Asbestos Attorneys Newyork

New York Asbestos Attorney Joseph P. Williams

Joseph P. Williams is an accomplished New York-based mesothelioma attorney with a nationwide reach and a proven record of success helping mesothelioma patients and other victims of negligence recover the financial security they need.

Mr. Williams has established a national reputation as a champion for asbestos exposure victims and their families built on more than 15 years of experience as a lead trial attorney for major New York City law firms that represent workplace negligence victims and their family members. He has successfully tried hundreds of cases before juries including over a dozen consolidated trial groups of up to ten mesothelioma cases at a time.  He has been involved in attaining hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for individuals and families coping with the devastating effects of:

• Mesothelioma
• Asbestos-related lung cancer
• Defective drugs and medical devices
• Truck accidents
• Construction accidents
• Defective products

New York asbestos attorney Joseph Williams has represented workers and their families for almost every union in New York State including:

• Painters District Council No. 9
• Pavers and Road Builders District Council No.1
• Plasterers Local 262
• Plumber Local 1
• Roofers Local 8
• Sheet Metal Workers Local 28 and 137
• Steamfitter Local 638
• Teamsters Local 282 and 814
• Tile, Marble & Terrazo B.A.C. Local 7
• Boilermakers Local 5
• Bricklayers Local 1
• Blasters and laborers union - Local 29
• Building Trades Maintenance Division
• Carpenters District Council
• Cement Masons No. 780
• Drywall Tapers 1974
• Electrical Local 3
• Elevator Constructors No. 1
• Engineers Local 14, 15, 30, 94
• Heat & Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 12 and 12A
• Iron Workers Local 40 and 361
• Laborers Asbestos and Lead Abatement Local 78
• Laborers Local 79, 8A and 731
• Millwright and Machinery Erectors Local 740
• Ornamental Iron Workers Local 580

Mr. Williams earned his bachelor of science degree from the University of Albany in 1989. In 1992, he achieved his juris doctor from the Brooklyn Law School, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s top law schools and where Mr. Williams served as chairman of the Moot Court Honor Society.

Mr. Williams worked as an assistant district attorney from 1992 to 1996 before entering private practice as an aggressive advocate for negligence victims and their families. He is admitted to practice in all New York state courts, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

As part of his commitment to offering clients the most effective and personalized representation possible, Mr. Williams is an active member of several legal organizations including:

• The American Association for Justice
• The New York State Trial Lawyers Association
• The New York State Bar Association
• The New York County Lawyers Association
• The Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Mr. Williams is a contributor to the American Cancer Society and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

If you or a loved one developed mesothelioma or lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos, or if you or a family member suffered a severe injury due to the negligence of another, Mr. Williams and the team at The Williams Law Firm, P.C. want you to know you do not have to face the challenges alone. At The Williams Law Firm, P.C. , every prospective client receives a free case consultation and a no-fee promise.

Please contact The Williams Law Firm, P.C. online or call 855-955-MESO (6376) to schedule your free consultation. New York mesothelioma attorney Joseph P. Williams serves clients from Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and across the United States.

Mesothelioma Cancer

With rapid progression of technology, Asbestos products should be used all round. The number of Asbestos mesothelioma patients continues to grow substantially within the last few five years. Our site seeks to offer these victims with information and free evaluation and consultation by an authority Mesothelioma lawyer about the possibility of compensation. Whether you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, we all need to remain vigilant. You’d better consult a lawyer beforehand when you are identified as having mesothelioma. Most category of the patients check out bankrupt for high medical expanse. Besides, a high-end operation only prolongs its life for the short time. Asbestos attorney may help patients File A Mesothelioma Claims By Filing Lawsuits.

Little is well known about the rare way of cancer generally known as Mesothelioma beyond its being highly debilitating and extremely painful varieties of cancer. Currently, five percent of mesotheliomas are spotted early, even those patients typically die within 34 months. The victims contain the right to claim damages. Mesothelioma lawsuits can be a difficult and lengthy process. Victims really should have substantial evidence for lodging a compensation claim. If the patient has died, his family also possess the right to claim. Asbestos attorney may help families to request for compensation. Dealing with corporations and corporations responsible for Mesothelioma or another asbestos cancer is tough as they want to pay little if any compensation on the victims. It stated that enterprises and employers possess the responsibility to produce protective equipment for asbestos workers. If Asbestos workers were come across asbestos Because the negligence with the employer, They develop the right to get claim. Most victims don’t know their protection under the law, Asbestos attorney will help them gather evidence, and Victims can submit an online form to obtain a free no-obligation Mesothelioma compensation evaluation to right away determine if they be eligible for compensation. Asbestos attorney can rapidly assess whether win the lawsuit, this technique only takes twenty four hours. Choose a skilled attorney can help to conserve a lot of time, No need to fear missing a good time for treatment because file mesothelioma lawsuits. The goal in the asbestos attorney it isn’t just to get the victim compensation for medical bills and family and friends supprt, but to also force the business violators to halt their unsafe practices and utilize of asbestos.

An experienced asbestos attorney can also guarantee information on effective treatment. The information business patients. Mesothelioma mortality rates are very high. They leave our planet with a smile is our greatest ambition. The High compensation cause them to become do not worry regarding the lives of these families In the future days.

Curative Time a fresh star of Cancer Rehabilitation Website, supply the latest specifics of Asbestos Attorney,Mesothelioma Settlement,Asbestos Lawyers,Mesothelioma treatment information

Know Your Rights! - Mesothelioma

If you are suffering from mesothelioma, as a victim, you are entitled to compensation from the manufacturers of asbestos. Please click on the following links to find out more about your legal rights.

Know Your Rights

If you are reading this, you or someone you know is probably suffering from mesothelioma. In the United States, the disease is always universally caused by asbestos. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is important that you take action.

Your Right To Compensation

Victims of asbestos-related mesothelioma and lung cancer are entitled to compensation from the manufacturers of any asbestos containing product to which they were exposed in sufficient quantities to cause disease. The amount of compensation ultimately received varies in each individual case, but it is often a significant amount, depending on the product exposures that can be identified. This compensation is not a windfall. It is, rather, an attempt to make you whole in light of this devastating illness. Liability exists because asbestos product producing companies often covered up the fact that asbestos is hazardous, and made billions of dollars peddling deadly products. You, the unsuspecting user, are severely injured as a result.

Anyone who was injured as a result of their exposure to asbestos has a potential legal claim against the manufacturers of asbestos products. This can be significant for several reasons. The medical costs associated with treating a disease such as mesothelioma can be staggering. Moreover, legal compensation is a means by which many victims of mesothelioma provide enough money to support a spouse or loved one, or to leave behind a legacy (for example, to help put their grandchildren through college).

Why You are Entitled to Compensation: The History of the Asbestos Industry

The asbestos industry has a dirty little secret. For centuries, there has been evidence that asbestos caused respiratory diseases in humans. By the 1930’s, however, the asbestos industry was selling millions of dollars worth of asbestos insulation. Asbestos, a mineral, was plentiful and inexpensive. Best of all, it was a terrific insulating material. It was used in all sorts of products - pipecovering, cement, gaskets, blankets, and the like. It was even used in clothing, joint compound and other building materials, automotive products and other various uses.

There was only one problem-people who worked with it had a habit of dying from respiratory illnesses. The medical literature of the 40’s and 50’s were already developing a wealth of information about the hazards of asbestos. The medical and industrial fields were well aware of the dangerous nature of asbestos by this time.

It was around this time that the asbestos companies began to gather and form trade associations in order to strengthen their industry. Long ago, the asbestos trade associations and industry giants began to fund scientific studies to prove that asbestos was safe. Their scientists, however, came back with a different conclusion. Asbestos, they warned, was a highly toxic carcinogen. It caused respiratory illnesses, including cancer, in laboratory animals and, it was believed, in humans.

Faced with this evidence, some in the asbestos industry did the unthinkable-they covered it up. Scientific reports were edited and modified, test results were altered or destroyed, and funding was stopped. The asbestos industry then embarked on a campaign to keep the information from reaching the general public. All the while, manufacturers continued selling millions of dollars worth of asbestos containing products to the public. It was used in massive amounts in shipyards, commercial construction and residential construction. Manufacturers of safer, non-asbestos insulations were bought out by the asbestos industry giants, stifling competition and safeguarding the cover-up.

Through the tireless efforts of some pioneering scientists, the United States government finally realized the hazards of asbestos, and began a slow campaign to curtail, and ultimately prohibit, its use in the United States.

Mesothelioma Treatments

Mesothelioma is a very serious disease and patients and their families should have the support and resources they need to better deal with their diagnosis. The following information should aid patients diagnosed with mesothelioma in determining the best course of treatment:

Traditional Treatments

Surgery

A mesothelioma treatment used either to remove the tumor or to alleviate pain and suffering. If the cancer is relatively contained, surgery can be used to remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen. The objective is to remove the cancer cells from the body by removing the tissues with large numbers of cancer cells. If the cancer has spread to several organs, it is impossible to remove all of the tissue infected with cancer. In this case, surgery can only be used to relieve pain and suffering. Types of surgeries incude:

Pneumonectomy - An aggressive surgery in which a lung is removed. It can be performed in two ways:

Traditional Pneumonectomy - Only the disease lung is removed.

Extrapleural Pneumonectomy - When the diseased lung, along with part of the pericardium, part of the diaphragm and the parietal pleura on the same side of the chest is removed.

Palliative Procedures - The goal of these procedures is not to cure the disease, but rather to relieve and/or control symptoms associated with mesothelioma:

Thoracentesis - A procedure where a needle is inserted into the chest cavity either to obtain a diagnosis or to drain the fluid to relieve breathlessness and pain.

Pleurectomy/Decortication - The surgical removal of the pleura which is performed to reduce pain caused by tumor mass or to prevent the recurrence of pleural effusion.

Chemotherapy

This treatment consists of using drugs to treat the cancer. The drugs can be swallowed in pill form or can be injected by a needle into a vein or muscle. Most of the drugs used in the treatment of lung cancer either directly kill cancer cells or stop them from dividing into new cells. The drug enters the bloodstream and circulates throughout the body to reach and destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy targets the entire body and can kill normal cells as well as the diseased cells, causing severe side effects.

Chemotherapy can be used in combination with a variety of drugs to increase the total effect and is often used in combination with other treatments, especially surgery.

Side effects can be wide ranged and include nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, loss of hair, fatigue, constipation, coughing, decreased appetite and mouth sores. These side effects can be treated and they will usually cease after the treatment has ended.

Radiation

Radiation therapy is the use of high level radiation to kill cancer cells in a localized area. The radiation injures the cancer cells so they cannot divide or multiply further. With each treatment, more of the cells die and the tumor shrinks. The dead cells are broken down and excreted by the body. Most of the healthy cells are able to recover from this injury, but the damage to them is the cause for the side effects of radiation therapy.

Radiation may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor, after surgery to prevent the cancer from coming back, to prevent the growth of cancer, to treat symptoms, and also in combination with chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is sometimes used as the main treatment of Mesothelioma, especially patients whose general health is too poor to undergo surgery.

Side effects of radiation can be severe. They can include: fatigue, hair loss, skin irritation, nausea, and difficulty breathing.

The process of contacting your doctor in the off office hours needs to be simple and accessible. It should include coverage by a competent oncologist at all times, who can speak with you directly about your medical problem. Most office practices have a doctor on call to take calls from patients 24 hours/day.

Experimental Mesothelioma Treatments

Gene therapy

An experimental medical intervention that involves altering the patient’s genetic material of living cells to fight or prevent disease. The therapy involves injecting a modified gene directly into a patient’s chest cavity. The goal of gene therapy is to supply cells with healthy copies of missing or altered genes. Many different strategies are currently under study.

Immunotherapy

An experimental therapy that uses the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer. This can include stimulating your own immune system to work harder, or using an outside source, such as man-made immune system proteins. Immunotherapy is usually used in conjunction with another type of therapy.

Photodynamic Therapy

An experimental treatment which combines a photosensitizing agent (a drug activated by light) with a light source to destroy cancer cells. The theory is that the photosensitizing agent collects more readily in cancer cells than in normal cells. Thus, when the agent is subsequently exposed to light, it reacts with oxygen to create chemicals that can kill the cancer cells

Asbestos Lung Cancer

Lung cancer, or bronchial carcinoma, occurs in several forms. The most common causes of lung cancer are smoking and asbestos.

Asbestos Related Lung Cancer

This web site has focused on mesothelioma. Not every asbestos-related lung cancer, however, is a mesothelioma. Other thoracic carcinomas, such as adenocarcinoma, are also known to be caused by exposure to asbestos.

The connection between asbestos exposure and lung cancer was noted as early as 1925, and confirmed over the next 70 years by many epidemiologic studies of asbestos-exposed workers. The four main types of commercially used asbestos, chrysotile, amosite, anthophyllite, and mixtures containing crocidolite, have all been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. About one in seven people who suffer from asbestosis, a lung disease resulting from exposure to asbestos, eventually develop lung cancer.

There is a relationship between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure in causing lung cancer. Individuals occupationally exposed to asbestos who smoke face a much higher risk than those who do not smoke. According to the National Cancer Institute, evidence suggests that asbestos-exposed workers who quit smoking can reduce their risk of developing lung cancer by 50% within five years of quitting.

Relationships Between Smoking and Lung Cancer

A great deal of attention has been paid to the relationship between smoking and lung cancer. Indeed, many people presume a causal relationship. It is therefore important to understand that while smoking is certainly a potential cause of lung cancer, it is not the sole cause of lung cancer in humans. Statistics have shown that cigarette smoking alone increases the risk of lung cancer by a factor of 10 or so; heavy asbestos exposure alone increases the risk of lung cancer by a factor of 5 or so; and the combination of the two independent carcinogens increases the risk factor by about 50 times.

Thus, you do not merely add the risks posed by asbestos to the risks posed by cigarette smoking. The combination of asbestos and smoking multiplies the risk by an unquantifiable, but significantly greater, factor. This relationship is what is referred to as the “synergistic effect” of smoking and asbestos exposure. In short, one plus one does not equal two-it equals five or more.

What Are The Clinical Signs of Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer?

In general, the clinical features of asbestos-related lung cancer depends upon the state of the tumor when detected. Early detection enhances the prospect of surgical care. Symptoms can include the following:

* Cough
* Chest pain (usually in later stage)
* Difficulty breathing
* Chest x-ray detection of new mass. A tumor may not be visible on a chest x-ray until it is at least 1-0 cm in diameter.
* In its late stages, typical symptoms, signs and syndromes of advanced carcinoma emerge.

Management of an asbestos-related lung cancer depends largely on the staging of the tumor. Early diagnosis and surgical resections of the tumor increase the survival rate. The presence of severe associated asbestosis, however, can affect surgical intervention. Additionally, radiation and chemotherapy may be helpful in the overall therapeutic program

The Asbestos-related cancer deaths

CREWE and Nantwich are reaching a peak in the cases of asbestos-related cancer.
The borough has the highest mortality rate in Cheshire from mesothelioma - a rare type of cancer affecting the lungs largely due to exposure to asbestos, readily used in railway engineering sites such as Crewe Works since the 1940's until it was banned in the UK during the 1980's.

The disease has a latency period and can take up to sixty years to develop which explains the steady rise in mesothelioma deaths in Crewe and Nantwich over the last 20 years.

advertisementThe most recent statistics from the Health and Safety Executive reveal there have been 103 deaths in the borough from the industrial disease from 1985 to 2004, the 16th highest in districts across the UK.
Inquests recently into the deaths earlier this year of Crewe men, 82-year-old Leslie King of Heron Crescent and 90-year-old Leslie Bedson of Eastern Road, both former employees at Crewe Works, revealed they had died from mesothelioma.

"It has been a national epidemic for the last ten years and is about to peak but this should tail off as it is commensurate with asbestos use."
A spokesperson for Mesothelioma UK
Giving evidence, Joseph Chadwick, cousin to Mr Bedson's late wife, said Mr Bedson, a fitter at the railway works all his working life, told how he and his colleagues working nightshifts would sleep on pipes lagged with asbestos, ignorant at the time of the danger.

Mr King, a coppersmith for 49 years, also described in a letter written before his death of being unaware of the dangers involved with the killer dust and the lack of protection offered.
"Asbestos would be all around me, there was a sea of asbestos on the floor and in the air and men would throw it as snowballs," he said.
"Asbestos would fall to the floor and would be walked all round the shop, our overalls would be covered in white asbestos and there would be blue and brown asbestos on the floor.

"We were handling it on almost a daily basis, it was impossible to avoid but we weren't provided with masks until much, much later. No-one insisted we wore them and we were never told of the dangers at the time."
The Coroner for Cheshire Nicholas Rheinberg said he was entirely satisfied that exposure to asbestos led to the development of mesolthelioma in the two men.

A spokesperson for Mesothelioma UK said: "It has been a national epidemic for the last ten years and is about to peak but this should tail off as it is commensurate with asbestos use."
A spokesperson for Bombardier Transport, owners of the former Crewe Works, said: "Since the dangers of asbestos have been known we have introduced high levels of containment at Crewe and it is no longer a problem for our employees."
For further information about mesothelioma and making a compensation claim contact Cheshire Victims Asbestos Support Group 

an Easter garden party

No, we haven’t been to Buckingham Palace - this garden party took place in Bristol at Steve’s mum’s house.  Over the course of two days, members of the family got together to tame the jungle that has taken over the back garden, cutting back brambles, overgrown shrubs and self-sown ash trees, shredding and bagging the debris.  By the time we had finished, it was possible to see out of the window where Steve’s mum spends most of her time, right down to the end of the garden.  We also managed to do a bit of spring cleaning in the house, socialise with the family, be entertained by Esme, chat to Steve’s mum and to visit Beckford’s Tower outside Bath - so a good job done and a successful weekend all round.

As well as fighting weeds, Steve has been fighting off a cold and seems to be winning, although he is still not fully recovered - he starts and finish the day with bouts of coughing, with the occasional sneeze in between which may be caused by hay fever or dust from the spring cleaning. Although his energy levels are understandably a bit low, he hasn’t lost his appetite or developed flu-like symptoms (which is what happened almost two years ago in Florence, shortly before he was diagnosed with mesothelioma on his return home).  


Although Royal Wedding fever seems to be gripping the country, we will shortly be celebrating something much more important for us - our 39th wedding anniversary on Mayday.  We have something special planned, but if you want to know what it is you will have to come back and read the next blog!

Hot and cold

Steve’s throat infection has turned into a common cold - how frustrating is that when the weather is so warm?  The cold itself is not a big issue - we all get them. But when you have mesothelioma and have undergone pleurodesis (the “talc” op which sticks the pleura back together after fluid has been drained from the space in between) there is always a nagging worry that a big cough will undo the glue, open up the gap and allow fluid to build up again…..And the thought is always there in the back of your mind - what if this cough isn’t a result of a common cold virus, but the meso flaring up again?


We try to put such thoughts to the back of our minds and concentrate on Easter joys - hot cross buns for breakfast this morning, choosing easter eggs for Esme and Zac our great neice and great nephew, looking forward to meeting up with the wider family in Bristol over the weekend and enjoying the wonderful weather. 


We have more things to look forward to next week. Between then and now, I hope to tick off a few more jobs on the to do list, if I can resist the temptation to sit in the garden with a good book - one of the things I was looking forward to doing after finishing work, but have yet to have the time to indulge!

a day of frustrations

Bar the occasional sniffle which hasn’t developed into anything, Steve has been very fortunate not to have come down with coughs, colds or flu since he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in June 2009.  Until yesterday, that is.  


He noticed his throat was feeling prickly as we walked into town in the morning, but thought it might have been caused by a bit of breakfast cereal.  However, by the end of the day, his voice was deep and croaky; he most definitely has a throat infection. Whether it develops into anything else, or whether all the things he has been taking to help boost his immune system will knock the infection back before it develops into anything more serious - in particular a bad cough - remains to be seen. We are still hoping to meet up with the wider family in Bristol over the Easter weekend, especially as the weather looks good, but will see how he feels over the next few days before making a decision.  


Yesterday was also frustrating for more mundane reasons. We went into town on a mission to sort out some financial matters, but didn’t have all the documents needed to complete the first objective at Building Society No 1. An online systems failure at Building Society No 2 prevented us from achieving our second objective.  The bank where we had hoped to sort out our third objective was closed for refurbishment and the nearest branch a good hike away in the wrong direction. So the main mission was a complete failure. 


However, we did return with a new cafetiere to replace the broken filter machine and fresh coffee, so enjoyed a good cup of coffee with lunch, which cheered us up - helped along by sunshine and blue skies!  Listening to the news on the radio this morning and reading about the hardships and suffering of others puts our day of frustration into perspective.  A mere blip in otherwise very enjoyable lives, in spite of the ever present spectre of mesothelioma.

hot hot hot

Paint the sky blue, switch on the sun and turn up the thermostat - what a wonderful weekend!  


The world came out to play in the brilliant weather and what nicer way to spend it than with friends - a late and very long lunch and leisurely with Jon, Sally and Gina in their garden on Saturday afternoon, great food and wine and company as ever - thank you!  This afternoon we treated ourselves to a National Trust tea with Ian and Ruth at Greys Court.  They earned their chocolate cake by cycling over the Chilterns from Goring station to get there.  I’m afraid we took the easy route by car….Well done you two!  


As the evening wore on, the sun was still shining in the New Theatre where we thoroughly enjoyed the warmth, excitement and energy of a Buena Vista Social Club live performance.  One of those rare occasions when the audience was on its feet, singing, clapping and dancing - what a good job we’d had that chocolate cake earlier on to keep us going….  


One weekend doesn’t make a summer, but that was a great beginning!  

packing up and packing it all in

Last Thursday was a day of packing up.  We took down and packed up the exhibition from the Gallery at Chipping Norton Theatre, took it home, then packed our bags and headed north to Huddersfield where we spent the evening with Katie, catching up on news and talking about the future over a good meal in one of the town’s friendly Italian restaurants. On Friday we packed up again and moved on to Richmond further north in Yorkshire via the splendid cathedral at Ripon, the awesome ruins of Fountains Abbey and the amazing Studley Royal Water Gardens World Heritage Site.


Helen and Rob’s house in Richmond was our base for the next few days, a great chance to relax with our hosts and friends Anne and Colin.  We caught up on everyone’s news over a meal out on Friday night.  Saturday was a day to see the sights of Richmond on foot, from the walls of the Castle high up on the hill overlooking the town, down into the Swale valley, up to Culloden Tower on the hill opposite, back down the hill then up to the main quare where the market was in full swing.  Three of us did the tour of Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal before heading back to the house for lunch.  In the afternoon it was back down the steps to enjoy the white water of the River Swale, over the bridge to the former railway station, now an arts centre, cinema, cafe and specialist shops, followed by a walk along the line of the former railway track and round the river to Easby Abbey before heading back into town.  More food and drink to keep us going in the evening an a hilarious board game which tested our powers of communication to the limit!


On Sunday we set off in heavy showers to Reeth, deeper into Swaledale for a walk in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  My purchase of waterproof trousers from a local shop did the trick.  No sooner had I put them on than the sun came out and stayed out for the rest of the walk.  We walked along the river, crossed the water and climbed up to Maiden Castle, an iron age fort on the opposite bank, then made our way back to Reeth for a well earned cup of tea and a snack before heading back to Richmond.  

Steve did splendidly well in spite of his creaky knees and compromised lung - not to mention the lack of strenuous exercise over the winter hibernation.  However, the fresh and walking had taken its toll by the evening and we were ready for bed when the time came.


The party broke up after breakfast on Monday, Helen heading off to work in Penryn.  Rob took Colin and Anne back to Leeds to catch the train south and we headed off home via Saltaire where we wandered around the famous Salt Mills and enjoyed looking at the collection of David Hockney paintings, drawings and photos over lunch in Salts Diner.  Thank you so much Helen and Rob, Anne and Colin for such a wonderful long weekend! 


The last few days have passed quickly.  We’ve just about finished unpacking but still have to find a home for the exhibition artwork, bits and bobs.  I’ve been to to the GP surgery to give blood samples - my last blood donation was in a batch which caused one patient to have a severe reaction so it needs to be tested in case there is a problem.  


It’s also been a slog writing a note for the Counsel in Steve’s damages case setting out our views on whether the case should go to trial in the light of the recent sample test results and our expert witness getting cold feet because they didn’t show what he had expected.  The legal team may pull the plug without an expert witness to support the case. We hope they will get a second opinion given all the information in the disclosed documents which identifies over 60 positive samples of four different types of asbestos in the building where we believe Steve was exposed in 1971 when carrying out some demolition work as a student.  However, we shall just have to wait an see what the barrister says.


The good news is that the sun is shining, the weather is warm and we have a good idea of how we would like to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary on Mayday.  That’s much more important than worrying about a court case that may or may not happen in September.  Carpe Diem as they say!

ups and downs

After a start to the first day of the rest of our lives that lifted the spirits, we were brought back down to earth with a jolt yesterday by the arrival of a letter from the solicitor acting for Steve in his damages claim.  


We weren’t surprised to hear that only one of the six samples tested recently contained asbestos - after all, there has been a comprehensive programme of stripping out the stuff from 1974 onwards.  However, we were surprised that Counsel’s opinion is now being sought on whether to proceed with the case in the light of these samples.  


There are pages and pages of evidence in the disclosed documents identifying all types of asbestos (amosite, crocidolite and chrysotile) which has been found in the building over the years, from insulation board under windows, to asbestos paper lining around pipes and under lagging, to asbestos in the floor tiles and bitumen adhesive..) on the floor where Steve knocked down walls to create an open plan studio, and on lower floors which are identical in construction. 


I spent much of yesterday afternoon going through the disclosed documents again, collating evidence into a readily digestible schedule (the paper work as submitted is a complete shambles). I’ve already itemized over 20 positive samples and there’s loads more worksheets to go through. Why should five negative samples taken in February 2011 weigh more than all the positive samples from the same building taken at the same time and over the intervening years?  


We would like the disclosed documents to be reviewed by a different expert witness who can cast a fresh eye over the evidence.  That said, we are not sure whether we can instruct the solicitor to do this, or whether the legal team can decline such a request.  We’ll just have to wait and see.


However, it wasn’t all negative yesterday. The five large boxes of kit taking up most of the hall were collected in the afternoon, and we spent a wonderful evening with friends which lasted well into the early hours of this morning. Many thanks Ian and Ruth for a great meal and lively conversation!


Today my P45 arrived in the post, along with the last pay slip and other “retirement” card.  Steve said to me, from now on when a stranger asks “what do you do?” how will you reply?  I’ll have to think about that!

another cork for the collection

If you have visited our house you will be familiar with the sight of corks from bottles of fizz in big glass jars which act as bookends on the shelves in the back room. In recent years, the corks have spilt out on to the shelves themselves.  Every cork celebrates a special occasion - birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, New Years, new jobs, exams passed and so on are recorded for posterity before each new cork joins the others that have been piling up for more than 30 years.  No wonder we are running out of space!


Today, another cork is ready for inscription before going on the shelves.  It’s from the bottle of champagne we drank tonight to mark my “retirement”….or to be more accurate, the start of the next phase of our lives together, unhindered by work programmes and availability commitments. 


No gentle wind down - instead a big effort right to the end. Despite working flat out on Friday, the last report wasn’t finished by the time we left for a get together in the Cotswolds with the people I trained with back in January 2002, plus partners and one small child who delighted everyone! It was a great short break - good food, excellent company, fine weather and a good walk on Saturday to burn off the excesses of the night before. As usual, people were surprised and delighted to see Steve looking so well!  It was quite emotional saying goodbye to everyone at the end of it, but I’m sure we’ll keep in contact after everything we’ve been through together.


Back to reality when we returned home on Sunday, but the report was finally finished on Sunday evening, checked, proof read and submitted this morning leaving the rest of the day to complete the last bits of paperwork, disconnect and pack up the IT equipment, and put documents into boxes ready to be collected tomorrow and returned to the office.  We can hardly get to the front door now for the mass of boxes in the hall.


We had planned to go out for a celebratory meal this evening, but fortunately decided to put it on hold - by the time the packing was finished it was too late and we were too tired to hit the town.  But that’s OK, because we can turn this into an extended celebration instead!  


No alarm tomorrow.  City Link won’t come until 2 pm at the earliest, so we can enjoy a lie in on the first day (if we want to) of the the rest of our lives.  Oh yes!

Steve's "to do" list

We have a rather unusual method of jotting down things to do/buy/remember in our house.  It involves a stick of chalk and writing on the quarry tiles on the kitchen work top.  


I have been too busy working to finish a report to compose a list of what to do AIR (After I Retire).  However, I couldn’t help but notice Steve’s “to do” list on the kitchen work top this evening.  It runs thus:

• Shop (food)
• Wrap (great nephew’s belated birthday present)
• Post (great nephew’s belated birthday present)
• Iran

I did a double take.

Iran?  

Does Steve think he is going to sort out the problems of Iran any time soon?

Have too many crosswords addled his brain and given him delusions of grandeur?

Casually, so as not to raise his suspicions, I asked Steve to explain.  

  

It wasn’t Iran. It was Iron.  

Phew! Back to life, back to reality.  I think I need a break and Steve needs to work harder at his handwriting……..  

AIR is fast approaching, but we’re not quite there yet.  Big effort tomorrow to finish off the last report, and another on Monday (and probably Sunday) to sort out, pack and wrap everything that needs to be returned to the office in Bristol. But in between, we have something to look forward to!  If you want to know what we’ve been getting up to over the weekend, come back next week - AIR!

Post script:  Message for Princess Zac from Dr Who - Sorry, I’ve been caught up in a time warp, but I will be with you shortly to wish you a happy birthday.  

(Don’t worry - that won’t mean anything to you unless you are our niece Heather, or her son Zac!) 

Equinox

We’ve reached the spring equinox…  


…The blossom is coming out on next door’s flowering cherry, there are green shoots all over the garden and spring has most definitely sprung!  


Along with the hours of daylight increasing at the expense of darkness, our life-work balance will be changing very soon now.  


What better way to kick-start spring than beginning the evening with friends at a “Christmas” meal postponed because of the snow in 2010 and finishing with the meal turning into a pre-retirement celebration to mark the next phase of life in 2011?  Thank you Edith, Karen and Ticia for a lovely evening and surprise treat!

It’s three whole months to Steve’s next assessment, and we’re feeling good.  So much to look forward to - I can hardly wait!

being positive

You probably haven’t heard of Stephen J Gould.  He was a paleontologist, evolutionary biologist and an influential and popular American science writer.  Why am I writing about him in today’s blog?


Gould died in 2002 - exactly 20 productive years after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.  How was he able not only to survive mesothelioma for so long, but continue to thrive when the median mortality rate for the disease is less than a year?  


In his book The Median Isn’t the Message, Gould writes:

Match people with the same cancer for age, class, health, socioeconomic status, and, in general, those with positive attitudes, with a strong will and purpose for living, with commitment to struggle, with an active response to aiding their own treatment and not just a passive acceptance of anything doctors say, tend to live longer.

Well - the sun is shining and after a few days of emotional turmoil we are both feeling positive :-)  

And long may it last!