Roger Worthington, P.C.

The Link between Mesothelioma Awareness and Funding (May 14, 200

Why must we devote more federal research funding to mesothelioma?  If this question were actually posed to a random person off the street, they would most likely respond by asking “What is Mesothelioma?”  It is a sad fact that most of the general public is simply in the dark not only about this rare but lethal form of cancer, but also about the direct link between mesothelioma and asbestos, which millions of people are exposed to on a daily basis in their homes, communities, and at work.  Despite the fact that mesothelioma has already claimed so many lives, and the number of reported cases of this disease that continues to grow with each year, as well as the number of people that continue to be at risk, a lack of awareness about this disease still persist.  This lack of awareness is linked directly to the lack of sufficient research funding for mesothelioma.
It is no coincidence that the forms of cancer that we all know the most about are also the ones that receive the highest amount of funding.  Therefore, it is crucial that we devote more federal research funding to mesothelioma for three fundamental reasons: to increase awareness amongst the general public, to develop better treatments for mesothelioma patients, and most importantly, to increase the chances of finding a cure, which despite what some may believe, is still entirely within the realm of possibility.  It is crucial that awareness about mesothelioma be raised amongst the general public because by being exposed to asbestos they are at risk of developing the disease, as a link between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma has already been established.  In addition, the general public can be a great source of advocacy for an increase in federal research mesothelioma funding, which is so desperately needed.  However, they cannot advocate for a cause that they are simply unaware of.  As more of us become educated about mesothelioma, we can advocate for more federal research funding to be devoted to the disease, which would make a big difference in the lives of mesothelioma patients; as greater funding could lead to the development of better treatments, which they are so deserving of.  Furthermore, an increase in federal research mesothelioma funding could lead to the development of a cure, which would ensure that not even one more life is lost to this disease.

When I was a sophomore in high school, my algebra class was in a tiny room.  They had moved us there while temporarily closing down the math wing to remove asbestos from the building materials.  We joked that math had been killing us all along, but had no real concept of the slow poisoning we’d been exposed to.  That was many years ago, but most of the public is still unaware of the dangers of asbestos.  How can we spread the word?

Everybody likes to breathe freely, right?  There is a ban on cigarette smoking in public places that is sweeping the nation, mostly because nobody wants to get cancer or suffer respiratory problems because of what another person chooses to do with their body.  The people who support these public smoking bans would be interested to learn about asbestos.  They will not want to expose themselves to the risk of cancer because of what a business chooses to do with their building materials.  Therefore, a campaign to spread the word about asbestos could be similar to the campaign to ban public cigarette smoking.

Another way to spread the word about asbestos would be to reach out to cancer research organizations.  Everybody knows a lot about the threat of breast cancer, for example, and about fundraising efforts like Walk for the Cure.  One of the main dangers of asbestos is that is can cause mesothelioma, a respiratory cancer.  Cancer research organizations could do a better job of highlighting mesothelioma and its relationship to asbestos.

A final way to educate about the dangers of asbestos would be to give information directly to the people most involved with it.  Construction workers and building maintenance people are most as risk because they are exposed to asbestos on the job every day.  These kinds of workers often have very strong unions, and the unions should use their network of connections to increase awareness among their members so they can protect themselves better.

However we spread the word about the dangers of asbestos, the point is that we have to do so.  Many people die every year from asbestos-related illness–because we all face exposure to this hazardous material, we all have a responsibility promote education about it.

If I could ban asbestos, I would do it in a second.  People with extensive occupational exposure to the mining, manufacturing, handling or removal of asbestos are at risk of developing asbestosis.  Asbestosis is a scarring of the tissues of the lungs which causes a reduction in lung capacity.  There is also an increased risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer involving the lining of the lungs, chest, or abdomen.  This disease is always associated with asbestos exposure.  Asbestos could be in homes.  Asbestos could be found on roofing materials, flooring materials, ceiling materials, and other materials, too.  I can’t imagine having a close family member or friend who got a disease from an exposure to asbestos.  If I was the friend or family member of a person with a disease caused by asbestos, I would feel depressed to see them show a shortness of breath on exertion.  In a severe case, it could even lead to respiratory failure.  All of that would slowly lead to death from asbestos.  If asbestos were banned, there wouldn’t be nearly as many deaths of this cause.  10,000 people die a year from asbestos-caused diseases in the United States.  Asbestos is still a hazard for 1.3 million American workers in the construction industry and for workers involved in the maintenance of buildings and equipment.  The part about the construction industry scares me the most.  My favorite uncle works in the construction industry and has been for more than 20 years.  He is one of the greatest people that I have met.  He has been like a second father to me.  He likes to do every outdoor activity with me, from hunting to fishing to just enjoying the wild.  If he died because of asbestos, it would become my worst enemy.  I would want to ban asbestos every way I could.  I can’t imagine how strongly friends and family members of asbestos victims must feel about banning asbestos.  I imagine that they want to do everything they could to get rid of it so that no one else will have to experience the same pain.  Since the mid 1900’s, many studies have shown the effects of  and health risks associated with exposure to asbestos.  If we banned asbestos today, all the record deaths would start going down and many lives would be saved from these health issues.

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.

There is always hope when fighting cancer. I know this because I could understand how my mom was feeling inside when she had breast cancer. I know she had hope because she was tough not only on the outside, but on the inside. Everything inside her wanted to keep on moving. She never let the amazing pain slow her down. She never lost confidence that everything would turn out perfect. Hope always sparks that energy you need to keep going. Cancer was like a race for mom. If you don’t have hope, you won’t do well. She did have hope and everything inside of her worked like a perfect engine of a car. She wanted to use everything she had to be the best mom she could be to me. It showed that she had hope by the smile on her face every day. She would always make the best of what she had. Cancer is a lot like the Holocaust. In the Holocaust, many people lost their hope in God and in everything. Cancer is also like the largest giant there is. When David had to defeat Goliath, the only reason that he defeated Goliath is because he had hope and was confident. When my mom fought cancer I could tell that she had hope because she defeated it. When she was fighting cancer, I also needed to have hope. When my mom first found out that she had cancer, she had to have a surgery to try to get the wierd thing out. That was unsuccessful. It was hard for me not to lose hope. I knew what the consequences would have been if too much hope was lost. When my dad explained to me what would happen in the next surgery, I didn’t know if I could handle it anymore. She had to have a bilateral mastectomy. Deep inside the hope was still there. The spark of hope soon lit a fire in my whole body. I knew many things would change, but everything would be all right. The thing I realized was that mom had the fire of hope burnning first which spread to numerous people who cared about her. My mom changed so many lives by all of this She made many people see how hope and God can work in us if we accept it and want it to change us.

My name is Jordan Cortina, and I am 16 years old; when I was 9 years old, I lost someone who was very close to me. You could call this person my hero. I lost my grandpa because he had stomach cancer. Because of the fact that I was 9, I didn’t understand why the doctors couldn’t help him. I prayed, but he eventually passed away and I never felt the same. I thought that anyone who had cancer, especially someone I knew, was going to fade away and leave me. Moving to a brighter subject, now I am 16 years old and I have never seen my uncle happier. He is with a wonderful woman who seems to get along with everyone, only, she has cancer. Now, as I have said, I was only 9 years old before and didn’t understand how medicine and technology worked, but now I do. My aunt has been treated and no longer has cancer, which shows that there is hope for people that have cancer. This really helped me feel better and learn to accept the fact that people are going to get cancer, but there is hope, because we can treat it. What’s more, she lost all her hair (she has to wear a wig) and she is still the bright, peppy, upright woman that she always is. This shows that there is hope for all the women and men out there who have gone through treatment and are self conscious. It shows that they are not alone and that they are always supported, even if only by the thought of someone else understanding how they feel. I guess what I’m trying to say is, there is always hope, whether that hope comes from a better understanding of something, or something inside of yourself, or someone who makes you happy, or someone who understands how you feel. Whatever the situation may be, there is always hope. You can’t have cancer beat you, you have to beat cancer.

The format is short and simple: 400 words maximum.

If your essay exceeds 400 words we’ll put it at the bottom of the stack, to be read only after making sure that there’s nothing within the 400-word limit that’s a clear winner. The shorter the essay, of course, the harder it is to write. Consider this:

Interviewer: How long do you prepare for a 5-minute speech?
Mark Twain: About two hours.
Interviewer: Goodness! Then how long does it take to prepare for a one hour speech?
Mark Twain: I could give one of those right now.

When you write your essay, consider our goals. We want you to say something that will resonate with mesothelioma patients and their families. Look at the posts on our blog, and spend some time reading the profiles on our main web site. Write something that resonates with the lives and experiences of people who deal with an aggressive, terminal disease. Write something that recognizes the interplay between mesothelioma, health care, and social justice. Hammer this one out, as Stevie Wonder might have said, “in the key of life.” Your life.

Finally, put yourself in the shoes of a patient and use this phrase as a measuring stick for what you’ve written: “So what?”

If you don’t win one week, keep trying. Bolster your chances by taking the time to:

• Craft an unmistakable beginning, argument, and conclusion
• Lead off with a powerful hook
• Bind your essay with a unifying concept
• Illustrate your argument with real-life examples
• Check your spelling

Good luck!