ASBESTOS TESTING
Health care services for military veterans at the VA Regional Office in Muskogee, Okla.

Contact information for military veterans to test for exposure to asbestos: Muskogee Regional Office, 125 South Main Street, Muskogee, OK 74401. Phone: (800) 827-1000.

Read below to see if you may be at risk for exposure to asbestos. First of all, there are some questions one should ask to figure out if asbestos is a personal health threat. The questions 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? If any of your answers to these questions were affirmative, you may wish to discuss this with your health-care provider.

Four specific diseases result from asbestos exposure: 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), pleural plaque and thickening (scarring of the lining of the lung) and lung cancer. 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.

It is crucial to get tested if you imagine that you have been exposed to asbestos. Initial testing is an x-ray (side and front view of your chest.) Additional tests may include a pulmonary function test, blood work, a CT scan and/or biopsy. Often, doctors speak a language puzzling to the typical patient. You should not hesitate to ask your physician about your condition. If you don't totally grasp your doctor, ask her to clarify so you can better get the picture.

All men and women who have participated in the U.S. Armed Forces should receive the benefits they deserve. Weitz & Luxenberg is committed to making this happen. This includes compensation for potentially fatal diseases that are caused by inhalation of asbestos, such as mesothelioma.

If you or someone you love has developed mesothelioma after having contact with asbestos, we can help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below initiates the process.

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