a simple blood test.... 12 years ago tomorrow, my dad died of leukemia

[greenbriar]

my family was the type to never go to the doctor unless we were bleeding or not breathing.

On December 31st 1996 my father was diagnosed with Leukemia (actually meylofibrosis) and died March 31st 1997 3 months to the date he was given his death sentence.

had he gone for regular check ups, they might have caught it early enough to do something.


He worked all his life making BeechCraft airplanes...glass and plastics probably where it happened but we will never know.


Please if you can get routine check ups. It may save your life.



on a weird note, Hubby's grandfather died on March 31 1995 and my Grandmother died March 31st 1988

Dad March 31 1997


Needless to say, March 31 is not a day we like in our family

[UndertheOcean]

1. How much does the test cost ?

[greenbriar]

4. I don't know

because we are fortunate, we have decent insurance I get a physical once a year and it costs me 20 bucks.

My father had great insurance because he worked at an aircraft plant for 40 + years

but they never used it. I guess the copay was always not in the budget


I got braces as a child and when they were taken off, I found out daddys insurance allowed for two cleanings a year and so I did it, but my mom always bitched that I was wasting money

[CoffeeCat]

2. So sorry, Greenbriar...

I'm sorry you lost your dad. I think it's wonderful that you are using his death to remind
others to get check ups. You are a sweetie. :hug:

I have a good friend who lost her father to Leukemia a year ago. She's still devastated. You
mentioned that your father worked with plastics. My friend's father grew up in an area where
there was a lot of chemical dumping. Both my friend's father and his sister died of Leukemia,
so they pretty much know it was due to the chemicals that were dumped. The specific Leukemia
that he had is due thought to be caused by childhood exposure to carcinogenic substances.

I understand how hard that would be to think that something "man made" could cause cancer
in a loved one. It's just not fair.

I have never lost a loved one to cancer, but I listen to my friend a lot--and I just wanted
to let you know that I'm sorry for the loss of your father. :hug:

[greenbriar]

18. thank you

I wish my mom had persued the cause of his cancer, the aircraft plant might have been liable and she would not have to live like a pauper now if she had.

[UndertheOcean]

3. sorry greenbriar , RIP for your dad .

If only seeing the doctor was not such a financial burden .

[No.23]

5. My sincerest condolences, sir.

And thank you for your thoughtful admonition.

[greenbriar]

7. thank you

I so miss him. Greatly. I am sitting here crying because I miss him so much


and when my daughter graduates in May, I will be crying out of joy and sadness because he won't be there.

[SteveG]

6. I agree.

My eldest son died of Leukemia (CML) 10 years ago, Oct. 2 1998. He was 25 years old. Get the check up.

[greenbriar]

8. wow, that is awful

parents are not supposed to out live their kids

[patrice]

9. My first husband died 3 months after receiving his diagnosis of lung cancer on July 3 1997.

We met when I was 16 and were married for 29 years.

Why aren't regular chest xrays routine?

[greenbriar]

10. it took my dad dying before my family...all my siblings started getting physicals

yearly

we women get mammograms too


my mom smoked heavily for 40 plus years before she quit. She has emphysemia now

her sister never smoked a day in her life and died of lung cancer

one never knows

that is why physicals are not or should not be luxeries

[cabluedem]

13. They cost the insurance companies too much $$$.

[patrice]

14. I don't know if chest x-rays are so expensive as much as what all of those xrays might reveal

and the costs of treating whatever the xrays show.

Insurance companies would rather just pay for Viagra rather than have to finance treatments that might save someone's life. Gotta get all of those potentially expensive risks out of the risk pool as soon as possible, don'tcha know.

[greenbriar]

17. true

insurance is a rip off

[greenbriar]

11. March 31st at 5:52 pm the worst day of my life

logging off now, going to go cry myself to sleep

[renate]

12. thank you for taking the time to turn your grief into a warning for the rest of us

That was very sweet of you. :hug: I'm so sorry for your loss.

[greenbriar]

15. thank you

I should have stayed home today. I had a cloud over me all day and it seemed the kiddos were extra raunchy today.

It was a struggle just to get through the day

and many times I found myself tearing up

[greenbriar]

16. Just observed at 5:52 the 12th anniversary

of the worst day in my life ever

I miss my father so much that it hurts deeply sooo much

[Maru Kitteh]

19. Your call for routine checkups is straight on, you may never know about the life you save tonight

Sorry to hear about your dad. I still have dreams about mine, all these years later. :hug:

[greenbriar]

20. thank you

if even one person goes to a check up and catches something early, it will be a good thing