Pleural mesothelioma and the process of coming to terms with it

Hi TDD and welcome to the online community

I'm sorry to read that your husband was diagnosed with epithelioid pleural mesothelioma earlier this year. I know what a tremendous shock having a cancer diagnosis brings.

Thanks very much for taking the time to tell the group about your experiences and I'm sure they'll find it useful.

Take care x

Thank you sharing your story. 

My father was diagnosed also with epitheliod pleural meso. He has been given a provisional date to start treatment on 17th Dec and we await whether he meets eligibility criteria which gives a 50% of him getting immunotherapy on top of chemo. 
I’m so scared and overwhelmed at the prospect of loosing my strong, healthy Dad who in a matter of months is thin and frail. I have bought How to live and Die well and am already finding comfort in reading it. 
Dad has consented for the trial too. Must be the same one. Two chemo drugs of Pemetrexed and Carboplatin + Bevicuizamab and +/- the immuo drug Atezolizomab. Dad too is determined, I just hope he has the inner strength. I feel robbed already that it took the doctors 8 months to reach this diagnosis as he’d have been so much stronger, even if he was diagnosed in just half that time but it’s the past now and I can’t change things. 
Dad is also going through his Asbestos support group and I hope he might be able to get compensation too. 
Please feel free to private message, it seems we are in similar situations. Where are you being treated? 
best wishes 

Lx

Thank you so much for your invaluable advice and information.  I am so sad for you that you have had to deal with so much in one big heap...I totally understand how losing your beloved dog was so painful, being a dog owner myself and so have loved and lost.

My husband used to be a silversmith, and had to mix asbestos powder with other powders for some sort of process. He is 70. Diagnosed this week.

It is unbelievable. I agree with you, avoiding the D word is not helpful for us either, and as Andrew is a counsellor, he is used to being open and honest and I think open communication is going to be helpful for both of us.

We receive our treatment plan on Wednesday, and I hope we will then feel we are doing something positive to help.

Fantastic we can talk freely on this forum, to know we are not alone, to pick up useful hints and tips, to rant and rave if we need to x

Hello Minniepippa

How tragic that so many livelihoods have involved asbestos, and we're all now paying the price.

No, you're not alone, and this is a great forum for sharing everything - anger, frustration, worry, as well as some more positive tips and hints. It's also good for offloading: everyone on this forum understands what we're going through.

Saffy was a cat (the Maine Coon is the largest domestic breed): all deaths of animal members of the family are devastating, and we miss her so much that we've reserved a Ragdoll kitten to join our family on 21 December (can't live without an animal in the house!). He'll be such a comfort to both of us and something positive to focus on.

I do hope that Andrew's treatment plan brings some positivity for both of you. Try not to freak out at the side-effects of the treatment; they do pass. One important tip if he's going to go through chemo: get some Dulcolax or other laxative in, as the steroids, once they wear off, tend to gum up the recipient. Steve found that it occurred for three days around about three or four days after the actual treatment. The massive energy-drops normally occur two days after the last steroid has been taken - Steve had to learn to just accept it and curl up with a book. However, it usually passes after a couple of days, although we've discovered that over-exertion when he thinks he's over the drop does tend to bring on another drop. In addition, some rich moisturiser helps the dry-skin problem; we use Soap & Glory's The Righteous Butter (available from Boots and other pharmacies): it's great and he only needs to apply it every other day.

Good luck, and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you both. x

Oh yes, of course, a cat!! I wasnt thinking clearly (loved and lost cats too!)

Glad you are having another cat.

Thanks for your advice and tips, all very much appreciated x

No worries, Minniepippa. If I think of anything else I'll post again. x