Mesothelioma Cancer Awareness

A message from our friends at http://www.asbestos.com/


Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer. One of the primary mesothelioma causes is asbestos exposure. The cancer develops in the mesothelium, a protective membrane that lines three body cavities: the thoracic cavity (pleura), abdominal cavity (peritoneum) and the heart sac (pericardium).

A mesothelioma patient’s prognosis, or the probable course and outcome of a disease’s influence on the body, is influenced by numerous factors. Since a mesothelioma diagnosis often occurs once the cancer has progressed to later stages of development, prognosis is typically poor. However if a patient is diagnosed before the cancer has spread or elects to undergo treatment to combat the cancer, their prognosis may improve.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring toxic mineral that was commonly used throughout the 20th century in thousands of products and many industries. Asbestos is naturally resistant to heat and fire, making it ideal for use in insulation. The mineral was often used in insulation and the fine, flexible fibers were frequently mixed with cement and woven into fabrics. Exposure to asbestos can result in the development of serious illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.







Friday, June 12, 2009

Round Four

My chemo went as expected today. The vain in my left hand has completely collapsed and is not even visible anymore, so I asked the nurse to switch and put the IV in my right hand this time. She suggested we try the forearm. I agreed and it worked fine. The pain was less when the IV was in, but unfortunately it hurt more when she took it out and now I have a nice bruise to go with it.

During the visit with the oncologist I expressed my concerns about some changes I have noticed on my right breast. It seems to be red right where the tumor is and the skin texture is different. I was worried it might be signs of inflammatory breast cancer, which is just as bad, if not worse, than triple negative, but after he took a look at it he explained that IBC makes the skin really red, and it looks more like you put a hot iron on your skin and it’s followed by pain which I don’t have, but just to make sure he’ll have me do another MRI.

After my first MRI I have to say that I’m not that thrilled with the idea of having this procedure again, but I’m glad he listened to my concerns and he is willing to look further into it. I want to find out if there’s anything else wrong.

Other than that, I had the chance to rest all afternoon, but right now I feel a little sick to my stomach. Nothing that the medication can’t keep under control, at least I hope so. Of course I have to go back to the clinic for my Neulasta shot tomorrow morning. I know there’s more pain to come after that. Darn medicine. My blood count this time was much lower than last time, so I know I need to take it, but it sure makes me hurt a lot.

My flight to Arizona leaves at around 4:30pm tomorrow. I’m so excited to see the kids. I’ve missed them so much! I know I'll be pretty sick the first week there, but I'm hoping I can get some rest too.
I'm coming back on the 29th, then I'm scheduled for the MRI on the 30th and I have my next treatment on the 1st. It seems that I'll be pretty busy having “fun” when I get back.

I have to start packing now, so I better run.

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