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Steve Jobs Regretted Early Decision to Delay Cancer Surgery
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If it gets others to seek treatment sooner, then at least some good will have come from his early death.
Many men tend to "hope it goes away". I know I ignored my own symptoms of esophageal cancer, and almost waited too long to seek treatment.
People, if you suspect anything, get checked!
Many men tend to "hope it goes away". I know I ignored my own symptoms of esophageal cancer, and almost waited too long to seek treatment.
People, if you suspect anything, get checked!
It's frustrating because I happen to know someone who also waited out of fear, and then it was too late. I can relate on a personal level.
Don't be a jerk.
I had read this excellent question and answer almost a week ago on Quora's site where a researcher at Harvard Ramzi Ami discussed this. Well worth a look:
http://www.quora.com/Steve-Jobs/Why-did-Steve-Jobs-choose-not-to-effectively-treat-his-cancer
http://www.quora.com/Steve-Jobs/Why-did-Steve-Jobs-choose-not-to-effectively-treat-his-cancer
It was such a stupid decision by him. How can a man as intelligent as he was buy into religion and refuse lifesaving surgery because he doesn't want to feel "violated"?
I'm setting up firmly in this camp. And the "our flawed human brains" post from earlier, spot on.
I'm sure we all have regrets around having delayed decisions in the past ... hell I have some in the present
... thankfully they're not life-or-death things; are really at a pretty low level. It is just part of the human condition though, I think - especially nowadays when people live as long as they do, it is the easiest thing in the world to put things off thinking there will always be another day ... most of the time it is true.
Heh, I remember asking my mother (a doctor) what she thought, and she stated he'd be alive today without a doubt if he hadn't made such a stupid decision (my spin, not hers).
It would have saved his life, and he'd have died decades later of old age.
It would have saved his life, and he'd have died decades later of old age.
While an operation early on may have increased his lifespan, it's unknown whether it would have saved him, or even could have saved him. Cancer is a very dangerous and quick spreading disease. While I would love to think it could have saved him, who knows at what stage it could have been at besides the doctors themselves. It may have added an hour or a decade, it's really unknown.
Very sad to read and think "what if". But by reading it I bet we all will try not to make a similar mistake. Although I pray neither of you ever have to make a decision such as that in your lives.
Very sad to read and think "what if". But by reading it I bet we all will try not to make a similar mistake. Although I pray neither of you ever have to make a decision such as that in your lives.
whoa, just a minute. Everyone saying it was stupid to put it off and try alternative treatment has the benefit of hindsight. There are many successes with non-surgical treatment, and though the stats speak otherwise, it's not exactly unwise to try natural healing first. Nobody can say for certain he would have survived any longer with earlier surgery.
Lots of people go the same route. Some succeed and others do not. It's crazy making to do this "if only he..." stuff. Maybe the earlier surgery would have been botched and he'd have died on the table. Maybe he'd have shot a clot and had a stroke later on. Who knows.
Lots of people go the same route. Some succeed and others do not. It's crazy making to do this "if only he..." stuff. Maybe the earlier surgery would have been botched and he'd have died on the table. Maybe he'd have shot a clot and had a stroke later on. Who knows.
Reminds me of a Butthole Surfers song... "A funny thing about regret is... it's better to regret something you HAVE done than to regret something you haven't done. And by the way, if you see your mom this weekend, would you be sure and tell her..."
Hindsight is 20/20.
While it sounds (with the very limited information I know about this case) that it would have been better to be operated on early, every operation (especially on an organ like the pancreas) comes with inherent risks. There's always the chance it could have cut his life even shorter.
But for the most part... it sounds like he should've elected for the earlier surgery.
While it sounds (with the very limited information I know about this case) that it would have been better to be operated on early, every operation (especially on an organ like the pancreas) comes with inherent risks. There's always the chance it could have cut his life even shorter.
But for the most part... it sounds like he should've elected for the earlier surgery.
Many of you say that you would easily have taken the operation straight away, and that it's strange of Steve to have chosen other methods to cure it. But if you think about it, it makes sense: he has always thought differently of things and wanted to do things the other way, and this fits right in. Maybe it wasn't a good decision, but it sure was different than what everyone would do.
Well you just never know. My wife's uncle had pancreatic cancer. When discovered, he went with the most aggressive treatment regimen. The treatment killed the cancer but it also destroyed his liver and he ultimately died from liver failure. So the fact that he was "cancer free" was kind of moot.
This is what happens when people try to diagnose and treat themselves without going through the 12+ years of school and training required for an M.D.
Hopefully, this will also bring attention to the scam of "alternative medicine": crap that hasn't been proven to work; and if any of it did work, would be promptly patented by Pfizer and sold for $5000 a dose.
Hopefully, this will also bring attention to the scam of "alternative medicine": crap that hasn't been proven to work; and if any of it did work, would be promptly patented by Pfizer and sold for $5000 a dose.
You nailed it.
I'm really looking forward to reading the book, but I really wish it had a different ending