Tim C. was prepared to concede. He had decided against any grueling chemotherapy or radical surgery which at best would only prolong an inevitable end. There is no cure for malignant pleural mesothelioma, and he saw no reason to prolong a fight.
Then his daughter fell three pages, a letter written by hand on his knee to the dinner table. And began to read.
"She called me basically selfish said I was not thinking about everyone but myself. Instead of giving me sympathy, she gave me hell," Tim said recently at his home in Kennesaw, Ga. "and it really touched me. It made me rethink everything."
He changed his mind about the surgery and underwent pneumonectomy extrapleural (PPE) to Boston. Surgeons removed one of his lungs and the lining around her, part of her diaphragm and part of the membrane that covers the heart.
The surgery is no picnic, but the results surprised even him. He bought him another 10 years of memories ?? nine years longer than he would have had if it had granted in 02.
"Pain control has been a constant battle for me," said Tim, 55. "And this is not fun. Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it. But other times, I know it was. I did a lot in the last 10 years. I'm not just sitting around doing nothing. no I was living another life. "
Tim, whose name is being withheld for privacy, was a free spirit before his diagnosis, and that has not changed after it became a Official mesothelioma survivor. He lived long enough to spend much of the settlement money he received as part of its liability lawsuit asbestos.
"I spent a lot because I did not live as long," he said with a chuckle. "I grew up poor, and if I live much longer, I'll probably be poor again. But I have no regrets. "
Living for Souvenirs after mesothelioma
Over the last 10 years, Tim watched his two teenagers grow up and marry. He paid for college. He hopes to do as well with its third and youngest child.
he rode across the country on his motorcycle. Twice he took the bike just to party in Key West, Fla. he has traveled extensively in trips to Mexico Aruba, the Virgin islands and Costa Rica.
Tim has also sponsored several children in Honduras and expenses covered for young adults who take mission trips to South America.
This there were good days and bad ??.
he buried his father there a year ago and now lives with his elderly mother in the house where he grew up. mother and son take care of each other. He lived long enough to become best friends again with his first wife, although the same can not be said of his second and third wives.
Tim lived by the emergency open heart surgery, a complicated by the residual effects of his extrapleural pneumonectomy earlier and the materials used for the stitching. He almost died again on the operating table.
"I am happy to have lived this long, but I do not know why I did. God keeps me here for a reason, "he said." I do not know why many good people have passed, but not me. This is not because I have experienced this great honorable life. I drank. I used to smoke. I know the difference between right and wrong, but I'm always flirting with the law. "
Survival exceeded all expectations
A typical diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma comes with a poor prognosis. Most estimates fall in the range of six to 18 months. Even with the best therapies and the most up-to-date of surgery, pleural mesothelioma patient is rarely five. Tim, however, got 10.
much of his longevity is attributed to catch his disease early. He was diagnosed at 45. at the time, he was competing in mixed martial arts. he was athletic. he played rugby, football. he was never hurt. His body was still strong enough to conduct a good fight, especially after his operation of the EPP.
"I look relatively normal. It's just that narcotics that reduce pain died later life, ball and chain. And chronic pain puts you in a black hole. As long as I can stay out of this hole, I'm fine, "he said." My family now is what motivates me. Their successes are mine. Their failures are mine. Their love is mine. "
Presentation by asbestos cement
Tim mesothelioma stems from his early years working with asbestos cement and pipes used for underground water systems in Georgia Cup . He came to the house covered with white powder ?? the power that has been filled with asbestos fibers. He had spent several years in the Navy, but never spent time on a ship.
He initially thought he had bronchitis and was later diagnosed with a collapsed lung. He thought he had recovered. But the lung collapsed again. More tests discovered mesothelioma.
"I cried when I found what I needed," he said. "I drove straight home to my mother and apologize to my parents for all the pain I l 'everyone had done through the years, my father to have to bail me out of jail when I was young. I asked them to forgive me, and they said they had forgiven me long before, as the day it happened. "
Tim youngest daughter was only 3 when he was diagnosed. His third wife was 27. Still, it was 17 year old Tim who convinced he let everyone down around him leaving.
And after considerable debate Family, Tim went to the wife of Boston and Brigham and Hospital, where he found a surgeon David Sugarbaker, MD, who helped the EPP champion. He became one of the greatest achievements of Sugarbaker.
While Tim was attentive monitoring analysis and therapy at first, these exams every six months ended. him more They do not care. If mesothelioma is back ?? and it almost always does ?? Tim prefers not know until it breaks the door.
"I do not want more. I know what it's like pre-grieve. Someone tells you that you will die, and the woman went outside, children flip out. I'm not going go through that again, "he said.
Instead of managing his illness, Tim wants to manage his pain. He recently attempted a radio frequency procedure that essentially burn off the nerve endings in the hope of reducing his pain. He had already tried resection of damaged nerves, but it made things worse.
"At 16, I thought I would never live up to 40 years," he said. "And I did it. I got it pretty good."
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