Hi Abc01,

Welcome to Cancer Chat and I'm sorry to read about this incident and your worries.

Risks associated with asbestos exposure tend to be much greater for those who have been exposed to large amounts of it and over a very long period of time - so try not to worry too much about this small exposure.

You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of our nurses about this, as they will be able to advise further. You can reach them on 0808 800 4040 - Monday-Friday, 9-5.

I would suggest avoiding continuing to look things up online about this as a lot of the information is unlikely to be relevant or helpful and may only increase the worry.

All the best,

Ben
Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi Abc 01 did you get better in the end I have nearly exactly same problem of my own doing and putting real strain on family.

I'd love to say I've found a resolution but I haven't. It continues to trouble me mentally and physically. I have spoken to the gp, friends and selective family members, all of who says I just need to forget about it. Soon after the event I started to feel symptoms that should take a while to develop. I have sought therapy and they are guiding me to see my situation as health anxiety. It's all very annoying and upsetting. Sorry I've not been able to provide a more positive response. If you come across anything that helps do let me know.

Hi Abc01.

What you're going through is perfectly normal, and I suspect that the lockdown is making everything feel worse.  The chance of a problem developing after a single exposure to asbestos is very low indeed, but there's a difference between your brain knowing this and your gut knowing it.

I wonder if you might find counselling useful?  Have you considered it?  It's not always easy to get on the NHS, but you might be able to find a private counsellor who can talk to you over Zoom.  It might be worth paying for a few sessions if it will help you come to terms with this. 

Hey Abc01 seem to be coming to terms with it all now also my whole family were at risk. I was a plumber and was always very weary and tried to avoid it was everywhere but some how it follows me .Unlike like my mates who used to use hovers on boilers which contained it. I think you just have to come to accept it in a sense maybe you like things in order and control and like the life you have which unfortunately in this world is impossible we can only keep telling ourselves that it keeps changing and will always find another test you can't have it all. My incident I won't forget I was very content before this which is hard to find but is a lesson for me life moves on no matter what Wife and kids weren't bothed by it at all even though I told them the consqenses not botherd in the slightest I was more worried about losing them than me. Just taking each day as it comes from now on not worth the worry. My brain was destroying my body and vise versa. Good luck for the future and thanks for the reply least your not the only one in this situation

When did your incident occur (if it was a one off) and are you experiencing physical symptoms? I'm assuming you haven't had a diagnosis of an asbestos illness from what you've wrote. 

I've been speaking to a therapist and they say much of what I'm experiencing is from anxiety, from over thinking the event. Whilst I hope they are correct I still can't suppress the feelings and thoughts or worry's. 

We were planning on having a second child in the future but I feel like I need to get a handle on this before we do. People I've confided in have said that if this effects me it will take 15-30 years. I don't know if my symptoms are due to anxiety but it's making planning for the future I wanted harder. 

Yes I've managed 4 sessions with a therapist over zoom so far. They've been somewhat helpful explaining my symptoms are stress or anxiety related. I don't fully understand how to differentiate between symptoms I've created due to anxiety and those that I fear are real which is where I'm stuck. 

Hello,

my husband made a hole (electrical tool) in AIB with our things in the garage and then came back in the house and carried on with the day. He thought it was just wood.

We didn't find out for 5 weeks later so he had beem

Using his gym and coming into the house. I have been so worried since. 
 

Have you found anything that helps? 
 

I worry about our daughter and fibres being in the house 

Hi Ana0102 and Abc01,

I have also experienced a similar scenario to yours and really got myself worried over my asbestos exposure. This lead me to reading nearly every single article concerning Asbestos exposure, talking to Asbestos experts on the phone, and booking a GP appointment to discuss my worries.

Firstly, please try not to worry about this exposure. Asbestos can seem extremely frightening when we first find out about it, and the horror stories on the internet certainly don't help. The general consensus is that such small and brief exposure presents a negligible health risk. The reason for this is because we are exposed to very small amounts of Asbestos fibers in the air anyways due to environmental and constructional changes. Asbestos-related diseases occur in those who have worked in high-risk jobs, for over several years. Most people now undertake DIY work and so it is extremely common to come into contact with small amounts of Asbestos during your work yet there are no reported cases of these people becoming ill from this small exposure. 

If you would like, I could send you a link to a study that monitored those experiencing heavy asbestos exposure for just under 3 months whilst mining in Australia, yet there were no cases of any asbestos-related illnesses. Also on this forum, there was a writer who explained he spent 3 days cutting AIB and being covered in the dust for 8 hours a day, and his GP explained that the risk was very low.

I really hope this helps, and please don't hesitate to message me back for any further info. Thanks, R :)

I have added you as a friend on here so it should let you send me it.

Thank you very much. I have been worrying for 5 months now and I just feel so scared about it all. He cut AIB roughly 60cm by 60 cm. He came back in and was with our little one. We carried on our day, went in the car and I washed clothes etc. 
 

we have cleaned as much as we could in the garage with PPE and damp rags. We have tried to clean cars. 
 

we had it all the AIB removed last week which is something.

I just keep thinking our house and cars are contaminated from googling so much. I feel sick about the risks

to our little one. 
 

The article would be great help.

Thank you