Tragically, Anita lost her mesothelioma battle on November 13, 2011.

Read “Keeping a Positive Attitude to Help Beat Meso” by Anita Steiner – her incredible guest blog.

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Posted in May 2011

We have been touched by asbestos in individual ways, yet we are joined together by a common bond of community. As a testament to the strength of our global family, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is highlighting the courageous stories of our members with the new “Share Your Story” feature on our website.

This week, we would like to share the courageous story of Anita

We encourage you to submit your personal stories by clicking here and following the simple instructions on the page. In sharing, comes healing. Remember, you are not alone.

ANITA’S STORY

Name: Anita

Location: Australia

Time of 1st Symptoms: February, 2011

Time of Diagnosis: May, 2007

Diagnosis: Mesothelioma

Treatment: Lining of right lung removed.  Chemo with Alimta and Cisplatin

1962 – 2011

How has Asbestos changed your life? (unedited):

I had exposure to asbestos when I was about 4 or 5 and was diagnosed with mesothelioma about 40 years later.  It took 12 months to finally receive a diagnosis.  The tumours where discovered during exploratory surgery and the surgeon made the call to remove the lining of my right lung on the spot. Immediately following this I did chemotherapy with Alimta and Cisplatin. After 6 sessions of chemo PET scan declared me to be in complete remission with no traces left of any tumours.  A few months later, aged 46 I fell pregnant and Emma was born in December 2008.  October 2010 the mesothelioma returned and I’m currently having chemo again.  My last scan showed a moderate reduction in my tumours.

I believe I have a pretty positive outlook.  I have a lot of faith in medical science and the speed at which new knowledge about cancers are being discovered.  I truly believe that sooner rather than later there will be a cure for this and for most cancers.   I believe that using current treatments many of us can hopefully keep hanging in there until a true cure comes along.

In October last year my tumours returned.  I have been undergoing chemo since then and have had some good results with reductions in my tumours.  My daughter is my inspiration to keep fighting this and I continue my faith that some cure soon will be discovered.

I have been telling my story as a means of promoting awareness.  For example, 17th May 2001 on Channel 7 news in Australia, there is a feature on Women and Mesothelioma where I talk about the increase in diagnosis of women with Mesothelioma.

I am also involved with ADSVIC (Asbestos Diseases Society of Victory) and an online support network which evolved via Facebook.  We call ourselves the Mesowarriors.

I am concerned that there is still a lack of awareness of the dangers of asbestos and would like to see this changed..

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