#but I thankfully do not have mesothelioma

[chaiordie]

I wanna make a poll :(

[weshallc]

Bonfire Night

If anyone has ever wondered why I don’t do prompts, this is it. I thought I will just write a wee Paddy and Bernie thing for November 5th. It is now November 11th and there are so many stories left to tell. In writing the closing chapter, I realized I would like to tell each regular’s 2020 story from their point of view (now there’s a novelty for me, pov) they might not be long chapters, consider them selfies.

Thanks to @roguesnitch who keeps me authentic and @lovetheturners who reminds me what a pov is and how to write proper.

CHAPTER THREE: THE HAPPY LIGHT

And all the words are brighter. In the happy light of closing time. Cover from the Skys by Deacon Blue

She took a moment to look around while pumping the pedal with her right foot until the newly filled container dripped gel on demand. Absentmindedly Valerie Dyer rubbed the sanitizer into her hands. Fingers, palms, backs, nails and don't forget the thumbs. 

It was still the Crown, but it looked like the Crown playing dress-up. The plastic dividers, the bottles of gel on the tables, the boxes of masks behind the bar. The awful visors Tom the Vicar had made, the ones Paddy made her wear if it got busy. As much as she hated all the new restrictions, she had loved being back at work. 

It had been odd at first; they had all been nervous, desperate to get things right. Wanting to protect themselves, their customers and each other. Thankfully, she hadn’t been stuck at home the whole 100 days of Lockdown. Paddy and Fred had made door-step brewery deliveries and Vi had prepared take-away meals. She had wanted to help out more, but Paddy had put her and Jack on furlough, so legally they weren’t allowed to work. When Mount Busby, the Crown and St Presurvus, the Holy Trinity of Poplar-on-Tweaven started making up and distributing food and essentials parcels she was first to volunteer. 

Paddy had wanted to furlough Vi, but she had refused when she realized she wouldn’t be able to work. Everyone knew Vi wasn’t short of a bob or two. Her husband had made a good living in the chemical industry, like a lot of the men on Tweavenside and like a lot of the men on Tweavenside he ended that good life with Tweavenside Lung. Asbestosis or mesothelioma was what the doctors put on the death certificates. The companies had eventually accepted responsibility after a long, weary fight. Why is there always a long, weary fight? There was now a generation of women on Tweavenside that would never want again apart from a pair of familiar arms around them at night.

When hospitality opened back up in the summer she had felt ridiculously excited. If she poured herself a shot every time a well meaning busy body had told her she should get a proper job, she would never find her way home. The truth was she loved her job, she would never admit it to anyone, especially not Paddy. She was good at it and everyone knew it; it didn’t pay a lot, but she got by. Maybe that was the problem; if she really needed the money, she may have been motivated to find something else.

The money she earned at the Crown was her own, apart from what she gave to her gran for her board and lodge. Which eventually would find its way back to Val, by some devious means. It had always been just her and her gran, for almost as long as she could remember. Her grandmother had been a mother to her and now they were more like mates, to be honest. Until 2020. Until this stupid virus. Until this year from Hell. Now she was the one most like a mother. 

Gran was told she needed to shield because of her age and a complexity of medical conditions. There was no way in the two-bed semi Elsie and Val shared they could achieve this, with only one bathroom and living room. 

That night in March, the Crown hierarchy had been sitting for a while at the bar mulling over the news. Just Val, Paddy and Bernie. Trying to decipher the implications of this new vocabulary; lockdown, furlough, shielding. 

Even after all this time, Paddy still possessed the ability to surprise her. Amid his own confusion following being presented with probably the worst news to threaten his world since receiving Marianne’s diagnosis, he had thought of her.

“You can move into the Crown, Val.” He said it without looking at her, it was so nonchalant she nearly missed it. ”Bernie can add your gran to her rounds, keep an eye on her.” He was not looking at Bernie either, who however, did look at Val.

Val was very rarely stuck for words, especially in response to her boss, but this was a first. Fortunately Bernie had a clear head more used to the single malt they were nursing than her companions.

“I could add your gran to the list of vulnerable we are starting to accumulate,” Bernie answered in her I will talk to Paddy later voice. ”No charge of course and you could come with me.”

Val’s head was spinning. She loved her gran and needed to protect her, but this was all happening so fast. She also loved the Crown, but do I want to live here, with the Turners?

“Obviously, you will need time to think about this and talk it over with Elsie.” Bloody Hell, Bernie was good at this, Phyllis had trained her well. 

Paddy who had started the confusion had drifted off somewhat and was doing that thing Val always noticed in her punters. She noticed the stood-up, the ones not wanting to go home, and the ones who had no-one to go home to. They picked up a beer mat, put it on its side and rhythmically turned it over and over one edge at a time. Val was starting to uncharacteristically panic, as Paddy characteristically brooded. 

Then everything changed, everything became clear, there was a path, a purpose, things started to make some kind of sense. Bernie spoke.

“Of course, we don’t really expect you to move into the Crown,” Bernie said, emphasizing the we. “You can have my cottage, because obviously I will be moving into the Crown, to be with Paddy and Tim.”

Val didn’t know if it was herself or Paddy who chocked first on their dram.

[improvenet]

The popcorn ceiling, also referred to as a stucco ceiling or the more colloquial "cottage cheese" ceiling, was once very popular in homes. Known for their trademark texture, popcorn ceilings were easy to identify but became infamous over the years for their association with asbestos. Once heralded as an incredible material because of its durability, low cost, light weight, and non-flammable properties, asbestos has now become a major symbol of the hidden dangers that can lurk within a house and a major reason for renovation. The hazards of popcorn ceilings are a cause for concern for anyone who currently lives in homes with them, plans to move into a house built before the 1980s, or worked in construction or factories in previous decades. Thankfully, learning about popcorn ceilings and their potential to harbor asbestos and taking precautions can significantly reduce the incidence of exposure to this dangerous material.

Popcorn ceilings have a rich history in American construction. They were in demand during the 20th century, and while some estimates put the height of their popularity between the 1950s and 1980s, these textured ceilings were being created for decades, going back as far as the 1930s, and continued to be installed as recently as the 1990s. At the time, they were considered an improvement over other types of ceilings for both aesthetic and practical reasons. A renovation to install these ceilings could provide a quick and easy fix when attempting to hide imperfections and unfinished work, and their physical properties had the advantage of absorbing noise and canceling echoes. These factors helped to create a home that was both pleasing to look at and comfortable to live in.

However, these ceilings are particularly dangerous because asbestos contains toxic fibers, and it's easy to damage and crumble. Homeowners should know that disturbing a popcorn ceiling by scratching, bumping, or even touching it can trigger asbestos's toxic particles to be released into the air, and inhaling these fibers can contribute to diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. The amount of asbestos used in the ceiling's construction can be irrelevant; ceilings constructed with a small percentage of asbestos pose the same risk as ones with a higher concentration of asbestos. Those who live in a house with a popcorn ceiling can reduce the potential for releasing asbestos by being mindful of their interactions with the ceiling; any type of contact with the ceiling should be avoided, including hammering and drilling. Homeowners can also invest in home improvement to increase the livability and safety of their houses.

While the government prohibited the use of asbestos to manufacture ceilings in 1977, the material still remains a threat to homeowners, construction workers, and the general public. Homeowners can be the most susceptible to the dangers of asbestos because of their proximity to it. Common daily living activities, such as applying tape, cleaning, or accidentally hitting the ceiling while rearranging furniture, can cause its harmful fibers to flutter down and be inhaled. Since asbestos can linger in the body for decades after exposure, construction workers who installed a ceiling using this material can fall ill many years after having finished the job. For the general public, avoiding walking into a home with a popcorn ceiling isn't enough to protect against this harmful material; simply being around the demolition of an older house can also make one susceptible to the illnesses associated with asbestos.

Fortunately, homeowners who are concerned with the presence of asbestos in their houses have a few options to help them identify asbestos and remedy the situation if asbestos is present. They may consider buying a home test kit, which can require manually collecting a sample from the ceiling and handling potentially hazardous materials, or they can hire professional inspectors. They can also attempt to contain the ceiling through an encapsulation process using vinyl paint or by performing a small renovation to cover the ceiling with new panels. While some of these methods can technically be performed by homeowners, many experts urge people to hire professionals to do the job because of the risk of asbestos exposure.

Visit the following resources to learn more about popcorn ceilings and asbestos:

Learn About Asbestos

Asbestos and Other Regulated Building Materials

When Is Asbestos Dangerous?

Asbestos in the Ceiling: Am I in Danger?

How Does Asbestos Exposure Affect Health?

Asbestos-Related Lung Diseases

Asbestosis

Health Effects of Asbestos

Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk

U.S. Federal Bans on Asbestos

It's Time to Get Rid of Those Popcorn Ceilings

Removing a Popcorn Ceiling Can Be Touchy

Sweat Equity: Popcorn Ceilings Can Be Covered or Scraped Off

How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling

Properly Remove Spray-on Popcorn Ceilings (PDF)

Popcorn Ceilings Looking a Little Stale?

Avoid a Popcorn Ceiling Headache

[lorenzoxpho757-blog]

A Quick Guide To Asbestos And Health Issues

In essence, you become a basic contractor. I finished with a chemical engineering degree and stuck with the company transferring to the research study department. David stays on track by mixing things up and altering his schedule.

The Requirement Of An Asbestos Survey

Asbestos removal and proper disposal is an extremely important subject! If your asbestos is not correctly removed, there can be unsafe effects. So, how do you set about removing this unsafe product from your boiler, safely?

The city will likely require a permit for a take down and there might be other regulations that apply. In truly old areas, you may be bound by aspects of https://scholar.google.com/scholar?num=50&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIN801IN801&um=1&ie=UTF-8&lr&cites=5417119119975767067 historic conservation. Also, you can't simply turn off and rip out asbestos testing gas, water, and electrical lines. Each utility company will need to effectively disconnect the service and it might be necessary for the local fire department to check the site and accept the work initially. Costs and licenses may apply in each case.

Mesothelioma Injury Settlement - The Best Way To Deal With It

You will be alerted within a day or two if your quote is accepted. You will be offered asbestos removal a settlement date that is typically 30-60 days from the date of your accepted agreement.

In my case, the fire went to 6 alarms, however thankfully the just apparent damage inside my apartment or condo was scorch marks above the door. The problem that got me was the asbestos contamination. The business only desired to clean things that were non-porous from the system. This returns to reading, understanding and getting an information on what remains in the kinds you sign. I didn't understand that all of my books and note pads and documents which contain everything I've ever written because I was 12 were considered porous and therefore not salvageable.

How To Paint Your Brake Calipers

Some physicians also think that ladies who are exposed to tobacco smoke, are more most likely to have lung cancer than guys exposed to smoke. Scientists have discovered a gene called GRPR which causes unusual cell development in individuals exposed to cigarette smoke. This gene is more active in ladies than in men and might discuss why women are more vulnerable to lung cancer.

When this is done, now you should clean off all your equipment and make certain there is no asbestos left anywhere on them, as this can trigger issues in the future. Lastly, tidy yourself off with a shower.

How To Paint Your Brake Calipers

Prior to you try to take down a popcorn ceiling by yourself, make certain to have actually asbestos testing done on it. Asbestos is an incredibly harmful substance and requires special care in removal and disposal, however it just triggers issues when it is interrupted. Since of this, you might need to consider working with an expert to come in with customized equipment to handle asbestos elimination, if your popcorn ceiling consists of any.

[healthyfamilyfuture]

Outliving Friends and Family as a Mesothelioma Survivor

When I was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2012, I never imagined I would outlive Dr. David Sugarbaker, the surgeon who gave me a chance at long-term survival.

Just like I can’t imagine losing my longtime primary care doctor. It’s easy to take these people in your life for granted. Part of you expects them to be there to take care of you until you die.

Obviously, it doesn’t always work out that way.

It’s not something you often think about, but then it happens. To lose friends or people close to you — that as far as you know are healthy — can be hard for anyone, but especially if you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

The longer I survived with mesothelioma, the less I thought about dying.

So when you start seeing people around you die from things you didn’t know were wrong with them, it kind of takes you back.

I’m glad I’m still here, but there is a sense of guilt every time it happens. You ask: Why am I the one that is surviving? Why am I still here and they aren’t?

Thankfully, I haven’t lost any close family members since my diagnosis, but I do look at them and think: What if something happened to them?

My husband battled diabetes for years and died in 1995 from a cardiac arrhythmia. But until that very morning he was acting the same as always. He was as alive as he ever was, and then, in just a few minutes, he was gone.

Just another example of how quickly it can happen.

A False Sense of Security

I’ve survived pleural mesothelioma for six years. At a certain point, you get this false sense of security thinking that you’ve made it.

But the truth of the matter is I still have it, and it can return in full force at any given time.

I tell family and friends that I’m healthy and OK until my next scan. If the scan shows a recurrence, then I’ll deal with it.

But the longer you survive with cancer, the more you start thinking — and worrying — about dying from something else. You become more aware of your health and body.

When I’m not feeling well and it’s not the mesothelioma, I have to ask myself: What is it, and can it be fixed?

One of my biggest fears is I’ll develop something that’s fixable but not be a surgical candidate to fix it.

That’s one of the things I asked Dr. Sugarbaker about back in 2012 when I was preparing for my pleurectomy and decortication. But, of course, the answer was, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

The other thing I have to be very careful of is who I go to when figuring out what’s wrong with me. You have to surround yourself with medical professionals who know your situation.

Sometimes, however, I may not have that choice.

For example, I could have an aneurism that starts to grow and be rushed my local hospital in rural Maine.

The first thing they’ll do is a CAT scan that will look like I have pneumonia because of the patch in my chest from my mesothelioma surgery. This could lead to a misdiagnosis.

These are things I now worry about as a mesothelioma survivor.

Appreciate Everyone, Live in the Moment

When I was a kid, 70 years old was ancient.

Now, I realize 70 isn’t that old. Even some of my friends in their 80s and 90s — chronologically, they’re old, but when you stop and look at the things they’re doing and the way they’re living their life, you realize they really aren’t.

Thinking about some of those people not being here is difficult to process.

It all goes back to my view on holidays since my mesothelioma diagnosis: Don’t take anyone or anything for granted.

Appreciate the people around you now because you don’t know what’s going to happen.

Living is a mindset. I don’t want or plan to live forever, but I want to live life happily and enjoy every day I have, because I’m not promised tomorrow.

I’ve survived mesothelioma for six years. This cancer may not be what ends up killing me.

I could die of a heart attack or be hit by a car tomorrow, so I want to make sure I’m happy today.

The post Outliving Friends and Family as a Mesothelioma Survivor appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

from Healthy Family Future https://healthyfamilyfuture.com/2019/02/08/outliving-friends-and-family-as-a-mesothelioma-survivor/

[improvenet]

The popcorn ceiling, also referred to as a stucco ceiling or the more colloquial "cottage cheese" ceiling, was once very popular in homes. Known for their trademark texture, popcorn ceilings were easy to identify but became infamous over the years for their association with asbestos. Once heralded as an incredible material because of its durability, low cost, light weight, and non-flammable properties, asbestos has now become a major symbol of the hidden dangers that can lurk within a house and a major reason for renovation. The hazards of popcorn ceilings are a cause for concern for anyone who currently lives in homes with them, plans to move into a house built before the 1980s, or worked in construction or factories in previous decades. Thankfully, learning about popcorn ceilings and their potential to harbor asbestos and taking precautions can significantly reduce the incidence of exposure to this dangerous material.

Popcorn ceilings have a rich history in American construction. They were in demand during the 20th century, and while some estimates put the height of their popularity between the 1950s and 1980s, these textured ceilings were being created for decades, going back as far as the 1930s, and continued to be installed as recently as the 1990s. At the time, they were considered an improvement over other types of ceilings for both aesthetic and practical reasons. A renovation to install these ceilings could provide a quick and easy fix when attempting to hide imperfections and unfinished work, and their physical properties had the advantage of absorbing noise and canceling echoes. These factors helped to create a home that was both pleasing to look at and comfortable to live in.

However, these ceilings are particularly dangerous because asbestos contains toxic fibers, and it's easy to damage and crumble. Homeowners should know that disturbing a popcorn ceiling by scratching, bumping, or even touching it can trigger asbestos's toxic particles to be released into the air, and inhaling these fibers can contribute to diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. The amount of asbestos used in the ceiling's construction can be irrelevant; ceilings constructed with a small percentage of asbestos pose the same risk as ones with a higher concentration of asbestos. Those who live in a house with a popcorn ceiling can reduce the potential for releasing asbestos by being mindful of their interactions with the ceiling; any type of contact with the ceiling should be avoided, including hammering and drilling. Homeowners can also invest in home improvement to increase the livability and safety of their houses.

While the government prohibited the use of asbestos to manufacture ceilings in 1977, the material still remains a threat to homeowners, construction workers, and the general public. Homeowners can be the most susceptible to the dangers of asbestos because of their proximity to it. Common daily living activities, such as applying tape, cleaning, or accidentally hitting the ceiling while rearranging furniture, can cause its harmful fibers to flutter down and be inhaled. Since asbestos can linger in the body for decades after exposure, construction workers who installed a ceiling using this material can fall ill many years after having finished the job. For the general public, avoiding walking into a home with a popcorn ceiling isn't enough to protect against this harmful material; simply being around the demolition of an older house can also make one susceptible to the illnesses associated with asbestos.

Fortunately, homeowners who are concerned with the presence of asbestos in their houses have a few options to help them identify asbestos and remedy the situation if asbestos is present. They may consider buying a home test kit, which can require manually collecting a sample from the ceiling and handling potentially hazardous materials, or they can hire professional inspectors. They can also attempt to contain the ceiling through an encapsulation process using vinyl paint or by performing a small renovation to cover the ceiling with new panels. While some of these methods can technically be performed by homeowners, many experts urge people to hire professionals to do the job because of the risk of asbestos exposure.

Visit the following resources to learn more about popcorn ceilings and asbestos:

Learn About Asbestos

Asbestos and Other Regulated Building Materials

When Is Asbestos Dangerous?

Asbestos in the Ceiling: Am I in Danger?

How Does Asbestos Exposure Affect Health?

Asbestos-Related Lung Diseases

Asbestosis

Health Effects of Asbestos

Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk

U.S. Federal Bans on Asbestos

It's Time to Get Rid of Those Popcorn Ceilings

Removing a Popcorn Ceiling Can Be Touchy

Sweat Equity: Popcorn Ceilings Can Be Covered or Scraped Off

How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling

Properly Remove Spray-on Popcorn Ceilings (PDF)

Popcorn Ceilings Looking a Little Stale?

Avoid a Popcorn Ceiling Headache