Re: OT: Death Certificates ... cause of death for Bill.

[Guest guest]

Hi again Caro,

This mail of yours arrived while I was typing a reply to your other

post, about just this. I have tried to explain this to my best

ability, and really think I am giving you the correct answer on it. I

hope it will clarify this question for you. Maybe you already got it,

sent it a couple of minutes ago.

Good luck to you in working out these things...

Aase Marit

>Hi all,

>

>I finally got Bill's death certificate from the funeral home. When I had the

>courage to look at the Certificate of Death it says he died of " natural

>causes. " Is this correct??? I will ask my doctors later this week, but that is

>weird???

>

>The certificate looks like some fancy computer printing. It has a raised Seal

>of NJ of course. But now, I got to prove he died of lung cancer? If not the

>cancer it certainly was that or the combined metastases to the brain

>and liver.

>

>Please, if anyone know of how these certificates are supposed to be written

>up let me know. I do know that the old type certificate and that of my mother

>for example clearly state the causes of death and a secondary cause of death.

>She died of an MI due to arteriosclerosis. Next they listed Hypertension.

>

>Saying < >: Natural Causes sounds DUMB!!!!!! Or am I over

>reacting her.

>

>Finally, the reason this is coming up is the VA emailed saying that all

>veterans who was in Vietnam qualify for Agent Orange pension if the death

>certificate says LUNG CANCER. Grrrrrrr. Life is hard.

>

>Caro

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi again Caro,

Just one little addition... Remember that a document like a

certificate of death, is an objective, medical and legal document

more than anything else. It does not, and should not, express any

feelings at all. When we have lost somebody we love, there's a lot of

feelings and grief involved. So when you ask if you are overreacting,

my honest answer must be Yes _AND_ NO! Because it is only natural

that you think it is really stupid and unfair that they call Bills

cause of death " Natural " . There's not much natural about dying of a

horrible disease, is what we all would think. But then what is

" Unnatural " . We all die of something, and in most cases there are

some disease involved when a person passes away, so in that sense,

from a medical point of view, you can say that it is " only natural " .

But it still hurts awfully and feels nothing but natural. I guess it

then can be said that the death certificate is completely correct

(and then you can say you are over-reacting) but at the same time it

is unfair and feels awful to call it " natural " (and then you are not

over-reacting at all)... But what can be said, is that if they

instead had clearly stated the cause of death as " Lung Cancer " , they

would have provided a Death Certificate which would be of much

" higher quality " and much more _precise_ and descriptive. But again,

I am sure you could supplement it with other documentation to

describe what lies behind the term " Natural causes " .

I hope this sheds some light on how these " medical people " are

thinking when they make these...

Take care!

Aase Marit

[Guest guest]

Caro,

I too find this VERY weird. I lost my Muym to cancer in 2002

(remebering I live in Australia) and her cause of death says:

* Gastrointestinal hemorrhage - 3 days

* Bone marrow failure - including thrombolytopemia - weeks

* High grade large cell lymphoma - months

sating that she had lymphatic cancer and it inflitrated her bone

marrow and she died of gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

If I was you I would query this with first Bill's primary doctor (his

onocologist etc) then with the certifying medical practioner listed

on the certificate and have Bill's doctors diganosis with you and let

them know you can supply his medical records if needed to prove that

his death was NOT natural causes, as was in fact cancer + what ever

the actual cause of death was such as heart attack or hemorrhage or

stroke or such.

Good Luck on getting this sorted out as it is VERY odd indead.

Sharon

> Hi all,

>

> I finally got Bill's death certificate from the funeral home. When

I had the

> courage to look at the Certificate of Death it says he died

of " natural

> causes. " Is this correct??? I will ask my doctors later this week,

but that is

> weird???

>

> The certificate looks like some fancy computer printing. It has a

raised Seal

> of NJ of course. But now, I got to prove he died of lung cancer? If

not the

> cancer it certainly was that or the combined metastases to the

brain and liver.

>

> Please, if anyone know of how these certificates are supposed to be

written

> up let me know. I do know that the old type certificate and that of

my mother

> for example clearly state the causes of death and a secondary cause

of death.

> She died of an MI due to arteriosclerosis. Next they listed

Hypertension.

>

> Saying < >: Natural Causes sounds DUMB!!!!!! Or am

I over

> reacting her.

>

> Finally, the reason this is coming up is the VA emailed saying that

all

> veterans who was in Vietnam qualify for Agent Orange pension if the

death

> certificate says LUNG CANCER. Grrrrrrr. Life is hard.

>

> Caro

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Caro,

I too find this VERY weird. I lost my Muym to cancer in 2002

(remebering I live in Australia) and her cause of death says:

* Gastrointestinal hemorrhage - 3 days

* Bone marrow failure - including thrombolytopemia - weeks

* High grade large cell lymphoma - months

sating that she had lymphatic cancer and it inflitrated her bone

marrow and she died of gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

If I was you I would query this with first Bill's primary doctor (his

onocologist etc) then with the certifying medical practioner listed

on the certificate and have Bill's doctors diganosis with you and let

them know you can supply his medical records if needed to prove that

his death was NOT natural causes, as was in fact cancer + what ever

the actual cause of death was such as heart attack or hemorrhage or

stroke or such.

Good Luck on getting this sorted out as it is VERY odd indead.

Sharon

> Hi all,

>

> I finally got Bill's death certificate from the funeral home. When

I had the

> courage to look at the Certificate of Death it says he died

of " natural

> causes. " Is this correct??? I will ask my doctors later this week,

but that is

> weird???

>

> The certificate looks like some fancy computer printing. It has a

raised Seal

> of NJ of course. But now, I got to prove he died of lung cancer? If

not the

> cancer it certainly was that or the combined metastases to the

brain and liver.

>

> Please, if anyone know of how these certificates are supposed to be

written

> up let me know. I do know that the old type certificate and that of

my mother

> for example clearly state the causes of death and a secondary cause

of death.

> She died of an MI due to arteriosclerosis. Next they listed

Hypertension.

>

> Saying < >: Natural Causes sounds DUMB!!!!!! Or am

I over

> reacting her.

>

> Finally, the reason this is coming up is the VA emailed saying that

all

> veterans who was in Vietnam qualify for Agent Orange pension if the

death

> certificate says LUNG CANCER. Grrrrrrr. Life is hard.

>

> Caro

>

>

>