My mom passed away in October 2003. Over the years in dealing with losing one of my best friends, I came to the realization that her death was solely a timing issue. It was her time to go, so to speak.
After her death, my dad has fought endlessly claiming her death was part of a wrongful action. As he talked with lawyer after lawyer, I have to admit I just humored his tales. I felt like he had difficulties accepting her death and was looking to blame someone.
My mom had died of a heart attack while in the hospital. She died the morning she was expected to go home from the hospital. She had taken Vioxx the night before her death.
My dad always felt like she was killed often referring to the pharmaceutical companies as money hungry. I often felt torn because medicines save people's lives every day.
Over the years, news stories of people dying from vioxx continued to mount. Lawyers have commercials on every station. My dad visited with several lawyers.
My mom's issue was not cut so dry for the lawyers who read her medical records. The doctor who performed her autopsy noted that she died of cardiovascular disease instead of a heart attack. To the lawyers, they saw her heart as unhealthy and the reason for her death, not the medicine she took.
After five years of my dad never giving up, the truth was discovered by a lawyer several states away. A lawyer who never gave up alongside my dad, willing to put up with my dad's drive to see justice.
My mom's doctor who also came to her funeral to show his support, sat down and wrote a letter. All it took was this doctor to take ten minutes and share what happened for my dad to get the justice he needed and the end to my mom's life story.
The letter the doctor wrote told how he had given my mom samples of Vioxx and how the person who wrote her death certificate was "no longer practicing medicine in the United States."
Merck settled. My dad has not received any compensation yet for what happened. However, by the end of the year, he may finally have the money to purchase her a headstone that she so deserves as well pay off the rest of her expenses.
I have to admit I have been thrown for a loop with this news. I had come to terms with my mom's death. Now I find myself angry because she was taken so soon. She has missed two more grandkids being born and the first three growing so fast.
I have missed out on her advice over the last five years. I have missed out on her comfort, love, compassion, etc. I feel like I had something stolen from me.
Since the news I have done some research on the whole Vioxx/Merck fiasco and I have to admit there is plenty of blame to go around. Both Merck and the FDA knew of the heart attack and stroke side effects, yet neither of them did anything about it.
In fact the FDA knew of a study linking Vioxx to 27,000 cardiac deaths due to heart attacks between 1999 and 2003, but did everything to keep the findings from being released including threats.
Merck knew of the complications of the drug Vioxx in March of 2000. The drug was not withdrawn from the market until Sept. 2004, almost a year after my mom's death.
I can not fathom how many individuals lost loved ones or were effected by this drug. I am finding myself more like my dad in that Merck needs to be held accountable for their actions and the misleading of those who needed help.
As the book finally gets to close on my mom's life, her life will live on through her kids and grandkids. Lives can be taken, but memories can live on forever.
For an interesting look on the timing of the Vioxx fiasco, here is a USA Today article on the issue at http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-10-12-vioxx-cover_x.htm
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