Finding Hope: Surviving Mesothelioma

Author: Heather Von St James

Having a baby can be a frightening experience. Parents, especially first-time mothers and fathers, are consumed with worry for the health and safety of their children; therefore, it is not uncommon for new parents to ignore symptoms of their own, or to neglect their own health completely.

I had my first child on August 4th 2005: a healthy, beautiful daughter named Lily. The weeks after Lily’s birth went pretty smoothly. I was exhausted all the time, but what new mother isn’t? I had gone back to work just four weeks after my daughter was born, so that also attributed to my fatigue. Also, I lost all of my baby weight very quickly. My doctor said this was due to breastfeeding and healthy eating, so there was no reason for me to be concerned. I assumed my symptoms were typical of all new mothers, so I tried my hardest to put it out of my mind.

Over the next couple of months, my fatigue only worsened. I also felt extremely weak all the time, and had begun to run a fever every night. It was also around this time that I began to notice a strange, heavy sensation in my chest. The heavy feeling was persistent, and it only got worse with time.

It was early November when my symptoms reached their peak. I was home alone with my daughter, and I became extremely short of breath while walking upstairs to do some laundry, literally having to stop and catch my breath halfway up the stairs. When I made it back downstairs to Lily, exhaustion swept over me and I had no choice but to lay my head back and rest. When I awoke, 2 hours had passed. I knew at that moment that something was wrong. Even with a newborn baby and a full-time job, no woman my age should be experiencing these symptoms with such regularity. I decided then and there to make an appointment with my doctor.

On November 21, 2005, I got the news that would change my life forever: I was diagnosed with mesothelioma, which is a rare, and extremely deadly form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. My daughter was just over three months old, and our lives were suddenly turned upside down.

My battle with cancer began on that day in November; and today, I have been cancer-free for almost six years. My blog is a detailed account of my battle with mesothelioma. From my diagnosis and treatment to how this disease has affected my life and the lives of my loved ones, my blog on the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance website will tell my story.

About the Author: Heather Von St James is a Mesothelioma Cancer survivor. She was diagnosed at the age of 36, just three months after her first and only child was born. Mesothelioma is a cancer that claims the lives of 90-95% of those who are diagnosed. Heather hopes to give people hope by sharing her special story of survival.