SIGforum
Are you still alive (or mostly functional) because of modern medicine?

This topic can be found at:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/320601935/m/2880049854

July 16, 2019, 05:03 AM
hile
Are you still alive (or mostly functional) because of modern medicine?
Born premature at 27 weeks 40 years ago, I think I qualify.
July 16, 2019, 06:44 AM
dbgeek
While I would be alive without it, I wouldn't be able to stand up. About three years ago, I had a tumor removed from my spine. Much better now.

Otherwise, no broken bones, and no other surgeries.


Peter
July 16, 2019, 09:07 AM
oddball
Voted yes.

Had meningitis barely out of college. Without antibiotics, who knows. Same with the respiratory infections, killers back in the old days. Never had traumatic injuries other than dislocated shoulders and such, no broken bones.



"I’m not going to read Time Magazine, I’m not going to read Newsweek, I’m not going to read any of these magazines; I mean, because they have too much to lose by printing the truth"- Bob Dylan, 1965
July 16, 2019, 09:17 AM
OldMick
Let's see: Scarlet fever as a kid, two strokes as an adult, Prostate cancer survivor. Going with "yes".
July 16, 2019, 09:18 AM
smschulz
quote:
Originally posted by DaBigBR:
Nope. Never broken a bone, never had a cavity, nothing. Never even been put under. I'm not sad about any of that.

Are you human ? Eek
July 16, 2019, 12:23 PM
flashguy
quote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
quote:
Originally posted by DaBigBR:
Nope. Never broken a bone, never had a cavity, nothing. Never even been put under. I'm not sad about any of that.

Are you human ? Eek
He has to think about it when answering that "I am not a robot" question some web pages ask . . . .

flashguy




Texan by choice, not accident of birth
July 16, 2019, 01:51 PM
maxdog
I’m 71. At 50 I began having signs of imminent heart blockage. Shortness of breath and chest tightness with little physical effort. Under care of cardiologist, a cardiology professor at Baylor Houston. Cigna denied permission for heart cath due to having passed a treadmill test months earlier. Finally, after relentless pressure from my employer, Cigna referred me to another cardiologist. Apparrently they didn’t believe the professor.

Went to 2nd cardiologist. About 30 seconds into treadmill test, they stopped the test, went into emergency mode, put me into a wheelchair and wheeled me across the street to St. Lukes, Houston Med Center for an emergency cath.

Left Anterior Descending (aka widowmaker) over 95% blocked. Rotorblater, angioplasty and stents needed.

Being married to a Cath LAb nurse who realised seriousness of sympoms prob saved me.
I’m fine so far at 71.

Insurance co tried to murder me. Fuck them.
July 16, 2019, 02:14 PM
mushoot
I have had 7 colonoscopies, My grandmother died from colon cancer. They remove pre cancerous growths every time.
July 16, 2019, 02:30 PM
tatortodd
Probably would’ve died this week without modern medicine. I’m posting from a bed in the hospital so I’m not out of the woods yet (much better though).

On the other hand, I likely wouldn’t have been at death’s door if it weren’t for modern medicine. All indications are that I had an acute reaction to a very expensive modern prescription.



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
July 16, 2019, 03:05 PM
Bisleyblackhawk
quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
Probably would’ve died this week without modern medicine. I’m posting from a bed in the hospital so I’m not out of the woods yet (much better though).


Dang tatortodd Frown...hoping and praying for a most excellent outcome to this...get well soon!


********************************************************

"we've gotta roll with the punches, learn to play all of our hunches
Making the best of what ever comes our way
Forget that blind ambition and learn to trust your intuition
Plowing straight ahead come what may
And theres a cowboy in the jungle"
Jimmy Buffet
July 16, 2019, 03:45 PM
fritz
Yes for me, for a number of items.

Antibiotics for sure. A whole bunch of them over my life. There were some years where sinus infections were pretty much constant once ski season arrived. I think my teammates wondered if I was ever healthy from Thanksgiving to the arrival of spring.

I've had a few surgeries, all of which had some level of antibiotics. Some of the surgeries were more recent, and thus were less invasive than the original scalpel methods. The list....removing adenoids, removing tonsils, hernia repair (groin and navel) to repair damage from a tree felling accident, removing all four wisdom teeth, nasal surgery (ethmoidectomy & sinoplasty), one root canal, thumb bone repair from a skiing fall, microfracture repair of the femur from a really bad skiing fall, and prostate TURP.

Then there are all those immunizations that certainly helped. Asthma and sinus meds. And for anybody who's been an athlete for all their life -- Vitamin I (ibuprofen).
July 16, 2019, 06:27 PM
GWbiker
quote:
On the other hand, I likely wouldn’t have been at death’s door if it weren’t for modern medicine. All indications are that I had an acute reaction to a very expensive modern prescription.


Several years ago I was given a heavy dose of Levaquin which turned my skin bright red and sent my blood pressure to the moon.

ER personal stood around guessing the problem, when a young female Doctor walked in, looked at me, looked at my chart and said: "Reaction to the Antibiotic - put him on something else" and walked out.

She probably saved my life.


*********
"Some people are alive today because it's against the law to kill them".
July 16, 2019, 06:35 PM
flesheatingvirus
Type I diabetic with an insulin pump, so yes.


________________________________________

-- Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. --
July 16, 2019, 07:03 PM
ZSMICHAEL
quote:
Several years ago I was given a heavy dose of Levaquin which turned my skin bright red and sent my blood pressure to the moon.

ER personal stood around guessing the problem, when a young female Doctor walked in, looked at me, looked at my chart and said: "Reaction to the Antibiotic - put him on something else" and walked out.

She probably saved my life.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Stevens Johnson Syndrome I bet. Bad stuff. Worse that spontaneous tendon rupture all associated with Levaquin. Think it now carries a black box warning. Some patients have life long problems.
July 16, 2019, 07:53 PM
Expert308
In 2005 I was scheduled to have a relatively minor procedure to fix a herniated disk in my neck. A pre-surgical blood test revealed a severe anemic condition that was ultimately diagnosed as colon cancer. I had an uncle who died of that a number of years earlier. He had no symptoms at all until it was too late to do anything. If it hadn't been for that blood test, I wouldn't be here now.
July 16, 2019, 09:45 PM
tatortodd
quote:
Originally posted by Bisleyblackhawk:
quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
Probably would’ve died this week without modern medicine. I’m posting from a bed in the hospital so I’m not out of the woods yet (much better though).


Dang tatortodd Frown...hoping and praying for a most excellent outcome to this...get well soon!
Thanks BBH. Hoping to be discharged tomorrow.



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
July 17, 2019, 05:47 AM
sigfreund
Most “no” respondents won’t bother voting, so percentages are not significant, but it’s interesting to see the absolute numbers of people who are still functioning or are even still here because of modern medicine. We should give a thought of gratitude to all the people who have been responsible for that over the past couple of centuries.




6.0/94.0

I can tell at sight a Chassepot rifle from a javelin.
July 17, 2019, 06:03 AM
f2
i'm on my sixth decade on Earth and have no meds / prescriptions. statins? won't take them. while i volunteer at the pharmacy - they have nothing for me.
July 17, 2019, 09:47 AM
CoolRich59
quote:
Originally posted by ArtieS:
You could say so. I'm not sure I would have died, but I wouldn't be what I am today, either.

I've had pneumonia three times as well as other infections that could have been problematic, and antibiotics solved those problems.

I was going to vote "No" until I read this. I've had pneumonia a couple of times too. It's easy to overlook because it doesn't have the impact of a heart attack, but it kills 4 million people every year. I'm sure pneumonia would have put an end to me if not for the meds I got.


_____________________________________________________________________
“One of the common failings among honorable people is a failure to appreciate how thoroughly dishonorable some other people can be, and how dangerous it is to trust them.” – Thomas Sowell