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Mesothelioma Victim Raises Awareness

Friday, August 28, 2009

by Nancy Meredith
In 2006 at the age of 35 Julie Gundlach loved her "normal" life with her husband and three year old daughter when she went to a doctor complaining of gastrointestinal problems. After initially being diagnosed with ovarian cancer and undergoing surgery, she was devastated when doctors informed her that she actually had peritoneal mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma can affect different organs in the body including the lungs, the heart and the abdomen. Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the abdomen, in the mesothelial cells that form a layer called the peritoneum. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects less than 10% of mesothelioma patients. Like all types of mesothelioma, there is no known cure for the disease.

Unaware of mesothelioma or asbestos hazards prior to Gundlach's diagnosis, Julie's family realized that her illness was linked to her father's occupation as an electrician. Gundlach's father died in 2005 at 63 years-old 6 weeks after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Her family never knew that the years of work he did as an electrician with significant asbestos exposure could have caused his death, and subsequently, Ms. Gundlach's cancer. When Julie was diagnosed she began to put the pieces together and realized that she was a victim of mesothelioma from second-hand exposure from her father’s clothes -- as a child she often played in the laundry room.

Fighting for an Asbestos Ban
Julie has undergone extensive treatment for her disease including enduring 4 surgeries, over 20 rounds of chemotherapy and countless consultations. Julie and her family live in St. Louis, Missouri, while her doctor is at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Julie has made approximately 28 trips to New York since her diagnosis.

Even with the grueling treatments, Julie is unwilling to let asbestos and this disease remain obscure and misunderstood. Julie attended her first Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) conference in June 2007 and since then has been fighting for a ban on asbestos, among other causes.

Appalled that asbestos is still being used in the United States, Julie has taken her cause to Congress and urges others to contact their state legislators to forever ban this deadly substance. For the last three years Gundlach has set up an asbestos awareness booth at the St. Louis Earth Day celebration. Gundlach displays information on the many products that contain asbestos.

Gundlach was contacted regarding the toy CSI Fingerprint kit that was found to contain asbestos. While the product was taken off the market no recall has been issued. Knowing how toxic asbestos is and not wanting to see anyone else suffer through mesothelioma Julie hopes that asbestos-containing products are soon removed from the markets in the United States.

Julie has conducted many interviews and has written many articles to get the word out about the hazards of asbestos. When asked by a St. Louis reporter what she wants the public to be aware of Julie listed the following items:

1. Mesothelioma Awareness Day is September 26th
2. Contact your legislators to encourage a ban on asbestos
3. Visit the MARF website to help in the fight against mesothelioma

Focusing on Living
Julie Gundlach found the prognosis for mesothelioma victims unacceptable, and refuses to accept that the disease is going to take her without a fight. Like many long-time mesothelioma survivors Gundlach is focusing on her health and fitness. She has become a vegetarian, is using a personal trainer and feels more fit than she has in years.

Gundlach hopes that one day she will come back from New York with a clean bill of health. In the meantime, she will continue to be active and continue to fight so others will not have to endure the pain of mesothelioma.

Resources:
Fox News Interview
St. Louis Channel 5 Interview
Where Do the Children Play?

Labels: Featured Story

posted by Nancy Meredith at 12:59 PM
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