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From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

benjamincburns.com

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Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#141

Post by wspeirs »

Loughla wrote: post #114
wspeirs wrote: post #90

I am in no way trying to downplay the severity of this post, but I had a very different reaction when I read this. My reaction was, "Why did the head of the division tell the group about his condition in detail?" Maybe it is because I live in America, and maybe it is because I know someone who had cancer and was reprimanded by HR for discussing his cancer -- and survival from it -- on an internal work forum. My prefe…

If the employee discusses the illness on their own, there are no laws in the US to say they can't. Where you get sticky is if you discuss it without their consent. That's a big-time no-no. I think you are either mixed up in the details, or have an overly aggressive HR rep.

I know the guy personally. The company has Socialcast and someone posted a fundraiser for a charity that helps people who are fighting cancer. My friend posted saying basically, "I had cancer and this organization helped out my family... try and help if you can." Someone from HR removed the comment and told him he cannot talk about his medical details on the forum.

Agree though... one company, one comment, one HR dept; your milage will vary.

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#142

Post by maxerickson »

chimeracoder wrote: post #135
mahyarm wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The managerial ineptitude of limiting doctor supply so they are overworked is even more medical system idiocy.

Not a direct response to what you said, but since this is a common discussion on HN, I just want to get some facts straight pre-emptively: 1) The AMA has nothing to do with limiting the supply of doctors in the US 2) The AAMC (not the AMA) formerly limited the number of medical students per-year in the US, but they stopped this practice sometime around 2004 with the stated goal of increasing the number of medical sch…

Is there some reason that hospitals can't fund the programs themselves? Or do they just choose not to?

More usefully, what could be done to get hospitals to fund the programs? Some hospital systems have billions of net income, they can clearly afford to fund at least a few residencies.

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#143

Post by wspeirs »

navait wrote: post #92
wspeirs wrote: post #90

I am in no way trying to downplay the severity of this post, but I had a very different reaction when I read this. My reaction was, "Why did the head of the division tell the group about his condition in detail?" Maybe it is because I live in America, and maybe it is because I know someone who had cancer and was reprimanded by HR for discussing his cancer -- and survival from it -- on an internal work forum. My prefe…

In general it's ok to do so. I think you're confusing one ancedote for reality.

Certainly an anecdote, but also the reality at this company. I'm guessing they'd be burned in the past (see comments above) and this is why they acted the way they did.

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#144

Post by randallsquared »

bentcorner wrote: post #124
doktrin wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I only skimmed the piece, but it has a self-contained TL;DR at the bottom ("morals"). If I were to make my own abridged TL;DR, it would be "aging is a human tragedy that we can and should fix"

I worry that a victory over aging would be opening a pandora's box on humanity's progress on social change. It is my personal opinion that a person's opinions of social norms, cultures, and traditions are largely fixed throughout one's lifetimes, and it is death (and birth!) that allows a society to shift its morals.

Even if that were true, and progress on social matters slowed somewhat, might it not be worth it to save many tens of millions of lives every year?

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#145

Post by physcab »

edw519 wrote: post #41

I am so sorry to hear this and also so glad you posted it here, Ben. Thank you. We all get so busy in our daily details, it's nice to be reminded what's really important. Just some quick, well intentioned feedback from someone who has lost almost every important loved one... Please don't be angry. That may seem like a natural response, but it is wasted output, serving as input into no productive process. Life is not…

Its entirely ok to feel anger, just as it is entirely to feel happiness or sadness. There are no right or wrong emotions. The grieving process is a multi-stage process- denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance and you can go through any emotion at any period in time in whatever order it comes. The only real way to truly get over pain is to go through it- talk about it, feel it, and don't suppress it.

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#146

Post by clusterfoo »

Mc_Big_G wrote: post #101
madaxe_again wrote: post #50

I don't have a brain tumour, but I have had, and am still having, an experience which has made me think seriously about my mortality. I'm 31. About three years ago I started having three/four day long bouts of total delirium, roasting fever, extreme nausea, can't even keep sips of water down when it happens - by day three or four, I'm usually too weak to move, totally dehydrated. Two years on, my GP is still going "c…

The ineptitude of doctors never ceases to amaze me. One particularly idiotic fellow proudly announced to me and the entire office that he'd discovered I have diabetes. Even if that has been true, the manner in which he announced his pleasure at the epiphany made me want to punch him in the balls. hard. After a confused and sad ride home it only took a short talk with my extremely unqualified wife to convince me that…

Hey, look at the bright side, at least yours didn't turn out to be stage IIIc cancer, after three months and two doctors assuring me "You're young! It's probably nothing." Even with a family history and scans showing an enlarged lymph node.

This is the most common story you'll hear from a cancer patient.

The most upsetting part is how critical early diagnosis is: the difference between stage II and IIIc can be the difference between 80% vs 20% five-year survival.

Good doctors are few and far between, and good diagnosticians... I dunno, me and my family have been in and out of the medical system for a while now, and I'm yet to meet one.

When you go in, do your own research, get a copy of your results, and tell them exactly what to do.

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#147

Post by turnip1979 »

danielweber wrote: post #110
chaostheory wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since Steven has a child coming, I really hope that he had some life insurance.

I hope I don't derail by telling everyone: if you have someone who depends on you, get life insurance.

Good comment. For people in their mid-30s and young kids, I assume term life is a good option?

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#148

Post by mingmecca »

byuu wrote: post #134
Mc_Big_G wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ineptitude of doctors never ceases to amaze me. One particularly idiotic fellow proudly announced to me and the entire office that he'd discovered I have diabetes. Even if that has been true, the manner in which he announced his pleasure at the epiphany made me want to punch him in the balls. hard. After a confused and sad ride home it only took a short talk with my extremely unqualified wife to convince me that…

I have strong upper chest pains (constant pressure), regardless of position. Went to first doctor, was told "it's just bruised ribs", even though I don't play any sports or do any serious workouts. Went to a second doctor recently after a few months as it started getting worse. "It's just heartburn", even though I told him I already take a PPI, H2 blocker and calcium. I've had heartburn for 12 years and know this was…

I can relate to this. A few years ago I was a 30 year old guy who felt like a feeble 70 year old. I was tired, depressed, and just didn't feel well at all. I had a blood test and the doc was flabbergasted at how low my Vitamin D levels were. Technically I had rickets! But then I started taking 10-15k of D3 a day and in a couple of weeks I felt great. Now I take 5k in the summer and 10k in the winter and haven't a had a problem since.

So, moral of the story: get your Vitamin D levels checked. And take D3, not D2.

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#149

Post by raelshark »

NewDispAccount wrote: post #122
madaxe_again wrote: post #50

I don't have a brain tumour, but I have had, and am still having, an experience which has made me think seriously about my mortality. I'm 31. About three years ago I started having three/four day long bouts of total delirium, roasting fever, extreme nausea, can't even keep sips of water down when it happens - by day three or four, I'm usually too weak to move, totally dehydrated. Two years on, my GP is still going "c…

First, I'd like to say thank you for writing this. I'd also like to add a little for others who may be in a similar situation. Just to set the background, I'm in my mid-40's, was a responsible adult, and had a house and family, and worked as a programmer for 15 years. I was fairly typical as a programmer -- a bit overfocused, had an excellent memory, strong reading skills, etc... I wouldn't say I was a great programm…

I'm not trying to do that "diagnose you over the Internet" thing, but did any of your doctors ever mention or look into autonomic nervous system issues? Reason I ask is that what you describe is somewhat similar to the kind of cognitive impairment ("brain fog") and fatigue I experience with dysautonomia. Although it sounds like your symptoms are much more extreme, they're not inconsistent with what I've seen other patients experience.

For me I believe it was brought on originally by a case of mono in my teens (although it didn't really impact my life significantly until my 30s). Those kinds of illnesses - or even some injuries - can wreak havoc on your nervous system, causing it to not be able to regulate your body's functions properly, including not getting sufficient blood to the brain, depriving it of oxygen. I also strongly suspect I have an underlying genetic disorder that made me more susceptible to this problem, which I'm going to finally be evaluated for next week.

Edit: I should also add the other thing that stood out to me in your post is that I was also told that my problems were psychological and just caused by "anxiety" - it's a common misdiagnosis with these kinds of issues by doctors who aren't familiar enough with them and the effects. In my case it turned out later that my panic attacks were a result of my body not being able to moderate my heart rate properly. Pretty much everyone I know with autonomic issues went through the "it's all in your head" phase of diagnosis before getting real answers.

In my case it's had a huge effect on me as a professional and programmer, leading me to lose and jump jobs as I attempted to find somewhere that was willing and able to work with my needs, until earlier this year when I finally quit my last job and started freelancing. It's still a challenge for me but a huge step towards finding the kind of work I'm still able to do.

Good luck, and good for you in still fighting to be a positive force in the world and for your family.

Re: From hacker to hospice in seven weeks

#150

Post by yummyfajitas »

VLM wrote: post #132
yummyfajitas wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If full-body scans were, as you say, routine, the cost of the machine would be amortised and an economy of scale should prevail. That's not really true. The cost of the machine is amortised by having it be in use at all times. In my experience MRI's are already fully utilized. I've had 3 in the past year. Even during Diwali there was always someone immediately before and immediately after me, and I never have much ch…

I don't know about the financial model. Google indicates you can pay up to $3M for a MRI machine and $100K/yr energy and required maint costs. Google indicates a median radiologist gets $300K/yr and to make the figures ridiculous I'll dedicate one radiologist full time to the MRI. Google indicates mean lifetime of a MRI machine is a decade. Google indicates a hospital remodel to make a MRI safe room and electrical an…

The price can certainly come down. It cost me 7500rs for an MRI, 10,000 with contrast (about $150). I'm only disputing that increasing demand will reduce prices due to amortization.
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