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Jobs Health Concerns Related to Food Absorption, Not Cancer?
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The type of illness he has is less telling than how they are treating the situation.
Whatever it is, they are not being up front about it. What reason do they have to hide his condition? First it was a diet related thing, then a hormone imbalance, now it is supposedly some food absorption thing. They continue to say it is not serious, but if it wasn't serious - why don't they just end the speculation and tell us what it is rather than all these vague descriptions of symptoms?
One reason to hide the facts is that whatever he has is terminal and he wants to live the rest of his life in peace or maintain the ability to run the company for as long as he can. He wants to prolong the amount of time he has to make a smooth transition to a new CEO and get everything in order. All this while avoiding a media circus and endless "get well" cards from overzealous fans.
If what he has is not terminal, I can't think of any reason they're being so secretive about it.
Whatever it is, they are not being up front about it. What reason do they have to hide his condition? First it was a diet related thing, then a hormone imbalance, now it is supposedly some food absorption thing. They continue to say it is not serious, but if it wasn't serious - why don't they just end the speculation and tell us what it is rather than all these vague descriptions of symptoms?
One reason to hide the facts is that whatever he has is terminal and he wants to live the rest of his life in peace or maintain the ability to run the company for as long as he can. He wants to prolong the amount of time he has to make a smooth transition to a new CEO and get everything in order. All this while avoiding a media circus and endless "get well" cards from overzealous fans.
If what he has is not terminal, I can't think of any reason they're being so secretive about it.
How would you like it if the whole world knew what diseases and conditions you have? His health os none of our business. Just like my health is not yours and yours is not mine.
Don
Calm down. I didn't say what they were doing is right or wrong, I simply took a logical approach to why they are doing what they are doing.
And whether or not it is my business is a gray area at best as I am an apple stock holder. I guess it depends on if you believe Steve Jobs has significant relevance to Apple's future profits.
I wish you the best of health.
Sorry if I came across harsh. I'm also a share holder (a rather small one being that I'm only 14), but I don't think that his health is anyones business. People are entitled to their privacy, especially if he is dying. That's all I'm trying to say.Calm down. I didn't say what they were doing is right or wrong, I simply took a logical approach to why they are doing what they are doing.
And whether or not it is my business is a gray area at best as I am an apple stock holder. I guess it depends on if you believe Steve Jobs has significant relevance to Apple's future profits.
I wish you the best of health.
Best of health to you also
Don
Sorry if I came across harsh. I'm also a share holder (a rather small one being that I'm only 14), but I don't think that his health is anyones business. People are entitled to their privacy, especially if he is dying. That's all I'm trying to say.
Best of health to you also
Don
If I was an Apple stock holder at 14 I think I'd be rich by now! It was about $8 a share back then!
I think anyone that believes Apple will grind to a halt should Steve Jobs leave the business (for any reason) is amazingly naive. The overall business is in much better shape than when he was forced out previously - the company has evolved and is much stronger than before.
The board of directors, which have been assembled are clearly competent, creative and diligent individuals. Together they are an awesome team. I'm sure that they are influenced and managed by Steve Jobs but my impression is that they are responsible for their actions and innovations. I feel that Jobs' takes a proactive role overseeing their work but largely isn't involved with their day-to-day activities.
Again it would be naive to imagine that Steve Jobs micromanages every aspect of this organiziation. As such, if he leaves the business it will continue to be innovative and cutting edge. The new CEO, would have to share Apple's strategic vision and desire for innovation, delivered with clear thinking. These candidates already exist within Apple.
Steve Jobs and Woz's DNA course through the veins of Apple. History has shown that if the company deviates from this ethos it will fail... The shareholders and the board won't make these mistakes again.
Disney
Ford (up until the last few years)
Microsoft
Are just a small number of influential 'global' businesses, which have survived the passing of key / original figures in their business Apple will be no different - it's time to change our mindset that suggests otherwise...
The board of directors, which have been assembled are clearly competent, creative and diligent individuals. Together they are an awesome team. I'm sure that they are influenced and managed by Steve Jobs but my impression is that they are responsible for their actions and innovations. I feel that Jobs' takes a proactive role overseeing their work but largely isn't involved with their day-to-day activities.
Again it would be naive to imagine that Steve Jobs micromanages every aspect of this organiziation. As such, if he leaves the business it will continue to be innovative and cutting edge. The new CEO, would have to share Apple's strategic vision and desire for innovation, delivered with clear thinking. These candidates already exist within Apple.
Steve Jobs and Woz's DNA course through the veins of Apple. History has shown that if the company deviates from this ethos it will fail... The shareholders and the board won't make these mistakes again.
Disney
Ford (up until the last few years)
Microsoft
Are just a small number of influential 'global' businesses, which have survived the passing of key / original figures in their business Apple will be no different - it's time to change our mindset that suggests otherwise...
Not likely, due to the partially removed stomach, there might be reduced instrinsic factor and that might affect the absorption of vitamin B12, and perhaps some reduced iron and calcium absorption due to reduced stomach acid, but I doubt this all would be that significant.
No, UC has no effect on absorption of food or its nutrients.
I thought you had to be eighteen years old to legally own shares in your own name?
I really think if it was cancer they would have said. As they say, the market doesn't like surprises so they would have got it out in the open and announced it if it was that serious.
Time away to dream up new stuff. He will still be on email and be able to direct a personal team to experiment with his ideas.
The more I read about Steve Jobs the more I like him.
There is too much design by committe, focus groups, market testing. All this leads to bland blahh.
I love it that whatever Steve says goes. His way or no way. He is uncomprimising and a visionary. Most great design is not by a faceless commitee. One vision come what may, not a room full of people debating feature sets.
Market Research never invented anything and it is the scourge of the modern world.Apple gives us things we don't know we want yet.
This article in the link is on his style.
I just hope they don't go all fuzzy and google on us while he is away.
This is how a meeting would probably go
"But Steve, market research says we need the battery to be user replaceable"- "Rubbish, people never replace the battery and it will never happen while I'm in charge. Who told you to waste money on market research. Your'e fired."
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-04/bz_apple?currentPage=1
Time away to dream up new stuff. He will still be on email and be able to direct a personal team to experiment with his ideas.
The more I read about Steve Jobs the more I like him.
There is too much design by committe, focus groups, market testing. All this leads to bland blahh.
I love it that whatever Steve says goes. His way or no way. He is uncomprimising and a visionary. Most great design is not by a faceless commitee. One vision come what may, not a room full of people debating feature sets.
Market Research never invented anything and it is the scourge of the modern world.Apple gives us things we don't know we want yet.
This article in the link is on his style.
I just hope they don't go all fuzzy and google on us while he is away.
This is how a meeting would probably go
"But Steve, market research says we need the battery to be user replaceable"- "Rubbish, people never replace the battery and it will never happen while I'm in charge. Who told you to waste money on market research. Your'e fired."
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-04/bz_apple?currentPage=1
No probs, I can replace Steve in his duty of Apple CEO during this hard time for us ;-) First changes:
- two screen options back - matte & glossy for the same price
- RGB LED panel option for professional photo enthusiasts
- 8h battery as standard
- Firewire 800 on MB
- easy access to HDD, RAM, battery, Wi Fi
- replacable wireless modules (available via Apple Store) and driver support for Intel Wireless chipsets under OSX
- BluRay instead DVD optical drive (higher quality slot loading (less noise), better compatibility and burn quality)
- additional USB/eSATA combined port
- AMD ATI/NVIDIA graphics option for the same price
- focus on the current Mac issues - wireless performance/drivers; audio latency; reduce heat / overheating; graphic card issue under gaming stress (if necessary switch to AMD ATI only)
- EFI update - triple boot, compatibility issues (eliminate problems with Windows/Linux installation)
- better Boot Camp support
- NTFS driver in Mac OSX
- file commander in Mac OSX
- new products: working on Nehalem platform
- drag & drop in iPod, iTouch etc
- no simlock in iPhones
- two screen options back - matte & glossy for the same price
- RGB LED panel option for professional photo enthusiasts
- 8h battery as standard
- Firewire 800 on MB
- easy access to HDD, RAM, battery, Wi Fi
- replacable wireless modules (available via Apple Store) and driver support for Intel Wireless chipsets under OSX
- BluRay instead DVD optical drive (higher quality slot loading (less noise), better compatibility and burn quality)
- additional USB/eSATA combined port
- AMD ATI/NVIDIA graphics option for the same price
- focus on the current Mac issues - wireless performance/drivers; audio latency; reduce heat / overheating; graphic card issue under gaming stress (if necessary switch to AMD ATI only)
- EFI update - triple boot, compatibility issues (eliminate problems with Windows/Linux installation)
- better Boot Camp support
- NTFS driver in Mac OSX
- file commander in Mac OSX
- new products: working on Nehalem platform
- drag & drop in iPod, iTouch etc
- no simlock in iPhones
swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
"but he officially announced on the eve of Macworld that his health concerns were due to a "hormone imbalance"
Wait, as far as i can see, the problem is the same with what it is reported now. Before the macworld, Steve said in his letter:
"Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause - a hormone imbalance that has been "robbing" me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.
"
Note the ""robbing" me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy", this basically means food absorption issues. So this is consistent with this new reporting, in both case it comes to the same problem related to food absorption , the difference is that in his first letter, Steve said that it was due to hormone imbalance, and now he said that his health-related issues are more complex. Which means that they are either more difficult to cure than expected or there are other reasons causing those food absorption issues.
But in any case, i find this story of food absorption issues not new at all, it was known from the first Steves's letter.
Also in the first letter he said:
"just like I didnt lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. "
So it also not knew that it will take time to recover, and it could simply be that the doctors have asked him to rest during several months to guaranty his recovering.
Now food absorption issues can be serious and can trigger large weight lose. By more complex, Steve maybe points out to the issues that he might have got after his surgery to remove his cancer. Don't forget that he got a reconstruction of a part of his digestion system, i am not specialist in medicine, but i can imagine that this alone could create food absorption issues and hormone unbalance.
Maybe someone who know better can comment on that....
And anyway, all those speculations are ridiculous, all in order to make sound a old information as new for the sake of speculating on a man's health.
Wait, as far as i can see, the problem is the same with what it is reported now. Before the macworld, Steve said in his letter:
"Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause - a hormone imbalance that has been "robbing" me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.
"
Note the ""robbing" me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy", this basically means food absorption issues. So this is consistent with this new reporting, in both case it comes to the same problem related to food absorption , the difference is that in his first letter, Steve said that it was due to hormone imbalance, and now he said that his health-related issues are more complex. Which means that they are either more difficult to cure than expected or there are other reasons causing those food absorption issues.
But in any case, i find this story of food absorption issues not new at all, it was known from the first Steves's letter.
Also in the first letter he said:
"just like I didnt lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. "
So it also not knew that it will take time to recover, and it could simply be that the doctors have asked him to rest during several months to guaranty his recovering.
Now food absorption issues can be serious and can trigger large weight lose. By more complex, Steve maybe points out to the issues that he might have got after his surgery to remove his cancer. Don't forget that he got a reconstruction of a part of his digestion system, i am not specialist in medicine, but i can imagine that this alone could create food absorption issues and hormone unbalance.
Maybe someone who know better can comment on that....
And anyway, all those speculations are ridiculous, all in order to make sound a old information as new for the sake of speculating on a man's health.
OK, as a doctor - albeit in acute medicine, not oncology - the food absorption theory was the first that occurred to me after I heard the news yesterday. As the pancreas is responsible for a large part of the digestive enzymes and given he has had surgery on his pancreas and therefore resection of part of his pancreas, a disruption in the production of these enzymes is not unreasonable. Without these enzymes, food passes through the gut unable to be absorbed and is excreted.
The process of recovery can be long as it requires focused nutrition - targeted at replenishing the nutrients that have been malabsorbed and frequent blood tests to ensure this is happening correctly. One strategy is to give tablets containing digestive enzymes that one takes at the same time as meals. Essentially, it takes a while to gain weight safely.
To those saying it must be a recurrence because he has given a time period (ie. June), I think you are panicking too much - firstly that is the intended time of return to work - therefore cure. Secondly, doctors nowadays don't tend to give precise expected life spans, unless in the last few days of life - there are too many incidences of headlines like "My doctor told me I'd live 6 months and here I am 10 years later". Essentially - no-one can tell precisely - we know if it's more aggressive or more benign by tissue sampling, but the rest is guesswork.
I obviously have no idea what is going on with Steve Jobs. I don't know whether he is being entirely candid or whether he is concealing information and I certainly wouldn't discuss it on here if I did. These are just my thoughts and I think we should wish him all the best in his recovery.
The process of recovery can be long as it requires focused nutrition - targeted at replenishing the nutrients that have been malabsorbed and frequent blood tests to ensure this is happening correctly. One strategy is to give tablets containing digestive enzymes that one takes at the same time as meals. Essentially, it takes a while to gain weight safely.
To those saying it must be a recurrence because he has given a time period (ie. June), I think you are panicking too much - firstly that is the intended time of return to work - therefore cure. Secondly, doctors nowadays don't tend to give precise expected life spans, unless in the last few days of life - there are too many incidences of headlines like "My doctor told me I'd live 6 months and here I am 10 years later". Essentially - no-one can tell precisely - we know if it's more aggressive or more benign by tissue sampling, but the rest is guesswork.
I obviously have no idea what is going on with Steve Jobs. I don't know whether he is being entirely candid or whether he is concealing information and I certainly wouldn't discuss it on here if I did. These are just my thoughts and I think we should wish him all the best in his recovery.
Thanks for joining just to post that.
Thanks for trying to bankrupt Apple.
Your point isn't that that the timeframe is short, so Tim will be able to handle it. Your point is that if Tim can handle a few months, he can handle an indefinite position as head of the company. That logic is very wobbly.
Steve isn't the CFO, and Tim isn't the CEO. Steve's job is to broadly outline in which direction the company should move, which markets to enter, which to leave, etc. They hire him for his vision and charisma, not his math skills. Tim is hired for different reasons. He's not necessarily the best man for the job.
You only forgetting one little part.. Tim Cook ain't the CFO, he is the COO (O for Operating) which means he basicly runs the whole place already
There are mitigating factors...
Steve is a vegetarian and eats a very particular diet and isn't likely to relax
his restrictions on what he will and won't eat.
If this is the case, that would be a very good explanation why it will take
him additional time to gain back the weight.
In some ways it makes perfect sense.
At any rate, I hope he gets well.
And, the second Mac board in a row where the last post I posted was
four years ago. Yow.
Steve is a vegetarian and eats a very particular diet and isn't likely to relax
his restrictions on what he will and won't eat.
If this is the case, that would be a very good explanation why it will take
him additional time to gain back the weight.
In some ways it makes perfect sense.
At any rate, I hope he gets well.
And, the second Mac board in a row where the last post I posted was
four years ago. Yow.
Heh...
Numerous issues Steve has already commented on: not against BluRay
per se but the licensing nightmare surrounding it (the BluRay consortium
makes the hoo-hah around DVD protection seem like it was kids play -
you want DRM, you'll get it with BluRay).
A lot of the others are naive (you really think they're going to struggle to
make it easy for Linux users? Give me a break...) Firewire 800 on a
consumer notebook? Total overkill and battery life sucking as well as
additional expense, no simlock in iPhones? Not until the AT&T contract
is well over with.
Do I need to go on? Pie in the sky dreaming.
Numerous issues Steve has already commented on: not against BluRay
per se but the licensing nightmare surrounding it (the BluRay consortium
makes the hoo-hah around DVD protection seem like it was kids play -
you want DRM, you'll get it with BluRay).
A lot of the others are naive (you really think they're going to struggle to
make it easy for Linux users? Give me a break...) Firewire 800 on a
consumer notebook? Total overkill and battery life sucking as well as
additional expense, no simlock in iPhones? Not until the AT&T contract
is well over with.
Do I need to go on? Pie in the sky dreaming.
The possibilities...
There are several possibilities...
a. cancer recurrence
b. complication from surgery. Assuming he had a whipple, his intestines had to be rearrangement to get the pancreas hook back up to the small intestine and to the liver. A problem in any of these surgical connections can explain his weight loss. His intestines are definitely shorter also from a physiological perspective so for sure nutritional absorption is less
c. pancreas not working properly and he is low on enzymes needed for his nutrition.
d. since he's a vegetarian (as far as i know) this poses some additional challenges.
My guess is that he is gone because he is getting a combination of procedures, likely TPN and maybe also tube feedings. I would guess it's TPN, but you don't need to be in the hospital long term for that. If he's getting TPN, they'll need to place a central venous line into him to his heart. He would need to be in the hospital for that.... all guesses of course....
There are several possibilities...
a. cancer recurrence
b. complication from surgery. Assuming he had a whipple, his intestines had to be rearrangement to get the pancreas hook back up to the small intestine and to the liver. A problem in any of these surgical connections can explain his weight loss. His intestines are definitely shorter also from a physiological perspective so for sure nutritional absorption is less
c. pancreas not working properly and he is low on enzymes needed for his nutrition.
d. since he's a vegetarian (as far as i know) this poses some additional challenges.
My guess is that he is gone because he is getting a combination of procedures, likely TPN and maybe also tube feedings. I would guess it's TPN, but you don't need to be in the hospital long term for that. If he's getting TPN, they'll need to place a central venous line into him to his heart. He would need to be in the hospital for that.... all guesses of course....
Why all the "I'm glad to hear its not cancer" replies? To jump to a conclusion like you guys are, based on the limited information available, is silly. A better reply might be "I'm glad it might not be cancer" or something to that effect.
LOL!
At least he's not reading too much into this. Move on, let it go, que sera sera people.
Look at the trends, look at whats been happening, etc.
Personally, I dont think Steve is coming back.
His highlight was the i-phone, and he even admitted it.
Usually people step aside after their 'prime' baby is born...to be remembered by their accomplishment, and not the down turn of a company.
Health issues aside, hes an aging man who probably wants to relax...
It would not be to unrealistic that he never resumes the role he once 'showed' to the public.
In fact, I would highly doubt it...
Hes not there just to show off pretty objects, but new objects which he will be remembered for - and there may not be to many iphone type deals up his sleeve for in which would put him in the spotlight, as it were.
Does this mean he will not be involved at all...of course not...but the days of 'god' Steve are over, a transition has and is taking place now.
Best to you steve - have a break, and enjoy your rest.
Peace
dAlen
Personally, I dont think Steve is coming back.
His highlight was the i-phone, and he even admitted it.
Usually people step aside after their 'prime' baby is born...to be remembered by their accomplishment, and not the down turn of a company.
Health issues aside, hes an aging man who probably wants to relax...
It would not be to unrealistic that he never resumes the role he once 'showed' to the public.
In fact, I would highly doubt it...
Hes not there just to show off pretty objects, but new objects which he will be remembered for - and there may not be to many iphone type deals up his sleeve for in which would put him in the spotlight, as it were.
Does this mean he will not be involved at all...of course not...but the days of 'god' Steve are over, a transition has and is taking place now.
Best to you steve - have a break, and enjoy your rest.
Peace
dAlen