Mesothelioma diagnosis brings sadness and pains to many people around the world everyday. In the USA
They are no different than you and I, yet these people are battling each and every day of their lives for their survival. They worked for years to provide for their household needs at the end, life has been unkind to them. The stories of their daily lives are touching, thought provoking and some are inspirational too. We can boldly say here that, while there have been so many casualties of mesothelioma there are also notable survivors as well. The following stories of mesothelioma victims will serve as rays of hope to those who have just been diagnosed and are heartbroken and devastated.
All said and done, being diagnosed with mesothelioma is not the end of it all but with high hope and strong determination to live, one can still live a better life than one can ever imagined, is possible with mesothelioma. What really matters is the victim’s daily attitude. As a support to mesothelioma sufferers, we have found the following stories inspiring and encouraging and we have decided to post them on this site to inspire other victims of mesothelioma.
One story in this case is that of John Smith who had worked as automotive plant manager and was diagnosed of mesothelioma in 2004. Today, John is still living with it. This is John’s story as narrated by him: I was always taught by my parents that to live a successful life, I should be an honest, hard-working and compassionate person, I lived each and every day of my life like this. I began working in the manufacturing plant of a large auto company once I finished with school. I married my wife 40 years ago and always provided for her and my four kids.
We lived a good life, even though we were never wealthy, but comfortable and happy. I worked long hours, 10 to 12 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week, so that my wife could stay at home and raise our children. I was an honest man who worked his way up to the plant manager. I was fair to my workers, and worked side-by-side with them in each area of the plant. We were dedicated to our company and gave them the best years of our lives. And we were happy to do it. Now, decades later, I am being re-paid in a way I never expected.
It was almost six weeks ago now that I found out I have a very deadly form of cancer called mesothelioma. This has become the worst word in the English language to me and my family. We were devastated to hear the cruel diagnosis after a short period of time when I was having some trouble breathing. It never crossed our minds that I was breathing in deadly asbestos fibers at the workplace where I gave so much of my life, 50 hours or more a week for years.
Each breath I took while at work was contributing to my early death sentence. I felt so betrayed. So, I have now begun my dreaded journey to treat a disease that is said to be incurable. I have already had a pneumonectomy, which consisted of an operation to remove the lung that was infected. The recovery has been tough, but with the support of my family, I am getting through it. The other treatments that I am facing are radiation and chemotherapy. I know that the side effects of these are said to be most unpleasant, but at this point, there really aren’t too many options. I continue to hope for a miracle and try not to let bitterness and anger fester over how this disease began in my body.
I find myself thinking of which day of work it was that I finally took in one too many deadly breaths that pushed my body into a deadly spiral towards this horrible disease. I try to fight these feelings, but sometime I just can’t help the thought of what was done to my body in the quest for profits and a better life for others. I feel so betrayed. But, at least I am alive… That is more than can be said for many others in my position. I have the love and support of my caring wife and family, and the help of friends and associates. Each day is a struggle, but we are getting on. And we will; until the very end.
Stepen Jay Gould is another story of hope worth mentioning here. This man was diagnosed of peritoneal mesothelioma in July 1982. Though normal life expectancy of anybody diagnosed with his type of mesothelioma is typically limited but Gould case was an exception. After he was diagnosed and given a prognosis of two years, Gould wrote an article for Discover Magazine. In the article titled: The Median Isn’t The Message, he argued that the statistics being used as median for mesothelioma survival are just useful abstractions not destiny. Gould lived for another twenty years after his prognosis. Though, he eventually went down of metastatic adenocarcinma of the lung but not mesothelioma.
Paul Kraus story is also an interesting one on hand. This author was diagnosed of peritoneal mesothlioma in July 1997 and was told by his doctor that he had less than a year to live. In an attempt to deal with the situation, Kraus used a variety of complimentary treatments plan and since then, Kruas has continued to outlive his doctor’s prognosis and recently, he wrote an insightful book titled Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient Guide. The book consists of his experiences with the deadly cancer. In the book, Kraus made a vivid presentation of his philosophy about healing mesothelioma and the decision he has made in the past that led him to use integrative medical option. Paul Kraus is still alive and active. He is dedicated to the desire of spreading awareness of the disease as well as working with others in developing treatment plan that would be as successful as his own.
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