Pancreatic cancer grows very slowly, I understand. It usually lies undiscovered in the body for 20 years before it gives a symptom. By then it is usually too late. In the future, we will detect these cancers while they are still harmless and simply remove them.
Reading, hearing, seeing, sensing the genuine sadness and deep melancholy from millions of perfect strangers to Steve Jobs this past week, I have tried to imagine -- but cannot begin to remotely fathom -- what his wife children must be going through.
I can only hope they feel the world's unqualified goodwill and support.
I hope he truly finds peace and tranquility in the after life.
But he's battling with cancer is a truly sad story to hear. As he have tried so hard and cried to tears when he heard it was benign for the first time.
Again! This is right up there with Hypoxia (The shortage of life giving oxygen in the cells.) 'Tis a scourge upon human kind I tell you! Something must be done about respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest.
Jesus guys, I had to create an account just to respond to you guys.
Look, EVERYONE dies of respiratory arrest. Everyone. It's the thing that kills you. Your respiratory system stops. It arrests.
The cause of Steve's arrest was pancreatic cancer. It's exactly the same thing that killed my father-in-law. It does not take 20 years to develop, and in Steve's case it did not spread to his Goddamned spinal column and stop him from breathing.
Often with a terminal cancer patient it's the morphine administered for pain that actually causes the respiratory arrest and death. The patient is asleep/unconscious and does not suffer.
Respiratory arrest is the cessation of breathing. It is a medical emergency and it usually is related to or coincides with a cardiac arrest. Causes include opiate overdose, head injury, anaesthesia, tetanus, or drowning.
Mike this is how many end stage cancer patients pass. Often the end stages of the disease are so painful that patients are given a self-administer morphine drip. Essentially, the morphine kills them; they overdose and stop breathing - they just drift away.
In real terms, the pain relief hastens their death. But for terminal patients, it allows those final days to be spent in relative peace and with little pain, as opposed to dying in great agony. For terminal patients, this is the common standard of care, because it allows their death to be less horrifying.
Please, folks. Stop the rubbernecking. Can't you have ANY decency?
How is discussing this topic, which is based on public filings about a very important person's final hour, 'rubbernecking'? More so, how is it in any way harming his family? DO you think they are unaware of Steve's last hours?
Rubbernecking is when people slow down on a freeway to try and catch a glimpse of some accident. Discussing why Steve passed away, even if a bit morbid, is not disrespectful. In my opinion, you need to remember that lots of people cared about Steve - even those who never met him. This is a part of people coming to grips with a loss - it is in some ways a form of grieving.
Nobody is camping out in front of his house pestering his family about the details of Steve's last days - they are just talking about it in a random internet forum as they try to work through his death.
Instead of questioning their decency, why not have some compassion?
None of us have stopped to think about the sheer volume of great stuff he produced during the last two years of his life, years that were filled with the kind of pain and torment that would make most of us crumple to the ground.
Did anyone else see the tribute Jim Cramer gave him on Mad Money? I was surprised. Never liked him, but I had to say he summed up Steve's impact the best of anything I've heard yet.
Respiratory arrest implies a medical emergency due to the cessation of breathing. It often coincides with cardiac arrest. I am a registered nurse and have worked in hospice (palliative) care for a lot of my career. Most people don't die from their primary diagnosis. The death certificates I usually co-sign on list pneumonia or respiratory failure on them as the direct cause of death. In this particular case, I assume that Steve Jobs had one of the best hospice companies (if not a physician directly caring for him) during his decline into death. During this time, patients are given an opiate, usually sublingual morphine or, if the healthcare provider has access, IV morphine. Although morphine is used in the treatment of severe pain, one of it's side effects include respiratory depression. Respiratory depression sounds scary, but during an active death process, it can greatly improve the quality of someone's life. Managing a person in the hospital is a whole different story than managing a person in their home. This combined with other basic cares can provide comfort while the patient's breaths are slowing and becoming shallow. They usually drift into an unconscious state while the morphine is being administered. To assure comfort, the medication is continued until the time of death. Palliative care is an interesting subject. If any of you get bored while waiting for your iPhones this week, research it. Psychologically, Mr. Jobs died due to lack of oxygen, but rest assured, he was comfortable when it happened.
Reference:
DiPiro, J. T. (2011). Pharmacotherapy: a pathophysiologic approaoach (8th ed.). USA: McGraw-Hill Medical.
Medicine seems so close to reducing cancer to an annoying but not fatal chronic illness, or even curing some forms outright, but sadly it's just not there yet.
We'll never know what amazing things he would have done if he had survived.
Farewell Steve, thanks for everything, and God bless.
Comments
I can only hope they feel the world's unqualified goodwill and support.
It goes downhill very quickly when the tumor spreads to the spinal cord.
Sad.
But he's battling with cancer is a truly sad story to hear. As he have tried so hard and cried to tears when he heard it was benign for the first time.
andrewcslaughter@linuxmirroreast.com
By metastasizing to the spinal column around the upper neck, the tumor could stop him from breathing.
It goes downhill very quickly when the tumor spreads to the spinal cord.
Sad.
Can I respectfully suggest we don't speculate in this situation? You know how fast internet rumors travel
Looks like it got to his spinal cord.
No. He died peacefully.
Look, EVERYONE dies of respiratory arrest. Everyone. It's the thing that kills you. Your respiratory system stops. It arrests.
The cause of Steve's arrest was pancreatic cancer. It's exactly the same thing that killed my father-in-law. It does not take 20 years to develop, and in Steve's case it did not spread to his Goddamned spinal column and stop him from breathing.
He died from cancer. Period.
Stop making shit up. You're embarrassing us.
Often with a terminal cancer patient it's the morphine administered for pain that actually causes the respiratory arrest and death. The patient is asleep/unconscious and does not suffer.
Dilaudid. Not morphine as such.
Respiratory arrest is the cessation of breathing. It is a medical emergency and it usually is related to or coincides with a cardiac arrest. Causes include opiate overdose, head injury, anaesthesia, tetanus, or drowning.
Mike this is how many end stage cancer patients pass. Often the end stages of the disease are so painful that patients are given a self-administer morphine drip. Essentially, the morphine kills them; they overdose and stop breathing - they just drift away.
In real terms, the pain relief hastens their death. But for terminal patients, it allows those final days to be spent in relative peace and with little pain, as opposed to dying in great agony. For terminal patients, this is the common standard of care, because it allows their death to be less horrifying.
This is much less "news" for me as it is just grim rubbernecking. The man has died. Please let him and his family be.
Amen.
Please, folks. Stop the rubbernecking. Can't you have ANY decency?
Amen.
Please, folks. Stop the rubbernecking. Can't you have ANY decency?
How is discussing this topic, which is based on public filings about a very important person's final hour, 'rubbernecking'? More so, how is it in any way harming his family? DO you think they are unaware of Steve's last hours?
Rubbernecking is when people slow down on a freeway to try and catch a glimpse of some accident. Discussing why Steve passed away, even if a bit morbid, is not disrespectful. In my opinion, you need to remember that lots of people cared about Steve - even those who never met him. This is a part of people coming to grips with a loss - it is in some ways a form of grieving.
Nobody is camping out in front of his house pestering his family about the details of Steve's last days - they are just talking about it in a random internet forum as they try to work through his death.
Instead of questioning their decency, why not have some compassion?
Journalism died in the Nineties.
It's rare to see someone have this effect on so many people
I'm Muslim, and I find it hard to believe that someone who was loved by so many people
From so many religions and regions is not in the big mans good books
I mean the guy must have been doing something right to be loved by so many people
And I think he's probably pretty happy where he is right now
If he's into awesome, I'm pretty sure his current location satisfies that
Did anyone else see the tribute Jim Cramer gave him on Mad Money? I was surprised. Never liked him, but I had to say he summed up Steve's impact the best of anything I've heard yet.
Reference:
DiPiro, J. T. (2011). Pharmacotherapy: a pathophysiologic approaoach (8th ed.). USA: McGraw-Hill Medical.
We'll never know what amazing things he would have done if he had survived.
Farewell Steve, thanks for everything, and God bless.
Can I respectfully suggest we don't speculate in this situation? You know how fast internet rumors travel
Agreed on this point. Stick to the facts.