Need an illness

Consumption of the Lungs aka Tuberculosis

What era? What year did the mother die?

Cancer might be a possibility.

Cancer is always good for long drawn out illness. Diabetes untreated would produce some gruesome results, you have to see if you want mental deterioration too, physical incapacity, some sort of wasting disease, etc.

You could always go on one of the health sites and imput your symptoms and see what they come up with.

It is a lot harder when you don't know why you are dying.

There must be a historical chart somewhere--cause of death by decade. Consumption is always a good one, if somewhat cliche. I love the delicate pressing of cloth napkins to the lips. The bright spots of blood.

ALS is a truly tragic disease.

I second ALS. It's genetic, and thus unpreventable and truly horrendous. If you want to add the element of a preventable death, then HIV is good.

Varthikes said:

About 150 years from now.

I suppose I could also just make up a disease. But, I like to use real things even in the future.

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The most believable disease in 150 years will be one that you made up.

How about diabetes, or a similar lifestyle disease?

Diabetes is pretty well controlled now with insulin. 10 years from now it may well be curable with stem cell technolgy. 150 years from now it will not be a problem assuming you can afford access to healthcare

Pick something that isn't so common or popular for fund raisers now. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes are all getting a lot of research dollars and hopefully will be things of the past 150 years from now. Try things that aren't so well endowed - Hemachromatosis (which is genetic), auto-immune deficiencies (where the body destroys it's own defenses), (trying to think of the name of the next one and coming up blank) the disease where the secretions in the throat become thick and children have to be turned upside down and thumped to help loosen the stuff. Or ... try a disease that's pretty well wiped out now and let it re-appear in a mutated form that's resistant to antibiotics. For example, there are a lot of staph infections surfacing now that are resistant to antibiotics because antibiotics have been over used. Puma

Varthikes said:

In one of the stories I'm working on, one of the characters recalls back on a time that begins shortly after her mother dies. So far, I have down that her mother died of a deteriorating illness, but I'm trying to think which illness.

Any ideas?

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Tautologyitis?

Especially dangerous to writer-types.

Varthikes said:

About 150 years from now.

I suppose I could also just make up a disease. But, I like to use real things even in the future.

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Make up something. How about the Evonian Plague? I'd hate to get that. The oozing pores are a really gross symptom too.

If you want ideas for diseases, go to the National Organization for Rare Disorders http://www.rarediseases.org/ and search around for some descriptions. Some of these disorders are quite bizarre and destructive.

Something related to pollution, perhaps?

Perhaps I'll do that, or use HIV.

Her mother's death from the disease is partly what drives the character to the decision to go into the medical field.

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I'd believe a disease that stems from something existing. For example, there's a mutated gene form (CCR5, delta 32) that not only made individuals immune to the bubonic plague in 1665, but that same gene today prevents HIV from entering the body. So, though nothing's proven, there's a possible genetic link between the two viruses.

So, I'd go for a mutated strain of a pre-existing illness.

Except that bubonic plague is caused by a bacterium. not a virus. Where did you get the info about the mutated gene? If it's related to T cell structure, it could conceivably protect against both.

Yep, you're right, bacteria and not a virus. Anyway, I heard of the connection for the first time in an anthropology course, then again some time later in a PBS special. I believe geneticists first discovered the similarities between the two diseases when trying to figure out why some people seemed immune to the plague.

Oh, here.

Cool link. I always knew there was something I liked about the plague.

Varthikes said:

In one of the stories I'm working on, one of the characters recalls back on a time that begins shortly after her mother dies. So far, I have down that her mother died of a deteriorating illness, but I'm trying to think which illness.

Any ideas?

Click to expand...

I don't know if this will help you out or not, Varthikes, but the first disease that comes to my mind is Parkinson's Disease. My grandfather died of Parkinson's, and it was pure torture for him and those closest to him. When he did pass on he was a shell of the man he had previously been. I cannot truly describe just how bad that disease was for Grandpa, but I do understand he had a severe case of it, and he was in his 70's when he got it.