I grew up in a construction family. As a teenager and a little later, I served as a laborer and go-fer for my dad as he built and remodeled restaurants across the country. Among many assigned tasks was an occasional stint as an insulation installer. I well remember getting home feeling itchy and uncomfortable afterward.
But little did I know, back then, that I was exposing myself to the threat of mesothelioma and lung diseases! (Spoiler alert: So far, thank God, no diagnosis of any lung diseases!)
Three times as an adult I have had such severe bronchitis that it sent me to Urgent Care or the ER. During one bout, one of my lungs partially collapsed. That was really scary!
About ten years ago, an x-ray showed a tiny spot on one lung. “Not terribly concerning, since it could have happened when your lung collapsed,” I was assured. Nevertheless, we’re keeping an eye on it to make sure it stays the same size since I was exposed to asbestos and since I grew up in a household with two parents who smoked almost non-stop!
Older homes and buildings were commonly heavily-insulated with asbestos-laden products. Tellingly, asbestos is the only know cause of mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that attacks the lining of the mesothelium.
Mesothelioma and other occupation-based illnesses are estimated to cost $150 BILLION annually. And mesothelioma cases in women are expected to rise because of secondary exposure to asbestos.
I’m mentioning this because a billion and a half people are breathing dangerously-high levels of air pollution with every breath they take. And since each of us breathes, on average, eleven thousand liters of air every 24 hours (women and children breathe faster than most men), I think it’s prudent to take additional steps to decrease air pollution and exposure to other airborne toxic substances.
You can’t stop breathing, but you can make sure your representatives in Congress know that air pollution and exposure to other toxic substances is of immense consequence to you and your loved ones–and that it should be their concern as well, since they were given the power by their constituents to do something about it!
Healthy lungs should be a birthright. The companies that are creating and disseminating products that damage lungs need to be put on a short rein, monitored and regulated, and heavily penalized (including jail sentences) whenever what they sell (or spread) impacts our lungs.
IF you have any of the following symptoms, see a doctor:
dry cough
chest pain
shortness of breath
If you’re diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance at www.mesothelioma.com for more information.
