James O’Connor was a strong and determined man whose memory will still remain in my mind as a role model and someone to look up to. The determination and that strive to find ways around this incurable cancer called mesothelioma is so mind blowing and impressive. This type of cancer can almost always be cause by exposure to asbestos. It is a rare type of cancer that takes place in the thin layer of cells coat the body’s internal organs, which is known as mesothelium. Most people who get this cancer have worked on jobs where they inhaled particles of asbestos into their lungs or were exposed to the dust and particles of asbestos in other ways. Some affects James O’Connor had due to this illness were shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, cough, wheezing, even weight loss was on the list of affects. The symptoms of Mesothelioma may not occur until 20 to 50 years after first being exposed to asbestos. Since the symptoms of this cancer is close to those of other illnesses, multiple forms of testing is required to really find out what the cancer is. X rays of the body helps the doctors to see if the problem is Mesothelioma. Treatment of this cancer uses conventional therapies with a nice combination of radiation and/or chemotherapy. This type of treatment has been proved to extent a patients life by five span years and is more commonly known as remission. There is a higher survival advantage by doing chemotherapy than doing radiation alone. If I were given a dire cancer prognosis that would inevitably end my life, the steps I would take would be much like James O’Connor’s. I would attempt to locate all the best doctors, medical equipment, therapy treatments as well as all the mental and physical affects they would have on me. Debating on treatments, I would retrieve all the information I could find and base my decision on what is best for me and my family. If a treatment takes a long time and the pain is strong, but the after effects are extremely desirable, such as a predicted longer life, less pain in the future and less doctor’s visits, I would more than likely take that option. The strive to continue life would without a doubt lead me to make rational decisions based off my and my family’s feelings and thoughts. In comparison to James O’Connor, I would do everything it takes to live my life and live it well.
By: Collins, Heather
