A Story Of My Ongoing Battle With Asbestosis

It was in my thirties, when I started to grasp insufficience of activity which occurred oftentimes with exertion. This puzzled me a lot, being that I do not turn out, or have a history of asthma. Over the years, the shortcoming of sentience worsened to the point that I perceive it unbroken when I ' m rested. There are aligned times when the dyspnea was so severe that I had to prop myself up on sustentation now I can ' t breathe when I ' m in a supine position. I became increasingly worried when I aside from the dyspnea, I had a persistent dry cough and some chest heartache every now and for.

I submitted myself to a medical evaluation, and it was found out that I had asbestosis. I was diagnosed almost a decade ago, and I am now in my early fifties. Asbestosis is a lung disease that occurs from breathing in asbestos fibers which can cause scar tissue to form inside the lung, which in turn prevents the organ from expanding and contracting normally. Like most asbestosis patients, it took decades before the signs and symptoms of the disease manifested. The heartbreaking truth is there is no cure for this illness yet, and until a cure is found, I have to depend on receiving low dose oxygen at home and chest percussion. I also have to receive nebulized meds to liquefy my secretions.

With the aid of my doctor, I was able to home in on where I could have probably gotten exposed to asbestos - my job as a builder for a construction firm back in my twenties. Back then we built houses, did repairs and renovations, and we were working with asbestos when fitting pipes and installing insulation. In hindsight, we were given protective clothing for chemicals that we worked with, but none for asbestos. The physician told me to seek an asbestos lawyer right away so I can file a personal injury claim.

My family helped me look for asbestos lawyers in the state with a good track record. I also asked recommendations from previous workmates who also filed lawsuits for their asbestos - related disorders. I made a list of local asbestos lawyers who had a good track record and sat down with each of them to discuss my case. I went with the attorney who was straight to the point, and easy to talk with. Furthermore, the asbestos lawyer I chose had a very good track record with this kind of complaint. The asbestos lawyer I retained will be compensated on a contingency basis. This means, he will receive a portion of the award. If the decision is not in our favor, the attorney said I won ' t pay him anything.

The lawsuit took a lot of time to be decided on, but the decision was in my favor. I used the money I received to pay for my healthcare, and to financially prepare my family in case I die.

A Fateful Inheritance - Short Horror Story

Just so, though I gait through the valley of the ensconce of death, I will fear no baneful; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. " - Psalms 23: 4

Death in and of itself is totally a reasonably natural incident. However, it was the situation surrounding the death of the ancient man that make it not onliest all the more intriguing, someday and force inspection by other people who may solve its mystery - and the voodoo laid upon that very pigpen in which it happened.

Willingly, there has been a execration upon this cave and family estate in the back parts of Charleston, South Carolina for multifold years. Level though umpteen of the worthier details of how this anathema was put upon this place have been largely forgotten and the rest of them subtly changed from procreation to siring by confab - of - entrance, the very reason was brought about by slaves in the Civil War era who shared castigate their reprobate owners by way of ancient rites.

Those who were hence slaves were very spiritual and were very forthright about not being forcible; an eye for an eye makes the solid world blind. They called upon the spirits to bring the transport of recompense upon those who oppressed them. What the malediction entailed upon the family of hostage - owners and their estate is that not alone the entire family but and all succeeding generations would each die a crepuscular and strenuous death, and their property would damning anyone likewise who tried to allay the mystery of the spirits bound to it.

Unfluctuating recently, in June of 1997, the last permanent helping of the fourth genesis since the Civil War era has succumbed to the joint ' s animated anguish of death. Over time lastingness living out his days in the abode, he slowly began to accept the providence that was prescribed to him due to of evils long gone, evils that he did not personally indulge in.

Basically, on that fateful evening, the storm was too much athletic and the night let on layers of darkness that seemed devoid of factor natural rich. He felt a harbinger of death, which was like unto the extraordinary awareness that one may have when in moments of danger or the corner of death itself. Silently he fundamentally sat in that senescent, dusty chair in the study, with his legs crossed, week peering out of the goodly window, stroking his long gray beard, contemplating what he knew would come in due time that very night.

Finally, he reached for the lighter in his pocket and lit the candle on the eats next to him. He had decided to sanction behind not just the estate, but again his last words. He began to write a letter for whomever would come upon the property and find an aged man lying quietly and peacefully in his chair, booked to never speak massed conversation erase in the realm of spirits.

Good, he took pen and paper and wrote his last letter. The paper, like the rest of the apartment, and unfluctuating the man himself, was aged and worn down and decrepit, from great age and neglect. Also, the language used in the letter was somewhat archaic and difficult to read, yet was rich and descriptive, and drifted off into the dark wonder and mystique of the spiritual curse upon the house and its last, ill - fated inhabitant.

Even as he finished his letter and placed the pen back on the table, a fierce backdraft of tormenting wind wooshed the window open. The wind also instantaneously snuffed the candle ' s flame, as if to foreshadow the snuffing out of the old man by way of inherited curse. The gray old man was startled, and quickly fixed his glare out the window, even though the wind had just as quickly settled down to a smooth, flowing whisper, that peacefully played at the acquiescent curtains. The pitter - patter of dancing rain continued its frolicking out in the yard, as if in righteous indignation.

A false alarm, perhaps? A moment later, an arm of lightning lashed out and struck the ground about 100 feet away from the house. In the ensuing flash and the seemingly immediate crack of thunder, a dark figure that roughly resembled the shape of a man, standing upright, could be seen standing within ten feet of the window.

So dark was this figure, silhouetted against the bright flash, that only the outline could be made out. The distinguishing feature, however, was the pair of cold, crimson eyes that shone brightly and gazed down into the soul of the fearless old man staring back.

Indeed, Death ' s Head had appeared in an instant, and disappeared along with the lightning. In yet another instant, lightning cracked again, this time striking the ancient, gnarled tree about 50 feet away from the house. In the ensuing flash, the old man could be seen sitting perfectly still... with blood slowly creeping from a deep, yet perfectly measured slit across his neck. The rain also continued to pour, as the light continued to fade, as even the large, 250 - year old oak continued to burn down...

Whether by happenstance or strange twist of fate, the old man ' s longtime friend came to visit the next day, only to find him sitting coldly, yet peacefully in his chair. Out of momentary shock, nary a thought came to the mind of this now - troubled friend. In the next moment, with tears in his eyes, he whispered silent prayers, that his dead friend ' s soul could find respite, for it had been released from the mortal body tied to the cursed estate.

After his solitary mourning, the old friend glanced over to the table upon which his late companion had written many letters. There he noticed the old man ' s final letter, which he immediately walked to and read. The old man ' s companionship and good will shall not go in vain, thought the old friend. Indeed, could the curse now be lifted, now that the final family member was gone?

The old friend left everything as he found it and took his story to the police station. Even as he was telling them of the estate ' s supernatural curse, the police were becoming suspicious of his credibility. They quickly dismissed him as an old - fashioned, superstitious old man.

Having no luck with the police, he visited the local private detective nearby. For the second time, the old friend told his story and described the nature of the supernatural curse, while hoping that this time he would be believed. The detective promised the old friend that he would give the scene a look - over and determine if it was simply a petty thief who burglarized the house and murdered the old man. He also assured the old friend that the curse, if it even existed, would not take anyone else.

The old friend certainly hoped so. He and the detective shook hands and went their separate ways. The old friend suffered a fatal heart attack that evening. Two glowing eyes could be seen outside his window at the very moment of the heart attack... As for the detective, he had decided from the very start that the old friend ' s story had been far too outlandish and superstitious to believe. It was thusly that he did not even bother to waste the effort of calling the coroner and the police squad to escort him to the house to investigate. He figured that he would simply give the place a look - over, as he had promised, and decide later if the scene was worth taking the time to even write up the report for.

That same night, on his own time, the detective approached the house, with flashlight in hand. He was hoping to " re - create the crime scene ", and determine the order of events that had transpired the night before. Even as he approached the house, a thunderstorm was coming in and growing in strength quite rapidly, which also made the scene rather similar to the way it was the previous night.

The detective let himself in. He came upon the " murder scene " almost immediately. From the window peering out into the yard, he observed the burned - down oak, and the angry storm, with its sharp, stinging rain, tempestuous winds, and an occasional flash of lightning off in the distance.

As he turned towards the interior of the room, he received the startling sight of the old man lying peacefully in his chair. What further puzzled his usually cold, calculating, factual mind was the fact that there were no marks of struggle anywhere. For such a deep slit in a man ' s throat to be so perfectly measured, the murderer would have to have been immensely strong, well trained, and fast. It almost seemed that the murderer could not have been human, the detective thought, or the agonizing pain of receiving such a cut would cause even the most peaceful of men to fight back.

To add even more fuel to the fire of his curiosity, he noticed the letter that the old friend had mentioned. The detective took slow steps over to the table and pointed the flashlight towards the letter. He read it word for word, over and over. The letter had actually only helped to confound him even

more.

The detective then decided that he was becoming overly superstitious. Settling back into the calm resignation that is typical of a detective, he proceeded to carefully study the window. He began to consider that window as a possible entry route for a burglar on such a dark and stormy summer night.

He placed his flashlight upon the left arm of the chair where the old man sat peacefully. The flashlight began to go dim and fade out altogether, as the detective had forgotten to replace the batteries. The timing couldn ' t have been worse, he thought.

Just as soon as he had finished that thought, the lightning struck about 100 feet away from the house. The thunder cracked fiercely, and in the instant of the lightning ' s flash, he caught a glimpse of an outline of a man out in the yard, silhouetted against the lightning. A pair of cold, crimson eyes shone brightly and gazed down into the soul of the detective.

Once again, Death ' s Head had appeared, and disappeared along with the lightning. Also with the lightning went the cool bravado of the detective. All of the detective ' s fear welled up within his throat, his entire body became tense, and he knew that he had just taken his last breath.

The lightning quickly lashed out again, this time 50 feet away from the house. In that instant the detective could be seen lying on the floor, with blood slowly creeping from a deep, yet perfectly measured slit across his neck. The curse had claimed its final victim...

" June 8, 1997

To any man that may find me here in my final respite:

' Tis in this gothic gateway to dark death that I sit and await my final moments, and my deliverer unto the fate of that which is Beyond. Yes, it is an ancient, inherited curse laid upon the house ' s very foundation. This house is cursed from the basement to the chimney ' s tip, and remains so until the end of time because of bloody evils which I did not personally commit. Even upon the family lineage has the curse been placed. It has finally been handed down to me, like unto a form of spiritual collateral issue.

I yet carry those stains, those century - old aftereffects of evil oppression, inherited by way of my bloodline. Every man shall meet his fate as it is given to him, and it is this that I do finally accept. I shall, however, continue my spiritual longsuffering, and try my hand at peace in those greater realms of the soul.

However, I pray that ye gentle yet unfortunate visitor would not meet the same fate as I, but that ye would leave as you came and seek out your own fate. I beseech you to tarry here no longer than needs be, in order that the anomalous spirits that rule this accursed gateway to darkest death wouldst still allow you to yet walk away with your breath and life. Take only your memory of this place with you, and pray that my soul would find the eternal peace that it has been so longing for, outside of this cursed body and this wretched estate.

And now, I, for what I know shall be my last moments on this plane of existence, shall go into death with calm expectation. I await he who has conquered in death and written in blood. "

A Story Based On Paranormal Activity

In the very recent days, the realizing of ghosts has not been removed basically. Though frequent people believe that there are no ghosts at all, but in some of the places in plentiful countries have different shocking news and consideration that they ' ve passed on ad have gone through. Through the total life span, crowded organizations had a paranormal wandering to get some information on those unexpected occurrences, but most of them fail to receive any update after the occurrences. There remains much history about the stories. Let me tell you about my own story about my own paranormal travel. Once I was in my vacation and went to my village to lass some pleasure and enjoying moments with my relatives staying over there. The day after I went there, I saw a gathering on the other side of my house. There was a poor cottage settled there and a small family was living there. I went there to know what had happened. The villagers told me that they are often disturbed by some ladies in the midnight. The ladies were told to wear white dresses and they didn ' t show their faces. The villagers even said that they knock their home door and windows every night. The family became too much frightened about. They used to pass days like this for months. They had also even informed polices but the police itself also didn ' t find any solution about the mystery. There are rumors spread about the ladies that the ladies were murdered in that very small cottage decades ago. This shocking story turned everyone ' s attention in the village. There was a small vegetable garden just beside that poor cottage. The cottage livers said that the time they went to open the door, they saw something moving in that garden. They believed that the ghosts hid in that vegetable garden. Hearing this, the police also did clear the vegetable garden but though they even didn ' t get any proves for the existence of ghost ladies there. There was no evidence found on the existence of those ghost ladies at all. Some of the villagers also said that they heard noises made out in that vegetable garden a lot times. This made the story much shocking. The poor family had to leave that home. Like this story, there are lots of phenomenon occurring. If you make a successful paranormal travel, you ' ll be able to get many curious phenomenon about ghosts.

More information about paranormal travel, please visit paranormal experience. >.

A Mesothelioma Survivor ' s Story - bonnie Anderson

Bonnie graduated from college with a paired degree in Elementary Education and Library Science in the bit 1974 but could not find a teaching undertaking being the Vietnam War had caused low enrollment in primary schools. At the corresponding time, a local oil refinery brainy advertised venture opportunities for mechanics and Bonnie handy for the venture.

Spring chicken was eventually hired and became one of the first female industrial electricians in New Woolly.

Spring chicken worked for around twelve years in the industry before baby doll eventually got now a middle school librarian, which was in line with her initial love of working in a teaching environment.

Early in 2001, Bonnie began to strife severe belly heartache, diarrhea and other general symptoms. These were treated because irritable bowel syndrome. Treatment, which included rejecting - spasmodics and worry medication, proved futile. Tomboy underwent abundant tests: garnet sweat, gynecological scutwork - ups, a scope of her bladder, both higher and lower Battler colonoscopy and endoscopy.

Closest performing the final, her gastroenterologist suggested exploratory surgery, but the surgeon inferring it superfluous. A barium enema followed by an Mush - ray also unfurled zilch.

Her primary physician referred her to greater gastroenterologist, who ordered a CAT inspect. The doctor noted some abnormal streaking on the scan, but other than suggesting a possible relationship to a complete hysterectomy Bonnie underwent in 1988, he couldn ' t ordain its effect.

Finally, in December of 2001 Bonnie developed ascites which is fortuitous liquor build up in the belly. Other CAT scour was ordered, and her gastroenterologist attempted to filter the liquor. Bonnie constitute the procedure terrifically stiff and the practical had to ultimate it before he was able to withdraw all of the liquor. Tests taken from the extract did not explain sector cancer cells. But Bonnie was still in grief, and described the pressure for " repulsive " and " unreal. "

In February of 2002, her gastroenterologist sent her to a surgeon for a laparoscopy. The surgeon removed 6 liters of secretion and was able to see what he described whereas indoor - outdoor carpet spread all over the lining of the paunch. Before Bonnie lone the OR, he asked the hospital ' s pathology department to confirm that he was indeed peep what he suspected to be mesothelioma. Pathology confirmed his assessment. Though he had been in practice for countless years, the surgeon confessed had never pragmatic mesothelioma before, drop in a textbook.

When Bonnie woke up, filly and her maintain John hackneyed the news. Since they had never heard of mesothelioma, exclusive the word " cancer " registered.

Though the process of arriving at the correct diagnosis had been so long and difficult, Bonnie ' s story then took a serendipitous turn, one that quite possibly saved her many months of searching before arriving at an effective treatment.

Her surgeon ' s partner had done his residency under Dr. John Chabot and he immediately gave Bonnie a direct recommendation to a team currently at the forefront of research and treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma, the team of pathologist and MARF Science Advisory Board Member Dr. Robert Taub and his treatment partner, surgeon John Chabot, both of Columbia Presbyterian in New York City. Dr. Taub visited Bonnie immediately, while she was still in the hospital seeing Dr. Chabot.

Later Bonnie saw Dr. Taub at Columbia Pres, and from slides acquired during the laparoscopy, Dr. Taub identified her mesothelioma cells as both epithelial and sarcomatoid. He informed her that generally, epithelial cells are less aggressive and grow on the outside of the peritoneal lining and organs. Sarcomatoid cells, he said, are woven throughout the lining like thread through a fabric. They are more aggressive, and usually considered to be inoperable. But because Bonnie had a mixture of the two types of cells, the team decided to try surgery.

At this point, in order to comply with her insurance plan ' s coverage, Bonnie sought treatment within her home state of New Jersey and saw two oncologists there. The physician considered to be the top oncologist in NJ informed Bonnie that his treatment plan would consist of one operation followed by chemotherapy with doxyrubicin.

With her investigative spirit Bonnie quickly discovered that patients treated in this program showed an 18 percent chance of surviving for five years. She also learned that doxyrubicin was an older medicine, introduced and tested fifteen years previously. Surely, she thought, there existed better, more current treatment than this.

She returned to Dr. Taub ' s protocol and the multimodal approach, which was reporting an approximately 35 % four - year survival rate for those who successfully underwent treatment.

From Bonnie ' s insurance provider, Dr. Chabot got pre - certification to perform surgery on April 2, 2002. Prior to surgery she was feeling very apprehensive, and got the names of two other patients who had successfully undergone the same aggressive protocol with Drs. Taub and Chabot. During the initial surgery Dr. Chabot found no mesothelioma on her organs and no large masses, though little tumors were spread all over the lining of her abdomen like shotgun pellets. He also found that the cancer was not as advanced as the team had previously thought, so Bonnie ' s surgery took only one and one - half hours.

Dr. Chabot scraped out as much as he could of what he could of the visible tumor, removed Bonnie ' s omentum and installed the ports used to administer chemotherapy. While healing and waiting for the staples to be removed, Bonnie joked and kept her inquisitive attitude. " I have no idea what to expect minute to minute, " she said. " I feel like I ' m in Star Trek, going where I have never gone before. "

Meanwhile, Dr. Taub had obtained the HMO ' s permission to begin chemotherapy. Bonnie began the first of eight sessions of a three week cycle: the first week receiving treatment for two days; the second week, treatment for three days; and the third week off. The three - week sessions consisted of Doxorubicin one week alternating with Cisplatin plus Gemcitabine the next. " You ' re just about feeling fairly decent when you had to start over again, " Bonnie remembers.

When the sessions ended six months later, she began four weeks of gamma interferon, once per week.

At this point, right in the middle of receiving the treatment she and her doctors believed could save her life, Bonnie faced another enormous obstacle. Her insurance provider once more informed her they would not provide coverage outside of New Jersey. Bonnie ' s treatment with Dr. Taub had to be stopped. Again she considered the statistics she had been given: 18 % survival rate versus 35 % with Dr. Taub ' s second clinical trial. Of course, there was only one choice.

Bonnie, her husband, and her daughter Darcy mounted a " major campaign " to get the coverage she needed to complete Dr. Taub ' s protocol. They contacted their senators, congress - people, the governor ' s office, the Department of Banking and Insurance and every federal and state agency or advocacy group they could turn up. At last they found someone at the Department of Health and Senior services who would help arm them with the resources to convince the insurance company to cover Bonnie ' s case.

After directing letters, documentation, and phone calls from both Dr. Taub and her own primary physician to the insurance company, Bonnie arrived at a pivotal moment. She spoke in a conference call directly with a director and the appeals board of the insurance company. She told them if they didn ' t allow her to continue treatment at Columbia Pres, she was going to die. The appeals board said they would " take her case into consideration. " Bonnie was shocked when she received their written determination: denied.

For three or four weeks she was in a panic, but still did not give up. Finally, Dr. Taub got in contact with the state - level director and was able to convince the company that all of the components of his clinical trial had already been tested; the only experimental element was that he had put the pieces together. At last the company acquiesced, agreeing to cover treatment partially at first, then completely with just a co - pay. Ecstatic, Bonnie was completely back in the protocol. She finished the cycles of chemotherapy, completing them in August, 2002.

Bonnie underwent the second surgery of the protocol in October of 2002. Dr. Chabot ' s observation indicated that everything looked well. He removed the ports and obtained four random biopsies. Of these, two showed no cancer cells, while two did. The surgeon was hopeful that the hot chemo belly wash would have flushed these two out. It wasn ' t until January that Bonnie was sufficiently recovered from the surgery to begin radiation. After five and a half weeks of radiation, Bonnie broke out in a rash that no one could identify and halted the treatment temporarily. She finished radiation in the beginning of March, 2003, and Drs. Taub and Chabot consider her to be in the 43 % of those who will survive after completing the 2nd stage clinical trial.

Six months since she finished the protocol, Bonnie says she feels 100 % better than she did a year ago. In April of 2003 she returned to her position as a middle school librarian and will be working again regularly this fall. " It feels so good to be back to work because I love what I do, " Bonnie says. " I like to multi - task, I love to teach, and of course, I like research. " Later this fall she is looking forward to returning to the other thing she loves to do: ride her quarter horse, T. J. She still gets fatigued easily, and she can ' t take the heat or the sun. But she says her energy is returning and her weight, which was down to 105 pounds during chemotherapy, has stabilized at 145.

Every three months she returns to Columbia Pres for a CAT scan, PET scan and blood work. In July 2003, her treatment team detected two activity spots in her abdomen, but other than that, no change or growth was visible.

Recently, in September of 2003, Bonnie attended the Race to Remember, a four - mile timed run or walk held in Mercer County Park, West Windsor, NJ. The event commemorates mesothelioma victim John Zipper and all others who have struggled or are struggling against mesothelioma, and raises funds for mesothelioma research.

Bonnie worked in the registration tent and made many wonderful memories of the event and of the people she met, including John Zipper ' s widow Karen and son Dan, the Race ' s creators.

" It was so terrific! " Bonnie says. " I got to shoot off the starting horn and I met the nicest people. It was a beautiful day. " Right now, Bonnie affirms that " Life is wonderful! " She encourages other mesothelioma patients to believe that every minute is worth fighting for, and when facing treatment, to adopt a " Just do it! attitude. "

" That ' s the way I ' ve always lived my life, " Bonnie says, and from the evidence, that is likely the way she will keep living for years to come.