If you or a relative need stem cell research post here.

[wellstone dem]

I've been reading scattered posts about relatives with MS, Parkinsons, and diabetes. Each moved me. I think a thread with just these posts would be powerful.

Please recommend this thread!!!

edited to ask for recommendations.

[wellstone dem]

1. My 13 year old nephew with juvenile diabetes

deserves a full life too. He does not deserve a life cut short by this disease. He does not deserve a life where ever meal, every bit of exercise, needs to be thought about and medicated.

[Cronus Protagonist]

15. Best wishes to your nephew

On the bright side, I have a friend who has that and he's now 42, fit, healthy and doing well. He says it become second nature to know what to eat when to minimize the dosages of insulin.

[Fovea]

70. Yes

multiple problems-- post stroke neurogenic pain, diabetes, internal organ damage from peritonitis.

George might have signed my death warrant today.
May he shake hands with his karma soon.

[Lisa]

67. my co-worker, diagnosed with diabetes as a child, is in her 50s ...

We were out for a walk on the weekend, when she said that it would be so nice not to have to worry about her blood sugar every moment of the day. Mostly, she added, because she feels guilty when her family and her friends and colleagues end up having to monitor the situation as well (as happened last month when I noticed the symptoms of a sugar low). For someone who cherishes her independence, it's something she's had to struggle with for her entire life.

She raised a family and has had a very interesting life (not many people lived in Iran prior to the revolution, married an actual Persian prince, and had pet storks nesting on her front porch!). But she says she often thinks about what things would have been like, if she hadn't been tied to her syringe and blood glucose monitor. She's a very creative and upbeat person, but still there are times when she can't help feeling sad and helpless.

So I know what you mean, about having to constantly think about the situation, and medicate. She taught me that there is sure a lot more to diabetes than just avoiding sweets.

[Cronus Protagonist]

71. For sure. I tell my friend to test himself sometimes too

He's really good at noticing the signs, except when he's had a few glasses of wine or he's tired and sleepy. I sometimes ask him to test himself just so I know he's OK. It's tough, but he's a father of three beautiful children, all fine, and that makes it all worth while.

[caligirl]

129. thanks for doing that for your friend. My son has had this happen to him

and as he goes off to college in September he will have to talk to a whole new group of people about how diabetes can affect him.

[Lisa]

154. our workplace has become a lot more clued-in

There was a horrible incident a few years back, when one of the profs, who's also a diabetic, had a sugar low and collapsed in the hallway. Some undergrad students saw him and instead of calling Emergency Services, started making smartass remarks about "drunk before noon". (He is one of the nicest, most professional people in the department, and doesn't even drink!) To cut the kids a bit of slack, this is not something which is covered these days in class, unless one signs up for health or biology in high school ... I probably wouldn't have been able to figure out exactly what was going on if I hadn't had diabetic friends as a youngster, though I would like to think I'd have been on the ball enough to summon help for someone who appeared to be in distress! Luckily one of the secretaries found him before he lost consciousness. The department was a bit torn, but finally decided that medical privacy would have to take second place to making sure everybody knew what to do from now on -- and so the rest of the faculty, staff, and assistants were briefed about who in the department had conditions like diabetes or epilepsy, and what to do in case of an emergency.

[bleedingheart]

107. my bro-in-law's sister had to ask neighbors to routinely check on her

because she was a type 1 diabetic....
she moved a lot with work and sometimes would have to ask strangers to check on her....it really cramped her style...

sadly she got MS on top of the diabetes and died two years ago....it was very very sad...

[eyeofnewt]

84. Son is diabetic

It is a tough life. The veto puts stem cell research years behind where it could be. Nothing could be more disheartening and sickening than to watch Dubya deliver his pathetic statement in his usual arrogant fashion surrounded by kids being paraded around for his "morality".

[Blue Belle]

2. 2 cousins have MS...

4 have diabetes.
One has a spinal cord injury.

[ProfessorGAC]

97. I Have MS

I'd be happy to have some sort of genetic therapy that would prevent the disease from progressing.
The Professor

[Blue Belle]

171. I'd love to have that for you too...

Stupid, STUPID, fundies and their stupid, STUPID, President!!
Culture of life my ass!
:cry:

[babylonsister]

3. My stepson has a disease called Friedrich's Ataxia:

It's obscure but not for him. He got it from the combining of his parents' sperm and egg. Neither of them have it, his sister doesn't, but he does.
He's 36, just had his third child, uses a walker and hand controls in his car because his feet and legs don't work well, and his prognosis is really very horrific. He's still holding down a good job until he's no longer capable of getting there; his brain works wonderfully but his body is slowly being conquered by a hideous disease that's unheard of by most. Stem cell research could definitely help Scott.

[SeattleGirl]

4. A cousin has just been diagnosed with MS

She's in her mid-30's, a single mom. Fortunately, her immediate and extended family will help in as many ways as we can, but still -- how long has research been done on MS? And could a cure or prevention happen sooner with stem cell research? It's so hard for me to accept that there are people in this country who would put a few cells over and above the health and wellbeing of people who already EXIST, who were already BORN.

[Caoimhe]

5. My cousin is a quadraplegic

I have several relatives with blood pressure issues and diabetes, my mom is heading for altzeimers and my cousin has leukemia. My cousin in the wheelchair was very hopeful that Christopher Reeves would get the respect and attention of the US President on this issue, but when Superman died.. his hopes were dashed.. He's been in a wheelchair since the age of 18, after being hit in his truck by a drunk driver. He is now about 45.

George W. Bush definitely doesn't care about him or for that matter.. any of us "little people".

[El Supremo]

6. Mother has Alzheimer's and Sister has Parkinson's

But it probably too late for either of them.

[auntAgonist]

7. 2 here

MIL w/ Alzheimer's Disease
Stepson w/Cystic Fibrosis

I guess Bush only cares about staying on the good side of 'religion' :cry:

aA

[EFerrari]

8. Diabetes in my family. On edit, and Alzheimer's too.

:kick:

[Dulcinea]

176. Same here.

My sister is a type 1 diabetic. My MIL has Alzheimer's, but it's probably too late to help her. My aunt died after having MS for 13 years.

Culture of life, my ass! What about their lives?

[BlueStorm]

9. My mother has juvenile diabetes, the brittle kind,

and kidney failure that came along with it. She has been on dialysis for about 9 years now and really has no hope of a transplant. If stem cell research could cure diabetes and kidney failure people like her would be living a better life.

wanna know why they aren't going to allow any kind of cures. Yeah, it has nothing to do with abortion, pro-life or any of that shit.

It's because the pharms don't want them to be cured. As long as the diabetic, cancer, Parkinson's and what have you are sick, they will have to depend on them for their pills and equipment, hence the pharms will continue to get their money.

It's all about greed, baby, and they don't want it to stop.

Conservative compassionism my ass!!!

blue

[wellstone dem]

10. It's just those side affects

that make me so worried for my nephew. I hate *. I never realized how much until today.

[BlueStorm]

26. Your nephew will more than likely get

kidney failure, heart problems, eye problems but hopefully by the time he is my mom's age (53) medical technology will be more advanced, if not a cure for this particular disease. Assuming your nephew is a child. If not, I do hope that it won't affect him until a long time.

It's sad though that Bush and the WH adminstration is so cold hearted as to turn away from possible cures and such. No wonder the world is ahead of us in science and math.

Blue

[fearthem]

11. I am Diabetic

[KansDem]

31. As am I

It's a double whammy: No research to find a cure and facing a lifetime of over-priced prescription meds...:mad:

edited for spelling

[Spacemom]

38. Another Diabetic

I think diabetes could actually be cured if research would MOVE. Thanks for all the extra medications and shots I'll take until there is a cure! :mad:

[rpannier]

12. I don't have any

but there is a boy in my daughters third grade class who has Parkinsons.

[eeyore]

13. I have multiple family members who could benefit from research...

My dad and my aunt both have multiple myeloma, my mom has MS, and I have two sibling cousins with cystic fibrosis. Luckily they are all stable and healthy at present, but of course they would have more hope if the jackass in charge would stop the persecution of all things scientific.

:mad:

[originalpckelly]

14. My Mom has nerve damage in her arm...incapable of use...

she would be able to use it again, if it weren't for President Bush.

[LA lady]

16. Multiple sclerosis

I have MS but I am more encouraged by adult stem cell research and umbilical cord research.

The stupid thing about the veto is these embryos will just be destroyed anyway!

I emailed David Vitter to complain about his vote; useless.

I will make donations to private researchers; most MS drugs came from them anyway.

[Punkingal]

17. My sister has MS....

And I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. And Bush is a lunatic bastard.

[Lurking Dem]

18. I need stem cells.

But it is probably too late for me. This research needed to be promoted long ago.

There ARE many private research initiatives underway at various university hospital centers. But government funded research would have made all the difference.

I have complications of type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus, and Sjogren's disease. I am in constant, debilitating pain. My joints are painfully swollen. I often have to use a forearm crutch. My gastro-intestinal tract is paralyzed. I make almost no tears or salliva on my own. I am no longer allowed to ever feel the sun on my face because it makes my lupus worse and I go for weeks at a time living on liquids and baby food because of my stomach. I have diabetic cataracts and background retinopathy and the drugs I have to take for the lupus may also make me blind.

Culture of life, my ass.

[Bluebear]

39. Good gravy, LD . . .

I am sorry for your pain. :hug:

[Lurking Dem]

93. Thank you Bluebear.

Getting Dems elected in '06 is more than just an exercise for so many of us.

[Blue Poppy]

120. Me too!

I was just diagnosed with Sjogren's a few weeks ago. I need to get a kidney biopsy to see if my kidneys are screwed.
I had juvenile dermatomyositis in high school.

I love autoimmune diseases! :eyes:

[Lurking Dem]

145. I'll keep you in my thoughts

and prayers.

[berni_mccoy]

19. My 8 year old son has type 1 diabetes.

A cure is within reach. But it requires a committment to stem cell research: http://www.jdrf.org

[fed-up]

20. My big sis has MS, Gma had Alzheimers, many w/cancer, bf's gson has CF nt

[benddem]

21. my gorgeous and brilliant

niece has been a juvenile diabetic since she was 10. She's now an attorney and successful. She's done well with really brilliant treatment and drug trials. But she needs a new pancreas. While she's stayed in excellent control the slightest little thing could cause her huge problems.
I want her to be able to have this therapy before it is too late. I hate *.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

22. My Mom has MS and Diabetes...

That evil shrub dealt her a double blow today.

[wellstone dem]

23. Thank you all for posting.

This thread makes me weep. I will be forwarding this to my representative and senator. Thank you.


(please recommend this thread)

[MelissaB]

25. done!

:hi:

[JesterCS]

24. Brother, Diabetic. 22 yrs old n/t

[kokosmom]

27. My husband of nearly 20 years just passed away from

having diabetes since 1957.  I don't know if stemcell research
could have helped him or not, but there are several other
members of the family that has diabetes.  Also a close friend
that has Parkinsons.  I have worked around a lot of
handicapped people in my lifetime, and I know just how quickly
accidents can happen, and a person can't walk or move ever
again.  

[auntAgonist]

41. kokosmom, welcome to DU and ..

please accept my condolences on your loss :hug:

aA
:hi:

[SeattleGirl]

47. kokosmom, welcome to DU.

My condolences to you on your loss.

[nevergiveup]

28. My mother just passed of complications

with Alzheimer's and I have an uncle who is totally crippled with Parkinson's. What makes all of this so terrible horrid is that when their day comes, W and Laura and George Senior and Barbara and Rove and Cheney and Hastert .....all of these cowards will be the first in line to take advantage of progress made through stem cell research.

[DanCa]

29. Theres three in my family

My brother Doug has MS, my thirteen year old neice Destiny Marie has hemophilia, and you all that I have young onset parkinsons.
I am so hurt by todays events that I can't describe what I am feeling. I hope that my church and everyone who didn't vote for Senator Kerry is rejoicing in the street today.

[wellstone dem]

30. This thread needs one more recommendation. PLEASE

[Bluebear]

32. my pleasure

[wellstone dem]

34. Thank you very much

Begging works!!!!as long as one has no personal pride or aversion to groveling.

[joneschick]

33. I lost my brother to diabetes just over a year ago.

he struggled, and I mean struggled for 30 years. Bush needs to buy a clue. I'm afraid the posters that refer to pharma having their say is sadly true. The money is in the treatment not in the cure.

[readmoreoften]

35. Altzheimers runs in my family.

My grandmother died of it. I suspect my mother might get it eventually.

[Sweet Freedom]

103. Maybe not

Family history is usually not a risk factor for Alzheimers.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/71/81382.htm
<snip>
Fewer than 1% of Alzheimer's disease cases are inherited, mostly those with onset before age 65.
<end>

(My grandmother had it, so my mom and I were both relieved to learn this.)

[auntAgonist]

36. K&R ...Here's how they voted..........

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1677426&mesg_id=1677896

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll388.xml

[GardeningGal]

37. Type 1 diabetic sister

She has had the disease for 30 years and is having lots of problems with blood sugar regulation.

[Craig3410]

40. Me...

my diabetes says hello.

Oh well; who the hell needs to live past 40?

[fordnut]

42. My son is diabetic

He takes two shots a day,he works six days a week and has no insurance,so he has to pay for everything himself it`s very expensive

[Cvortex_10]

43. I support embryonic stem cell research, but....

I think the idea to not use government funds on it makes sense at a level. I don't think anyone should fund ideas or practices they find morally repugnant.

I don't think anyone who disapproves of this war should fund it.
I don't think anyone that disapproves of gambling should fund state lotteries.
I don't think parents who believe in evolution should fund education based off creationism (or the inverse).

In principle, its just immoral to use force to make someone fund something they find immoral -- rather you agree with the outcome or not, after all - if they can enforce your ideas on someone else, then they also have the capability to enforce someone elses ideas on you.

Before the flames start, I'm going to repeat my subject line. I support embryonic stem cell research, probably more then most people here . I'm for using embryonic stem cells to not only solve problems like illnesses, but also for potential anti-aging therapies as well. In my view, my desire for 10 more years of life would outweigh any moral issues I have with using fetal tissue.

So ultimately I'm saying theres a deeper level principle at stake here.

[wellstone dem]

44. Please do not reply to this post this thread is for reporting about the

effects of the stem cell veto on real people.

[berni_mccoy]

53. If you follow your idea through, then nothing would ever get accomplished

Advances in all forms of science would not progress because the government funds public education. There are many many who disapprove with spending money on NASA. Should we not fund it? There are many who feel (especially those without children) that the gov't should not have a public education system. Should we not fund that? The gov't spends 1.3 billion a year for research on infertility. The hypocrisy there is that the gov't is funding research that creates the very embryos that will end up being destroyed for lack of use.

While these programs would get funding outside of the federal government, it is likely they would only receive a small fraction of the money they receive today.

[Cvortex_10]

161. So your saying as long as you get to decide...

then its ok to force others to finance your agenda...if its the religious wack jobs wanting you to fund thier religious schools, then its wrong.

So as long as you get to decide whats best for everyone else, then your all for using force to get the funding.

I also know that huge amounts of progress is made without government support, so dont try that "only government can do it" nonsense.

As for education, like I said...you wont mind the satanists, gians, christians, and muslims get you to fund their agenda right?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

54. It doesn't make any sort of sense at any sort of level.

It's fundamentally ridiculous.

And ridiculously fundamental.

There's no prinicple to this shit.

[Cvortex_10]

162. its ok if you cant grasp principles...

a good portion of humanity cant... I thought it was a fairly simply one though.

"Thou shall not rob others to finance ones own agenda, especially if they find the action morally reprehensible."

but if you couldn't get that from the first explanation, I doubt you'll understand any exposition on the topic.

[AnnieBW]

45. My Uncle with Alzheimers

My father-in-law with cancer. My friend's son with juvenile diabetes. Several friends who are diabetic.

[Gregorian]

46. Sister with MS.

It's hard to live when you aren't healthy.

Each day is another nightmare.

[Poiuyt]

48. Too late - my mother just passed away on Saturday

She had had Alzheimer's Disease

[wellstone dem]

50. I am so sorry

my deepest sympathy to you and your family.

[Autumn Colors]

57. I'm so sorry

I recently lost my grandmother who had Alzheimer's as well. It's a cruel, cruel disease.

[stevedeshazer]

49. My dad died three years ago of Alzheimers

Grandma had diabetes, Grampa had an unspecified brain disorder, my first cousin died of pancreatic cancer and her mother (my aunt) collapsed and died of a heart attack at the funeral right before my very eyes.

My best friend shot himself in the head (in my car) while depressed.

ALL these conditions may some day be treated through stem cell research.

May God damn them for their short-sighted political stunt.

[IDemo]

51. Type 1 diabetes for 44 years

Very rough guesstimate, I've had 32,000+ insulin injections, along with multiple blood glucose checks daily. I've put myself and family/friends/co-workers through the pleasure of low blood sugar episodes, which have been severe enough at times to require a visit from the EMT's.

I do not expect, at this late stage, to directly enjoy the benefit of a stem cell cure. But I am confident that children alive today with this disease could expect to.

If only..

[Warren DeMontague]

52. I have a niece with CP. Some studies have shown huge promise.

So, once more to George Bush, this time from me & a little girl who will probably spend her life in a wheelchair:

[roguevalley]

55. my dad could use that now. strokes, lung problems. my mom has

pre-diabetes and will probably get it since everyone else in her family has. There is asthma and hypertension among all of us. my niece is allergic to grass and other chlorophyl things. I could go on and on. ***WEEP***! My dad is at death's door tonight and this fucker plays politics. I hope his parents, his wife and kids suffer something curable and feels like I do tonight.

[wellstone dem]

58. I am so sorry

hold your family close at this difficult time.

[roguevalley]

82. thank you. This is the hardest thing I've ever faced. you would love

my dad. he's the best man I know.

[Autumn Colors]

56. Several

Mom - diabetes
One of my best friends - Multiple Sclerosis
Another close friend - Lupus
A cousin - leukemia

My grandmother, who recently died, had Alzheimer's
My husband's mom died from leukemia

[DeepModem Mom]

59. My mother died of Alzheimer's.

[Pastiche423]

60. I am paralyzed, have Lupus, Epilepsy

and live in pain daily.

But, as a few others have posted, it is most likely my injury is too old to benefit.

Yet, I care for my fellow human beings and want ESC research funded for the millions of Americans that desperately need it.

[lamp_shade]

61. My mom... PSP

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy... related to Parkinson's... no treatment or cure. A perfectly functioning mind inside an almost totally non-functioning body. She's 83, but 5 years ago she was bouncing around the kitchen. It's a cruel, cruel disease.

[ellisonz]

62. My 65 year old father has Parkinsons.

I'm 19.

[Chescher]

63. MR. pRESIDENT... you could only be less Christian if you tried

My husband has Diabetes... we work every day to keep him healthy. Our job, no one elses. I'm not griping about that.

:rant:

BUT SHIT... EVERY DAY THERE ARE B'JILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO DONATE THEIR ORGANS and THEIR CHILDREN'S ORGANS (AND BLOOD) TO BETTER THE LIFE OF ANOTHER PERSON.

IT WOULD BE RIDICULOUSLY EASY TO PROMOTE THIS AS A "TISSUE DONATION" ISSUE. IT MIGHT EVEN BE CONSIDERED <*gasp*> CHRISTIAN-LIKE TO DO SO.

BUT NOOOooOoOOOOooo...

:wtf:

MY GRANDMOTHER WAS THE MOST CHRISTIAN WOMAN I KNOW. SHE WOULD HAVE BENT OVER BACKWARDS TO DONATE HER TISSUE IF IT WOULD HAVE HELPED ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.

[demdiva]

64. What a beautiful thread. I hope you'll all share your stories ...

at http://www.stempac.com/stories/

It's stories like these that show just how immoral this veto was.

My mother has fibromyalgia as well.

[Roon]

65. I have HIV

eom

[Lisa]

66. my cousin has cancer, my neighbor has Parkinson's ...

my co-worker has diabetes, and my grandfather (since deceased) had dementia.

None of them smoked, or drank, or did anything that one might think would cause the "blame the patient" brigade to exclaim "you didn't take care of yourself, so it's your own fault -- no surgery/transplant/medication for you!"

I would estimate that more than 20 other people have been directly affected, in terms of providing care, financial support, job-sharing, or just plain worry about the health of these 4, whom I am very fond of. (Actually, smoking might have helped in the case of our neighbor, since apparently it can provide a shielding effect against Parkinson's.)

My mom, a former nurse, was next door helping our neighbor, when his little granddaughter looked up at her somberly and said very clearly, "Grandpa has Park-in-sons, so he can't smile at you even if he's smiling inside". Mom (who had known about this early on) replied, "thank you for telling me, dear" -- after she went home, she burst out crying.

[kdpeters]

68. Step father has Huntington's disease

It shares some symptoms as Parkinson's, but it's much worse. As the neurological networks start to degrade, the mind starts to go, the sense of reality starts to cloud. It's awful. My Mom has really been under a terrible burden. I'm moving home in August to help out. :(

[OhioChick]

69. I have several

in my family that could've possibly benefited from stem cell research, including my child.

[slay]

72. My 55 year old aunt has Alzheimers :(

And now thanks to Bush - the best chance for a cure is gone. It will kill her. :(

[diddlysquat]

73. I have had Type 1 diabetes for 39 years

[uppityperson]

74. parent who died of MS, friend with spinal injury.

brain injury here.

[tyedyeto]

75. Adult diabetes in my family but.....

in my extended family ( very close to me and my family), there is 'juvenile diabetes' who may benefit from research.

That... plus... several people I have met down here in Retirement City, AZ, who are in 1st or greater stages of Alzheimers, Parkinsons and other 'diseases' who would benefit from research in this area... I applaud those who want to find cures.

[bluethruandthru]

76. My daughter

is a type 1 diabetic. She was diagnosed 8 years ago at the age of 10. I'm praying that there will be a cure before she has to deal with blindness, kidney disease, heart disease, etc. We lucky to have health insurance, but I worry what she'll do when she has to get her own.

I really believe bush is doing this to protect his supporters in the pharmaceutical industry.

The hypocrisy of this veto is stunning! If bush was so concerned about those excess embryos in the fertility clinics...he would outlaw fertility clinics from producing any excess embryos! But, of course, that would negatively impact his rich friends.
There is no morality in throwing those embryos in the trash rather than using them to save lives!

[Breeze54]

77. My mother died from Alzhiemer's Disease...

... after about 23 years! Unbelievable!

My oldest sister had breast cancer and beat it! Keeping fingers crossed. So far, so good!
She was in a study for new medication and it worked! :)

My younger brother was just diagnosed with Diabetes Type II.

My oldest brother had a stroke.

My father was legally blind (macular degeneration) and had prostate issues, among other problems.
Major issues...COPD; I'm not sure of the rest.

Second oldest sister had/has a hyper-thyroid. Had to have 'nuclear medicine'(?) to shrink/kill it.
She's a mess; physically and emotionally. Rhuematoid Arthritis also. On medication for life.

All of my nieces and nephews and my kids have been diagnosed with learning disabilities
(of one form or another), ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia(3)... etc.
Oh yeah, I have a niece with severe asthma too.

I have a neck injury from a drunk driver and beginnings of degenerative disk disease and arthritis (Rheumatoid?)
Also problems at C-4 and C-5? I think. I can't remember.
I don't take any meds/pain killers though. Only once in awhile. They kill my stomach.
Sometimes I take a muscle relaxer, if I have severe neck spasms though or a :beer: !! :)
And I'm severly myopic.

This is sort of weird to post all the family ailments here but if it helps, then so be it.
I know some of the above might be curable from stem cell research.
Especially Alzhiemer's, I think.
:shrug:
But bush is happy with his "precious zygote"!!!
"Save the zygotes!! Save the zygotes!! Let the people suffer!!" :sarcasm:

Have I told you lately how much I hate that bas-'tard' and his crony buddies?!
:grr:

[FightingIrish]

78. My son is in a wheelchair

He was a victim of a violent crime in Bush's cowboy America. Now he has to pay Bush's debt to his Christian fundamentalist base. This cost the chimp nothing. It cost my son hope. Now it's more than personal. I want this asshole gone and soon.

[Solly Mack]

79. MD,MS, diabetes in family members

and a cousin with spinal cord injuries that left him paralyzed.

Grandmother-in-law had Alzheimer's

[Beelzebud]

80. I'm a human being. I have a stake in progress of my species.

As should everyone.

It simply makes me sick what happened today. I knew he would do it, but it was still like a hammer against my head today.

[Zookeeper]

91. I wish *Bush shared your view, Beelzebud. n/t

[Lugnut]

81. I do

I have spinal cord injury.

[Lindacooks]

83. Mother with Parkinson's, BIL with MS, and my husband's

family is carrier of Huntington's Chorea.

[lala_rawraw]

85. I have Lupus, MCTD to be precise

I am decomposing in my own body. I have spent the day crying because I put so much hope into this bill. Chemo did not work nor would I do it again. Plaquinal is twisted in side effects. And beyond that, my insurance will not let me try experimental drugs or other new approaches, despite many letters from my doctors... insurance gets to decide. This was what I put my hope in. The Decider, the phone piece of shit of a human rotten being, who could not give a rat's ass about life, is playing politics with my life. So fuck you very much, Mr. President. I should stop now before I spew any additional filth on these clean DU pages... going back to bed. I have lost my center ...going to read and sleep until either my illness takes me out or this nightmare finally comes to an end. I wish there was a way to take all of our energy and use it together in some way to help those of us in pain and in ill health... physics would argue that it is possible... but how do we accomplish such a thing... wow, i am really out of it. Anyway, my sob story and 3 cents.

[nashville_brook]

121. even worse -- it's a women's disease (it barely exists)

i have it too. have most of the lupus markers, even the blood factor and my docs won't diagnose it.

rotting from the inside-out is an apt description. hang in there.

[lala_rawraw]

141. what form, systemic?

what is affected? are you kidneys okay?

[nashville_brook]

160. kidneys and liver seem to be the main focus -- and joints

a typical flare starts with kidney pain, joint pain and fatigue. i've had autoimmune hepatitis, bone infections, pleurisy, blood clots -- that's all i can think of right now.


i'm at a tipping point, i think. i'm scared to death it's going to get into my nervous system. i need to go to Duke or Johns Hopkins and really get some help.

amazingly -- i'm still at the point where doctors are not "getting it." scary, i know. it's just a bunch of symptoms to them. it's a long story, and one i'm sure you're familiar with...

chronic pain and illness: when you have a painfree or fatique-free day, you tend to forget that you are sick. and so does everyone else. so, when you feel bad again, in a couple of days (or i get out in the sun) then you're always suprised -- and so are the friends and family. i've been treated pretty rotten, by everyone involved in my life. people don't believe i'm sick. i've been told that i was looking for a "free ride" from my husband b/c i wasn't working, my husband told people i was whining b/c i just wanted pain meds... on and on it goes. the message is that i'm the sick puppy that needs to go die somewhere on my own.

so i left. i couldn't take it anymore. it wasn't the disease. it was the mystery and uncaring people. i've been "fired" by doctors -- it's *that* bad. told to pick up my records -- that they don't ever want to see me again.

luckily i'm in florida with old friends -- the kind who don't expect you to be strong every minute of the day. old friends. sisters. you know.

i'm flarey today. emotional.

[foreverdem]

143. I have systemic lupus also, lala

I know how you feel lala, I had put so much hope in stem cell as a possible cure, or at least to make my quality of life better. I've been on plaquinel since I was diagnosed in '98, but it only treats the symptoms, my immune system continues to attack the rest of my body. Plus plaquinel and pred are not designed to be taken over the course of a lifetime. The side effects of pred are worse than the disease itself. There have been no new treatments for lupus for the past 40 years, and I think that is disgraceful.

[JackDragna]

86. My mother has ephysema/COPD..

..she's pretty well-off compared to most with the disease, but I'd love to see someone come up with a way of using stem cells to grow new lung tissue.

[Zookeeper]

87. My child was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes ten years ago....

this month, in fact, probably this week.

She had just turned four years old and was a happy, smart, joyful, loving, funny, bouncing girl. I had happened to buy a box of fairly sweet cereal and when she ate some, she got up four or five times to use the bathroom. I thought perhaps she had a UTI, so I took her to the doctor. I will never quite get over the shock of being told, after she had a blood test, that she had Juvenile Diabetes and I needed to take her to the hospital immediately. It never, ever remotely occurred to me that this was something that could happen to her.

We spent a week in the hospital learning how to care for her (which is something most insurance companies won't pay for anymore). I was quite needle-phobic and had a moment of terror every time (four or five times a day) I had to find a little bit of fat on her little body to plunge in a needle full of insulin, so she could live. And four or five times a day, we had to prick her tiny fingers to draw blood to check her blood glucose level. I could never let her see my fear and sadness.

She has always wanted more freedom and independence, so she learned to do her own blood tests by the time she was six, and started giving herself insulin injections by the time she was eight. She has an insulin pump now, which helps, but she still has to prick her finger four or five times a day and she has to insert a catheter into her skin every other day for the pump. Something as simple as a cold can cause her body to create ketones, which make her so ill that she is likely to miss a couple of days of school or end up in the emergency room to get fluids through an I.V.

I will repost the letter she wrote to Bush and our Senators:

I support embryonic stem cell research and federal funding for it.
I'm a 14 year old girl living in Minnesota and I've been living with juvenile diabetes for 10 years. Yes, it is true that diabetes is manageable with proper care. But it is nearly impossible to be perfect about it. It is made even more difficult because being a teenager I have to juggle school, activities, and a social life. Checking my blood sugar 4 times a day and remembering to give shots is a heavy burden. I am hospitalized about once every year when I get really sick, because my blood sugars will spin out of control and I become even sicker. It is an everyday struggle for me and many others to live with diabetes. It may be manageable, but it can never be totally controlled.
Every year there are new reports of getting closer to a cure, but the researchers never seem to actually reach their goal. I remember when I was about 8 reading reports that a cure would be ready in 5 years. That should have been last year. There is a new hope for me and millions of others with stem cell research. This could actually be the way to a cure. If you don't support this bill, you are prolonging the suffering of everyone with not only diabetes, but also many other diseases that could be cured by stem cell research. Please take my letter into consideration when voting on this bill.

I'm sorry for posting such a long message, but I also want to add:

A friend of my daughter has Cystic Fibrosis. I've known this beautiful girl since she was a pre-schooler. She spends every morning hooked up to a machine that pounds her chest to clear her lungs. When she gets a cold or flu, it's far more serious for her than other children. She has a high risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes. Average life expectancy for a child with CF is currently around 35 years.

I also have and have had friends and family with Alzheimers, MS, heart problems, HIV/AIDS and cancer. Everyone I have mentioned deserved or deserves a cure. Bush and his ignorant, superstitious fundamentalist base have no right to decide their destiny.

[KitchenWitch]

88. diabetes in the family

also history of various cancers and Alzheimers.

[Spirochete]

89. I have diabetes. n/t

[NMMNG]

90. I have a sister with MS

It's not very advanced yet but I'd like to think that by the time it was there would be a treatment/cure for it thanks to stem-cell research.

[REP]

92. I Have Diabetes and FSGS (Non-Diabetic Kidney Disease)

I am in kidney failure from the FSGS,

[calico1]

94. I had an uncle who died from Alzheimer's.

My aunt, who is the youngest sibling in that family also has it but its much worse for her. My uncle was diagnosed in his 80's, my aunt in her early 60's. She was once a very outgoing, vivacious, fun loving woman. She is a shell of her former self now.

[Vidar]

95. Diabetic & have lost 3 relatives to alzheimer's

[Cerridwen]

96. Family? No. Friends and co-workers, far too many.

Close friend and her brother have Crohn's Disease. Her brother had colostomy in his early 20's.
Good friend and co-worker, Lupus.
Former boyfriend and friend, MS.
Co-worker's daughter, rheumatoid arthritis.
Good friend from jr. high lost her father to Alzheimer's after many years of caring for him.

Their faces are all swirling in my mind. Unlike * and repubs, I don't have to experience something myself to feel for other's experiences and pain.

My heart is breaking for all the victims of *'s heartless, immoral, compassionless actions.

:cry:

[LynzM]

98. Type 1 diabetic, myself

Friends and family... heart disease, MS, many more...

So. Pissed. :grr:

[blue neen]

99. My dear mom has Parkinson's Disease and Diabetes.

I wept yesterday when Bush vetoed the stem cell bill. Of all the horrible moments in Bush's presidency, and there have been multitudes, this one hit me the hardest.

I just came back from Florida from visiting my mom. She's now in a nursing home, getting intensive therapy in the hopes that she may walk again (she had DBS brain surgery in February). Mom is trying so hard, only to be let down by an inhumane president.

Her cries of "Don't leave me in this place," and "It's so lonely here" are haunting me. We don't know if she'll get out of there.

I hate George Bush with a white hot fury. He's a hypocrite and murderer trying to dress himself in Christian clothing.

[SiouxJ]

100. I have MS; diagnosed 6 years ago

I'm sort of in "remission." I've had no new symptoms for years and all of my old ones have subsided. I'm on some pretty powerful (and expensive - like $1700.00 per month) meds which work well, but they don't work for everyone and I have friends who are suffering with this thing. I would really like to see them get some help. The anger I felt yesterday while the idiot beamed with glee at his first veto, was pretty powerful. "So I vetoed it," he says, like it just made his day to do it. It was like he was saying, "FO all you people out there with disease. I care more about my wacko base."

[ProfessorGAC]

102. Well Said

Hypocrites who only value life BEFORE birth are more important to the radical right politicians than the people who work and contribute to the society already. It's sickening.
The Professor

[SiouxJ]

106. Hi Professor!

:hi: Long time no "see." I hope you are well.

Yeah, not to mention the families of the people who are suffering. They have to care for us and worry about us. It totally changes their lives as well, but she Idiot doesn't care about them either.

And for the record, I don't see those embryos as life, any more than I see the skin that I ex-foliate off my face as life.

[ProfessorGAC]

109. Hey To You Too!

I read that you're doing quite well. I've been ok, i suppose. I've had a rough couple of weeks, but except for 2 days, it hasn't stopped me from doing anything.

And for the record (sorry to be copycat), Silverspoon George makes me think abortion can be a good thing.
The Professor

[SiouxJ]

112. Yeah, just think of all the lives that would have been saved

(and I mean real, thinking, interacting, loving, productive lives) if the Idiot in chief had never been born. I can think of about 50K Iraqis just for starters.

[fudge stripe cookays]

137. Hey Sioux!

Been thinking about you late;y and wondering how you were doing!

:hi:
fsc

[SiouxJ]

144. Hey you!

:hi:

I'm doing very well, thanks. I was thinkin' about you the other day too; wondering how you were doing with your meds and all.

Yeah, the heat can be a killer huh? I went down to Phoenix over the weekend and thought I was going to pass out. It's so nice being back in the cool pines. I don't know what I was thinking going down there in July. You just forget how brutal the heat can be on this disease.

Thanks for posting a hello! I miss all my DU buds!

Sioux

[fudge stripe cookays]

138. Hey Doc!

How's it going? Sorry to hear you're having a rough time. If it makes you feel better, the heat down here is positively staggering. I went out at lunch and thought I was going to pass out!

Came back in to work afterwards and my head was swimming. Took me an hour to get back to normal.

:hi:
fsc

[progressoid]

101. My Uncle with Parkinson's and a friend with MS

Fuck you b***.

[truthpusher]

104. I am a Human Being....I have a 1 in 4 chance of dying of Heart Disease...

...I have a 1 in 5 chance of Dying of Cancer.

[grace0418]

105. My husband is diabetic. But heck, we all might benefit from stem cell

research down the line. Who knows what kind of amazing discoveries could be made if science weren't illegal in America.

[PittLib]

108. My stepbrother just reached the 2 year anniversary ...

of the day he broke his neck in a motorcycle accident. He is 25 years-old and can't hug his 3 year-old daughter. I also have a grandmother and uncle with Alzheimer's. Bush is an ignorant piece of shit. I can only hope that this will clinch more congressional seats in November.

[AbbyR]

110. My husband has PLS (more)

Which is first cousin to ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease. My father was a diabetic, and one of my dear friends from summer camp has MS.

My children, then, stood to benefit greatly by the legislation Bush vetoed.

I hate him more every day. Do what you like to me, but don't jeopardize my children.

[Pacifist Patriot]

111. Parkinsons, Alzheimers and diabetes throughout the family.

[caligirl]

113. March 16, 2002 Son diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two

weeks before his birthday, he is now 18 and starting college soon. Cousin paralyzed from the waste down due to gun shot to the back when he and his friends went out into a church parking lot after a dance and were robbed at gun point. Nephew born with Cystic Fibrosis.



A reporter really aught to pose this question to Bush:

Your so close to Rove and of course you love your daughters pResident Bush, in a fire would you save Rove, your daughters or embryo's preserved but about to be washed down a drain?

[Zookeeper]

170. No kidding, Caligirl....

I want to hear Dim Son answer that question.

[Barking Spider]

114. cousin w/ MS, nephew w/ Type 1 diabetes

[rox63]

115. Both parents and my brother are/were diabetic

I managed to avoid it somehow. Dad has passed away (not from diabetes, but from a stroke), and Mom has lost her eyesight because of the diabetes. I had an uncle who died from complication of MS. A great uncle (now passed away) who had both Parkinsons and Alzheimers. I have a close friend with both Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

So yeah, these diseases have definitely affected my life.

Edit to add: I also have a co-worker who is paralyzed from the waist down due to a spinal-cord injury.

[YOY]

116. My Grandmother passed away before the Alzheimer's completely destroyed her

She had poor health from working physical labor in her working years. My siblings and I are worried that it may affect our mother (both sides of her family) as well... I don't want to think about it.

Family history of colon cancer.

[fishnfla]

117. I know 1000's of people whom it can help AND I have seen it work

through my work in healthcare.But I have also seen how the federal goverment could screw up a two car funeral.
There could be an advantage to this

[skids]

118. Everyone in the whole dang world...

While the immediate targets of stem cell research are specific ailments, the list is only going to grow as time goes on, and will include many common senescense-related problems that affect the majority of the population as we age.

I know this thread is for the folks that have the most to gain/lose, but someone had to say it, because the short-sighted among us do not seem to grasp that.

[stopwastingmymoney]

119. Several

My husband and his mother have Retinitus pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that has rendered each of them blind by about age 40.

We both have lost grandparents to Alzheimers.

One of my best friends has HIV.


Keep the hope everyone, it will happen, no force has ever been able to stop human progress.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

122. my mom's legally blind. Has been for 35 yrs.

for her to be able to see normally again, with a replaced optic nerve? Hell, all I can say is
F
U
C
K
|
Y
O
U
,
G
E
O
R
G
E

[intheflow]

123. My sister died two years ago of MS.

My sister was a banjo-playing woman who laughed easily and heartily. She loved a good beer and women's field hockey. She was 35 when she walked down the aisle with my brother-in-law. At the wedding, my aunt (a neurological nurse) noticed my sister was walking funny. My sister had already noticed some difficulty in movement and had a doctor's visit scheduled when she returned from her honeymoon. The MS advanced so rapidly the doctors were hesitant to even call it MS, but in the end, they had to admit it was because it fit the criteria. By one year after her wedding, her husband could no longer take care of her at home, and, being lower-middle class, could not afford an in-home nurse to care for her. So at the age of 37 my sister was placed in a nursing home, among the elderly infirm and alzheimer-ed, where this bright, vivacious woman slipped further into bodily deterioration. Ten years later, at only 47 years of age, my beautiful sister passed away on my 40th birthday.

[fudge stripe cookays]

139. Oh God, Flow.

How horrible. Your sister lived my worst nightmare. Talk about progressive MS. That has to be one of the most aggressive onsets ever.

You have my deepest sympathies.
fsc :hug:

[SiouxJ]

146. I'm so sorry.

I lost my brother (and only sibling) to Leukemia when we were teens and I have MS myself. I hear stem cells can possibly help with Leukemia too. I just don't understand how any compassionate human being wouldn't do everything in their power to try to stop some of this death and suffering. I guess that's it, isn't it? Bush has no compassion.

Anyway, you have my condolences. Your sister sounds like she was a fascinating person.

[foreverdem]

124. Alzheimers and autoimmune disease

Both my mother and my mother in law have Alzheimers. My husband and I care for my MIL and my brother cares for my mother.

I have lupus and my father died of a related autoimmune disease.

[fiddlestix]

125. My 14 year old son has diabetes.

He was diagnosed November 1, 2005. I'm a nurse, so I understood right off the bat how tough & challenging his life would be. I couldn't say the words, "Josh has diabetes" without getting teary eyed for the first few months...

And I'm lucky, I'm in a wonderful union, NYSNA & they have a wonderful drug plan where EVERYTHING is covered & trust me, the insulin & supplies are not cheap & nurse's don't make all that much money, lol...Josh has loving, committed parents & an older brother who admitted to me the other day that he no longer "wrestles with Josh" because Josh has an insulin pump & that skeeves the older brother out, no lie...so there are positives to this, Josh doesn't get tortured by his older brother since the diagnosis, lol...

The other good thing is the Section 504 plan, which means that if he needs to miss a day or a few classes to go to a medical appointment, he will not be penalized. Also, if he needs to go to the school nurse in the middle of class, another student must accompany him (if his blood sugar level is low he could get sick very quickly). Also, if he's taking the SAT or some standardized test...or ANY test for that matter, he gets breaks if needed, to test his blood sugar & give himself insulin or eat something if he's low...

As for me, I am a political junkie & a CSPAN fan...and this comes in handy at monthly JDRF meetings...like when I explained to the group that the Stem Cell Research Bill had passed the House, but was being held up in the Senate (this was a few months ago, lol) by Senator Frist, who's a cardiac surgeon, for God's sake! If there's anybody who understands the importance of research, it's a doctor, one would think...

(Sorry so long, I'm chatty today)

[wicket]

126. My 10 year old cousin died last fall from a brain tumor

May stem cell research finally find the cure so no other family has to go through what mine and so many others have :cry:

[juajen]

127. OK, here you go; my stem cell story.

I am 64 and have diabetes. My brother, who is four years older than I, has Parkinson's. I would dearly love to be able to carry on a conversation with him again. He's a brilliant man. Was doing complicated mathematical research.

He got his Phd from U of Chicago when he was 23 yrs. old. He was the youngest member ever accepted when he was admitted to the World Society of Mathematics (I believe that's correct, if memory serves me.) Of course, as he got worse, the mathematical research slowed and then stopped. What he was doing was very important. Who knows what he would have accomplished. He was a poet, an author, college professor, resident Phd for a large oil company (being a liberal, he got away as fast as possible) and a father.

He and I were very close. Now distance separates us. It's hard for him to talk on the phone, and impossible for him to write, so communication is extremely difficult.

Just one story, among many, that illustrates the importance of stem cell research to us and the world we live in.

[mr blur]

128. I have MS - unfortunately

research so far does not show any benefits from stem-cell treatment. However, it will come, I'm certain. Though possibly not in the US.

[ceile]

130. Alzheimers and diabetes run in my family

along with lung cancer and breast cancer. All of my grandparents have since passed, but this research could help my mom, my aunt and all my uncles.

[porphyrian]

131. My dad died of cancer and my mother survived it.

I don't need it yet, but I find it reprehensible to block it.

[geardaddy]

132. Diabetes, MS, kidney failure

My father has Type II diabetes, my brother was just diagnosed with it also. My sister was diagnosed with MS two years ago. I had a renal transplant 13 years ago. Looks like our family could really benefit from stem research.

[pacalo]

133. Two cousins with spinal chord injuries in wheelchairs...

My cousin had been lovingly bred by his dad to play baseball -- even constructed a pitching machine for his batting practice. He was a natural & was signed by the LA Dodgers' farm team in the very early 70's. Incredibly, just after signing his contract he had a swimming accident; he dove into too-shallow water. He's been in a wheelchair as a paraplegic since.

At the time, he was engaged to a Dallas socialite he had met in college. While he was still in the hospital, she broke off the engagement. A girl who had been in love with him since high school entered the picture & they were eventually married several years later. She's still with him & has been wonderful in loving him.

Even more incredible is that his older sister, who had two young children at the time & a husband (who became an ex), was driving home alone on a rainy night, ran off the road & was thrown from the car into a ditch full of water, injuring her spinal chord. She, too, is now a paraplegic.

I don't keep in touch with them -- they live far enough away that I never knew them well -- but I think about them often. How I wish they could be helped!

[Az_lefty]

134. My wife is diabetic....

:pals:

[jean]

135. 4 relatives: Two with diabetes, one with lymphoma, one with breast cancer

[Throd]

136. I don't, but not everything is about me.

Who knows what the future will bring to me, my family, and my friends.

[fudge stripe cookays]

140. I have MS.

Just got diagnosed last summer. And while I'm definitely in better shape than many, I'm not the healthy person I once was. I hate what this disease has done to my stamina, my energy, and my looks.

Bush can rot in hell.

[Catherine Vincent]

142. What about ESRD (end stage renal disease)?

Can stem cell research curtail this disease?

[saracat]

147. I do.

[yy4me]

148. I don't need the benefits yet and hope I never do but It is a

very critical part of our medical evolution to develop this science. What if my children or grandchildren or yours need the benefits discovered. What would our spineless politicians do if their family needed treatment discovered by this research, refuse it? Yea, sure they would. The work hypocrite seems to come to mind a lot lately.

[Shallah Kali]

149. 1 w/Parkinson's, 1 w/rheumatoid arthriti, 1 w/MS, 1 w/Macular Degeneration

1 with epilepsy, 1 w/stroke, 2 w/diabetes, 2 w/ severe osteoarthritis, 1 w/emphysema.

[paulk]

150. one of my sisters has MS

[survivor999]

151. Any politician who voted against

stem cell research should not be allowed to benefit from it, ever.

[Fermezlabush]

152. My father died of Parkinson

[AllyCat]

153. Fundie neighbor with unusual form of epilepsy

He's completely at the mercy of his drugs which don't work that well. He'll likely die from complications and no one with his form of epilepsy has ever lived as long as he has. Needless to say they are ecstatic with *'s veto. :eyes:

Mother has systermic lupus erythematosis (SLE). Her best friend has liver, lung, and colon cancer in addition to her diabetes. Grandmother died of bone and bladder cancer. Brother died from complications of depression and substance abuse (who knows, it might have helped him considering the "alcoholism gene" is likely identified by the Human Genome Project). Our son has Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: maybe that could be fixed using research on stem cells, but I guess we won't find out anytime soon. In the meantime, we'll wait until he's old enough to have ablation of the defective tissue in his heart and hope that works so he's not on drugs the rest of his life.

[ralps]

155. I have type 2 Diabetes

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals:

[Bretttido]

156. I do

[wellstone dem]

157. Thank you all for posting

When I started this thread, I didn't know what would happen. But tonight, when I got home from work, I read the 150+ stories and wept, and got angry, and got new energy to work as hard as I can in 2006, 2007, and 2008 to elect people who truly care about life.

Each story was one of pain and of triumph. Although I know a few might not want it, each of you is getting a special prayer tonight. Thank you so much for sharing.

[RamboLiberal]

158. I have a coworker who's kid has juvenile diabetes

yet the idiot is a staunch Bushbot! I used to sign up as one of his sponsors for yearly walk. I don't think I will any more. I'd rather just send the money directly to the foundation and not tell him. I have no clue how he can justify voting for the chimp!

I always wonder if embryonic stem cell research done outside the U.S. finds the cure will the Bushbots and fundies use the cure or will they still stick by their idiotic moral stance?

[ismnotwasm]

159. My husband has MS

Over the course of our marriage I've watched his slow, extremely painful deterioration. The man is my best friend and the love of my life, and I'm having a difficult time typing this, because it's goddam hot out and the heat affects him so. I want to cry.
The medications he uses to keep the disease at bay have serious side effects. Stem cell research offers hope, possible even in our lifetime. (We're in our 40's)

[bullwinkle428]

163. Lost my father to Alzheimer's, have a stepdaughter that was diagnosed

with cerebellum ataxia at around 4 years old and still deals with symptoms associated with that today at age 20 (similar in nature to Parkinson's).

[proud2BlibKansan]

164. My dad died of Parkinson's

He and my mom were very active in the Parkinson's Assn and donated literally tens of thousands of dollars and hours to it and to research. One of the last things my dad told me was that he hoped a cure would be found so none of his kids or grandkids would have to suffer like he had.

The really sad thing is that my dad was a gifted athlete. He coached high school sports (mostly basketball) for 40 years. He always worked 2 or 3 jobs while we were growing up to supplement his teacher pay. He also loved to play golf, but never had time for it. I always pictured him retiring to a golf course. But his Parkinson's got so bad that first he had to quit coaching and then he had to retire from teaching because he could no longer hold a pen or a piece of chalk to write on the board.

So he retired to a walker instead of a golf course. He lived another 10 years, but they were miserable, humiliating years. Parkinson's is a very cruel and slow death.

I wouldn't wish this horrible disease on my worst enemy.

My dad died August 6, 1999 and I still miss him every single day. :cry:

[Cleita]

165. My late husband died of kidney failure.

Stem cell research could have extended his life. Dialysis only works for awhile. My father had Parkinson's. He could have benefitted too. If I get Parkinson's because I inherited it from my father, I too could benefit.

[Ilsa]

166. My 80 year old father has Parkinsons, my F-I-L has Parkinson's,

brother-in-law's stepson has juvenile diabetes, and my son is autistic. Don't know yet if it would help autism, but since autism is neurological, I wonder if maybe it could help eventually.

[DarbyUSMC]

167. My daughter has Lupus and I have two dead kidneys. Most of my

close relatives all died when they were fifty or below. Too late for them.

She doesn't look like she has Lupus. Still a mysterious disease as are so many others. They can't ignore the outcry of the nation. Work will go on one way or the other.

http://mockingbirdhill.homestead.com/picnicsinthecemetery.html

[MountainLaurel]

168. My uncle is a paraplegic

Due to a work-related spinal cord injury.

[Doctor Venmkan]

169. Have a 13-yo cousin with ITP & other immune system troubles...

Offhand, don't know how many of my family has died of cancer over the past few generations. I'm pretty well resigned to the fact that I'll get it if I live long enough. And judging by family history, "long enough" may be just over one more decade (age 36).

I should feel angry over the stem cell veto. But since I didn't get my hopes up in the first place.... :(

[pointblank]

172. My mother has MS

She has had it for 23 years and only recently has been restricted to a wheelchair and is unable to drive herself anymore....her memory has also recently been greatly affected, short term mostly..Comparitively speaking though, she has a mild case. She is 54 years old now and I know a 29 year old who has the disease and is without use of his arms or legs.

It is a terrible disease because you get to watch your loved one SLOWLY deteriorate. I always used to tell myself, at least she doesn't have terminal cancer, but sometimes when she has a bad exacerbation I cant help but think if it really is any better.

She fought long and hard to stay mobile, but it is starting to get to her...I cry when I think that there could possibly be some advances to help her in stem cell research and this fucking hypocritical administration is blocking what may be her last chance at some sort of improvement.

I curse them all.

[Sapphocrat]

173. Yes.

My maternal grandfather died of scleroderma. It is a cruelly painful, slow way to die, and I would give almost anything to keep even one more person -- or their family -- from ever having to go through that.

I'm not too worried that it is hereditary -- although, after all these years, no one can be sure if there is a genetic predisposition or not. It's also still considered fairly rare; in the 1960s, my grandfather's was only one of a handful of known cases in the U.S., and he served as a guinea pig at UCSF. Obviously, they didn't learn much from him.)

Also, my grandmother had Parkinson's, and one of my cousins-in-law (still living) has MS. A schoolmate died a few years ago (at age 36) of ALS, and I've known two women with lupus. I can't even count the number of friends with diabetes.

So, yes.


On edit: stupid typo

[pookieblue]

174. my grandmother passed away from complication of MS

I was dx'd with MS 2 and half years ago. But the docs believe I have had it longer.

Just this summer, thanks to the crazy heat (globel warming anybody?) I have had more problems walking. I am still able to walk, it's just so much more difficult. Where my friends used to complain about how they could not keep up with me. Now they have to slow down for me.

I'm hoping it's just the heat and that once it cools down, things will get better. I hope.


Damn Bush and his catering to the Fundies. Damn him.


But I do believe that cures and treatments for many dieases, not just MS, will come from other countries.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

175. Type 1 diabetes here.

It's horrible. I have poor control (my fault) -- but I'm only 23 years old, meaning I've had diabetes for two decades -- and I'm sure I already have countless problems because of it, including high blood pressure and diabetic retinopathy.

Let's just say I need a cure soon because I don't know how long I'll last.

Thanks, Dubya.