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Susan Wojcicki has died

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Re: Susan Wojcicki has died

#92
post #86
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s BS. Yes, both rich and poor die of cancer. But being rich or even just comfortable gives you a completely different experience during the end of life. You can afford to quit your job and be with your friends and family. You can afford to see that best doctors that will ensure you have as comfortable as possible end of life. Your kids can afford to take a sabbatical to come spend time with you. You can be sure…

If you're poor you won't even officially have cancer, because no one will diagnose you, since then you'd be entitled to services. Someone who's actually been poor would understand this.

Lots (if not all?) of hospitals offer free care options for patients in poverty. I grew up poor and had a family member who was able to be diagnosed, for free, a university clinic that offered free care, and then was able to receive free care through a program offered at one of top 5 ranked cancer systems in the US. Although the premium quality wasn't even that big of a deal. The overwhelming majority of care can be provided pretty much anywhere. It's not like a premium hospital offers super chemo or super radiation. The treatment is what it is, and all the money in the world isn't going to significantly change your odds of survival relative to basic treatment provided at any clinic anywhere.

The US healthcare system is broken beyond belief, and I do think there is some degree of managerial sociopathy around profit (particularly in the pharmaceutical and insurance wings), but by and large there still remain options for people even if they may be arduous, and I do think that hospitals and doctors are still significantly motivated just to provide good care.

Re: Susan Wojcicki has died

#93
post #64
post #49

I'm not a Googler, but would still ask commenters to show some respect for the person who died, and save your opinions about youtube for another day.

In particular, Susan was a lovely soul and specifically deserves all of our respect. If you want to hate, then hate the game, not the player (especially in this case).

This saying never made sense to me as a game is only a game if there are players.

Re: Susan Wojcicki has died

#94
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you live long enough you will most likely die from either heart disease, #2 killer, or cancer, the #1 killer. Accidental self inflicted injury is #3. We're not doing anything wrong. Quite the opposite. Since not even having a billion will allow you to cheat death, perhaps we shouldn't allow billionaires to cheat everyone else in life.

Certain other countries in that chart have longer average lifespans than the US, eg. Canada, Germany, Australia etc.

And fewer billionaires too, I bet.

Re: Susan Wojcicki has died

#96
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're poor you won't even officially have cancer, because no one will diagnose you, since then you'd be entitled to services. Someone who's actually been poor would understand this.

Lots (if not all?) of hospitals offer free care options for patients in poverty. I grew up poor and had a family member who was able to be diagnosed, for free, a university clinic that offered free care, and then was able to receive free care through a program offered at one of top 5 ranked cancer systems in the US. Although the premium quality wasn't even that big of a deal. The overwhelming majority of care can be…

The problem is that, for patients in poverty, the chance that cancer will be detected early enough for treatment is much, much lower. Cancer is often detected during check-ups for vague symptoms that most people can't afford to go visit a doctor for. By the time the symptoms become alarming or even debilitating it is often already too late.

Re: Susan Wojcicki has died

#97
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you live long enough you will most likely die from either heart disease, #2 killer, or cancer, the #1 killer. Accidental self inflicted injury is #3. We're not doing anything wrong. Quite the opposite. Since not even having a billion will allow you to cheat death, perhaps we shouldn't allow billionaires to cheat everyone else in life.

Certain other countries in that chart have longer average lifespans than the US, eg. Canada, Germany, Australia etc.

Health outcomes in the US are bimodal -- the wealthy have the best health care in the world, and the longest lifespans. The poor basically have the equivalent of 3rd world care.

That makes the average come out to less than other countries with universal healthcare.

But it also explains why wealthy people are against universal care in the US -- because they believe their level of care will go down so that everyone else's can go up.

Re: Susan Wojcicki has died

#98
post #85
post #45

Next time you're thinking "I wish I was the one who had made a billion dollars with my startup idea", remember that only health and family matter, and to have fun while you're alive. RIP. Edit: some people misinterpreted my comment. I'm just one anonymous voice on the Internet, but am deeply saddened by the passing of Susan Wojcicki, who meant a lot to me as one of the many people who crossed paths with her professio…

That’s BS. Yes, both rich and poor die of cancer. But being rich or even just comfortable gives you a completely different experience during the end of life. You can afford to quit your job and be with your friends and family. You can afford to see that best doctors that will ensure you have as comfortable as possible end of life. Your kids can afford to take a sabbatical to come spend time with you. You can be sure…

Two things can be true.

Money does buy comfort and care. Also, it does not make one immortal.

We can choose what we take away from events. I could choose to feel unlucky that I haven't made as much money as someone else, and I would be justified in it, because being rich absolutely makes a difference. I just choose to feel lucky to be alive instead, and I'm just as justified. You are free to choose your own perspective.

Re: Susan Wojcicki has died

#100

Her son just died of a fentanyl overdose just a few months ago too? Not even a billion $ will protect you from America's problems with cancer and fentanyl. We need to fix this. I mean, just look at this chart: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/cancer-incidence?tab=char... Is it pesticides like this recent HN thread alludes to? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41182121 Idk. But the US is uniquely doing something…

It is a strange chart. It for example shows that Belarus has pretty much the same rate all those 30 years. Cancer takes bunch of years to develop, and Belarus has had significant cancer numbers increase starting 10-20 years after Chernobyl. You can look up the articles on doubling rate of say breast cancer there which even without Chernobyl like events presents like 20% chances - now calculate what doubling of those chances means.

When it comes to US that chart looks a lot like the obesity rate chart, and obesity is a partial gateway to cancer, though they may just correlate too stemming from the same reason.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States#/...

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