Help for VAs
Relevant contact information for VISN 2: VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York is P.O. Box 8980 Albany, NY 12208-8980 Phone: (518) 626-7300.
Read on to find out about who may be at risk for asbestos exposure. At first glance, there are some questions one should ask to figure out if asbestos is a personal health threat. These are: Do you think you have had prolonged exposure to asbestos? Are you an immediate family member of someone who has worked in asbestos-related industries? Have you worked somewhere where asbestos insulation was used? Is it possible your exposure to asbestos was in the form of a "burst exposure" (a very heavy concentration) to asbestos for short periods of time? Was yes a response to any of these? If so, you may wish to discuss this with your health-care provider.
In general, there is a group of diseases that are associated with asbestos exposure: lung cancer, asbestosis (a serious, chronic, non cancerous fibrous hardening and scarring of the lungs), mesothelioma (a cancer of the thin membranes lining the thoracic and abdominal cavities and surrounding internal organs), and pleural plaque and thickening (scarring of the lining of the lung). The most commonly known symptoms of asbestos-related diseases are coughing, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. Unfortunately, these symptoms of asbestos exposure can appear up to 25 years after primary exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.
If you don't understand your doctor's explanation, get him or her to explain it in a way that you can understand. It is important that the usual mode of testing is an x-ray (side and front view of your chest.) Further tests may include a pulmonary function test, blood work, a CT scan and/or biopsy. Doctors sometimes speak a language unintelligible to the layman. All citizens who have participated in the United States Armed Forces should receive the benefits they deserve. Weitz & Luxenberg is committed to making this happen. This includes compensation for deadly diseases that are caused by contact with asbestos, such as mesothelioma.
If you or someone you love has developed mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos, we can help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below begins the process.
your next step . . .
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Find out more about services for Veterans available at VISN 2: VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York