have you lost family?

[Jaguar]

My cousin died from drug OD. He was only 23.
My paternal grandfather died when I was 2.

[Willem]

Wow, this sure is turning out to be a cheery thread! I'm beginning to feel almost positive about my situation. At least my mother's demise will put an end to the heartbreak her disease has caused the family, and we'll be able to get on with our lives.

Dr S., my heart goes out to you and your brother. I guess death isn't the only way to lose a family member. I've spent some time in places like that back in my travelling days, and there's a lot of sad stories and broken dreams in them. I hope he finds the faith and courage to turn his life around again. It has been known to happen.

[Dis]

my dad died several years ago. he was an alcoholic and wasn't a very good father. I'm not really sure how I should feel about this.

[Frozzy]

Never knew my father's parents. My mother's father died in October 2001 on his birthday, 31st October.

[Willem]

Make that two parents now. My mother finally passed away this afternoon, peacefully in her sleep. Her long ordeal with Alzheimers is finally over. She will be missed very much by all of us in the family, but we're also glad that her slow and steady decline has come to an end.

I say again, if any of you are ever asked to donate towards this awful disease, please do so.

[JCG]

One of my uncles, one of my grandparents (and the other on the way....sadly).

[Giancarlo]

My uncle (on my dad's side)

He was a Vietnam war Veteran... and was in 'Nam for quite some time. (Don't remember how long exactly) He died of cancer... which is probable was caused by Agent Orange. He passed away about a year ago. I miss him..

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Willem
Make that two parents now. My mother finally passed away this afternoon, peacefully in her sleep. Her long ordeal with Alzheimers is finally over. She will be missed very much by all of us in the family, but we're also glad that her slow and steady decline has come to an end.

I say again, if any of you are ever asked to donate towards this awful disease, please do so.

Very sorry to hear of your loss. But you're right in that her ordeal is over, and you can live with the comfort of loving memories. She had her family around her to share love, which is more than many people have at the end of their lives, so for that she was blessed.

[Bosh]

To kick up the cheeryness a bit, I've had three good friends die. My best childhood friend who I hadn't seen in years ODed on heroin last year, one of my other good childhood friends died of leukemia after fighting it for years and years and having a huge community campaign grow up to cover his medical costs and a friend from HS died from brain cancer that everyone thought had been beaten just a week before graduation
And then I saw a cancer distribution chart with a nice big red streak of highened cancer rates in a line downwind from the nearest nuclear power plant straight towards where I lived...

[orange]

while it's sad to see those who have lost so many, i think what may be most sad is the 4 who have lost children. I think it is most unfortunate for fathers and mothers to outlive their offspring...

[orange]

i've been lucky, myself, only having lost one grandparent (at a young age, so I don't remember him) to lung cancer from cigarettes, a great great aunt (old age), a step-great grandmother (old age) and a very close friend of the family who we considered an 'uncle' to various forms of cancer (not cigarette related). Thankfully, we were able to get my dad to quit smoking cigarettes 2 years ago, and he seems much healthier since...still strong and working 12 hour days to put me through school and keep us living the kind of lifestyle that we do...my mom is in excellent health, as are most of my aunts and uncles. Cousins and siblings are all still young (23 being the eldest of my cousins) No children to speak of yet.

[cinch]

I lost both of my grandmothers to emphysema as a direct result of cigarettes... This probably contributes to my knee-jerk negative reaction towards smoking, in general.

Everyone always points to cancer as the greatest fear one has when smoking, but emphysema should be considered, also. It's not as fast as cancer; it's a drawn-out, painful, withering-away death. Heartwrenching. And so damn unnecessary.

[Jon Miller]

I lost my sister (when she was 5 and I 7) to congenital heart defects (actually complications from open heart surgery)

she was my best freind at the time

that is the only close family death that I have expereinced

Jon Miller

[connorkimbro]

one of my grandparents, and all of my greatgrandparents (i include them, since they were all alive when i was born and i can remember them)

[Jon Shafer]

No one...