Guest Blog: Military Members and Asbestos: A Deadly Combination

Beautiful Faith has been given the awesome opportunity to present this very informative guest blog to our audience. You will find it to be very educational. Remember faith requires action...take care of yourself!

Wishing you the best~
Tara JW

Guest Blog: Military Members and Asbestos: A Deadly Combination.

As we imagine the dangers faced by the men and women who are part of the U.S. Armed Forces – past and present – we picture gun-slinging enemies, torpedoes, roadside bombs, and any number of other very apparent perils these dedicated individuals encounter on a regular basis. But, for decades, those who serve in the military – both during times of peace and times of war – have faced another less-apparent danger, that which is posed by the use of asbestos.

During World War II, asbestos use was at its peak. Because it was inexpensive and recognized as an excellent insulator, it was used liberally aboard the ships that were built for that war and others that followed. Anyone who worked in the nation’s shipyards or aboard these vessels was subject to asbestos exposure, which can lead to severe scarring of the lungs or mesothelioma, a cancer that can remain latent in the body for decades and finally surface when it has reached a late stage. As a result of this exposure, U.S. navy veterans have the highest rate of mesothelioma among all those diagnosed with the disease.

These days, those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan face a similar hazard as they fight among old, crumpled buildings that were probably built using asbestos materials. Countries in the Middle East still make rampant use of asbestos in construction and chances are that our military men and women have been exposed to toxic asbestos dust and may not even realize the dangers.

Mesothelioma is a serious form of cancer that can become quite debilitating quickly. It attacks the area around the lungs, causing severe chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, pleural effusions (fluid in the lungs), and fatigue. Conventional treatments are rarely successful though programs like the Sloan Kettering mesothelioma program in New York City and others at major cancer centers nationwide continue to strive to find new and better treatments for the disease.

In the meantime, those stricken with the disease need constant care. In some cases, family members take on the task. It is at this time that caregivers need help from caring friends including members of their church. Church friends can provide not only physical assistance by offering to aid the caregiver with everyday tasks but can also provide spiritual counseling and support at a time when death of a loved one is imminent.

For more information, please visit the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center website.