Arthur’s Story

Arthur Wren went to the hospital for bronchitis and pneumonia. Following his operation, he was faced with a devastating pleural mesothelioma diagnosis.

“It’s not every day you hear something like that,” he said. “You just have to take it as it comes.”

His symptoms progressively worsened, especially the pain and shortness of breath. Arthur frequently used oxygen at night to make his breathing easier.

The symptoms also caused severe fatigue — so much so that a couple of trips up the stairs of his home would wear him out to the point of needing a nap.

Arthur and his wife consulted a pulmonologist and cardiologist to develop a treatment plan. He was told his type did not allow for surgery or radiation treatment.

His only remaining option was chemotherapy, which he took every 3 weeks for a total of 8 times.

The treatment would cause Arthur to develop a variety of symptoms, including feeling ill most of the time and developing mouth sores.

“It’s a real, real hard thing to do,” Arthur said.

Exposure to Asbestos

Arthur spent many years of his life laying drywall in houses. He often sanded and sprayed drywall material, which was directly tied to his exposure to asbestos.

Drywall installation and other construction jobs have been known as occupations with a high risk of asbestos exposure.