Pink Pride for More Than Just Breast Cancer

Categories: Active Senior Living, Cancer, Caring For Elderly, Voting

Seeing extra pink lately? That’s because October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is meant to educate others about the disease and encourage support for the fight against it. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States last year.

While breast cancer is an issue that has truly pushed women to band together, there are other concerns that require our full attention. With November right around the corner, why not join together for another women’s issue; exercising your hard-earned right to vote. Only 90 years ago in 1920 women were not allowed to vote, and today there are so many who already take that hard-earned right for granted. Various reports from the 2008 election list voter turn-out at roughly 61 percent, which was said to be at much higher levels than usual. As a country, are we satisfied with these numbers?

“With all of the changes happening right now in health care for seniors, women need to make their voices heard loud and clear now more than ever,” said Deborah Dolan, Advocate on Aging. “Decisions made today will affect us in more ways than we know now. They will affect generations to follow, so make your choice known and your vote count.”

Numerous lives have been sacrificed to protect our freedom so that we can have the privileges we do today, so why are so many people wasting them? If you’re thinking that your one vote doesn’t make a difference, think about what would happen if everyone felt that way and no one voted. Or talk to candidates who have won elections by only a handful of votes. Stop and think about your grandmothers, great grandmothers and ancestors before them who didn’t even have the option to have their voices be heard. On November 2^nd, do not take your right to vote for granted.

If your female ancestors were alive today, what do you think they would say to you about exercising your right to vote?

Prostate Cancer Awareness

Categories: Active Senior Living, Cancer, Medical, Prevention

Gentlemen, listen up!  We want to remind you that last week was Prostate Cancer Awareness Week.

The chance of developing prostate cancer increases as men get older. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), there are 217,730 estimated new cases and 32,050 deaths from prostate cancer in the United States so far in 2010. The NCI recommends avoiding cancer risk factors such as smoking, being overweight, and lack of exercise.

Not every patient experiences symptoms of prostate cancer. Many times, signs of prostate cancer are first detected by a doctor during a routine check-up.

Take charge of your health! Help spread cancer awareness by eating healthy, exercising and seeing your doctor regularly. Make sure to encourage your friends and loved ones to do the same. Improve yourself not only as because September is Self Improvement Month, but every day of every month. You keeping you healthy and happy makes for a much richer life.

Ask yourself, “Am I doing everything I can to stay healthy?” Spread what you are doing to keep yourself healthy and help others!

Asbestosis Hits Close to Home for Advocate on Aging

Categories: Asbestosis, Cancer, Medical, Mesothelioma

In March of this year, Merlin Olsen, a star football and sportscaster, died of mesothelioma.  Reading his story reminded me of a conversation I had with my dad about asbestosis and some sort of legal action against the Milwaukee Railroad where he worked for over 30 years.  After learning more about mesothelioma from visiting the Mesothelioma Foundation’s website, I decided I needed to know more about my dad’s condition.

What is asbestosis and mesothelioma?  Asbestosis is an inflammation of the lungs resulting from chronic inhalation of asbestos¹ particles. Mesothelioma is a tumor of the mesothelium, which is the tissue made up of a layer of cells called mesothelial cells that line the chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the sac around the heart². The malignant form is often the result of exposure to asbestos and may take more than 30 years to develop.

In 2000, my dad was contacted by the Moody Law Firm, the designated Asbestos Counsel for NARVRE (National Association of Retired & Veteran Railway Employees, Inc.), concerning a class action lawsuit filed against the manufacturers of asbestos on behalf of retired railroad workers.  At first my dad was skeptical because he didn’t want to get involved in medical testing and court hearings for something he didn’t believe had affected him.  He knew he had been exposed to asbestos, and he had a chronic cough and minor bouts of bronchitis. He preferred to think of it as a genetic predisposition, since his own father had emphysema at the time of his death. Grandpa, too, had worked around steam engines that fired on steam boilers containing asbestos.  One major difference in their exposure was my grandfather often performed his job inside the roundhouse, making him a captive audience for the asbestos particles.

Following a phone call from the attorney’s office encouraging him to at least have a chest x-ray, Dad agreed.  He first received a chest x-ray at a nearby clinic followed by a physical examination by a pulmonologist, an expert in the field of asbestosis.  My father was very surprised to learn the tests confirmed the presence of asbestosis in his lungs.

My father was interviewed by the attorneys to determine the places he may have worked around asbestos.  He named several different locations:

• He worked near the steam lines on passenger train cars, which were insulated with asbestos.
• He laid steam pipes wrapped in asbestos.
• A major function of his job was to change brake shoes, which contained asbestos
• Train derailments exposed and broke up asbestos, contaminating the surrounding air.
• The wreckers he used at derailments to upright train cars were powered by steam, and he often stood next to those asbestos lined pipes.

As was previously mentioned, my grandfather had emphysema at the time of his death.  He struggled with wheezing, shortness of breath, and unbelievable coughing spasms during the last years of his life, which were symptoms of asbestosis.  Knowing what we know now about asbestosis and mesothelioma, my grandfather surely had at least one of these conditions.

Through the years while this class action lawsuit was developing, asbestos manufacturers went bankrupt and the Milwaukee Railroad (my father and grandfather’s employer) was sold to the Soo Line Railroad Company. Later the Soo Line was sold to the Canadian National Railway.  The awards continue to dribble in at a snail’s pace as the remaining assets of manufacturer by manufacturer are doled out at pennies on the dollar.

My father continues to fare well without sign of catastrophic health issues, and we are grateful.  However, thousands of others exposed to asbestos have suffered irreparable harm.

We are often upset by the time and cost of proving products safe for the environment and humans.  We even wonder if such efforts are necessary.  Just ask one person affected by mesothelioma if they wish they had known the inherent perils of asbestos.  My guess would be that there is a resounding roar of affirmation.

Mesothelioma and Seniors

Categories: Cancer, Mesothelioma

While many Americans know asbestos is a dangerous substance, few are aware of the disproportionate impact of asbestos-related cancers on senior citizens. Several factors contribute to the increased risk of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases among seniors, including occupational settings. Exposure to asbestos at the workplace was highest between 1930 and 1960, placing today’s seniors who worked in shipyards, manufacturing and construction at an increased risk for developing an asbestos-related condition.

A mesothelioma patient will generally not demonstrate symptoms of mesothelioma until 20 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. Symptoms often resemble illnesses such as influenza and pneumonia, and in the case of pericardial mesothelioma, symptoms can resemble other cardiac conditions. This can make diagnosis difficult though informing a doctor of prior asbestos exposure can alert them of the possibility of an asbestos-related disease.

The most common forms of treatment for malignant mesothelioma patients are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Other treatment options may be available through clinical trials, but patients must qualify and meet specific criteria in order to enroll in them. It should be noted that surgery is only an option for patients diagnosed at the earliest stage of development. While there is no cure for this cancer, patients often elect to undergo treatments that will relieve symptoms and improve overall survival.

Another factor that influences the higher incidence rate of asbestos-related diseases among seniors is the long latency period associated with symptoms. After a person is exposed to asbestos, symptoms of mesothelioma can take as long as 50 years to arise. Because of this, the cancer may unknowingly develop for an extended period of time, often resulting in a late mesothelioma diagnosis. Other conditions that may result from asbestos exposure include lung cancer and asbestosis.

A third factor that places seniors at a higher risk for developing an asbestos-related disease is their participation in World War II. The era of this war was a time when asbestos was widely used to support the military. Primarily between the 1930s and the 1970s, every division of the U.S. military used asbestos-containing products for buildings and various types of transportation. Asbestos not only provided a great way to insulate materials but a way to fireproof them as well.

Even though all divisions of the military commonly used asbestos, the Navy found more uses for this heat-resistant mineral than any other division. From the 1930s through the 1980s, more than 300 products imbedded with asbestos were used by the Navy alone. Because of this widespread use, veterans make up a sizable percentage of those coping with asbestos-related disease.

Exposure to asbestos occurred frequently on the job in many different occupations. Jobsites where asbestos exposure was often prevalent include asbestos mines and the processing and manufacturing plants where asbestos products were produced. Shipyards, oil refineries, power and chemical plants were also common exposure sites. Those who worked in certain occupations such as firefighters, on the railroads, auto mechanics and machinists may have been exposed to asbestos frequently, and should be checked for mesothelioma.

Thank you to Kelsey from Asbestos.com for her writing of this guest blog!

Watch later this week for my own father’s story about asbestosis and Mesothelioma.

ATTENTION Seniors with Cancer or Undiagnosed Illnesses: Have You Heard of Mesothelioma?

Categories: Cancer, Mesothelioma, Resources

From the early years of the 20^th Century until the late 1970s, asbestos – now a known carcinogen – was considered one of the best insulators available. Because of its incredible heat-resistant properties and its inexpensive cost, asbestos and asbestos-containing materials found many uses in workplaces around the country in industries that included shipbuilding, oil refineries, chemical plants, railroads, power plants, auto factories, and many others.

During those decades, myriad Americans – mostly men – went to work in those industries, encountering asbestos on a near-daily basis, knowing nothing of the effect the naturally-mined materials might have on their health. Exposure to asbestos was commonplace – especially in the shipyards which built vessels during and after World War II – and despite the fact that there was already evidence that asbestos was toxic, those who worked in plants and factories during that era were never warned that they were in danger.

Today, the result of this cover-up about the dangers of asbestos is a senior population that has been touched by asbestos-caused diseases, most notably the cancer known as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that often takes seniors by surprise, not appearing until decades after exposure occurs. That’s because the disease has a very long latency period. The time between exposure to this cancer-causing agent and the appearance of symptoms can be as much as 50 years, sometimes even longer. Therefore, those who worked with asbestos in the 60s and 70s could still be harboring the disease.

Mesothelioma takes its biggest toll, of course, on the person diagnosed with the disease. A very difficult cancer to treat, mesothelioma causes severe symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, fluid in the chest, and weight loss. Conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation have historically proven to do little to stop the spread of the cancer, which is usually already advanced by the time it is diagnosed. In addition, diagnosis is often delayed because the disease carries symptoms that might be confused with heart disease or less serious ailments and, often, a connection with asbestos is not immediately made.

In addition to taking its toll on those who develop the disease, mesothelioma is also tough on caregivers and others close to the victim. Mesothelioma patients demand a lot of care due to the seriousness of the disease, its rapid progression, and the fact that symptoms of the disease can seriously impact the patient’s quality of life, keeping him/her from carrying on with everyday tasks. That puts a lot of responsibility on the caregiver and other family members.

In addition, the disease can cause severe financial burdens, especially if all medical expenses are not covered by insurance. Spouses or other family members must also deal with end-of-life issues, which can cause an insurmountable amount of stress. Because of the responsibility involved, it’s a good idea for caregivers to seek support outside their home, often with groups of others who are dealing with the care of an individual with the same disease or a geriatric care professional. For more information, please visit Mesothelioma.com, there are many online groups and forums to converse with other caregivers and people with mesothelioma.

Thank you to Jennifer from Mesothelioma.com for her writing of this guest blog!