Case Study For Mesothelioma Attorney Alabama
WATCHING A LOVED ONE DIE
Days gone by
Stacey*, 55, was wiping off the dust from the shelves of her beautiful wooden show case when she came across a framed picture of a happy family photograph. There were her 2 sons along with their partners standing behind Stacey and her husband Lewis*. The photograph brought a joyous smile to her face and then it turned sad as she recalled Lewis’s last days. Lewis had become extremely weak and haggard. He had become a mass of bones and skin. He got his bouts of oxygen with the help of a cylinder. In fact Stacey would joke to Lewis, that the cylinder was his second wife. His stomach was wrecked. The doctors at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Alabama had told Stacey and Lewis that because of prolonged asbestos exposure, due to Lewis’ job in a construction firm, he had abdominal or peritoneal mesothelioma.
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Abdominal mesothelioma attacks the delicate lining of the stomach and the mesotheliomic cells usually spread to nearby internal organs. Abdominal mesothelioma is dangerous and if not nipped in the bud, the diagnosis is usually not good, as patients gradually expire.
Ignorance is not bliss
Lewis had a decent job in a construction firm in Birmingham, Alabama. He worked as a construction building inspector where he would have to travel to building sites and examine the work going on and report on the work progress to his supervisors. He had to make sure that the construction, changes or renovation work was according to the building rules and regulations. Lewis did his job thoroughly and with great dedication. His bosses were usually pleased with his work and had no issues with him. Unfortunately the construction firm did not reciprocate to Lewis the health hazards of working in such an environment. His supervisors could have recommended him to wear a mask, overalls, getting regular baths to cleanse himself of asbestos dust. However EPA or Environmental Protection Agency says that such actions are useless and ineffective and asbestos has to be replaced by an organically safe substitute material.
Abdominal issues
Typical of abdominal mesothelioma, Lewis started to experience the symptoms associated with this cancer. He was constantly feverish and his blood tests showed that he was anemic. He started to have abdominal problems like stomach ache, fluid retention and increased abdominal belly. At first Lewis’s doctor told him that he had hernia and started to give Lewis the treatment accordingly. Often abdominal mesothelioma is misdiagnosed and the same happened with Lewis. However further tests revealed that he had peritoneal mesothelioma. The team of specialists at UAB Comprehensive Cancer Centre prescribed intensive chemotherapy and radiation sessions.
Treatment begins
Lewis went through a series of radiation and chemo sessions. These 2 types of treatment have to be done together to give the maximum benefit to the patient and to kill as many cancerous cells as possible. Stacey was a pillar of strength during this entire painful episode. To make Lewis feel better and aware she read material on radiation and chemotherapy.
Radiation treatment involves high energy rays directed to the mesothelioma tumors from an appliance external to the body. These rays are so powerful that they injure cancer cells by stopping them from further reproducing. The radiation doses are quite strong that it ruthlessly damages normal tissues with serious side effects. Lewis was given these treatments on a daily basis for over 50 days with extra intense radiation treatment given directly to the abdominal regions where the mesothelioma was originated. With radiation came its side effects such as sun-burnt skin, fatigue, nausea, hair loss and low blood count. |
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Lewis had to undergo chemo in addition to the radiation treatments. Chemotherapy involves the usage of anti-cancer or ‘cytotoxic’ drugs to finish off mesotheliomic cancer cells. The cytotoxic drugs are given via a vein, either through a drip or as an injection; this is dependent on the doctor and the patient. The patient has chemotherapy treatment either with one drug combination or many drugs combination. The chemo sessions are made up of a number of cycles in which the patient is given drugs over a few days. Then there is break for a few weeks for the patient to get better from the chemical effects. Afterwards the next cycle begins. The chemo sessions unleashed on Lewis its awful side effects such as severe bouts of nausea, vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, infections and bruising.
Letting go
Due to the intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Lewis was able to live with the abdominal mesothelioma for a couple of years. He passed away quietly one night in his home with Stacey by his side.
* Names of people have been changed to protect their privacy |
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