GUEST POST: Coping With Losing Someone to Mesothelioma

Losing a loved one to cancer (or any other illness) is very hard for anyone. You sometimes wonder, “why them? Why did this have to happen to that person?” It’s even more difficult when there’s evidence to suggest the death could have been avoided.

A rare cancer known as mesothelioma presents a situation like this. One of the only known causes for this kind of cancer is exposure to a naturally occurring mineral called asbestos. Asbestos was valued because of its durability and resistance to fire and it was used widely for the better part of the 20th century in many military and industrial applications. The most common uses were insulation, flooring, piping and brake lining.

Occupational asbestos exposure is the cause for the majority of diagnosed cases. In spite of the fact that many of the companies that produced asbestos products were conscious of the health risks related with the substance, they proceeded to mass produce it to maximize their profits. Many people who were exposed were not made aware of the situation and were never told the proper ways to prevent exposure.

Additional causative factors to the difficult process of mourning the loss of someone to mesothelioma are the suddenness of the onset of noticeable symptoms, diagnosis and the typically poor prognosis. Mesothelioma symptoms on average take 25 to 50 years after initial exposure to begin showing. By this time the cancer is in its advanced stages and treatment options are restricted. The typical life expectancy after diagnosis is about one year.

Obviously when you combine all the issues and circumstances surrounding mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases, it causes quite a number of different emotions for both the victim and the ones close to them. They may feel anger at the people who allowed asbestos to be used so widely with no warning of its adverse health effects. They may feel frustration at a typically futile situation or shock because of the suddenness and quickness that the disease takes its toll.

Those left behind may deal with these emotions in a number of different ways. The anger people feel sometimes leads them to take legal action against whoever was ultimately responsible for their loved one’s death. The sadness or grief they feel may motivate them to do all they can to raise awareness about this disease to prevent further exposure and saves the lives of others. Either one of these actions could be seen by the bereaved as a way of “righting the wrong” so to speak.

Generally, everyone deals with the same emotions when they lose a loved one, no matter what the circumstances. But diseases like mesothelioma that can be traced back to an omission of information for the purpose of making money tend to emphasize some of those emotions a little bit more. Always remember that anyone who lets these emotions interfere with their daily lives may need assistance seeking help from a professional.

By line:
The article is written by Richard at the Mesothelioma Cancer Center. Having lost a family member to mesothelioma nine years ago, he is very aware of and has experienced first-hand the emotions a family goes through when losing someone to an illness that could have been easily prevented.

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