Tragically Mike passed away on April 14, 2020. Read more about Mike in “Remembering Mike Mattmuller, Courageous Mesothelioma Warrior, Dear Friend, and Powerful Voice for Asbestos Prevention and Policy”
Posted in October 2012
We have been touched by asbestos in individual ways, yet we are joined together by a bond of community. As a testament to the strength of our global family, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is highlighting the courageous stories of our members with the “Share Your Story” feature on our website.
This week, we would like to honor the story of Mike, as shared by his wife, Jessica, who is a part of our ADAO family.
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.
Mike’s Story
(shared by his wife, Jessica)
Name: Mike
State: Maryland
Date of 1st Symptoms: October 2011
Date of Diagnosis: November 2011
Treatment: 4 rounds of chemo (cisplatin and alimta), extrapleural pneumenectomy
1982 – 2020
How has asbestos changed your life?
My husband Mike was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the end of 2011. He had been experiencing some pain in his lower back and went to an urgent care facility to get an x-ray, just as a precaution. Mike was told he had cancer and it took pathologists about a month to finally pinpoint it down to mesothelioma. At first, we were in total shock and denial. Mike was 29 years old at the time…how could he possibly have this weird disease that affects older folk?
Once we got past the denial and all the anger, we knew we had to do something. After 4 rounds of chemotherapy, we headed up to Boston to meet Dr. David Sugarbaker. Mike received an extrapleural pneumenectomy on May 31st, 2012 to remove his left lung and the tumor. Luckily, the cancer cells were all dead thanks to the chemo and it had not spread to his lymph nodes.
As of now, Mike is cancer-free and we owe his life to Dr. Sugarbaker and his team! Looking forward to making many wonderful memories with my husband for many, many years to come and starting a family soon….STAYING POSITIVE IS KEY!!!!!!!
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