A Diary Of Mesowarrior Living With #Mesothelioma #Asbestos — Treatment Starts Very Soon -Keytruda Please Do It Again

What a week !! it has really turned our life upside down. These lovely flowers arrived from Natalie that was a surprise but turns out she is the one that Ray has been having cosy chats with arranging it all ha ha !!!

So many phone calls, social media has gone mad. I didn’t think my last blog would cause such a stir. We are shocked how so many people have been devastated by the news of my Mr Nasty’s return.

Thank you so much for all your love and wonderful messages love you all xxx

I have had a phone call today to say the Royal Marsden is on-line to receive me back on trial either late next week or early the week after so they are defiantly getting me back on the treatment pathway.

I keep getting asked how I feel. That’s the point I don’t feel I can’t sort my head out. I was rushing along enjoying my new life. Busy in meetings and conferences my mind had blocked the disease out. I didn’t have Mesothelioma. I wasn’t ill, I WAS A SURVIVOR, I had survivors guilt even. I was in such a good place. Then zap out of the blue. Its growing again.

I don’t feel ill, Ok I have had this coughing virus, and I feel a pain In the shoulder-blade, but really my life hasn’t change and yet it has. I’m so mixed up.

My young son has phoned and asking how we are as he knew we had the virus and so have they. He phones just a normal phone call and gets the worse news I can give him. How cruel am I telling my baby that his Mum is back at square one.

He was in Tesco’s shopping I wonder if he got all the right things.

Then starts all the lecture. Dont you do this, don’t you do that I feel like the kid and he the parent.

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s it life will get back to normal and the routine will settle down.

I haven’t been given a prognosis this time so I feel I have an open appointment, it’s up to me but I will get my affairs in order.

The Camper will go up for sale after the MOT we haven’t used it much due to Rays back opps last year. We have had a great time with her but hotels are becoming more enjoyable now.

 

 

 

 

She will be missed though.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to this every 2 weeks now wish me luck !!!

 

A Diary Of A Mesowarrior #Mesothelioma #Asbestos -After A Great Day at Brunel Uni – Bad New’s Today At The Royal Marsden

Yesterday was so interesting as we were back at Uxbridge at the Brunel Uni

https://rayandmave.wordpress.com/2017/11/12/an-extra-blog-as-promised-to-show-asbestos-as-i-have-never-seen-it-before-at-brunel-university-mesothelioma/

Darren Duncan Health And Safety Consultant at Surrey Safety.co.uk had been on a visit after I spoke of my visit and realised that he could bring  to fruition something he has worked on for sometime.

What they are doing is letting teachers and head teachers know all about asbestos (my angle on it as a warrior and all the work I do and Darren as a trainer/ ex tradesman giving them info about geology and where you find it in buildings etc ) the reason for this is to use university students to go to schools or kids visit the uni and learn about asbestos to try to get them interested in science and therefore go into science when they leave school … the bonus for us is more awareness to kids about asbestos and hopefully filter to friends and family but the reason for it is to get kids interested in science ( Lesley and her colleges receive funding if they can bring in new people to uni who are studying science and electro microscopes )

How exciting Asbestos Awareness being taught in Uni or Collage’s Brunel University had the same idea so we all met to give our ideas on the curriculum.

Reality is teachers were not interested or just didn’t turn up. W have to get past this as it happens in most areas. We have put plans in to it and who to talk to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sebastian Lawniczak MA Dip Mgmt TFAAM Project Manager at SOCOTEC Asbestos was very interested and was able to in put good ideas

as did

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nick Garland Founder of Assure360 and MD of Assure Risk Management Ltd. MFAAM
Assure360

Ray and Duncan gave a great talk. I did and then whey hey !! I got a coughing fit and had to find a drink. How embarrassing!!

We came away with so many ideas and a list of things to do.

Then today it was the dreaded M2- A249-M26-M25 to the Royal Marsden for my scan results.

We took the dog as I didnt think I would be very long. Wrong.

I got out of the car while Ray parked the car as it was 11 and the queue to get to the car park was long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I booked in got my bloods done

parked by a nurse outside the clinic door. I began to get a weird feeling of dread Something wasn’t right.

I was finally called in after an hours wait and lots of laughter and chit-chat but I began to get that tingle at the back of the neck.

I asked was the scan good. The next sentence hit me in the chest – No we are all so disappointed but there are new lesions!!

Seems the old is all Ok but two areas of new growth have appeared since last scan.

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn’t I didn’t want to take that in. I had such great hopes I had beaten this and now I’m back at the starting line and I have to start again.

They are applying for me to have the drug that promised I could have but I just keep inside the limit of 2 years. Another scan three months ahead and I wouldn’t have been able to have the drug.

Once Merck sign the papers for me to have 10mg.kg every2 weeks I’m back doing that M2- A249-M26-M25 route again. Poor Ray.

But as for the two years I was on it before I had no side effects and if you remember lived a full life so I plan on doing the same again. I will build my charity up for the Mesowarriors so we can reach our aims.

I will back Brunel Uni and we will get this Asbestos Coarse working and we will share it to other colleges and Universities. We need young people aware of the dangers but to also take up the science side.

There is a lot of work to do, lot’s of talking to do. I’m on a roll. We don’t know how long I have now, No one can tell me this time, 3 months, 6 months ??? I pray the drug will work again and give me more years, we don’t know but I promise I will go out with a Victory that people will talk about for ever. I can’t rule the world but I can raise the awareness and  put so much good back into it. Asbestos wont beat me yet.

https://www.mavisnyefoundation.com/to-make-a-donation.html

 

 

 

 

A Diary Of A Mesowarrior Living With #Mesothelioma #Asbestos — BOHS Conference 2018 Stratford Upon Avon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occupational Hygiene 2018 is the leading international conference in the field of worker health protection in the UK, focussing on occupational hygiene and the prevention of occupational ill-health and disease.
Following on from the success of OH2017 which brought together a global audience of over 330 delegates, BOHS will once again be delivering an exciting programme which combines inspiring and thought-leading plenary sessions with scientific and technical sessions as well as a range of interactive workshops and case studies.
The conference will bring together researchers, practitioners, regulators and other experts from around the world to discuss the very latest in issues that affect health at work. Professional development courses will take place on Monday 16 April 2018.
The location for this conference is Stratford-upon-Avon, a historic town in the heart of England, and the birthplace of William Shakespeare. With a fantastic number of abstracts received, the programme for OH2018 offers a diverse and interesting range of topics across the field of occupational hygiene, delivered by world renowned experts.
OH2018 included three days of keynote speakers, oral presentations, themed sessions and workshops preceded by one day of Professional Development Courses.

This was the reason for us to put Louis in the kennel and travel Fast train, underground twice and 2 trains. why is it so hard to get to Stratford on Avon?

It was worth it and we arrived in a historic town in the heart of England, and the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The Crowne Plaza, Stratford-upon-Avon

shattered, but we did get into the conference and then a really nice meal then bed. The pure luxury of a bed so wide and no dog !!

The next day after a hearty breakfast we went into FAAM group this is my territory. I’m official known as a Asbestos Activist and after knowing about Asbestos since 1960 and then gradually knowing Ray was loosing all his dockyard mates I took an interest on the subject I have come to be quiet an expert on the subject of workers and the Asbestos danger.

I really enjoyed all the conversations I got involved in this week.

Martin Spear has been very encouraging to me.

He is a Chartered Occupational Hygienist, with over 30 years’ experience. He spent 10 years in consultancy, gaining extensive experience of measurement and assessment, before joining HSE in 1993. As a Principal Specialist Inspector, he headed the Organic Chemicals and Asbestos section, developing national risk management strategies aimed at reducing risks to health in various industry sectors. With regards to asbestos, he provided technical expertise to all parts of HSE, other government departments and ministers, as well as sitting on various expert committees. He provided expertise to the development of legislation and authored various guidance documents. He left HSE in 2004 to set up a small independent consultancy, advising companies on all aspects of asbestos and acts as an expert with regards to criminal prosecutions, civil litigation and personal injury claims. He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene his is Registrar of the Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM). This is where I have come in.

With a fantastic number of abstracts received, the programme for OH2018 offers a diverse and interesting range of topics across the field of occupational hygiene, delivered by world renowned experts.
OH2018 includes three days of keynote speakers, oral presentations, themed sessions and workshops preceded by one day of Professional Development Courses.

Listening to really good speakers I learnt a lot. Although they were all good there was one young man I really did enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stewart Cruikshank

Pristine Condition International Ltd
Stewart was previously a competitive Weightlifter, representing Great Britain at world and European Championship level and representing England at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games, achieving two Silver and three Bronze medals setting British records at his weight which still stand today.
Stewart now works as the Technical Director at Pristine Condition International Ltd, who, with their innovative Manual Handling training solutions derived from Olympic Weightlifting techniques, continue to reduce Manual Handling incidents in the workplace.

He taught us how to lift and its a shame he wasn’t around years ago as Ray needed training and he wouldn’t be where he is today 2 back ops and his height has really shortened so much that our GP mentioned it.

The grand ball was wonderful that night and was in aid of my charity.

They raised over £1600 with the raffle and gaming table that kept us all amused right into the late night. Thank you so much for your generosity. You really have been so kind.!!

I had won so much money, thousands, but I lost it all. Oh dear I should never go to Monte Carlo or Las Vegas !!

We  had to travel home yesterday  and the sun was beaming away as we finally got to pick the dog up.

Thank you so much BOHS that was a great Conference one of the best see you November.

 

 

 

 

A Diary Of A Mesowarrior Living With #Mesothelioma #Asbestos – 2 Days of Visiting Deveraux Court, 12 Kings Bench Walk and ADAO Conference

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To carry on from the last blog Wednesday we stayed around the Courts in the Strand and at Devereux Court we found a wonderful Restaurant to have a meal. Excellent service by a great guy.

We then walked around the area to find our destination where Leigh Day were holding an evening of talks.

Middle Temple’s buildings are an interesting mix of differing ages, architectural styles and construction methods. Located around open courtyards and gardens, they create a peaceful oasis from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city.
A large part of the Inn’s estate is held under ‘Letters Patent’ granted by James I in 1608, although since that date we have acquired a number of freehold properties, principally along our north and west site boundaries.
Many of our 43 buildings are listed Grade I, II* and II with the whole site designated as a Conservation area. The Temple is a gated community with the external gates locked at night, over weekends and on Bank and Public Holidays. All of the roadways, courtyards and gardens are private land over which there is no Public Right of Way.
The Inn suffered heavily from enemy bombing during World War II with the result that a number of the buildings you see today are of post war construction. None the less, they were designed with such care and attention by the architect, Sir Edward Maufe, that the casual observer will not immediately distinguish them. Luckily, Middle Temple Hall, completed in 1573, escaped significant damage and remains one of the most magnificent original examples of an Elizabethan banqueting Hall with double hammer-beam roof

The time passed very quickly and so we carried on to meet up with Harminder Bains he Lawyer who had invited us as she knew I would love to meet Prof Robin Rudd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Rudd is a consultant physician in respiratory medicine and medical oncology, and chair of the London Lung Cancer Group.
For more than 30 years he has pursued clinical and research interests in mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos related diseases, initially at the London Chest Hospital and later at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. He is now in private clinical and medico-legal practice but maintains his involvement with research. He has provided evidence to the courts in many important respiratory disease cases.

We had a chat and then when it was time for his talk it was great to hear about Immunotherapy. I never tire of listen about the subject.

All the other speakers were great as well It was a good evening and we got home late.

Thursday saw us back at exactly the same spot at Temple as we were invited to 12 Kings Bench Walk to attend the Launch of Meso Uk’s Research Fund.

 

 

 

 

 

Liz Darlinson gave a presentation on what MesoUk had achieved and what their 5 year plan was.

3 million is a huge target and I hope they do achieve it.

I did find it a little hard when Liz mentioned that we patients do get a good sum now for compensation so maybe the patients could give more.

That money was very hard to come by and is for the families for all they have suffered.

Then it was suggested that when putting in the claim by the Lawyers, maybe they could add in a fee for Meso UK as they do for hospice fees, but I can’t see how that can be achieved  as we are also served by Macmillan and Marie Curie nurses as well as British  Lung Foundation.

There has to be a lot of discussion around all this and they should really just leave it to the individual to decide who they donate too.

This is the problem with Mesothelioma money is always being discussed.

It is classed as an Industrial disease, we need lawyers to sort it all out for us.

Then there are the Court cases as they know what harmed us, I find the whole subject very sad.

I truly believe that the big charities should be covered by a large fund that Insurances pay into. A lot of money has been made by the Governments and Insurers over the year from Asbestos. Charities are struggling and  I dont believe the larger ones should, they provide a service and save the government thousands

Greed prevented the asbestos being banned directly they knew it was causing cancer and they chose to ignore that fact and thousands have become ill and died.

But the evening went very well and it was great to chat afterwards with all our friends until it was time to get off for our train home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then yesterday I started the ADAO conference off but after sitting here all the morning and testing Skype it wasn’t very good. There was a large echo it truly spoilt it. I said I will really have to go in person next year.

My speech  The sound was awful again but the message is from the heart #asbestos must be banned to make our world safe
Good morning
Another year has flown by, we are at no14 now
My first one was 2010 after a very bad year for me.
Each year I have seen Linda toil away, fighting for a ban on Asbestos.
Now I have survived Mesothelioma by being the 1st one to having such a great result on Immunotherapy, and now we have better trials coming through I join Linda with the phrase “Prevention is the only cure”
That is way Through BOHS and IOSH I have become an Asbestos Activist and doing all I can to keep our younger generation safe.
I’m also on the patients side and work with LASAG as Harminder and Marika will tell you. Support groups are important as are those on Face Book with me will know.
Also my heart goes out to the carers, you strive so hard to keep your loved ones, Remember that when those that pass , will always remain in your heart.
So all listen and learn from each other and pray the US will ban Asbestos. Lets make our world safe
Have a great Conference I will be watching with you
Thank You
Mavis

This is the Banner we did to honour our Mesowarriors

I will be watching live again today as there was so many wonderful speakers yesterday it was a great day.

 

 

 

A Diary Of A Meso warrior living with #Mesothelioma #asbestos — Part one of my week this week

What a long week this has been.

We went to the launch at IOSH which was so informative

Our own Mesowarrior Danielle made a video

Time to fight “despicable disease head-on”

I made on and so did mesowarrior  Keith

Mesothelioma is a “despicable disease” but there is an opportunity to “fight it head-on”, delegates at the launch of the fourth phase of IOSH’s No Time to Lose campaign heard.

Key stakeholders and industry professionals came together to hear how the Institution plans to raise awareness of the risks of exposure to asbestos – the most deadly carcinogen – in workplaces.
The event was held on Monday 9 April at BMA House in London. On the same day, an IOSH-organised thunderclap – a social media tool used to spread a message as wide as possible – was sent out from 295 social media accounts, reaching an audience of nearly half a million.

Every year, well over 100,000 people die across the globe from an asbestos-related disease, yet an estimated 125 million are still exposed at work annually.

In the UK alone, the annual death toll from asbestos-related diseases caused by workplace exposure stands at about 5,000.

The most common of these diseases is mesothelioma.

 

Liz Darlinson reported “I can’t count the number of doctors, nurses and school teachers who I have looked after,” she added. “Public buildings are riddled with asbestos.”

An estimated half a million UK buildings still contain asbestos, despite its use being banned in 1999.

This is why we are all fighting to have Asbestos taken out of all schools.

Colette Willoughby, Principal Examiner (Asbestos) for the British Occupational Hygiene Society, said asbestos is an issue for everyone, adding that tens of millions of tons of the mineral still remains in UK buildings.

She said: “It doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who it effects.”

She went on to say that managing asbestos doesn’t have to be complicated for businesses and can be done by following three steps: establishing if any is present in buildings; if there is, identifying the risks it presents; putting measures in place to manage those risks.

She added: “It does sound simple, but it is crucial that people acting on those steps have the required knowledge.”

IOSH has created free resources to help businesses ensure that their employees are not putting their futures at risk. They can be accessed at the campaign website

Ray was enthralled in the BMA Building 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 10 we had to rush off for the Train to Manchester where we arrived dead on time as was met by Lorraine who runs the http://www.asbestos-victims-support.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone was enthralled with our story

 

 

 

 

we met new and old friends

 

 

 

We ended up in the Slug and Lettice which was really nice

 

 

 

 

We had to finally say we must get off home and had to say good bye It was a long journey and we finally got home shattered and tired but full of wonderful memories it had been great.

Tuesday was a quieter day where we got our strength back but we did have to take Louis for his booster jab.

Then Wednesday off to London again to our Board Meeting which was great and has tied up the loose ends.

We have a complete Board that covers the Mesothelioma side so now we are sorting the Asbestos aspect to out foundation. It all takes time and you have to be guided along but the amount of donations that are building up.

I’m almost halfway to the £100,000 but we only started in December so we are on a good path way so we can start drawing up the grant forms.

Our brochure is in the printers I have our bracelets and will get more badges made. June is the deadline we are heading to when I’m speaking at the Oncologists Conference at Expo.

We have leaflets and other brochures.

Our  Dr Peter Szlosarek  popped in from clinic and talked about how funding research happened so we are ready.

Off we went and got so lost in bank underground station. It is so large so many exits its crazy down there

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will write the rest of the week again tomorrow as its dinner time and I have been here all day emailing and writing articles catching up with all the work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.notimetolose.org.uk https://www.iosh.co.uk/News/NTTL-asbestos-launch.aspx   

A Diary of a Mesowarrior Living With #Mesothelioma #Asbestos #NTTLasbestos –Claire’s Accessories is ordered to destroy make-up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The news today that all the Claires Make-up has been banned is great news

Make-up worn by thousands of British teenagers has been banned from sale after tests revealed it is contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos.
Claire’s Accessories, which has 500 UK outlets, has been ordered to destroy two of its most popular eye shadow and face blusher kits.
The danger they pose is considered so serious that a Europe-wide alert has been issued.
Trading Standards officials in Britain now have to ensure Claire’s destroys its Shadow & Highlight Kit and a face powder sold as Claire’s Compact Powder.

This had shocked the world that Asbestos was in such thing that could harm our loved ones. Mesothelioma is a death sentence as there is no known cure. Millions of pounds is being spent to find treatment but in the meantime thousands are dying.

Claires did deny it but tests were carried out in the USA

Sean Fitzgerald  Director of Research at SAI – Scientific Analytical Institute  Messaged to me – That was based on my original testing, where they recalled only those samples in which I had found asbestos. After that alleged recall, I found not only other talc containing makeup all over the US to contain asbestos still left on the shelf, but it was also found in products still on the shelf in Europe. Confirmatory samples last month were reported by PIRG from another lab, so I know it is still out there Has been confirmed in Belgium now too!

Watch Video of the first reports

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/claires-makeup-asbestos-pirg-tests/

Further, this all started with testing that I did of Claire’s in November and December, finding asbestos in Claire’s from Seattle to LA to New York to Atlanta… And yes, PIRG

Then we had a report from The Netherlands that they had found asbestos in Claires makeup

David de Vreede  informed me– I would like to give you an update about the Claire’s situation in the Netherlands.
As technical advisor to the Committee for Asbestos Victims I reported the Claire’s situation in the US and the risk of contaminated make up to the Dutch inspectorates / agencies NVWA and ILT. After they didn’t take it seriously I contacted a journalist of Eenvandaag (Dutch news programme). We convinced them it was an interesting story and they agreed to fund our research at asbestos laboratory Nomacon. Also they made a tv broadcast about the subject. As a follow up I wrote questions to the minister together with 2 parliamentarians from the Socialist Party and Green Party. After this pressure the inspectorates started an investigation and found nothing because they investigated make up without talc and used PLM instead SEM or TEM microscopy. After they looked into it again they did find asbestos. Our own investigation will be finished tomorrow. Sean Fitzgerald supported our research and has been of great help to us.
The Dutch government has reported the contaminated make up in the EU RAPEX system so all EU member states will receive a message about the asbestos contaminated make up.

Kind regards,

David de Vreede
Committee for Asbestos Victims

He then pointed me to a report

 

 

 

 

 

https://nos-nl.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/nos.nl/googleamp/artikel/2224737-asbest-in-make-up-is-zorgwekkend-gooi-producten-weg.html

This is in Dutch so I will translate

The finding of asbestos in make-up from the American company Claire’s is very worrying, experts say. Asbestos is a carcinogen. “The health risk is small, but exposure must be avoided, which is a good reason to remove the product from the market,” says toxicologist Majorie van Duursen from Utrecht University.
The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate reported after research that Claire’s makeup contained the banned substance. The American retail chain has many branches in the Netherlands and focuses primarily on children and teenagers.
The health risk is therefore not high for make-up, Van Duursen emphasizes. “Asbestos does not penetrate the skin, but may cause skin irritation.” Inhaling asbestos is dangerous and can lead to lung or lung cancer. “But people do not get lung cancer because of this make-up seems unlikely to me.”
Airtight at the waste
Worried parents can throw away the powders, advises the inspection. “Double-pack and airtight packaging and transport waste to the environmental street as asbestos-containing waste.” The consequences of asbestos often only manifest themselves after years. People who are shy about health advice can contact the GGD.
Claire’s has now removed the products in question from the shelves. Ronald van Welie from the Dutch cosmetics association thinks this is a sensible decision. “Asbestos is a prohibited substance and should not be included in cosmetic products.” He can not mention other recent cases of make-up in which asbestos has been found.

This type of asbestos, tremolite, is contained in the talc that has been incorporated into the powders. When extracting the mineral talc, asbestos can also be accidentally excavated. The banned substance eventually ends up in powders and other make-up. The contamination has not been detected by Claire’s and so the products have ended up on the market with asbestos.
After signs from the United States about asbestos in make-up, David de Vreede of the Asbestos Victims Committee and EenVandaag warned the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority at the end of December last year. He decided not to take any action after consultation with the American colleagues of the FDA.
The inspection later examined make-up, but according to the Committee looked at products without talc, such as lip gloss. Mistaken investigation techniques were also used. In February, the Inspectorate subsequently concluded that there was no asbestos in the makeup that was being investigated.
Yet asbestos
After parliamentary questions from SP and GroenLinks to state secretary Van Veldhoven of VWS and new signals from the US, it came to another investigation, after which it was established that two products of Claire’s still contain asbestos. The Asbestos Victims Committee is pleased that this is clear now, but is not pleased with the conduct of the NVWA, the Inspectorate and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
In the meantime, State Secretary van Veldhoven has insisted on a comprehensive investigation into talc in cosmetic products and the RIVM will examine whether further steps should be taken in the interests of public health. The Asbestos Victims and EenVandaag Committee also conducted their own research into asbestos in make-up. The results are expected this week.

This is what its like for a young child to be contaminated. You dont know where it could be anywhere so we dont need it in makeup –you dont need it anywhere we mustn’t take chances

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5590187/Claires-Accessories-ordered-destroy-make-contaminated-cancer-causing-asbestos.html#ixzz5C4dFTZFB
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

A Diary Of A Mesowarrior Living With #Mesothelioma #Asbestos Awareness Week, My Video, Talc did have Asbestos in, A Peter Rabbit Film is upsetting children

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 1st-7th has been Asbestos Awareness Week which has now become very global. It is a World Wide problem and has been for many years.
Asbestos has been used for decades as an inexpensive industrial material. It has been recognised for more than 50 years that exposure can cause serious diseases including cancer and asbestosis.
Use of asbestos is now banned in most countries. However, even where use is not allowed, asbestos can still be present in buildings, industrial plants, ships. Etc. Those considered most at risk now are workers who may disturb asbestos materials during repair, maintenance and refurbishment work.
It is therefore essential that the dangers of exposure to airborne asbestos are understood by all those who may come in contact with it, and those who manage such work, with systems in place to protect themselves and others.
Ways to prevent exposure

The big victory though is the result of the J&J Talcum case.

Johnson & Johnson suffered its first trial loss in a lawsuit claiming its talc-based products including Johnson’s Baby Powder contain cancer-causing asbestos, with a New Jersey jury on Thursday ordering J&J and another company to pay $37 million in damages.
The verdict of liability in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick came as J&J fights thousands of cases claiming its talc products can also cause ovarian cancer. The jury found J&J and another company liable after more than two months of trial.
The lawsuit was brought by New Jersey resident Stephen Lanzo, who said he developed mesothelioma after inhaling dust that was generated through his regular use of J&J talc powder products since his birth in 1972.
Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer closely associated with exposure to asbestos. It affects the delicate tissue that lines body cavities, most often around the lungs, but also in the abdomen and elsewhere.
The jury awarded Lanzo $30 million and his wife $7 million in compensatory damages. It found J&J was responsible for 70 percent of the damages and said a unit of France-based Imerys SA , its talc supplier, was responsible for 30 percent.
The jury will return on Tuesday for further proceedings to determine whether to award punitive damages, according to an online broadcast of the trial by Courtroom View Network.
J&J denied the allegations and says Johnson’s Baby Powder does not contain asbestos or cause cancer.
J&J in a statement said it was disappointed but would withhold further comment until the trial’s completion. Gwen Myers, an Imerys spokeswoman, said Imerys plans to appeal and is confident talc did not cause Lanzo’s cancer.
The Lanzos did not respond to requests for comment.
J&J, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, faces talc-related lawsuits by 6,610 plaintiffs nationally, largely based on claims it failed to warn women about the risk of developing ovarian cancer by using its products for feminine hygiene.
In five trials in Missouri involving ovarian cancer lawsuits, juries found J&J liable four times and awarded the plaintiffs a total of $307 million. In California, a jury awarded a now-deceased woman $417 million.
But in October, a Missouri appellate court threw out the first verdict there for $72 million and a California judge tossed the $417 million verdict. J&J is seeking to reverse the other verdicts.
Asbestos claims are a more recent challenge for J&J. It won the only other asbestos-related trial in November when a Los Angeles Superior Court jury ruled in its favor.

(This story corrects headline to show case was J&J’s first trial loss in an asbestos-related case involving talc, not first loss in talc cancer lawsuit. Corrects paragraph 1 to say both J&J and another company have been ordered to pay $37 mln, not just J&J)

I have played a part in the week as IOSH released my Video that I recorded for the Monday Launch Of  No time To Lose Asbestos.  8 am in the morning !!! That’s an Early Start and then we have to shoot off to Manchester on a Virgin train to give our presentation’s at The Greater Manchester Asbestos Support Group. We will be asleep on the train that’s for sure.

ADAO in the US always support Global Asbestos Week and each day a different Mesothelioma Patient is featured. I was honoured to have Day one.

Their week ends up with a Seminar.

A Thomson Lawyer has written about Peter Rabbit which is brilliant as maybe they will take the scene out now.

Is using asbestos a ‘bad lifestyle choice!?’

I took my 7 year old son to see Peter Rabbit over the Easter Weekend at the cinema; we had heard good reviews about it and thought we would give it a go.
Whilst watching the film, the angry farmer McGregor has a heart attack and dies after running around his vegetable garden trying to catch Peter Rabbit for stealing his vegetables. The film goes on to ask was it Peter who had killed him or was it due to his bad lifestyle choices? They decided it was his bad lifestyle choices and nothing to do with Peter! Up come some ‘flashbacks’ of McGregor’s past life and his bad lifestyle choices, including a short clip where McGregor is seen with a large white bucket clearly labelled ASBESTOS and applying it to a wall with no mask to stop him from inhaling the deadly fibres.

Bad lifestyle choice?!

My son said to me “Is that not what you deal with at work mum? How is it a bad lifestyle choice? I thought you said people didn’t know it was dangerous, it doesn’t make sense to me!” I then found myself explaining to him what he already knows – that asbestos is not a bad lifestyle choice and to suggest that it is, is not only wrong but hugely insensitive to all those who have suffered the consequences of exposure! It confused him and I’m sure it will be confusing for many more viewers, which raises concerns.

Asbestos is not a joke, it is an extremely dangerous and harmful substance and under no circumstances should it be joked about. It harms you and can be deadly. This fact quite frankly cannot be forgotten.

We at Thompsons have acted for thousands of clients who have been diagnosed with asbestos related illnesses, through no fault of their own. If our victims knew that asbestos was dangerous and could affect their health, they would not have used the product-it really is that simple!

Why put the part about asbestos in the film? It is unnecessary and raises concerns in some of the young viewers as Peter brags that he killed McGregor. This wasn’t in the book and is not needed as part of the story line.

If you have recently been diagnosed with an asbestos related illness, have been exposed to asbestos or are looking to speak to someone about any concerns you have then ‘Talk to Thompsons’ we have a specialist department who deal with these types of cases and we are here to help you get the compensation you deserve.

https://www.thompsons-scotland.co.uk/blog/28-disease-compensation-claims/2847-is-using-asbestos-a-bad-lifestyle-choice

https://www.yahoo.com/news/j-j-imerys-must-pay-37-million-case-203248926–finance.html

A Diary Of A #Mesowarrior living with #Mesothelioma #Asbestos – April The 1st starts the Global Asbestos Awareness Week.

Another Easter is almost over and what a shame the weather was so bad.

Rain most of the time has kept us in.

We shared the dog walking but it was straight back and dry with a towel before he shook the wet all over the place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday started the week of Global Asbestos Awareness Week where we all try to raise the need to ban asbestos world wide. This wont happen ever with some countries still making so much profit.

There is no excuse now as it has been proven asbestos kills and yet they still mine and export this dangerous mineral, trying to convince the world it is safe. They have no conscious.

“An estimated 107,000 people worldwide die every year from asbestos related diseases and it is vital that this campaign has UK support. The fact that 86% of schools in the UK alone still contain asbestos highlights that asbestos is still a real issue in the UK and needs to be managed properly.”
Support for this campaign has come from UK organisations such as the British Lung Foundation (BLF) with their ‘Take Five and Stay Alive’ Campaign and The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS).
Did you know?
Every week, an average of 20 workers in the UK die from exposure to asbestos
(Source: HSE), making it the single biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK.

Why is asbestos dangerous?
Asbestos still kills around 5000 workers each year, this is more than the number of people killed on the road.
Around 20 tradesman die each week as a result of past exposure
However, asbestos is not just a problem of the past. It can be present today in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000.
When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious diseases. These diseases will not affect you immediately; they often take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late to do anything. This is why it is important that you protect yourself now.
Asbestos can cause the following fatal and serious diseases:

Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancer which affects the lining of the lungs (pleura) and the lining surrounding the lower digestive tract (peritoneum). It is almost exclusively related to asbestos exposure and by the time it is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal.

Asbestos-related lung cancer
Asbestos-related lung cancer is the same as (looks the same as) lung cancer caused by smoking and other causes. It is estimated that there is around one lung cancer for every mesothelioma death.

Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a serious scarring condition of the lung that normally occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos over many years. This condition can cause progressive shortness of breath, and in severe cases can be fatal.

Pleural thickening
Pleural thickening is generally a problem that happens after heavy asbestos exposure. The lining of the lung (pleura) thickens and swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed, and can cause shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest.
Note: It is also important to remember that people who smoke, and are also exposed to asbestos fibres, are at a much greater risk of developing lung cancer.

ADAO are covering the week as they have a conference running. 14th Annual ADAO International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference Speaker and Honored Guest Information
“Where Knowledge and Action Unite”
April 13 – 15, 2018
Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Support Group in Canterbury LASAG is being represented by Marika Townsend who will be speaking

 

 

 

 

 

 

So April the First was covered by a write up of myself and the MNFoundation.

http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/archives/46845

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get ready – today is the first day of Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW) which features educational resources and prevention strategies from the World Health Organization (WHO) and GAAW Ambassador, Mavis Nye, a powerhouse activist and Mesothelioma Warrior from the UK. Read her story, “I fight on for all our Meso Warriors past, present and future.” Check back tomorrow for the GAAW Day TWO blog: Champions of Change and our featured Share Your Story from John Panza, “We Live Each Day with Passion and Fun.” #2018GAAW

Today, ADAO recognizes the Mavis Nye Foundation for partnering for prevention. http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/archives/5296

Today, we will be highlighting the critical resources from the World Health Organization (WHO) about asbestos exposure and the elimination of asbestos-caused diseases. To have such a globally respected institution disseminating information about the dangers of asbestos is immeasurably important. We are also featuring the powerful personal story from Mavis Nye, our 2018 GAAW Day One Ambassador: “I fight on for all our Meso Warriors past, present and future.

 

 

 

 

Global Asbestos Awareness Week, 1-7 April 2018

http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/dangerous.htm