Useless Conversation

[Sky]

Fuck cancer, indeed.  Recovery looking good. Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Don't know how you kids type so much on these stupid phones.

[Morat20]

Holy shit. Glad to know it's just a "routine" thing instead of the Big C.

Fuck cancer.

Fuck it indeed.

My brother's results on are -- it's cancer, but not lung cancer. Hodgkin's lymphoma -- which is apparently pretty high up the "If you have to get cancer, get this one" list. 5 year rates are insanely high (like 85% across all patients). Even the stage IV rates are high (65%). I think having stage IV HL is only slightly worse than having stage I lung cancer. Barely.

That big mass in his lung isn't in his lung. It's a tumor in his lymph nodes in his upper chest, which has displaced/compressed/overlapped his right lung. That's why he can't breath. The doc was very confidant that it wasn't in his lung at all (it's confined to that lymph node).

However, he's got to get a PET scan and a bone marrow biopsy (scheduled for 'as soon as the insurance okays it' so either Friday or Monday) to see if it started in his chest, or started somewhere else and spread. By default he's getting radiation (targeted at his chest to kill the big tumor fast) and a chemo package, so long months ahead. If it's spread, I think they just give him stronger chemo drugs and maybe radiation at any other site.

Still, shit. 85% for all cases? 65% or better for Stage IV? Fucking beats the hell out of most cancers.

Doctor says he'll actually feel better once the treatment starts, because he'll be able to breathe properly, sleep without coughs waking him up every 20 minutes, and get his O2 levels up without working his heart into a tizzy.

But in any case: Fuck cancer. Stupid body. Poorly designed POS.

[rattran]

One of my friends is going through Hodgkin's, it's rough but the docs seem confident, even though he's 70. So best of luck to your brother.

And good news indeed Sky, though any time in the hospital sucks.

[Xanthippe]

Whew, Sky, glad it was 'just' a bowel obstruction. Hope your fiance is home soon and recovers swiftly.

Morat, best of luck to your brother.

[Merusk]

Best of luck, Morat.  Fuck cancer.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Fuck cancer, indeed.  Recovery looking good. Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Don't know how you kids type so much on these stupid phones.

Glad the GF doesn't have cancer and "only" has an obstruction.  Hope she recovers quickly.

Holy shit. Glad to know it's just a "routine" thing instead of the Big C.

Fuck cancer.

Fuck it indeed.

My brother's results on are -- it's cancer, but not lung cancer. Hodgkin's lymphoma -- which is apparently pretty high up the "If you have to get cancer, get this one" list. 5 year rates are insanely high (like 85% across all patients). Even the stage IV rates are high (65%). I think having stage IV HL is only slightly worse than having stage I lung cancer. Barely.

That big mass in his lung isn't in his lung. It's a tumor in his lymph nodes in his upper chest, which has displaced/compressed/overlapped his right lung. That's why he can't breath. The doc was very confidant that it wasn't in his lung at all (it's confined to that lymph node).

However, he's got to get a PET scan and a bone marrow biopsy (scheduled for 'as soon as the insurance okays it' so either Friday or Monday) to see if it started in his chest, or started somewhere else and spread. By default he's getting radiation (targeted at his chest to kill the big tumor fast) and a chemo package, so long months ahead. If it's spread, I think they just give him stronger chemo drugs and maybe radiation at any other site.

Still, shit. 85% for all cases? 65% or better for Stage IV? Fucking beats the hell out of most cancers.

Doctor says he'll actually feel better once the treatment starts, because he'll be able to breathe properly, sleep without coughs waking him up every 20 minutes, and get his O2 levels up without working his heart into a tizzy.

But in any case: Fuck cancer. Stupid body. Poorly designed POS.

HL really is one of the most "recoverable" cancers out there.  The husband was diagnosed with HL at 23 and after chemo and radiation, is considered completely recovered now.  He does have a higher chance of developing other cancers as we both get older, but nothing's showed up yet, 20+ years later.  Glad your brother's figured out what he's got and it's something so treatable.  

[Nebu]

HL really is one of the most "recoverable" cancers out there.  The husband was diagnosed with HL at 23 and after chemo and radiation, is considered completely recovered now.  He does have a higher chance of developing other cancers as we both get older, but nothing's showed up yet, 20+ years later.  Glad your brother's figured out what he's got and it's something so treatable. 

This. 

I'm terribly sorry about the cancer news.  Fortunately, his prognosis is quite excellent. 

Take care.

[Bunk]

Wow, everyone's been going through this lately... Glad to hear it wasn't anything for you and yours Sky, and Morat - that's probably the best you could have hoped for, so good.
My dad is in recovery right now after having several lumps removed from his kidneys. Fortunately they caught it early and everything I'm hearing says full recovery.

So everyone keep your spirits up. Fuck Cancer, and all that shit.

[HaemishM]

Good-ish news, Morat. Not that he has cancer, obviously because FC, but good to know it's one of the more survivable ones. I didn't realize that.

[WayAbvPar]

Llamas on the loose was the most entertainment I have extracted from Twitter for weeks.

[Hammond]

So I was being hit on by a drunk women at a comedy club a few weeks back and she was convinced I was Iranian. I thought she was joking but she was convinced and here is the kicker I am about as white as you get.. At least my friends thought it was funny. Well along with this women was attempting to climb into my pants while I was running the other way.

Oh and yea fuck cancer!

[Morat20]

HL really is one of the most "recoverable" cancers out there.  The husband was diagnosed with HL at 23 and after chemo and radiation, is considered completely recovered now.  He does have a higher chance of developing other cancers as we both get older, but nothing's showed up yet, 20+ years later.  Glad your brother's figured out what he's got and it's something so treatable. 

This. 

I'm terribly sorry about the cancer news.  Fortunately, his prognosis is quite excellent. 

Take care.

Thanks. The Doctor literally said Hodgkin's lymphoma was "good news" compared to many of the other possibilities.

His best friend ordered him a 'Zero' t-shirt for when he's, quote, "skinny and bald". (My brother was quite the fan of Smashing Pumpkins, back in the 90s. Still is, I'd imagine. It just doesn't come up as much).

[Margalis]

So I was being hit on by a drunk women at a comedy club a few weeks back and she was convinced I was Iranian. I thought she was joking but she was convinced and here is the kicker I am about as white as you get.. At least my friends thought it was funny.

Drunk people are dumb. Once when I was drunk I sat and listened to a girl tell me that she was going to Law School and Medical School at the same time. I believed her, because booze plus tits.

[Cheddar]

My mom met a homeless lady at the library with a 6 month old an a 6 year old.  Lives in their car except this week they have hotel via non profit.

Fuck.  Reminds me why we do volunteer work (as a family).  This shit kills me.  Not looking for replies, but please donate cash or food to your local charity.

Please.

[schild]

I would donate so much money to Austin homeless shelters if the primary one wasn't on one of the most expensive pieces of real estate downtown degrading the value of buildings around it and making it a general fucking shitshow for 2 blocks.

Austin done fucked up with that. For those wondering.

[Paelos]

Yep, better push those poors to the fringes of society where they fucking belong.

 

[Bunk]

Wow, that's a really structured grid system Austin has going on there.

Was gonna say something on the homeless front, but what can you say? Homeless people usually don't have cars, so where ever you put the services for them, you create a focal point for them to hang out. And yeah, those areas are hell.  It doesn't matter where you put them, be it mid down town or out in the burbs, its going to make that area shitty with crime and drugs.

I've lived on the border of more than a few of "those" areas in my time. My current place, you walk out the front door to a nice street full of small businesses and shops, lots of foot traffic, restaurants, etc. Walk out my back door and there are bums in tents set up in the alley, because the outreach center is a block away. But hey, means I can rent a five year old apartment for good rates, in a nice enough area (so long as I never go out the back door) Would not be there if it wasn't a secure building with secure parking though.

We had someone steal the bench out of our lobby a few months back. Just picked it up and walked out. I once lived a couple blocks over in a shitty unsecure apartment in my less well off days - after they punched out the lock on my car, I just left the car unlocked all the time, they did less damage to it that way.

It doesn't matter what the property values of the area are like, no one wants "those" areas near them.

[Nebu]

Wow, that's a really structured grid system Austin has going on there.

You should see Vegas.  It's like the worlds most perfect grid.

[Merusk]

It doesn't matter what the property values of the area are like, no one wants "those" areas near them.

Which is why spreading low-income housing in a disbursed pattern is more effective at a number of things. Reducing crime rake, keeping property values up and encouraging a sense of ownership being chief.

Instead of 'luxury' 'middle' and 'low' income buildings you do a mix of each in every building, also making sure not to segregate by floors.  A more diverse community is created and you don't create slums where problems are ignored by police as 'just how those people live' because you're pretending that middle & high income families don't also have the same domestic, drug and alcohol problems as poor folks.

But that's crazy radical talk.

[Yegolev]

Alright.  I applied for a systems architect position with Habitat for Humanity.  YOU'RE WELCOME.

[Engels]

Yay! Good cause! Welcome to barely livable wages!

[Merusk]

Alright.  I applied for a systems architect position with Habitat for Humanity.  YOU'RE WELCOME.

Good luck!

[Paelos]

Alright.  I applied for a systems architect position with Habitat for Humanity.  YOU'RE WELCOME.

Tell Jimmy Carter he can still kiss our asses.

But good job!

[Yegolev]

Yay! Good cause! Welcome to barely livable wages!

I'm really expecting some awesome Liberal Democrat benefits like free healthcare, free college, and free hippie sex.  Don't let me down, you idealistic elbow-patch pipe-smokers!

[Nebu]

Don't let me down, you idealistic elbow-patch pipe-smokers!

Someone looking for me?

[Paelos]

Yes, Yegolev wants sex. Preferably hippy. Post-haste.

[schild]

Austin and Vegas have nothing on Phoenix.

Which is strange because tweakers can barely follow a straight line.

[schild]

Yep, better push those poors to the fringes of society where they fucking belong.

 

See, this is what people say when I bitch about the location of the homeless shelter. But no, fuck you (even if it was a joke) and fuck them. 10 blocks east would've made more sense. Hell, 6 blocks north would've made more sense.

Instead, no, 2 blocks north of the largest number of bars on any street in America.

Hilariously easy access to drugs, beer, and people.

Austin created this issue and is unwilling to fix it because their hearts bleed so fucking much.

[Phildo]

Wouldn't six blocks north put it directly across the street from the capitol?   

[HaemishM]

That would be the BEST location for it, but we know that shit would never happen.

[schild]

Wouldn't six blocks north put it directly across the street from the capitol?   

Naw, not quite. It's pretty far east from the capital all things considered.

[Trippy]

San Francisco has the same issue with the Tenderloin. Walk two blocks in the wrong direction from Union Square, where a lot of the upscale shops and hotels are located, and you'll end up in the worst neighborhood in SF.

[Ironwood]

Glasgow is slightly different. Walk in any direction for any length of time and you're still in one enormous shithole.

[Samwise]

San Francisco has the same issue with the Tenderloin. Walk two blocks in the wrong direction from Union Square, where a lot of the upscale shops and hotels are located, and you'll end up in the worst neighborhood in SF.

People who think the TL is scary haven't been to Hunter's Point.     I grew up in the TL and the central location was awesome.  15 minutes from anything by subway.

[schild]

15 minutes from anything by subway sounds like a shitty fucking commute to me.

God, I absolutely abhor the general public.