should we start making bets ...

[doctor_iola]

..on how soon Kennedy will last?
I say 6 months.  It doesn't even sound like it's operable...
and when it's operable, it buys you maybe 2-3 months extra...

meanwhile it's been 2 years since Ariel Sharon borderline croaked. According to wikipedia, he's still in persistent vegetative stage....

Comments

[bagira]

Well, hello, Dr. Yang. Where is your doctorly compassion?

[doctor_iola]

define compassion in this case.
re: Sharon--imho, the most compassionate thing would be to let the man die with dignity. 2 brain surgeries in a span of two days SCREAMS poor prognosis, even before you factor in things like old age and poor health.
re: Kennedy--malignant glioma (which is usually glioblastoma multiforme) kills in 3 months untreated. up to a year treated. if he is not being operated upon--either it's too big or in too vital of an area (i.e. where the speech is). I can feel all kinds of sorry for the man, he's obviously a part of the history of the country, but it will not change the fact that there is a great likelihood he'll have less than a year left in him.

[bagira]

Oooh, just saw a G.A. episode where a young man has that malignant glioma thing in his brain, and so, kaput.

[doctor_iola]

well, expectedly, the condition before the disease predicts recovery, so if the patient is young and otherwise healthy, they can frequently hang on for longer (and tolerate treatment better). But in general, malignant gliomas in the brain is a death sentence whether you are young or old. Kennedy is 76, no spring chicken.....

[yelya]

Yeah, I guess we'll need another senator pretty soon. I was just thinking about how everyone keeps saying that McCain is old. Meanwhile, our own Teddy is about 5 years older than McCain, and still live and kicking... or was, until recently. I think most of the media is in denial about the prognosis - or at least, judging from what I heard today.

[doctor_iola]

it's likely that they are in denial.
i think the fact that they 1. airlifted him into mass. general and 2. didn't resect the tumor speaks that it's quite advanced.
besides, u know, maybe they are trying to be sensitive and not scream something along the lines of "oh shit, he's dying!"

[mamaracha]

I think the fact that they airlifted him to MGH doesn't say much (even though no surgery prolly does - but you would know better). I can't imagine Kennedy getting treatment at some buttfuck Cape Cod hospital when MGH is the place where VIPs go, and that just bought a hotel and converted it to the VIP rooms. I mean, he's a Kennedy, for god's sake! :)

[doctor_iola]

well, guess who pays for his ass to get airlifted? we do =)

[xpeh1]

I think no longer than 2 month - they won't keep him on machines, because the elections are soon.
I am surprised it did not manifest itself with other symptoms: senators go through checkups quite regularly...

[doctor_iola]

these suckers can grow fast; may not have had symptoms or the symptoms may have gotten attributed to something else.
and nobody gets routine CT head without relevant complaints. so there...

[anonymous]

they do say its in the left lobe near the area that controls speech, movement, etc. probably few months.

it sucks you know. the more i think about the more i realize that everyone was right when they said that my grandmother dying as fast as she did, probably without even realizing it was a great thing.

i can't imagine myself knowing that i'm going to croke in 2 months.

[le_dot_shik]

oh and it was me

[doctor_iola]

merciful quick death is the best death u can ask for...
nothing worse than protracted sickness that takes away your body and your mind....it doesn't make it easier to accept the death for the relatives, and drains all their sanity. everyone suffers in this situation....