Hi Calhoun:
My professional career was in the field of oil field safety. We used a lot of rather nasty chemicals, both paints and solvents. We had a very aggressive respiratory protection program, which for most paints and solvents required the use of positive pressure, full faced, forced air ventilation with protection for both lungs and eyes. Of course, that makes the job much harder to do as you have to set up compressors (upwind) and maintain hoses and masks and a whole host of other equipment. Using all that equipment is never easy, but on a hot summer day it becomes real easy to say screw it, take it off and just try to hold your breath.

What I have found occurs in most small scale, privately owned painting businesses is a much less aggressive attempt at respiratory protection. I have actually seen painters spray oil based paints and solvents with no mask at all. I was 100+ feet away and the fumes were making me dizzy, I can't even imagine what they were doing to the painter.

So, when you say you tried to not inhale the fumes, how aggressive was your protection program. Did your exposure have anything to do with your cancer, I won't even try to guess.

But, my real question to you is, IF you return to painting, how aggressive will your respiratory protection efforts be. To do it right is both difficult and expensive. How competitive can you be if you have to charge more to cover cost if your competition uses no respiratory protection at all.

After cancer your immune system will be compromised for awhile. If you decide to get back into painting you will need a top notch protection program and one that you NEVER stray from.

Good luck with your choice.

Tony