Man that ending was very brunt. I did not expect to just see "he died a few months later" as a footnote at the end.
Not even a few months. Less than 2. 55 days to be exact. That was fucking brutal.
The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
31–40 of 76 posts
Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#32I'm going to go out on a limb and request that people not post this sort of thing here. HNers, I believe, have a higher-than-average rate of anxiety and psychosomaticism (myself included). Articles like this that don't include any real hopeful message or interesting takeaway just cause pointless distress for many of us.
Yeah, I was kind of waiting for the ‘I beat the odds’ message. Only to find that it wasn’t there...
By definition, most people don't beat the odds...
Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#33This story is in the same vein as that of the CloudFlare cofounder[1] who suffers from a rare neurodegenerative disease and has had his life pretty much taken from him at far too young an age. This quote in particular gnaws at me: "We had promised each other that in a few years, when the girls headed off to college, we’d work less and travel more. Amy didn’t deserve to lose those dreams, or her companion, just as we…
It is common to have a rare disease: 7-8% of the general population has some sort of a condition that is classifiable as a rare disease
I personally have 2, both of which affect my peripheral nervous system.
Getting diagnosed is basically like having a bomb dropped on you. Nothing can prepare you for it, and it takes a long time to heal from the news, if you ever do.
The vast majority of rare diseases have no government health regulatory system approved treatment. I believe 95% do not.
Treatment is often for symptom relief, and typically modification of the disease process itself is not possible. However, in some cases, drugs can be repurposed.
Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#34So it was weird when my primary care doctor put me on a cocktail of pain killers, nerve blockers, and cortisone shots. I even tried acupuncture. But as my back began to improve in late June, I started to feel off. Sick to my stomach. Weak. Couldn’t sleep. I lost more than 10 pounds. [...] 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 he…
It's really not exclusive to America.
Well, based on my experience in the UK and Australia. We get blood tests on pretty much any occasion when we're unwell before we're subscribed to an array of opiates.
Shit, I had my wisdom teeth taken out days ago and the dentist was apprehensive to give me anything stronger than ibuprofen and paracetamol.
Unfortunately, I think you're mistaken.
Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
My attitude to stories like this is simply that you can't live under the assumption that you'll die early from some freak cause. It would be a non-functional state of life, sacrificing all long term objectives. At the end of the day all any of us can do is play the odds, and sometimes while playing X-Com that 99% chance-to-hit point blank shot by your most experienced soldier with the best equipment simply misses.
> 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…
A key detail here is you can't predict the future. We can all imagine situations where the long term bet pays better. We can even make that sort of prediction in a way that works a good amount of the time, even most of the time. Except sometimes it won't work out. We don't know in advance when that sometimes will be. Be prepared for either outcome I guess.
Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#36Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Life insurance can be very reasonably priced.
Yeah, you are right. Though, you stil require high income to go for higher plans (at least here). My aim would be for my family to live a luxurious life without having to work again. That requires more than life insurance money.
At any of the big corporate jobs I've held, it's been pretty easy to get life insurance for 8x my yearly salary
I think my wife could take 8 years of Silicon Valley salary and retire off it in a lower cost of living area, although you're right that it wouldn't be a luxurious monetary worry-free existence..
Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#38Earlier 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…
A key detail here is you can't predict the future. We can all imagine situations where the long term bet pays better. We can even make that sort of prediction in a way that works a good amount of the time, even most of the time. Except sometimes it won't work out. We don't know in advance when that sometimes will be. Be prepared for either outcome I guess.
> Be prepared for either outcome I guess.
Yes, exactly.
Happiness now (because now is guaranteed) and (hopefully) happiness later too.
But whatever you do, don't put off happiness now.
Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's really not exclusive to America.
Well, based on my experience in the UK and Australia. We get blood tests on pretty much any occasion when we're unwell before we're subscribed to an array of opiates. Shit, I had my wisdom teeth taken out days ago and the dentist was apprehensive to give me anything stronger than ibuprofen and paracetamol. Unfortunately, I think you're mistaken.
Anecdotally, my experience with the American healthcare system is the exact opposite of OP’s. I went through a bout of months of intense pain, seeing 7+ doctors. Each of them insisted on running (and re-running) blood test after blood test, even repeating blood tests that had already been done only days prior. In the end I had over 100 different blood tests done and the only thing ever prescribed was some heartburn medication.
Other times, my primary doctor always insists on doing blood tests before anything else. The only time I’ve been to him and been prescribed something before getting a blood test was when I went in for a muscle sprain, and even then the prescription was for some pretty mild muscle relaxers. I’ve also had the pleasure of experiencing kidney stones, and even when in the ER for that the doctors were extremely hesitant to give me anything stronger than ibuprofen until they did multiple blood tests and imaging to confirm without a doubt that the opiates were necessary.
I know statistics say otherwise, but I too am always surprised to hear stories about American doctors handing out opiates like candy.
Re: The Day I Found Out My Life Was Hanging by a Thread (2017)
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
My attitude to stories like this is simply that you can't live under the assumption that you'll die early from some freak cause. It would be a non-functional state of life, sacrificing all long term objectives. At the end of the day all any of us can do is play the odds, and sometimes while playing X-Com that 99% chance-to-hit point blank shot by your most experienced soldier with the best equipment simply misses.
> 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 for 40 years when I could enjoy it now?
Being content and at peace with oneself in the moment is possible, and should be striven for. But for my part I'd have a hard time being content with myself if I wasn't striving for better for both myself and my family.
In my experience the only lasting satisfaction in life comes from discharging meaningful responsibilities, that requires some sacrifice of momentary happiness. Happiness is great when it's around but has no staying power, and too many people get sucked into miserable hedonism while trying to turn it into a constant.