Paul was only 45 years old when he was diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a rare cancer usually associated with asbestos exposure and even rarer in someone so young. Paul began experiencing shortness of breath and weight loss. He knew something was wrong and sought medical advice and was found to have fluid surrounding his lung. The fluid was removed and biopsied, the diagnosis — Mesothelioma. Paul and his wife were in disbelief. They had some experience with the diagnosis and knew what to expect. When Paul was in his thirties, his father was diagnosed with Mesothelioma and lived for 4 years with the disease. In fact, Paul had no occupational asbestos exposure, but believes his father may have brought asbestos home on his clothing from work and inadvertently exposed the family.
"…I think the worst time for me was when I got home from the hospital and we were faced with an uncertain future…you're all of a sudden faced with your own mortality...you just wonder what your future holds or if there is a future." Paul and his wife decided to tell their two young children, who were 6 and 8 years old, right away because they wanted to be open and honest, although they were not sure how much they would understand about his cancer. They told the children, "we are going to do everything we can to get Daddy better" and to maintain a sense of normalcy. His son, now 11, says sometimes it has been hard because his Dad is tired after his treatments and cannot be as active as before his illness, so they end up watching movies together. "I'm glad that he's all better now and stuff but it's actually kind of sad because sometimes I don't really get to do stuff with him as much," he says. Paul is most proud of the fact he has had the ability to balance supporting his family financially and emotionally, while managing his disease. "I think Paul's always thinking about his family before he thinks about himself so he's like I've got to do it; I'm going to do this," says his wife Kathy.
Paul has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for sixteen years and has a modest understanding of clinical trials. His oncologist presented him with a clinical trial consisting of the most promising drug for Mesothelioma at the time, ironically sponsored by his company. He says the decision to participate in a clinical trial was "very easy" and he had "no apprehension at all." "I think maybe one of the reasons I'm here 5 years later is because I chose that as my first option…I feel very fortunate, very blessed that it was an option for me."
Paul continues to seek participation in available clinical trials when he needs to change treatment. His experience has been positive and treatment has been well-tolerated, which he attributes to a great treatment team. When asked what advice he would offer a friend with a cancer diagnosis, he responds, "Well, the first thing I'd tell them is to go to a research center; it gives you so much more opportunity for these new products through clinical trials…find a good doc and don't be shy about getting in the clinical trials" Paul remains focused on his future. "My future is very bright…new medicines will continue to come out so I'm feeling very good about the future."
Hear Paul in his own words
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