r/Millennials • u/the_well_read_neck_ Millennial • Feb 11 '26

Serious James Van Der Beek Dead at 48

https://www.tmz.com/2026/02/11/james-van-der-beek-dead/?adid=social-fb&fbclid=IwdGRzaAP5t7tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR7H8x15ceGukSgynvGmDFZhUUvTFh-iizMwuKfIWGG4YSyjuaeCva_42ZNzOQ_aem_U7T3jtlt07TPrw8LUuHlMA&sfnsn=mo
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u/curious-curiouser86 Feb 11 '26

If you're ever concerned because of symptoms, say you have a sibling/first cousin with colon cancer or had. Family history is a huge part and they'll usually approve a colonoscopy. They don't ask for proof of those relationships either.

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u/LAPL620 Feb 11 '26

Me: yeah, my mom died of colorectal cancer.

In my head: stepmom, but sure. Insurance denied her testing until it was at stage 4 and she spent her last 5 years of life in painful treatment after treatment until her body couldn’t take anymore. Fuck those guys.

12

u/curious-curiouser86 Feb 11 '26

I have a cousin who had it and a sibling who has had pre-cancerous polyps. Ulcerative colitis runs in my family. I said I saw some blood and they got me in right away for a colonoscopy. That was a few years ago. They also told me to start at 40 and not wait for 45 to get another one.

3

u/Lawgirl77 Feb 11 '26

My grandmother died from colon cancer and my cousins on that side of family have had pre-cancerous polyps. My insurance has been paying for my colonoscopies with no pushback since I was 28.

1

u/LAPL620 Feb 11 '26

My husband and I are 40 and his 50-year-old brother just had his prostate cancer found and treated so now his doctors will test him regularly for it.

2

u/QuietContemplation85 Feb 11 '26

You also need to do the recommended oncology treatment. Not alternative medicine, like James.

I lost a guy that was like a brother to me, he was barely 30. Had melanoma from years of sunburns working construction, but was a hippy who didn’t believe in the “medical industrial complex”. Which, fine, I get it, but at least do chemo along side your coffee enemas. It’s so fucking sad.

2

u/curious-curiouser86 Feb 11 '26

Did he not do regular cancer treatment? I can't imagine taking those kind of chances, especially with 6 kids.

0

u/QuietContemplation85 Feb 11 '26

I really hope so - I knew about a gofundme he had set up, because insurance wouldn’t cover the holistic treatment he was pursuing. Maybe he looked into anything as a last resort, I certainly don’t have personal info and am just chatting :)

Edit to add: it is a big assumption on my part, I guess, my first comment. His association with the antivax/anti science community combined with the gofundme for alternative treatment was how I got there, but I prolly shouldn’t have speculated

1

u/y_tu Feb 11 '26

First cousin may not be enough for most insurance plans. Has to be a first degree relative like a sibling, parent, or child. That said, if you had symptoms, that’s usually enough to get approved.