I was surprised and honored to be approached by a gracious and courageous lady named Heather Von St. James at the beginning of the month, asking that I collaborate with her on a blog entry for Mesothelioma Awareness Day. As I considered her request, I felt totally unqualified to do such a post. A little reading and reflection changed my mind.
The information you need to know is out there on the web. Just follow the links in this post for a good start! What makes it appropriate for L & F is twofold: my own Pete was screened for mesothelioma a couple of years ago and Veterans have the highest rate of the disease in the U.S. As a supporter and an advocate for our service men and women, it is only natural for me highlight this disease.
I'm sure many of you are wondering about Pete. He checked out okay at the time of the screening, although there was diminished lung function. While getting an all clear was great, that doesn't mean he is forever out of danger. He worked as a mechanic, a carpenter, a roofer, in the oilfield and in refineries all of his years.
As part of the screening, he was asked to look through a book with pictures of products known to contain asbestos. He was to identify any he had worked with and tell to the best of his ability how often and how long he had worked with those products. Sitting beside him, while he went through this exercise, I was shocked to learn just how many dangerous things he had worked with over the years! Since it can take twenty, thirty, forty years or more after exposure to asbestos for mesothelioma to develop, he is not in the free and clear.
Even people who have never worked in a dangerous industry can be exposed to asbestos in old buildings, in remodeling situations and other instances. We all need to be aware of our surroundings, aware of safety precautions, and aware of the symptoms associated with this form of cancer.
Please join with us in getting the word out about Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2015 and let's paint the world blue!
#curemeso
Just testing something out, folks. Can you see the album cover of Alan?
My latest guilty pleasure is watching reruns of Quantum Leap episodes on COZI TV. The series first aired over 25 years ago and starred Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Pete & I were regular viewers back in the day.
Why am I into watching these reruns when I don't usually care to watch old rehashed series? Because they still stand up. The premise that through Quantum physics Dr. Sam Beckett begins to time travel within his own lifetime is a theory that has yet to be decisively proved or disproved. Since each episode is set in a different year, nothing looks obsolete. Instead, you actually feel like you are stepping back into history with the show. I adore looking back at how things used to be!
They tackle many issues that were prominent in the time period the episode is visiting. For example, the Watts riots. There are also episodes that are more fluff and fun.
There is an understanding by the characters, that Sam leaps into these lives to set right a wrong. He believes it is Divine Providence that brings him to these situations. Saving lives, catching murders, exposing corruption, restoring relationships, putting someone on a career path that makes a difference are just a few of the "fixes" Sam achieves.
Maybe, I am enjoying it so much because I have never seen it aired anywhere since the original run on TV. I think that the predominate reason is that it is excellent escapism in a world that is running amok.
If you have access to COZI TV in your area, I heartily recommend this show. You can catch it on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.
