[romeoblade]

I'm not yet 40 but I am a male single parent. With the closest family being 1300 miles away. Last year between March-May my health deteriorated so bad that I went from being fine to walking with a cane in less than 2 months. Once finally diagnosed, I went from diagnoses to major surgery in less than 12 days.

My daughter (just turned 16), picked up the slack as I become pretty much bed ridden.

I can attest that this had a very destermental effect on her health. Not only having to manage the house, school, etc but also without any support from anyone. At the same time watching me go from someone who use to be able to squat 500lbs to someone who couldn't be trusted to wash dishes without breaking a few because I had lost all feeling, balance, and depth perception.

Go one night, hearing your daughter sob in her room because she doesn't want you to see she's hurting and scared from what YOU are going through and then come back and comment because right now you are a very ignorant human to think it doesn't. Especially since see already lost one parent.

[swader999]

I think you identified something here. Kids are very capable, often more than us and if we let them, they can be just like adults. But we really do need them to just be kids and not carry all our burdens. I really hope you two get a break.

[1234letshaveatw]

I am sorry that you (and your daughter) went through that. Would socialized medicine in the US have prevented your health issue?

[shard]

That is a good question, although it is tangential as even with socialized medicine, these kind of issues happen. People get seriously ill and die every day, regardless of the amount of care they receive.

[jquery]

I think his point was that free health care would've prevented his daughter's health issues.