When you’re not feeling well, it’s easy to either brush off your symptoms or go to the other extreme and start worrying about what might be wrong. It’s even worse when you start to wonder if you might have something serious, like mesothelioma.
If you think there’s a chance your symptoms might be mesothelioma, it’s important to see a doctor right away. This is a very serious illness that needs to be treated as soon as possible. However, it’s also crucial that you see a mesothelioma specialist and not just a regular doctor.
Check out this guide on malignant mesothelioma to learn more about how this rarer form of aggressive cancer develops after asbestos exposure, what the symptoms are to look for, and how it impacts human health.
Here are all the best reasons to see a specialist right away if you suspect you might have mesothelioma.
1. Your GP probably isn’t familiar with mesothelioma
If there’s any chance that you might have mesothelioma, you want to see a specialist rather than a general practitioner. Most GPs don’t know what to look for because they don’t deal with it on a regular basis.
The trouble is that some mesothelioma symptoms present identical to other, more common illnesses, like gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, the flu, a severe cold, and pneumonia. If you schedule a visit with your GP, they’ll probably just assume you’re dealing with one of the aforementioned conditions and send you on your way.
If this happens, and you actually do have mesothelioma, you’ll delay getting treatment because you won’t seek a specialist until things get much worse and it becomes obvious that you don’t just have a severe cold or pneumonia.
This connects to the next point…
2. Symptoms of mesothelioma are common for other illnesses
As stated in the previous point, mesothelioma symptoms can overlap with other illnesses, like pneumonia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This not only makes it harder for your GP to diagnose properly, but it can make you second guess your instincts.
For example, if you know you’ve been exposed to asbestos in the past, and you feel like your illness is worsening, it’s tempting to ignore it because it feels just like a severe cold. You might know there’s a big chance you have mesothelioma, but the shared symptoms can give you false hope that it’s not. The only way to find out what’s going on is to see a specialist and get properly diagnosed. You might only have pneumonia, but it’s not worth the risk of waiting around.
3. You will need medical paperwork for a lawsuit
If you’re going to file a personal injury lawsuit, you’ll need all of your medical paperwork, including an official diagnosis and information about the treatments you’ve been receiving or are scheduled to receive. You can’t win a lawsuit without this paper trail.
A serious problem will come to light in your lawsuit if you don’t seek medical care when you first start to think you might have mesothelioma. While it is understandable that you might pass it off as a severe cold, it will look bad if you have to tell the judge you waited a long time to be seen by a doctor. Not seeing a doctor is a red flag because it makes you look like you aren’t really in need of medical care. The other problem is if you don’t get an actual mesothelioma diagnosis, you won’t have any basis to claim damages.
It’s absolutely possible to win your personal injury lawsuit, but winning is a game of logic, negotiations, paperwork, and proof. Your lawyer needs your medical records and history to get the best outcome for your case. A mesothelioma diagnosis is the bare minimum.
4. The sooner you’re diagnosed, the sooner you can sue
Getting a diagnosis from a specialist will speed up the process of filing your personal injury lawsuit since you can’t file until you get a diagnosis. However, make sure you’re ready to file that lawsuit when you get diagnosed because each state has a statute of limitations that starts when you’re diagnosed. If you miss the window of time, you won’t be able to sue.
Most states have a 2-year statute of limitations, a handful allow for 3 or 4 years, and a few states give you 5 or 6 years, like North Dakota, Missouri, and Maine. However, you should connect with your attorney to make sure you have the most current information on the laws.
5. A diagnosis is your ticket to compensation
Your medical bills are going to be expensive, and if you have any dependents who rely on you for income, you’ll need to get compensation from a lawsuit. However, you can’t get compensated without a proper diagnosis.
Getting compensation through a lawsuit is essential if you’ve had to take time off work, quit your job, or want to make sure your dependents are financially taken care of after you pass. If you want to support your loved ones, you need to see a doctor right away so you can get started with your lawsuit.
6. Prolonging treatment can hurt you
One of the most important reasons to see a doctor now is to start getting treatment as soon as possible. The longer you wait to address your illness, the worse things will get. Many people have been able to increase their lifespan and prognosis by getting treated early. Since mesothelioma is an illness that only shows symptoms once it’s progressed, the earlier you start treatment, the better.
Don’t wait – see a doctor now
There is no good reason to wait to see a doctor if you think you might have mesothelioma. The sooner you get an official diagnosis, the easier it will be to start treatment, file a lawsuit, and recover the compensation you and your loved ones deserve.