Old Spleens Suck (2021) • Hacker News Board

Re: Old Spleens Suck (2021)

#81

Post by sokoloff » Sat, Mar 26, 2022, 12:59 PM UTC

londons_explore wrote: post #61

TylerE wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because you have to get up and over the tail of the airplane without it slicing you like a cleaver.

A cleverer ejection seat could track the tail and body of the craft, and adjust the rocket force based on the trajectories in each case. Then you don't have to use enough force to avoid the tail in every case, but merely enough force to avoid the tail in this case, which will normally be far less.

The aircraft being exited is often not in a factory nominal condition.

Re: Old Spleens Suck (2021)

#82

Post by ohmahjong » Sat, Mar 26, 2022, 12:59 PM UTC

theobeers wrote: post #7

gonehome wrote: post #3

There’s another interesting spleen fact that I remember reading: people who survive flight ejections and hitting water at high speed tend to have had their spleens removed. Probably because otherwise the impact causes a rupture and you bleed out too quickly to survive.

This does come up in the story of Cliff Judkins, a Marine Corps pilot who, in 1963, survived a fall of 15,000 feet into the Pacific Ocean. He had had his spleen removed a few years earlier, and a doctor told him that was probably a factor in his not being killed by the impact. Judkins' account is worth a read: https://uss-la-ca135.org/60/1960Judkins-Knott.html

Thank you for sharing such an incredible story - I would never have expected to read something so entertaining in the comments of a post about mouse splenectomies.

Re: Old Spleens Suck (2021)

#83

Post by gcanyon » Sun, Mar 27, 2022, 5:09 AM UTC

djmips wrote: post #55

gcanyon wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mine was lost due to rupture in a motorcycle accident. The doctors didn't say whether keeping it was an option, but I doubt it: it came with a bunch of broken ribs and two punctured/collapsed lungs, so my body had more than a few things to deal with, and fixing a spleen was probably low on the list.

Any issues as a result of being spleenless?

None that I'm aware of. I'm pretty cautious disease-wise, and I've managed not to catch anything serious since.

Re: Old Spleens Suck (2021)

#84

Post by gcanyon » Sun, Mar 27, 2022, 5:10 AM UTC

mescaline wrote: post #47

gcanyon wrote: post #42

I've been without a spleen for longer than I had one. I wonder if -- if any of this translates to humans -- spleens are beneficial to the young but a risk to the old, meaning that since I survived my youth without, it's all good going forward; or if young spleens give long-lasting benefits, meaning that the best course is to have the spleen into old age, but then jettison it later in life (than I did).

Did you get vaccines to compensate? I've been told there are three that I need, but not sure when or if I need boosters.

pneumovax, and I got the booster for covid about as soon as it was available. I'll get double-boosted in another month or two.

Re: Old Spleens Suck (2021)

#85

Post by gpvos » Sun, Mar 27, 2022, 6:22 AM UTC

aborowie wrote: post #23

clarkevans wrote: post #14

Is there a good introductory book on understanding inflammation and autoimmune diseases?

A gorgeously illustrated deep dive into the immune system that will forever change how you think about your body, from the creator of the popular science YouTube channel Kurzgesagt—In a Nutshell Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive by Philipp Dettmer

I came here specifically to recommend that book. It helped me understand a few more words in this article.

Re: Old Spleens Suck (2021)

#86

Post by jessriedel » Sun, Mar 27, 2022, 1:57 PM UTC

aklemm wrote: post #24

jessriedel wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

Just a tangential anecdote offered on a fine Friday night. I’ll be sure to check the rules of this subreddit more closely in the future.

I mean, hardly anyone disputes the usefulness of moderation. I think these sorts of anecdotes lower the quality of the discussion, and HNers should take that into consideration.

Re: Old Spleens Suck (2021)

#87

Post by Asparagirl » Sun, Mar 27, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

gcanyon wrote: post #84

mescaline wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you get vaccines to compensate? I've been told there are three that I need, but not sure when or if I need boosters.

pneumovax, and I got the booster for covid about as soon as it was available. I'll get double-boosted in another month or two.

Hi, fellow spleenless person. Make sure to look into the meningitis vaccines, too; there are multiple types of those now, and some only came in the market within the past few years. Also, if you give birth, your doctor may want to put you on prophylactic antibiotics while in labor or shortly thereafter.

Re: Old Spleens Suck (2021)

#88

Post by ecf » Mon, Mar 28, 2022, 8:24 PM UTC

theobeers wrote: post #7

gonehome wrote: post #3

There’s another interesting spleen fact that I remember reading: people who survive flight ejections and hitting water at high speed tend to have had their spleens removed. Probably because otherwise the impact causes a rupture and you bleed out too quickly to survive.

This does come up in the story of Cliff Judkins, a Marine Corps pilot who, in 1963, survived a fall of 15,000 feet into the Pacific Ocean. He had had his spleen removed a few years earlier, and a doctor told him that was probably a factor in his not being killed by the impact. Judkins' account is worth a read: https://uss-la-ca135.org/60/1960Judkins-Knott.html

Primary and secondary ejection systems failed and then his main parachute didn’t deploy.

Whoever was maintaining that gear failed miserably.