Hi Lawrence,

Welcome to Cancer Chat. I would say that you should try not to worry about this - generally it is only extended exposure over many years that causes a risk.

I can see you have posted on another thread - I'd suggest reading some of the other posts on that thread as there is some really helpful and hopefully reassuring information on there. Hopefully you will also receive replies to your post to offer further reassurance.

You may also find this thread, which includes a reply from one of our nurses, helpful.

All the best,

Ben
Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello, how can I access the thread you have hyperlinked?

I am having excaty the same worry, we had builders in the house remove walls and ceilings in bathrooms when refurbing and I am concerned we have fibres all over the house and i have young children. Out of my mind with worry!

Hi, have you had any tests done, there will be a place locally that will take samples of anything concerned about or postal services as well, mask up and double zip lock it, read on how to take a safe sample of whatever it is you are disturbing - from your post this may be too late as sounds like has been removed from site.  Unlikely to be anything in walls - around windows, airing cupboards, softfits and ceilings could be a place if old artex - loads of info on HSE site.  You coulkd get an air reassurance test as that will count the fibres in the air - the filter can be sent off for analysis to see if any fibres are asbetos or the guy doing it might unofficially give his opion of any fibres on the filter at the end of the test.  The air reassurance test threshold isn't great but is what is used after asbestos is disturbed to say safe to live in property - other countries used different thresholds as a pass doesn't necessarily mean none found although the extra analysis will give good indication - speak to a local asbestos specialist.

I can honestly say 6 months on it is a thing that worries me everyday, not for me but because of the children, I have struggled to move on, bought books on anxiety, tried CBT, mindfullness but nothing really helped as doesn't change the fact they could have been exposed.  I am now trying to move forward re-assuring myself that it is long term exposure that need to be worried about and risk from one off DIY is very low.  The whole 1 fibre can kill you doesn't help, nor does the statement that there is no safe level of exposure but what I try and console myself with is that the stuff is in the air anyway in urban environments and used to be much higher levels so if one fibre can kill you everyone would be dropping dead.  Whilst it is true it could be one fibre the chances are very small - I know that doesn't help much as it hasn't really helped me.  I spend hours imagining the behaviour of the dust cloud outside their windows that have poor seals and wandering if any got in because none getting is is really all I can deal with.

Not sure if been any help, don't panic, there may well have been none present, I hope you can move on,

Loz

Thanks Loz for your reply. I can relate to your worries and concerns whole heartedly. I know exactly what you are going through. This has been going on for 4 months now myself. The work is complete and yes there is nothing to now sample. Annoyed with myself as it was all in the skip and it could have been sampled before it went.

My concern now is that what if he did disturb something, then we are living in a fibre infested house of which my children are breating in the fibres. It has caused my almighty amounts of anquish, not slept, caused me to go into a total hell hole. Again I dont see how I will ever get over it as this is something where we will never know for a long time, no quick test will determine a result. 

I did do an air test but was told as so long after it would not show anything and true to form it didnt. My next investment is change all carpets which is not going to be cheap, obvioulsy my concern now is damageis already been done! 

Out of interest what is everyone advise to you? I have been told that I have lost the plot by my immediate family, even though i now know the builders should have done a refurb survey prior to starting work and should not have have ripped walls and ceilings down. My wife is not bothered at all by it and refused to sell the house when I suggested it as did not want to even be in the house anymore.

I have become a semi expert in Asbestos over last 6 months although after much advice have stopped googling as it doesn't help.  I am a person that likes to be in control of situations and when faced with uncertainty or something can't control like this then is a problem.  For me there is going to to be no way of ever knowing but really the air test should have stopped the worry, I did also take samples of dust from nearest room for testing and no fibres found.

Asbestos fibres are very light, if in a room then simply opening the door and moving things about will make them airbourne again and they take a long time to settle, so if you are still concerened about fibres in the house then my opinion for what its worth is the air test would have still been valid, maybe speak to to another local firm.  I can't see that replacing carpets would make any difference at this point.

I suspect like me there is going to be nothing that quickly re-assures you, for me I am hoping time will be a healer, I am trying to enjoy everyday, ask yoursellf how many timers have you worried over things that never happened - I know I have done it a lot in the past, trying to frame this as no point worrying about anoutcome that might never happen, al. that will do is ruin your life and also the children can probably sense something is not quiote right.  As for my partner she doesn't worry about it - like others she has said there are loads of other dangers a kids will face in their lifetime and the worry will do you and family more harm than a diy exposure - easy to say but harder in practice !

Deep down I know there is probably nothing to worry about but as I normally function worrying about something I feel I have latched onto this as a real concern that just can't shake, mainly as the outcome is so bad and it's on the children rather than me (I really don't care about my exposure and I was nearby outside when it was cut and was confirmed as 15% asbestos containing cement board).

If you are going to google anything google 'catastrophising' - it sounds a lot like me, I have considered professional help but hoping to get through this in time and start enjoying life again as it has ruined the last 6 months, I feel there was a person before th incident and a different one after.

Who knows what is around the corner try and enjoy life whilst you can, - sorry for rambling post,

Loz

Yes likewise, I have read enough to become an asbestos consultant. I did do an aire test but only in the bathroom not the rest of the house. I dont see I will ever get over this. Its becomes difficult to understand if it is a real issue or not and getting that clarity in your head is a trick one for me.

I am trying CBT and the doctor has prescribed me setroline for anxiety, only been on it for 3 weeks, so will see if that helps. At this point in time, I dont see me ever being comfortable int he house anymore but my wife does not want to move, am not sure is thats totally drastic or not.

I have read a lot about CBT and the thought re-training or whatever it is called and meant to help people with anxiety, doesn't help when a lot of the examples are anxiety over a job interview or presenting in front of people which is a different league to the kids health.  I did buy some books on anxiety and none of them really did the trick - there is no silver bullet out there but a process I am hoping.  Did start a book on OCD last night called 'brain lock' that seems to share similar things with the throught retraining process of CBT, hoping that yields something.

I am not sure I will ever move on but am becoming more aware that worrying about something that may never happen is ruining my enjoyment of life.  I am going to avoid the drug route for moment and maybe seek professional help if no improvement, I do think sometimes the GP's prescribe stuff too quickly and some can be addictive so tread carefully.

Unless you had artex ceilings of a certain age then I don't think you have much to worry about, even then they are roughly 1% - content far less than some of the other products.  As I am sure you are aware the white chysotile was for a while considered less dangerous than the brown or blue but the official guidance says no amount of any is safe but as said in earlier post if that were true everyone would be dropping dead.  From everything I have read as well even downing a lung/stomachful doesn't mean going to get cancer - genetics seem to play a part, towns near asbestos mines where everyone had high exposure over many years some people were not affected.

I think for you like me the only way of re-framing it is unlikely that was much if any present, and if there were then a very small chance much got through the bodys natural defences and even then the small amounts that may have got in won't be much in comparison to background levels of the past.  There is good evidence that the only people that suffer are those that worked with it long term in unsafe ways, you will always be able to find outliers out there that went down with what is thought to be minimal amount but these seem to be very rare.

I posted on lots of forums - 10+ at time and most people came back with stories of making things out of asbestos cement boards, throwing it like snowballs, etc and many of those were a ripe old age.

If it really worries you why not get another air test done by a different firm in any areas of concern, that should allay fears that anything still lurking in the house because moving does seem drastic.

I am trying to think that so many other things can happen and the chances are minimal - don't get me wrong very annoyed that something that was totally avoidable happened but what can we do, it may even change my life in a positive way to try and get out there to make most of everyday as like a lot of people stuck in a routine that is a bit of a grind.

Hope you manage to move on, I know how you feel, for me after 6 months I think there is a little bit of me wanting to enact change as my partner is so fed up hearing about it and I have become miserabe and short tempered, easier said than done !

Good luck, feel free to post of want to discuss anything,

Lawrence 

Could I contact you on email? might be easier than on here..