Guest Post

A sweet girl named Heather approached me several weeks ago to see if I would share her story on my blog.  I told her I would be glad to.  Below is Heather's story.  I think it speaks for itself.

Haunted by the Past

Learning that you have cancer is like being struck at the core of your being. This happened to me at a time in my life when I should have been at my happiest. My new baby was only 3 1/2 months old and I was being told that I had malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Heather and her 7 year old daughter

When I tell people that I have a cancer that was caused by exposure to asbestos, they are curious. They assume that asbestos has been banned for many years and always ask how I was exposed. Asbestos has not been banned, but I was exposed many years ago through the dust that my father brought home on his work clothes. My father worked in the construction field and did drywall taping, mudding and sanding. The white dust that ended up on him looked innocent, but it was filled with millions of tiny asbestos fibers.

Most asbestos patients are older men who have worked in the trades. Plumbers, mechanics, electricians, those who work with heating systems and those on ships were the ones primarily exposed to asbestos. The effects of secondary exposure began to creep up later when the wives of these men began getting sick. Years of doing asbestos-filled laundry had taken their toll. Women were also exposed by working in schools where asbestos was found.

The children were the next to be affected. Children attended the schools with crumbing walls or ceiling tiles loaded with asbestos. Children ran to greet their fathers when he came home in asbestos-laden clothing. As a result, there is a new generation of mesothelioma sufferers. These children are all in their 20s and 30s now. When I was diagnosed at age 36, I was one of only 2 young cases that the Mayo Clinic had ever heard of.  There are now numerous cases in the younger generation. These are all young people who are just beginning their lives. They've just gotten married, had babies and begun careers. All of that comes to a halt when they are diagnosed with mesothelioma. Still, they continue to have hope. That hope is warranted. There have been many advances in the treatment of this disease, and people of all ages are surviving. We come together to mourn the disease and celebrate the healing.

I tell my story to bring awareness. Mesothelioma is a disease linked to fear and the unknown. If I can bring hope and comfort to someone newly diagnosed with mesothelioma through the telling of my story, then it is worth it.