DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 One of my characters has a terminal disease, but I don't know what. She finds out she's going to die but is able to live normally (even actively) for almost a year (she may have a scare of two during that year, though). When she finally succumbs, it's fairly quick. She ends up in the hospital and dies within a week. So, what could she have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I wrote a story using a slow growing brain tumor. I ended up loving my character too much though so he lives in an unfinished story on my computer as I just couldn't kill him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 How about an aneurysm? They can be detected but not always treated and often don't slow you down. It is like a little time bomb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Parkinson's or ALS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 liver disease (This is a rather morbid thread!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 People with a compromised immune system can get taken out by a bad infection. It could be something as simple as getting pneumonia from a seat mate on a flight or a complication from a virus. They could have a diagnosis like leukemia or HIV. There are also genetic heart conditions that can result in an unforeseen heat attack at a young age and death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 People with a compromised immune system can get taken out by a bad infection. It could be something as simple as getting pneumonia from a seat mate on a flight or a complication from a virus. This could be a really good one if you want to lay a guilt trip on another character! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 liver disease (This is a rather morbid thread!) I know. Sorry. I just couldn't think of anything that would work, and as always, I figured the Hive would know. LOL... This could be a really good one if you want to lay a guilt trip on another character! LOL... No guilt trips. Thanks for the suggestions, y'all. I knew I could count on the Hive. I'm liking the aneurysm idea. Can you still do all the normal things, including flying and such? Would you be worried every time you bump your head or get stressed out? I'll have to do some research on that. In the meantime, please, keep the ideas coming! This is so helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Aneurysms or any type of big vascular pooling or high flow bleeding does slow you down in a way if it's known.... They limit any activity that might end in breaking that loose...bike riding, skiing, horseback riding, or anything that might lead to a fall. If your character has a sedentary life, it's a good choice, but if she's off to savor the world, I'd choose something else. Brain tumors rarely take you out in a week. Other cancer with a surprise metastic spread to the brain would. Ah, yeah, then the aneurysm idea wouldn't work. I need something that she knows about (she gets her diagnosis at the beginning), but she's determined not to let it slow her down. It can't be something that will put her in the hospital for weeks of treatment or anything like that. Basically, it needs to be a guaranteed death sentence, completely untreatable (so no constant doc visits, hospital stays, etc), but she doesn't know when it will happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Parkinson's or ALS? Parkinson's is too deteriorating. What is ALS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 People with a compromised immune system can get taken out by a bad infection. It could be something as simple as getting pneumonia from a seat mate on a flight or a complication from a virus. They could have a diagnosis like leukemia or HIV. There are also genetic heart conditions that can result in an unforeseen heat attack at a young age and death. I don't want anything contagious, so no HIV. Leukemia is a possibility, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Polycythemia Vera. It can be asymptomatic but then lead to stroke or heart attack. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Polycythemia Vera. It can be asymptomatic but then lead to stroke or heart attack. L It looks like this one can be treated, though. I need something terminal and not much in the way of treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Parkinson's is too deteriorating. What is ALS? My Dad had Parkinson's -- definitely won't work as the OP wants. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease -- also deteriorating, and would not allow "normal life". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 My Dad had Parkinson's -- definitely won't work as the OP wants. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease -- also deteriorating, and would not allow "normal life". I'm sorry about your dad, Laura. :sad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Anaphylactic allergy to a substance that is uncommon but impossible to avoid entirely? Or to an unknown substance? (I'm thinking something environmental). She could have episodes where the epi-pen works, but with increasing severity each time, so it's clear that it won't always. Some sort of autoimmune disorder that flares up and goes into remission? Seizure disorder combined with a heart defect that isn't enough to significantly impact day-to-day life, but that isn't going to endlessly withstand grand mal seizures? Cancer that is in remission, but where there are no further treatment options available if it comes back? That wouldn't give you a specific timeframe, though. It's a tough question because the body just doesn't work that way. I think authors usually end up inventing something in this sort of situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Ovarian cancer? It could run in her family, but she didnt want to have a hysterectomy because she wanted a family. Ovrian cancer symptoms whisper, so she could be extremely ill and not know it until the cancer is advanced. She starts having lower abdominal pain, bloating, thinks it's her appendix and goes to the er, they do an utrasound/ct scan/mri at the hosptal and finds out its stage 4 in her lungs or bones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 It looks like this one can be treated, though. I need something terminal and not much in the way of treatment. I think it depends how early it is caught. It can be silently causing damage to the heart for many years, by which time the treatment is too late. The symptoms when they come can be diffuse and hard to pin down, so diagnosis is often late. My father had it, and the doctors were puzzled for a while, by which time he had heart damage. He was lucky and lived for quite a few years afterwards. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropymama Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 What about a cancer that she decides not to have treatment for? For example, a brain tumor that will be fatal and the only possible cure is brain surgery which could also be fatal.. so she decides to forego treatment and live as much as possible until it takes her out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Thanks for all the suggestions. You guys are great! I like the inoperable tumor idea, but I really like the aneurysm idea the best. I'm wondering if there is some type of disease out there that is untreatable/incurable that potentially causes aneurysm and/or stroke. I may end up having to just make something up, but I'd really like to be medically accurate if at all possible. At the very least, it needs to be medically believable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Oh, I totally think you should make something up! You could research and make it very much like something that exists, but a new "strain" or something, perhaps. (I think it's cool that you are a writer!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Oh, I totally think you should make something up! You could research and make it very much like something that exists, but a new "strain" or something, perhaps. (I think it's cool that you are a writer!) I have had precious few things published, so "writer" might be a stretch. But thank you. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Google Long QT Syndrome (medically known as Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, tho the doctors generally go with the much sunnier "Long QT" when they're talking to us patients ;) ) It has a lot of variance in how it manifests and might fit the bill. Many patients can and do live normally until, you know, sudden arrhythmia and death. There is no cure; lifestyle changes and medication may lessen the chance of a cardiac event--some types with better success than others-- but it's no guarantee. Like living a game of Russian Roullette every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Google Long QT Syndrome (medically known as Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, tho the doctors generally go with the much sunnier "Long QT" when they're talking to us patients ;) ) It has a lot of variance in how it manifests and might fit the bill. Many patients can and do live normally until, you know, sudden arrhythmia and death. There is no cure; lifestyle changes and medication may lessen the chance of a cardiac event--some types with better success than others-- but it's no guarantee. Like living a game of Russian Roullette every day. I Think this can be caused by anorexia (just an idea of an illness that cause it) among other things. But if the person knew they had long QT they should'modify behavior and a pacemaker is often used to help fix the electrical issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 You've gotten a lot of ideas. I wanted to add asthma or some type of seizure disorder (epilepsy). With either of those she could be living a fairly normal life but have a few "scares" before she passes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 You could do the brain tumor bit but have the character die suddenly from an aneurysm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 I Think this can be caused by anorexia (just an idea of an illness that cause it) among other things. But if the person knew they had long QT they should'modify behavior and a pacemaker is often used to help fix the electrical issue. Some things (including some medications) can prolong the QT rhythm, but Long QT Syndrome is genetic. There are at least 12-13 known genes/types of Long QT, and there's quite a bit of variance between the types in terms of possible triggers and possible treatments. Myself and my two children have the disease. A pacemaker is not an option for us. Our type is treated with lifestyle changes (avoiding very specific triggers) and beta-blockers, though of course none of those things actually changes our wonky QT interval--it just hopefully protects us against an arrhythmia that causes a cardiac event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Thank you so much! Y'all have really given me some great ideas. I knew the Hive would come through! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Thanks for all the suggestions. You guys are great! I like the inoperable tumor idea, but I really like the aneurysm idea the best. I'm wondering if there is some type of disease out there that is untreatable/incurable that potentially causes aneurysm and/or stroke. I may end up having to just make something up, but I'd really like to be medically accurate if at all possible. At the very least, it needs to be medically believable. Marfan Syndrome causes connective tissue disorders. It can result in an aortic aneurysm which causes sudden death. A person could be aware that they had some issues, such as extreme nearsightedness, hyperflexible joints, etc., but not be aware of the aneurysm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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