anyone have a Med. Degree?

no, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night...
Just kidding.

If you posted specific questions it would help.
Good luck!

My suggestion is to google fatal childhood illnesses and see what you get.

chowmein said:

okay. a specific question. i think i can do that.
uhh...hmmm...
a disease that you can be born with that will kill you around ten or so?

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How sick is the kid during its life? And what kind of medical care does it get?

Some possibilities: a heart condition - some kind of cardiac insufficiency; a blood disorder like sickle cell or thalassemia (can be fatal without treatment); problems in the brain like vascular malformations; an undiagnosed aneurysm somewhere, probably the brain.

What's the situation you want to develop?

There are many that CAN be fatal at 10 - but still have longer life expectancy past 10 in others with the same affliction. Some factors in those who die might be access to proper medical care, etc. Rather than just specifically the disease/disorder itself.

With what you state it seems like you are looking for a chronic condition that is fatal at a certain age. Rather than a critical birth defect that can kill anytime but only some MAY live until 10 (as the threshold of age limit for that critical disease). But, I cannot be certain. Can you state which it is you are going for. It may help tailor responses - as others have stated.

Are you looking for something that is a death sentence to all who have it and by 10 no matter what? Because that will be difficult with medical research and technology being what it is. Ongoing - always changing, advancing. Now in YOUR world it may be lower tech and it may work with almost ANY disease. It is hard to state with what you have offered for detail.

Cyctic Fibrosis used to be an illness that children rarely lived past 11 many years ago. Now life expectency is much longer. Same with some types of aggressive MD that boys get. Hemophilia is another that life expectency was shorter and is now longer.

If you can specifically give detail - we can specifically give response.

And try to remember - that research is great and accuracy is goal when using this type of issue as plot line. BUT, that research can only give so much on google and you will find conflicting info for almost anything you click two links for. It is hard to find information that is static across the board on anything in medical information - specifically due to advances. So, be certain of the dates on the info you read - you may be reading archived information applicable from the 60s that is moot now. That would totally ruin the effect if you have the wrong stuff to drive your MS in this part.

A good thing to do, when you finally decide on a disease, is join an on line forum for people/parents/medical professionals that have experience - real life experience - with the disorder you wish to use. They will be able to give you a perspective that research on line cannot. And please, always let them know what you are doing before you join, that it is for research purposes.

Good luck and let us know more detail so we can help you further.

Christine

For diseases that MAY be fatal by or before age 10, suggest you google the following: Tay-Sachs disease; thalassemia-major; Ewing's sarcoma; PNET; any of the more agressive leukemias, such as ALL; cystic fibrosis; phenylketonuria; inborn errors of metabolism.

Granted, some of the conditions mentioned above are not the death-sentence they used to be, and a few cause extreme disability before their ultimate end. If you want a relatively healthy child up till age 10, you might not want to use cystic fibrosis and certainly not Tay-Sachs.

Newspapers lately have reported a disturbing number of young athletes who drop dead on the field, sometimes due to previously undiagnosed heart abnormalities. For these, google PFO or PDA, also ventricular septal defect and/or atrial septal defect. They're tough to diagnose in children who don't have heart murmurs. And what healthy kid ever gets an EKG or an echocardiogram?

Hope this helps.

chowmein said:

i need someone to pull a House (if you dont get the reference, its a medical show )

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Actually no, "House" is not a medical show. It is a soap opera that pretends to be medical in setting. As far as the medicine goes, I'd never want to be in that hospital. The medical science of it is abyssmal. The diagnoses might as well be pulled out of the main character's butt. I can't watch it, it is so bad, and yes I do have a MD. I've been retired/disabled for the last 3 years so I might be unfamiliar with some of the newer drugs and I'm not up to getting online everyday. However, as the others have said, we'd need more information of the ultimate goal to help guide you to an illness. OTOH even today with the medicines we have it would not be a stretch for a 10 year old to catch a fatal form of meningitis. Across the world influenza is still a major killer because of lack of proper sanitation, clean water or IV fluids.

If you want it to be genetic but have the kid healthy until near the end when they develope a nasty sarcoma, (often mistakenly called cancer, but is worse than most cancers) then Neurofibromatosis might be something for you to look at.

Just wanted to clarify that Thalessemia MAJOR is fatal- there are many different 'flavors' of this gentetic disorder. I have Thal- minor, I'm 47 and still kicking.

There are many medical-trained folks at AW. We can help you but we can't do your work for you. My advice is to do some research, write your story, and then post what you've got and ask if it is plausible. You could then tweak or rewrite as needed.

You asked for a doctor?? Granted, I'm family medicine, not peds, but I take care of kids.

One of the major causes for kids to die at age ten is SAPs (sorry ass parents) -- trauma, neglect, abuse, etc. But that's just my disenchantment talking. Some of the other things mentioned above would be suitable. Don't forget Leukemia (ALL, specifically).

DisenchantedDoc said:

SAPs (sorry ass parents) -- trauma, neglect, abuse, etc..

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That is certainly true, and is the reason I decided against going into peds. I couldn't stand the parents. Urology was fun, the best mix of everything, some big surgeries, some little ones, some medical management, some endocrinology, infectious disease. It wasn't rote.

GeorgeK said:

Urology was fun, the best mix of everything, some big surgeries, some little ones, some medical management, some endocrinology, infectious disease. It wasn't rote.

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I agree -- I wanted to be a "dick doc" (as urologists were referred to by my med school), but then I scrubbed in on a case of SCC of the penis. The smell alone killed any desire to go into that field.

But as for SAPs, I still see them. I have CPS on speed dial for a reason, sad as it sounds

the reason I decided against going into peds. I couldn't stand the parents.

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NOW everybody tells me.

chugs Maalox, twitches

DisenchantedDoc said:

I agree -- I wanted to be a "dick doc" (as urologists were referred to by my med school), but then I scrubbed in on a case of SCC of the penis. The smell alone killed any desire to go into that field.

But as for SAPs, I still see them. I have CPS on speed dial for a reason, sad as it sounds

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It's a common misconception that Urologists are "dick doc's" as you put it, but yes, Ca of the Penis is rather stinkier than most tumors. That's when you annoint your surgical mask ahead of time with oil of peppermint. The vapors of the oil tend to overpower the smell receptors. You can still smell the abcesses, but it's not as bad.

Half of my practice were female patients. Recurrent UTI's, stones and a really surprising number of neurogenic bladders. One of the FP's asked me once how I was able to find all these hidden diabetics. "Urodynamics," I said.

TerzaRima said:

NOW everybody tells me.

chugs Maalox, twitches

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My condolences, but look on the bright side. You don't have to do prostate exams.

ColoradoGuy said:

There are many medical-trained folks at AW. We can help you but we can't do your work for you. My advice is to do some research, write your story, and then post what you've got and ask if it is plausible. You could then tweak or rewrite as needed.

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What he said.