The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017) • Hacker News Board

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#61

Post by scawf » Mon, May 11, 2020, 2:59 PM UTC

scottLobster wrote: post #40

grecy wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It would be a non-functional state of life, sacrificing all long term objectives. If your long-term objectives mean sacrificing (or delaying) happiness in the now, then I think you're doing the wrong thing. It's all well and good to have long-term objectives, and we all hope we beat our life expectancy numbers, but you have to make every effort to be happy now , and not wait for some distant and uncertain future th…

Sacrificing present happiness for the future is the definition of a long term goal. Today I sacrificed alcohol I would have enjoyed so as to continue losing weight. If I thought I wouldn't be alive months from now to experience the benefits from said weight loss, why do it? Ironically that attitude would actually increase the odds of early-onset nastiness. Why put money into my 401k that I can't touch without penalty…

> Sacrificing present happiness for the future is the definition of a long term goal.

> Today I sacrificed alcohol I would have enjoyed

It does not mean you have sacrificed happiness. You can (I hope) be happy without drinking.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#62

Post by disabled » Mon, May 11, 2020, 3:22 PM UTC

_bxg1 wrote: post #59

nicetryguy wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article was brutal. I think Wired should have put a warning at the beginning of the article, instead of the very end, but; do you really think censoring yourself from all harsh reality and expecting "disney" endings for everything is wise? Should every article contain a hopeful message with mandatory rose colored glasses? Should survivorship bias echoing be enforced? Zealous positivity can prevent you from somber…

You're making a lot of incorrect assumptions about my worldview, and I don't appreciate it. No matter how grounded one's perspective is, each person has a finite amount of emotional energy to spend at a given time. This is a universal truth. Articles like this one can trash one's energy reserves - causing distress - without introducing any meaningful new information or perspective whatsoever. It's simply a bad cost/b…

Yeah, there absolutely should be a content warning on this article. It is the right thing to do. However, social media plays similar, more damaging and more insidious psychological tricks. Big data makes it more personalized and damaging. I think many have become desensitized to the harms micro targeting on our hopes and fears has done, via social media in particular. Hence, the lack of concern and sensitivity for the need of a content warning.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#63

Post by MiroF » Mon, May 11, 2020, 3:23 PM UTC

DoreenMichele wrote: post #58

My doctor ... wondered aloud if this was all in my head. Just as a PSA: This is all too common with obscure conditions. Before I finally got a proper diagsnosis, I spent months on antibiotics with doctors unsure what to do and when I expressed my concern with them having no answers and being unable to fix me that this could kill me, I was asked if I wanted to speak with a psychiatrist. I wish medical doctors would be…

On the other hand, there are people for whom it is in their head, but cost considerable (and scarce) medical resources having it investigated and treated. It's a balancing act.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#64

Post by disabled » Mon, May 11, 2020, 3:31 PM UTC

MiroF wrote: post #60

DoreenMichele wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like the title of this one sufficiently conveys the kind of content you can expect. If you know this is a problem for you, you aren't required to read it. There will not be a test. The mods will not email you and inquire as to why you failed to comment on this particular article. When I first joined, I was extremely ill and I turned off Show Dead because it just upset the hell out of me to see dead comments an…

The title implies that we're reading someone writing on their struggle with death, not the last published words of a dying man, insisting that he will fight a disease and try to beat the odds, punctuated by the editors note that he died days writing after the article. I'm sorry but I think that is deserving of a more explicit content warning, and I don't see what that would cost you or others.

Agreed. This should have a content warning.

But the micro targeting facilitated via big data on social media, which plays in to our hopes and fears, desensitizes us.

I have 2 rare diseases myself, so I am pretty numb to articles like these, which is terrible, in and of itself.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#65

Post by DoreenMichele » Mon, May 11, 2020, 6:12 PM UTC

MiroF wrote: post #60

DoreenMichele wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like the title of this one sufficiently conveys the kind of content you can expect. If you know this is a problem for you, you aren't required to read it. There will not be a test. The mods will not email you and inquire as to why you failed to comment on this particular article. When I first joined, I was extremely ill and I turned off Show Dead because it just upset the hell out of me to see dead comments an…

The title implies that we're reading someone writing on their struggle with death, not the last published words of a dying man, insisting that he will fight a disease and try to beat the odds, punctuated by the editors note that he died days writing after the article. I'm sorry but I think that is deserving of a more explicit content warning, and I don't see what that would cost you or others.

My closing paragraph:

I'm prone to nitpicking titles and I don't have any problem with people nitpicking titles because they feel the title didn't adequately signal that is wasn't really the kind of content they come here for. But I think it's overkill to ask people to not submit this kind of content.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#66

Post by DoreenMichele » Mon, May 11, 2020, 6:20 PM UTC

MiroF wrote: post #63

DoreenMichele wrote: post #58

My doctor ... wondered aloud if this was all in my head. Just as a PSA: This is all too common with obscure conditions. Before I finally got a proper diagsnosis, I spent months on antibiotics with doctors unsure what to do and when I expressed my concern with them having no answers and being unable to fix me that this could kill me, I was asked if I wanted to speak with a psychiatrist. I wish medical doctors would be…

On the other hand, there are people for whom it is in their head, but cost considerable (and scarce) medical resources having it investigated and treated. It's a balancing act.

There is a difference between concluding that someone may need to see a mental health professional to check out that angle and acting like someone is a nutter for being concerned that the failure of doctors to pinpoint the problem might actually prove deadly. One is about getting actual answers. The other is about blowing off the patient, being dismissive and belittling legitimate concerns and it routinely proves deadly.

In my experience and from everything I have read, the latter is far too common. It is much more common than the former.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#67

Post by donclark » Mon, May 11, 2020, 6:24 PM UTC

ravenstine wrote: post #18

> My doctor said I was fit and healthy and that there was no need to run any blood tests. He wondered aloud if this was all in my head. I'm seeing a different doctor.

Is everyone going to think this - or should the next step in this situation be that every Doctor should recommend that you get a second or third opinion? Without processes in place, we will continue to make the same errors.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#68

Post by BtdTom » Mon, May 11, 2020, 8:03 PM UTC

The length of one's life is uncertain.

Death is certain.

The Buddha recommended that both lay and monastic followers perform the following recollections on a daily basis:

1. I am sure to become old; I cannot avoid ageing.

2. I am sure to become ill; I cannot avoid illness.

3. I am sure to die; I cannot avoid death.

4. I must be separated and parted from all that is dear and beloved to me.

5. I am the owner of my actions, heir of my actions. Whatever actions I do, good or bad, of these I shall become the heir.

The first four recollections require no faith and can be perceived in the here and now.

I find that regularly contemplating the above recollections are helpful in reminding me of my own mortality.

They also prompt me to question my direction in life and what I'm working on. It's often easier to make frequent but smaller course corrections than really big changes.

With all that said, I still find myself falling into the illusion that I can control what happens in my life and that I'm building something permanent. We can certainly influence aspects of our lives, but at the end of the day it's all impermanent, beyond our absolute control, and will pass away.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#69

Post by Havoc » Mon, May 11, 2020, 8:14 PM UTC

Much like others I found the no blood test thing wild.

Personally I've just resorted to doing annual blood test in a 3rd world country. There the doctors will run whatever you like basically - it's paid at commercial (3rd world) rates so they don't give AF.

Ironically in a "european" healthcare system the doctors are much more reluctant given that they need to fairly allocate public funds.

Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)

#70

Post by MiroF » Mon, May 11, 2020, 8:21 PM UTC

DoreenMichele wrote: post #66

MiroF wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, there are people for whom it is in their head, but cost considerable (and scarce) medical resources having it investigated and treated. It's a balancing act.

There is a difference between concluding that someone may need to see a mental health professional to check out that angle and acting like someone is a nutter for being concerned that the failure of doctors to pinpoint the problem might actually prove deadly. One is about getting actual answers. The other is about blowing off the patient, being dismissive and belittling legitimate concerns and it routinely proves dea…

Doctors being wrong is more common than hypochondriacs and overuse of the medical system?

I guess we'll just agree to disagree.