Warren McCoy's death:
Who knew back in the late '50s and early '60s that asbestos would cause cancer? There were people who knew this, but we didn't. It was proven in the 1940s that asbestos caused cancer. What a secret to keep! Warren worked in construction all of his life, but the early years from 1953 until 1964, he worked with asbestos. He was a pipefitter, a pipefitter's helper, a welder, an instrument fitter - you name it and he did it. Asbestos blankets were used all the time for protection from the welding sparks. It was used in numerous ways in construction.It takes 20-30 years after exposure before mesothelioma can be diagnosed. Warren was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July of 1997 and he lived twenty-one months, dying in March of 1999. He was 62 years old. Someday I will write of those twenty-one months. I kept a journal and wrote in it every day. I kept a record of his doctor visits, his medications, his pain and his tears, but that is for another time.