Who wants to live forever?

[bluejogger]

I found out that my kidney transplant is projected to last, maybe, 5 years. And so, I had to start the horribly depressing process of being put on the transplant list for a cadaver, as there is an estimated 5 years waiting list and I've just past the mark where I can be placed on the list based on my current renal function

Comments

[whswhs]

It seems odd to me that you're primarily objecting to emotional manipulation when they're making a medical decision that could literally be life or death to you. Unless you're saying that dying is bad, but being emotionally manipulated is even worse, which I suppose is a coherent position

[bluejogger]

Look, I agree with you. At some point, economically speaking, the correct choice is to wander out into the forest with a gun and not return. I'm not going to demand that we spend every dollar to give everyone a few precious extra seconds in a hospital awaiting the final heart attack or brain flatline. Or subsidize the no kidney patients from the people that have two working ones.

I just want them to be an adult about it and say, "here's the standards as of (date), meet them, or not, your choice". I guess I'm asking too much.

[whswhs]

I'm sorry; I didn't mean that to be an editorial about free market versus medicine versus insurance versus government funding. I'm just saying that I don't expect bureaucracies to follow rules that make sense. Or to be straightforward about telling people what their choices are. Dealing with bureaucracies tends to be a nasty experience, and I'm sorry that you're having to go through it.

[neo_tanuki]

That's a tough situation to be in; I'm really sorry to hear you are going through this. You have my sympathy and well-wishes.

[bluejogger]

Actually purging fat too quickly will harm kidney function, as will as zig-zagging up and down the scale. I do not know how much of a risk being 80 pounds overweight is to kidney function since they don't tell me that (I'm assuming they don't know).

I assume they have some statistic somewhere that says fatter patients die sooner or are poorer risks for transplants, but in the absence of anything remotely fact-based, I'm left to assume it is all some random arbitrary rule that fat people should suffer.

[caprine]

I send you hugs and good wishes.