Wanda's Story

23rd January; 2000
Thanks
Recently my husband was diagnosed with asbestosis. He has some pleural plaques.
Only after he went to hospital for other problems did ct's find scarring on his lungs. The doctor described the scar tissue as being a broken glass look.
I have searched many places trying to get information that was understandable and easy to explain to others in my family. Thank you so much for supplying that knowledge.
(your page is better than many law firms, hospital and even research areas.)

My husband worked for many years in electric power plants. First as a welder/pipe fitter; and then as a technician that did maintenance and repair both in nuclear and coal fired plants.
I have been the laundress and chief cook for all these years.

When our children were small, he would come home from work and pick them up and rough house, or sit and snuggle, or read , or whatever. We never knew of the danger of the dust that was ever present on his clothing.
I fear now for my children, who as young adults are beginning to raise their own families. One daughter is coughing and has been told by her ob. that it looks like after the baby, she is going to have asthma.

 If it was so dangerous, why is it still used in plants? (most of the plants my husband worked in have been built since the 60's and many in the 70's and 80's and have asbestos in them as gaskets, insulation, wraps for pipes etc !!!!!!)
Why is it not ILLEGAL to even use it any more, It should be told to workers that it is there and the medical implications for themselves and their families.
Thanks again for all the info and yes, for the poems as well.

 Wanda

13th February; 2000
Deidre,
I live in the US, in a small town in the country that we thought perfect to raise our children. A river with (relatively) clean water, a few acres to add animals to teach responsibility to the kids and lots of space for garden and all the foolishness that kids have fun getting into.
You have my permission to use whatever you need to.
Thanks again and love to you and yours

 Wanda

  24th April, 2000

 Wanda here,

 I kept having problems with my server, so I switched.
I have been trying to get over my obsession with asbestos...... only tried........I was and am still afraid; not for myself but my grown children.
Going to a family gathering after church today.

Doctors are watching closely, to make sure my breathing is as good as can be. Encouraging also. They will look again in September
I do have a tingly feeling in my toes. Could be my lungs or hormones. (I am that age) With chronic bronchitis and interstitial scarring, I can only assume the lil aches are from the stuff in my lungs. The doctor seems to think they are two different issues.
I'm enjoying my grandchildren and looking forward.....
Look forward to hearing from you,
Wanda

 30th June;2000.

Am doing okay, have been told by lung doctor that because of the fact that I never worked around asbestos, whatever is wrong is not likely from exposure to asbestos.
I do have scarring over lungs as ground glass. Will see Dr in late summer for semi-annual check. First cat scan that was done on me,(looking for something else), a nodule was discovered in the right lung base anteriorly. Most likely in the right middle lobe measuring 5 X 9 mm. A high resolution CT was performed and since that test looks at bands, it is possible that the spot was skipped.
Drs think it may still be there and will do a focused scan of the area in question in the fall, but nothing shows on chest x-ray that was taken at same time as high resolution CT.

So far, we go for a rather detailed check every 6 months, and I am on a cortisone puffer to help with the additional chronic bronchitis. It does help.

I have over the years found I can not be in heavy traffic or around heavy perfumes, sprays (chemical, like hair spray and bug stuff, even air freshener) Smokers have run me out of a lot of stores because my throat burns and starts to close up... Drs are still unsure of what has caused all the damage, as a probe did not find anything conclusive, and taking a slice of lung (to me) seems a little drastic for diagnosis.
Now I try to eat well, enjoy my family and my life. It is a precious gift not to be squandered hunting for more troubles. Will keep up with check ups and care, Have understanding with ALL my family If something happens (accident, or sudden occurrence) an autopsy is to be done to know for sure.
I went to Drs for many years telling them of reactions and problems breathing, funny chest pains, and wheezing, heaviness in bottom of the lung that supposedly has a what ever in it....and was told (pretty much) go home you are just fine.
Trust me, finding out that they are wrong is no great prize.
Look up the statistics of the ground glass appearance on lungs.
Lots of things can cause it, the eventuality is the same.

Live life to the fullest extent, praise God for the chance to see each day and each blessing and do what you can in life to leave it a bit better (if you can). My mom used to sing "Count Your Blessings " and "Heavenly Sunshine" as she went about her day, good days and bad (more spirit on bad days)
She had the best idea,

LOVE LIFE: PRAISE GOD: ENJOY YOUR BLESSINGS: SHARE JOY KEEP BUSY DOING GOOD.
Hope you are well and that your education project is helping give others the knowledge to heal their hearts.
God Bless you
Wanda

2nd July;2000

 Lets see, as far as I know ASBESTOS was not a bug a boo, but just insulation in some schools and homes, never knew much about it.
Not being a builder and didn't live in house with that kind of insulation, and even grew up with a private well with no worries of concrete piping that I have read of lately.....

In 1977 and 78 and 79 ,every time Mike (my husband or I seemed to get a little cold, it turned to pneumonia or at least bronchitus that just wouldn't go away. This would be at least 2 or 3 times every winter....had always thought of myself as hale and hearty....so much for thinking..
Eventually developed sinus problems and a cough that would last weeks and weeks after colds. Since we lived just out side a large city, and a lot of people had sinus problems from pollen or pollution-- no one looked for any thing else.... Decongestants and allergy meds did little or no good except make one sleepy ( not something to do with 4 kids) so we upped vitimins...400 mg of vit E 1/2 in am, rest at night, added zinc 10mcg, and a B-complex that was balanced as well as a solid multi and then added lots of fresh veggies....and walking for exercise ( for me and kids up to 2 1/2 miles a day)

Had strange symptoms that no one has explained to me to my satisfaction. When we walked, my hands would swell (1982) (If I had walked on my knuckles that would have made perfect sense, but I wasn't and GP suggested poor circulation.....ok; still not convinced. Still getting heavy colds and bronchitus in bad weather etc. (during all of this had other problems, house fire. Dealing with that ended up with depression, did manage to quit smoking though)

We moved to our lovely bit of country green, and set out a big garden and planned to live happily ever after (l985) Have since about 1986 had problems with the laundry detergent row in the grocery (took my breath away) . Perfumes and exhaust fumes got worse and worse. Can't be in the same room with smoker with out coughing up stuff for days after. It may or may not get to me at the time, for some reason, some brands seem to bother me worse that others..... have had hoarseness and dry to croaking cough since '86, although have seemed to trade the hoarseness for the every morning cough and sputum discharge (sorry so graphic. Began to have (gas? ) pain in back off and on since 92 or so.
Went to Emergency Room at least 2 times due to chest pains. No conclusions that they could find... (Ever swallowed something too large, well instead of going to the stomach, send it thru the chest and you know what it felt like)
Dr said if I had any more problems, should always check it out...Heart, blood gasses, white blood count, even lipids were great....so not heart.
( When you get the bill, you decide that unless you are really, really, really hurting, not again...so have not gone back...although pain in lower right lung (feels like early pneumonia )
It is an on and off again thing with me.

GP has always said, no lung noises, no problem, must be in your mind (didn't realize my imagination was that good, and with 4 kids at home, I really did not have time to wait around dr's office)
Went to check a problem with what I thought was an ovarian cyst,(dr. thought it was gall bladder) he ran tests to prove it was gall bladder,( no surgery for me unless you prove it) and the thing in my lung was found..not very large, but there...
Lung drs in a larger city now say I have the ground glass appearance over all lung and scarring thru the bronchial tree every morning, the cough (haven't smoked since '84) and sputum thing... and am taking an inhaled cortizone to keep the irritation down. Breathing is still ok, get short of breath walking,(no long walks for speed for me) and humidity and heat sucks the air right out of me....need air conditioning.
Do I have asbestosis,? The sample they got from the bronchoscopy was inconclusive. The drs said they could take a slice of lung. Well that seems a bit drastic, since at the moment I am using them..The what ever little gass bubbles in places I didn't know you could get are still there some times. And no I do not know what they are...my legs swell and so do my hands (?) Every lil bug that comes around seems to have my name on it and it stays longer with me that other folks.

I choose to live the life I have to the fullest, (Damn the torpedoes) enjoy my children, grandchildren, and the beautiful earth that we have around us. Everybody in my family has assured me if any thing happens to me (accident or otherwise)an autopsy is assured and they are to look to see is this is asbestosis or what....can't waste energy and time..... not to mention money...on unimportant things....live life, love God, live fully every day that God gives.
Will keep up with every 6m check ups, and meds to keep going; try to get kids to check themselves, (I am gonna live for ever syndrome)
Every year get flu shot and keep up with vitamins, clean air and lots of joy not to mention a hefty dose of bull to chase the buggers away on gloomy days (pranks and jokes as well as music and hugs are great weapons)
Will talk later...What do you think, asbestosis, environmental, what?
Wanda

2nd July; 2000