Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

twitter.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 310 posts

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#181

Post by Retric »

anon291 wrote: post #177
Retric wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don’t forget people also died much earlier for thousands of years. There is a great deal wrong with very high fat diets, the issue is there’s also a lot wrong with very high carb diets.

No they didn't. Death rates from now treatable diseases were higher in the past. But if you managed to escape those and not die in a tragic physical accident, you lived basically as long as anyone else.

Go back 1,000+ years and people did occasionally live to be say 70, the difference was they where also less likely to live to be 71. And at 71 they where less likely to live to be 72 etc.

Given a large enough population you would still see very very rare cases of extreme age but you are something like 1,000 times more likely to live to 115 today than you where back in 1,000 AD. Combined with a smaller population and it’s likely nobody live to 115 until quite recently.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#182

Post by speakfreely »

jacquesm wrote: post #125
burritas wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd rather not go into personal detail but I share a similar experience. The thing that really drove it home for me was when I got back home and was telling my own doctor about my experience dealing with family in the medical system and she said I was mistaken or there was a misunderstanding because that kind of thing doesn't happen. I asked why she was siding with a doctor she'd never met before instead of listening…

The one thing that every doctor should have happen to them is to go through the medical system as well for something non-trivial. That usually gives them a lot more perspective on the reality of being on the receiving side.

I don't think they can have the same experience as they are "insiders" to the system. Doctors and their families don't wait for appointments for months, aren't the last ones checked by the nurses in the hospitals, and get a variety of preferential treatment that makes their experience completely removed from the reality that the average person experiences.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#183

Post by JamesSwift »

jacquesm wrote: post #172
JamesSwift wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. The randomness. And the helplessness of others (speaking as the relative of the cancer patient). Its just a terrible feeling all around.

Yes, the helplessness is terrible. It's one of the things I've really had to face up close recently and there is no really good way to deal with it.

If it helps you feel better, I have no idea either : )

Cancer sucks.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#184

Post by orangepurple »

zikduruqe wrote: post #160
orangepurple wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How else would health insurance executives, hospital executives, and doctors afford their third million dollar home? The system is working just fine for them.

Except for me; they didn't get any yacht payments from me. When we had a medical disaster, I filed for bankruptcy once the bills came in, and this is with good insurance. It really didn't affect my credit score, and we bought a house and car 18 months afterwards. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, through no fault of their own. I mean, rich fat cats get debt forgiveness when things don't work out for them.

I'm guessing your assets were wiped out but you were able to qualify for house and car later due to cash flow. Anything I'm missing? Thanks for sharing btw

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#185

Post by lofatdairy »

orangepurple wrote: post #139
enraged_camel wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The American medical system is an absolute travesty. To be fair to you though, this only really becomes obvious when one experiences functioning medical systems in other countries.

How else would health insurance executives, hospital executives, and doctors afford their third million dollar home? The system is working just fine for them.

Health insurance -> definitely a racket

Hospital execs -> a racket, but hospitals are being bought up by PE firms rn so I'd say you probably want to include portfolio managers

Doctors -> in general probably not. I've met some physicians that have made me feel sour about them in general, but even with FFS they're not benefiting nearly as much as hospital suppliers and insurance companies. Specialists definitely receive a boost, but this is like saying L7+ at FAANG is representative of SWEs as a whole. Factor in med school, residencies, and fellowships required to enter specialties, and there are also a lot of earning years lost. We should really be encouraging more students to go into medicine in spite of this, which would improve care by reducing the number of pts each physician needs to serve[^1].

[^1]: Additional context. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/why-does-t...

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#186

Post by umvi »

Sirened wrote: post #171
umvi wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> To end on a positive note As a religious person this is actually like the most negative note imaginable for me. I mean, sure, I'll grant you life after death is "terrifying" in a "fear of the unknown" sense, but I would definitely prefer seeing deceased loved ones again and continuing to learn and progress after death vs. ceasing to exist.

I don't know, I've heard so many stories of people that, after 90+ years, are just bored of life. It's unimaginable to me now but I've only been an adult for a small fraction of the time they've been and so maybe you can really just run out of things to do.

> I don't know, I've heard so many stories of people that, after 90+ years, are just bored of life.

Would they still feel that way if they had youthful energy and a more elastic mind, I wonder? Hard to tell. I myself hope I'm more like Donald Knuth in my old age - still curious and learning and progressing.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#187

Post by david-gpu »

speakfreely wrote: post #182
jacquesm wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The one thing that every doctor should have happen to them is to go through the medical system as well for something non-trivial. That usually gives them a lot more perspective on the reality of being on the receiving side.

I don't think they can have the same experience as they are "insiders" to the system. Doctors and their families don't wait for appointments for months, aren't the last ones checked by the nurses in the hospitals, and get a variety of preferential treatment that makes their experience completely removed from the reality that the average person experiences.

My father was a doctor. You are correct: as patients they get preferential treatment. As often do their immediate family members. It's something I'm ashamed about when I look back at my own childhood.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#188

Post by mythhouse »

bane wrote: post #104

Almost exactly 18 months ago, my then 87 year old father, after feeling unwell and having some fluid problems with his lungs was diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer. He turned down treatment and died at home a couple days before Christmas last year. I've come away from the experience very unhappy with the medical system. There's a long list, things that in any other industry would be prosecuted. The medical and hospic…

> Fuck cancer, but also fuck the American medical system, and anybody who's gotten in the way of making it more sane and compassionate.

We are about enter this system for my dad for end stage Prostate cancer. Wondering whats in store for us :|, curious to hear any specific we should watch out for.

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#189

Post by mythhouse »

ethics13 wrote: post #165
terran57 wrote: post #110

Two very personal experiences to relate. --- My father died 7 weeks after he was diagnosed with liver cancer - 11 days past his 62nd birthday. Prior to the diagnosis, he was going to take early retirement at 62 and travel with my mother. He had lots of other plans for post-retirement that he never got to realize. --- A close friend of mine died of heart cancer (well, technically, he died from complications of having…

Did your dad drink? I ask because my dad died of the same (although they never did find the origin other than liver) and he was not a drinker.

I think > 30% of fatty liver disease comes from insulin resistance

Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left

#190

Post by Retric »

rightbyte wrote: post #145
CalChris wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I won't agree about the American medical system but I'd say that our hospice system is pretty much Soylent Green .

I get it is bad but isn't Soylent Green where they turn old non-sick people into food with a nature documentary in color as payment?

I think it was meant differently, the dying are food for the hospice industry.

This sets it in conflict with other approaches like dying at home or euthanasia.

Post reply on HN