Note: Names have been changed to retain the anonymity of the entities/individual.
Since his childhood, Michael had a passion for surfboarding. He went surfing almost every weekend to the beach with his surfboard and surfed till his body resembled a red hairless baboon. This passion led him to express an immeasurable enthusiasm for working with wood, boating and staying outdoors while he was in college.
In 1976, Michael graduated from UCLA with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and went to pursue various jobs in the wood pulping industry. Unfortunately, during one of his long-term ventures with Alpha Boise Co. in their pulp plant, Michael was exposed to asbestos. In July 2002, Michael was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma.
Michael’s situation started to worsen after an angiography in September 2001 at the age of 64. Staying for a week in the intensive care post-operation, Michael was sent home. Relieved with his relatively successful recovery, Michael was anxious to meet his four children and nine grandchildren. For months, he enjoyed his life spending time with his family but in July 2002, Michael again fell ill experiencing shortness of breath and heavy, bronchial-type cough.
When he reported these symptoms to his doctor, Dr. Tim Robinson, he was advised to undergo a CT scan, chest x-ray and ultrasound. After examining Michael’s report, Dr. Tim Robinson discovered a fluid swelling in Michael’s thoracic cavity (chest). At first the doctor performed a thoracentesis, but the procedure didn’t do any good. Michael was then recommended to visit UCLA Medical Center. There, after a thoracoscopy and talc pleurodesis, Michael was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Shocked by this new diagnosis, Michael met Dr. Valliery Mendoza of UCLA Medical Center, who suggested him to undergo chemotherapy as soon as possible to control the cancer. The other option was an EPP or Extrapleural pneumonectomy in which they operate on his affected lung.
On August 2002, Michael went through a series of chemotherapies that made him very sick. He felt weak and suffered a great deal of pain. Though the first round of treatments did not reduce his cancer, Michael continued with chemotherapy. However, the doctors could not find a proper cure for the treatment of Michael’s mesothelioma. In October 2002, Michael went for his final chemotherapy session, but his doctor concluded he would not recover.
Exhausted, Michael was admitted to long-term ICU at a local hospital in November 2002. For three months, Michael fought a courageous fight against mesothelioma undergoing immense pain and suffering. Sadly, Michael lost his battle and passed away on January 25, 2003. |
