Roger Worthington, P.C.

JAPAN: The government has grudgingly released the names of 2,167 companies and offices around the nation where workers received compensation in connection with asbestos-related illnesses.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has been under pressure from groups supporting those suffering from such respiratory illnesses as well as family members to release the names quickly.

The list would enable those who lived near the companies or who had family members who worked there to get checked for diseases such as mesothelioma, a disease of the lungs which is invariably fatal.

Read the complete story here.

TOKYO, JAPAN: A further 45 people have been confirmed with health problems after exposure to asbestos from a former factory site in Ota Ward in Tokyo, the ward office said Saturday (29 Mar).

One man in his 70s died in October of pericardial mesothelioma–a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos–and seven other people developed health problems after inhaling asbestos, according to the ward office.

Read complete story here.

From the Oakland Press:

Each year, 10,000 Americans die — often quite painfully — due to asbestos-related illnesses. Because it takes between 10 and 50 years for symptoms to emerge, these numbers are expected to climb through 2018.

Macomb County is at increased risk because of the number of residents who work or worked in the building trades, said Michael Harbut, M.D., co-director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers, at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.

“People think asbestos is a thing of the past,” said Harbut, adding that inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers permanently penetrates the lungs and other tissue, causing cancer and other respiratory diseases. “I wish it were.” Read the complete story here.

Meso spouse Lois Schwarting has put together this excellent reference for traveling:

Travel tips for meso patients

Remember the point of your trip. If it’s for pleasure, plan to enjoy every minute of being in a different environment and get immersed in whatever is beautiful and new!

Request wheelchair assistance

When booking airline travel, request wheelchair assistance. Upon arrival at baggage check-in outside or inside the terminal, request wheelchair assistance to the gate of departure. The airport personnel will wheel the meso patient through the handicapped line of the TSA lines, but the passenger will have to get up out of the wheelchair and walk through the little “archway.” After being cleared, he will get back in the wheelchair to be pushed to departure gate. Even if the meso warrior is feeling quite good, the lines for security may be extremely long and cause undue fatigue and distress. Have the warrior wear slip-on shoes, as going through security they will still have to remove shoes and walk in sock feet!

Have your oncologist sign a form to take with you through security. I leave it in the same folder as our tickets and boarding passes. This will allow you to take some extra nourishment with you, and any meds that otherwise might be problematic. There’s a sample form that follows.

Nourishment

Airlines allow only certain sized containers and certain products through security. They tell you exactly the size, quantity, and type of items you must put in a one-quart Ziploc bag to go through security.

I always want to take more!! This is where the passenger health form comes in handy, and I point to them where it says he has undergone chemotherapy and to the doctor’s signature. It works wonders! Marty drinks one bottle of Boost per day, and I carry one bottle per day of our total trip with us. I put these bottles in a Ziploc gallon-size bag. I have also carried a “soft-pack” cooler which will hold a six-pack. In it I have some fresh fruit, salad, or sandwich with a small “cold pack” to keep food cold. When showing it to security on the conveyor, I tell them he is a terminal cancer patient and has undergone chemotherapy and his food requires special handling and that is what is in the cooler. Once on the other end of conveyor they have me open it up and look quickly. They have never had me rifle through and show exactly what is in there!

Good idea to take these things with you

CD of last CAT scan and written report of scan. If you need to take your warrior to an ER, these will be very handy. Go to the records department at your radiologist and request several days prior to travel. If you can’t get a CD ask for the actual films.

Pain medications: take some even if the warrior has not yet experienced pain.
Anti-nausea medications: just in case!

It’s best to check with your airline if the warrior is on oxygen, because they may have you follow a particular rule or complete their form and you want to be sure to comply. We are thankful that as yet we have had no requirement for this information. This form has been made up based on sections of one which we were required to complete for taking a cruise to Alaska in August 2007.

Passenger health
Name
Date

Illnesses or operations:

Mesothelioma

Current medications (list all):

Medicine allergies:

Equipment that the passenger will be bringing onboard (oxygen concentrator, wheelchair, walker, liquid oxygen, etc.):

Has the patient been hospitalized in the past year?

Is this patient medically fit to travel?

Comments:
(Medical information for emergency situation.)
(Note: Handwrite anything like below ) — fills up more space — make CHEMOTHERAPY stand out when writing!)
Thoracentesis/date
Thoracoscopy/date
Diagnosis from lab/date

Chemotherapy [Here you could write in “3-week interval cycles Alimta/cisplatin, dexamethasone, B12 shots] I handwrite date, doc’s name, address, and have the doctor sign.

Doctor’s information:

Signature_________ Date ______

Doctor’s Name _________________

Address _____________________

Telephone _____Fax ___

One thing that mesothelioma patients have to contend with after undergoing chemotherapy and/or surgery is weight loss. A loss of 30-40 pounds isn’t uncommon, and although there are plenty of people who have weight to spare, the issue is much more difficult for patients who start off lean. Since the surgery, chemotherapy, and the cancer itself can all work to greatly depress appetite, lean patients who shed 30 pounds may find themselves losing most, if not all, of the natural padding on their backside.

Lois Schwarting, meso spouse and caretaker extraordinaire, invented a solution for her husband Marty that makes it much easier for him to sit down: what she calls a “butt pillow.” By stacking several layers of eggshell foam and enclosing it with a pillowcase, Marty has a lightweight, portable, and eminently comfortable cushion that he can use whenever he sits. Lois has sent the photo below to show the type of foam, as well as instructions about how to make the pillow:

“Here’s pics of how I built a butt pillow for Marty. Then I made a pillowcase right size to slip over and stitched end closed. Use some E6000 glue to hold the pillows in place, and then draw yarn through the 3 layers (loop of yarn in the valley part of foam so not irritate skin. Just tie in a bow on the bottom layer to help hold in place! Marty’s “butt pillow” is usually in a recliner which he usually sits in, but it or the “spare one” is taken with them when leaving house and ….. (he uses it in the other places)

“Some people have weight loss and body wasting caused by cancer even before diagnosis and it continues during surgery or chemo, so this can really make life more comfortable.

“Here are dimensions of the foam pieces:
Purchase 1-1/2 thick egg-crate foam.
Cut four pieces 6 inches by 9 inches.
Cut one piece 9 inches by  18 inches.

“E6000 glue works great, as it will not “melt” or “eat” the foam. Apply a few drops of glue to the “bumps” of the eggcrate side of the foam in a couple of places. Stack the foam pieces together as pictured. For added stability, run some yarn from the bottom piece of foam up through the small pieces, making sure loop yarn is in the middle, and pull back through to underside and tie in a knot or bow.

“Caution: Even a small bow made a ‘red bump - sore spot’ on Marty’s skin when I’d tied yarn in a bow in the depression of the top foam! I made a pillowcase-type cover, slipped it over foam and stitched the end closed. I made two “butt pillows” so that when one gets squashed from a lot of use, I replace it with the second and let the squashed one plump back up. My first ‘prototype’ was for a trip to Alaska. I had folded over some fabric alongside the length of the 17-inch foam and drew cord through it. I slung it  on my shoulder and had it ready to put on a bus seat, train seat, or wheelchair seat. I had made that one with only two layers foam, but he likes the 3-layer foam pillow better! For back comfort, we have a piece of foam 15 inches by 21 inches and 1 inch thick, which is slipped inside a pillowcase and used behind Marty’s back when he travels.”

Pillow foam

Finished pillows, upper and lower

Sweet doggie not included!!!

Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has announced that the use, manufacture and processing of asbestos will be prohibited in South Africa with immediate effect. Read the entire story here.

As the rest of the world closes ranks against one of the worst public health catastrophes in history with nations like South Africa leading the way, Canada and the U.S.A. have so far failed to get in line with medical and scientific research that shows asbestos is a lethal killer. Mesothelioma and asbestosis are just two of the diseases caused by asbestos. With no cure for either illness, asbestos has no place in modern society.

Hope and cancer are alike and different. They are different because hope is something that you want and cancer is something that you don’t want. They are alike because you hope you don’t get cancer and when you have cancer you hope you can treat it. Also there are a lot of people who hope that there is going to be a cure for cancer.

Nobody hopes that they get cancer. Usually you hope that you don’t get cancer. Cancer is a disease that just happens. You don’t know why you got cancer. You don’t know how it happened. Your just thinking, why me? You hope it goes away. You hope that it’s just a dream and you really don’t have cancer.

When you find out you  have cancer, you hope and pray that it goes away and can be treated. You hope that there is something that can be done. No matter how much it costs and no matter how long it takes, all you want is for the cancer to go away. Hoping doesn’t take the cancer away, but trying can.

Cancer takes away peoples hopes and dreams. You can hope and dream for something you really want and cancer can take it away in a second. I remember a book that I read called, A Rose for Melinda. It was about a girl who had a big dream to become a professional dancer. She was a really good dancer and she was on her way to achieving he dream. She got accepted to praticipate in some classes at a dance studio in Washington over the summer. Only the best dancers got accepted. She was doing really well, but one day while she was dancing she passes outh and they toke her to the hospital. While she was at the hospital they found out that Melinda had lukemia. She had to go home and go through all kinds of treatment. After a long time of therapy, Melinda and the doctors finally thoughtthat she didn’t have lukemia anymore. When she went back fo a checkup they found out the lukemia came back. She had to go right back to therapy. While she was going through treatment she died. It was a very sad novel, but one of my favorite books. It’s also a good example of how cancer can take a lot away from somebody.

I hope you see how Hope and Cancer are alike and how they are different. Hope and cancer are like water and fire, the can be helpful to each other and can also be dangerous towards each other. Cancer and hope are alike and different. You can hope and hope that you won’t get cancer, but it’s not going to make a difference. Hope is something you want and cancer is something you don’t want.

Can you imagine waking up and thinking that this day might be your last? If so, you have stepped into the life of a cancer patient, where there is a small amount of hope of living longer and possibly surviving. Millions of people have been afflicted by cancer and suffer as a result of this dreadful disease. Many find it hard to stay positive when diagnosed because in most cases, cancer is not curable. According to Dr. George M. Carman, the director of the Rutgers Center for Lipid research, “Cancer is a disease where the patient can contribute a great deal of help himself if he or she can retain their morale and their hopes.” In other words, although drugs play a large role during the battle, cancer patients need hope and a positive attitude to fight the battle against cancer.

Given that cancer is like a frightening beast, many cancer patients are daunted and give up any hope. Since some give up hope, their negative attitude simply harms them. In fact, Scott Hamilton, a cancer survivor, once spoke the words, “The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” Scott Hamilton is stating that absolutely nothing good will result from a bad attitude.

For cancer patients, hope represents a future, giving them a way out of their misery by allowing them to believe that they might be able to live again. Furthermore, hope represents religion; consequently, many patients find hope by their faith in God. Praying and keeping a close relationship with God gives them strength to face their ordeals. Also, many cancer hospitals offer support groups, hoping to encourage cancer patients not to give up hope and inspire others to live with a positive attitude. In fact, a negative attitude can lead to stress, initiating a chain reaction of health problems. The result of negative attitude includes depression, stomach problems, emotional and physical problems, and poor sleep; it also weakens the immune system. Since a negative attitude can cause harm, cancer patients should learn that a negative attitude is indeed destructive. Even if a person is seriously ill and has a positive attitude, at least, they can enjoy their last days in a more joyful way, like Winston Churchill once said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” As a result, we must learn never to give up and always have hope.

Of all human emotions, hope is the most mystical and unexplainable.  When a blessing comes our way, we are happy; when something doesn’t make sense we are confused, and when we want something that someone else has we are jealous.  Hope is unlike all of these emotions, for it is not evoked or stimulated in a logical fashion.  Whenever tragedy strikes and all signs point to the situation only worsening, a glimpse of hope can be found within someone’s heart.  Hope expresses humanity’s belief in a greater power; their belief that what they perceive with their senses and what they understand to be rational and logical will somehow alter itself for the better.

Just like hope, cancer is extremely illogical.  It attacks those whom we have believed to be the most healthy and claimed many whose hearts were most pure.  Its nature is unpredictable, and when a cancer patient is fairing well and recovering they still must worry about what the future holds.  Considering that medicine has not found a cure to this horrific beast, the best way that humans fight it is with the weapon of hope.  While in the face of suffering and danger this is most illogical, emotion does not abide by the laws of nature and takes a course of its own.  Even though humans may know better, even though doctors tell cancer patients daily that they have a few more days or hours to live, they hope for better.  They imagine a brighter tomorrow where their illness is gone and the world is filled with peace and harmony.  While the cancer may be able to defeat the body’s immune system and fight all the medicines that the doctors have to offer, it can never defeat hope.  No matter how prevalent cancer cells are within a cancer patient’s body, it will never be able to consume a person’s ability to hope and dream.  A patient’s hope and strength not only affects themselves and their own morality, but it also has a rippling effect on the people around them.  Ordinary people who hear the heroic stories of cancer patients who survived against all odds are truly inspired and begin to recognize their own hopes and dreams; this motivational effect of the strength and hope of cancer patients is truly amazing and has changed the world forever.