focus on finding a cure and new treatments for the cancer.  She is also reaching out to other mesothelioma patients and their families and is building a community of support among those dealing with the disease.

Egerton, who is now 52-years-old, lives in the UK with her husband and two dogs.  She has carefully chronicled her journey and hopes that through her blog, “Mesothelioma – Jan’s Journey,” others facing a similar battle will know what to expect and will have someone to turn to for support.

Jan has had virtually every treatment option available to mesothelioma patients, and she has been completely open and honest through her blog in explaining the procedures and how her body has reacted to them. Beginning with her first surgery in ’04, Jan has also had VATS (video-assisted thoracic surgery), radiotherapy, chemotherapy (two full cycles), cryoablation and more surgery. Jan is now in the midst of her third round of chemotherapy.

Jan has seen too many of her friends succumb to the cancer, and her frustration continues to grow that there is no cure. And her ongoing treatments are a testament to the fact there is no effective method for stopping the recurrence of mesothelioma.  “I hope and pray that something will be found to stop the dividing of these unnatural cells soon and this will then put an end to the many deaths we have through mesothelioma,” Egerton wrote in one recent blog entry.

Jan wants others to know that even though the battle against mesothelioma is difficult, others have been through it before and leaning on them is important for survival. “Don’t be alone in this battle … We are all here to help each other.”

Jan Egerton will periodically be offering her insight and information about mesothelioma treatments as well as information about the impact the disease has on people’s lives.

Mesothelioma Patients Get Holiday Safe-Eating Tips from the American Cancer Society

• Nancy Meredith
• For Your Family

During this winter holiday season, friends and family members host potluck meals and buffet events, and take homemade meals, cakes and cookies to loved ones who may be too sick to get out. Although many of us look forward to all the delicious food, for mesothelioma patients, eating too many fatty and greasy foods can lead to gastric distress. But, if you are undergoing cancer treatments you don’t have to be left out of the holiday festivities.

To help cancer patients make appropriate decisions during the holidays, the American Cancer Society offers the following holiday eating tips for patients undergoing cancer treatments.

• Keep an eye on foods as they arrive and identify items you think you might be able to tolerate.
• Choose from the inside of the table at a buffet, where little hands, and their germs, are less likely to reach.
• Eat before you leave the house; try a snack with some fiber and protein just in case there aren’t many options for you.
• Start slow and take small portions so you don’t get that “overfull” feeling.
• Look at a potluck as an opportunity to try new tastes and dishes, take advantage of the occasion to identify new flavors that might taste good to you.

Additional tips offered help cancer patients avoid getting sick from the overabundance of food smells or from a food-borne illness.

• If the sight or smell of food is enough to turn your stomach, grab a ginger ale or tea and move out of the area where food is being cooked or served.
• Try chewing a mint gum or drinking a hot beverage to mask the scent of food.
• Steer clear of undercooked foods like homemade eggnog, sushi, or even mayonnaise or desserts made with raw eggs.
• Identify foods, such as cheese and crackers, salsa and chips, snack mix, or mixed nuts, that are able to sit out a little longer.
• Consider bringing foods you know you can eat.
• You can also bring extra serving utensils so people won’t feel tempted to use their hands.

While the holidays can be an enjoyable time of the year, mesothelioma patients and their family may experience additional anxiety and stress during this time. Hopefully, by following some of the tips offered above, anxiety associated with what to eat can be minimized.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs, chest or abdomen that is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year.

Penn Medicine Receives Grant to Educate Communities About Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos-Related Diseases

• Nancy Meredith
• For Your Family

The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine announced it has received a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop an educational program “to help empower residents to shape the future of their communities, and explain the potential consequences associated with asbestos exposure.” Residents of West and South Ambler, Pennsylvania are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma from an asbestos factory that operated in the area for over 100 years.

According to CBS Philly, Dr. Fran Barg says Ambler has been profoundly affected by mesothelioma. Barg is associate professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, and principal investigator for the project.

“I think scientists need to understand the human side of what it’s like to live in a community like this,” said Barg. “City planners want to understand what community members want and epidemiologists want to understand what community residents are still worried about.”

The only established cause of mesothelioma is past exposure to asbestos. The fibers are inhaled or ingested and become lodged in the thin membrane that lines and encases the lungs, heart or abdomen. Mesothelioma has an extended latency, or incubation, period and most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 10 years or more after exposure, sometimes taking as long as 60 years for the disease to develop.

The program developed by Penn Medicine, according to the press release, will include:

• Documenting the history of lower-income African-American and Italian immigrant asbestos workers, their families, and their neighbors in West and South Ambler through recorded interviews.
• Developing an accessible repository of documents, photographs, life stories, news accounts, and scientific data about the communities that can be used as resource material for students, researchers, and community activists.
• Working to inform citizens, scientists and policy-makers on long-term health effects and other potential consequences from living and working near aging, hazardous industrial sites.

The project will also serve as a “case study for other communities that face similar challenges.” The investigators anticipate the information developed will be relevant to community members, policy-makers, health care and public health professionals, business executives, management and workers, university students, school children, and other communities affected by pollution and toxic waste sites.

Penn Medicine is the home of Penn’s Mesothelioma and Pleural Program which, according to Penn Medicine’s website, “brings together internationally renowned experts in medical, surgical and radiation oncology and pulmonology” to collaborate on each case. This multidisciplinary approach, according to Penn Medicine, “provides better outcomes and gives patients access to the most advanced treatment, surgical techniques and clinical trials.”

Sources:

• University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
  http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2012/11/grant/
• Penn’s Mesothelioma and Pleural Program
  http://www.penncancer.org/patients/cancer-types/mesothelioma/
• CBS Philly,
  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/11/23/penn-medicine-receives-grant-for-asbestos-study-in-ambler/