Andy Stephenson deserved the superior medical treatment that was granted Steve Jobs.

[elehhhhna]

It's not fair.

The greatest thing about America WAS that she wanted to be fair. What happened?

[Confusious]

1. You got one part wrong

It was never meant to be fair. Slavery was written into the constitution.

It's up to We the People to make it fair.

[Pab Sungenis]

2. EVERYONE deserves the superior medical treatment

that was granted Steve Jobs, not just Andy.

[Bake]

21. Thank you. [phone]

Otherwise, we get into somebody deciding who "deserves" it. And frankly, I don't want the DU GD forum deciding if I "deserve" superior medical treatment (my God, can you imagine that????).

Bake

[Ellipsis]

3. Errr... Jobs had a different flavor of pancreatic cancer then Andy.

Not as virulent, but it sucks any way.

[elehhhhna]

7. oh. then nevermind.

[Ellipsis]

8. Your still right. n/t

:-)

[elehhhhna]

11. thanks. sorry for the snark

[Ellipsis]

15. I didn't take it that way.

You snark anytime you want. I type slowly and my grammar sucks, so I'm often to the point. I wish I could color text with my tone too.

The only reason I knew was because my doctor son interns for Apple and he took a personal interest in his cancer. We had a discussion about Jobs last week, he said it was likely he stepped down because he was dying of a slow growing, rare form of pancreatic cancer.

[shireen]

4. yes, i was thinking of Andy too.

He had such a hard time with his treatment, even after the money that was raised on DU.

He deserved better. Everyone deserves better.

[NYC Liberal]

6. "Everyone deserves better." Exactly.

[Hotler]

5. Kicking for Andy. eom.

[TomClash]

9. Kicking for

the poor, sick and dispossessed.

Good OP.

[Bozita]

10. I think of Andy and the $$$ battle for his surgery every time I hear the words "pancreatic cancer"

RIP Andy.
RIP Steve.

[Nye Bevan]

12. Didn't Andy Stephenson get surgery at Johns Hopkins?

I understand that's a pretty good cancer center. What are you saying was substandard about his treatment?

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. The difference is that Steve Jobs never had to think twice about

where the money would come from for his care. Andy and many others did/do.

[Bozita]

18. Andy's surgery was delayed for quite a few days over the money thing, IIRC

And that was AFTER the necessary money was already an established fact.

And time was a CRITICAL factor for this type of pancreatic cancer surgery/treatment.

I don't remember the details, but it wasn't pretty.

[moondust]

14. "All men are created equal."

Some just inherit more advantages than others.

[Spider Jerusalem]

16. Jobs was able to afford to put himself on multiple transplant registries...

knowing he'd be able to afford the ticket and a private room in a hospital when a match was found, wherever it was found (he gamed the system by getting on the transplant list in Memphis where there were a lot fewer waiting than in California). Which isn't "fair" and I'm not sure there's any way to make the system that fair (unless it's rules to prevent the rich from doing what Jobs did).

[REP]

24. I will do the same thing when I need a kidney tx; I'm not rich. Anyone can multiple-list.

I know I'm in kidney failure, and that I have the lowest chance of receiving a tx because of my blood type (very rare) and because I'll be given low priority because I have no children. I have planned for that. I will be multiple-listed. When the time comes, I'll have to take a commercial flight, but I've been planning since I was first diagnosed.

Anyone can be on multiple lists. Even Jobs with his more horrible disease had years to plan for his tx. Not everyone can, but many do have that opportunity. The UNOS system IS flawed - like giving people like me lower priority because I didn't make my disease worse (pregnancy is contraindicated with my kidney disease) - but being on more than one registry isn't limited to the rich. I sure as hell ain't rich.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

17. I am glad you brought Andy up. We need to stop sometime

and remember great people who aren't with us anymore. Wish he was still here. We sorely
need him now.

My Dad's best friend died with colon cancer after being brushed off by his doctor "no need
to worry about those pains." I bring this up because it was the exact same time Reagan
had colon cancer and had all the best doctors focusing on him...and he survived that.

As for pancreatic cancer.....my coworker's wife felt a pain in her arm (in her 40's), went
to the doctor and was diagnosed with 6 months to live. My friend went on a leave of
absence and they bummmed around Europe for 6 months, she came home and died.

Pancreatic cancer is a sure killer and in this case, I can't imagine that Jobs' extended life
was a bowl of cherries. In fact, it was probably pure hell.

Same with Ted. He had the best treatment in the world. But, with brain cancer, and the best
doctors, it probably only bought him a couple months.

If you are going to die. You are going to die. The sadest part...the diseases
where money allows people to live, while others die.

[shireen]

19. i think the greedy scum on wall street haven't figure out

that they can't take their blood-soaked thousand dollar bills with them when they die.

Death sure is the great equalizer. If people like the wall street scum thought about the finality of it a bit more, maybe they'd find some of that long-lost empathy.

[PeaceNikki]

20. Everyone deserves superior medical treatment and every chance to live.

Not just Jobs; not just Andy. Everyone.

[HappyMe]

22. All men with money are created equal.

The rest of you, need not apply.

[Daphne08]

23. Yes, he did!

I can't believe it's been so long since DU and others raised $50,000 for him. I know that was 2005.

Can't remember the year he passed away.

[SalviaBlue]

25. Yep. So did my sister, who was uninsured and poor.

May she RIP.