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Comment by ribs | Hacker News Reader

Like Arthur Kane, bass player for the New York Dolls. Goes to the hospital thinking he has the flu, is diagnosed with leukemia, 2 hours - HOURS - later, he dies.

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i wonder how much effect the psychological shock has on the body.

you hear these types of stories more often than of ones where people die of cancer not knowing they had cancer

If you haven't seen the movie "New York Doll," about Kane's interesting life trajectory, I recommend it: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436629/

I caught that movie already started on a TV channel once and saw like the last third of it. I didn't know the band, and all the while I thought it was a parody similar to Spinal Tap. It wasn't until the ending that I realized everything was a true story.

Last time I went to the doctor with extreme flu like symptoms (Pretty sure I had pneumonia) the doctor treated me like I was wasting her time and actually ridiculed me. Hearing stuff like this stresses me the heck out.

This was the often praised UK NHS btw

I had a doctor be dismissive and rude for coming in with a huge crater blister (from climbing) on my foot that had become infected, hot to the touch, and too painful for me to walk. This was in America, and I had good health insurance. As crappy as the Tories are making the NHS, it's still better than what we have.

I got to my (Dutch) doctor for far smaller things than these. Really trivial stuff. But I go because I'm not sure what it is and I prefer to be on the safe side. I'm always taken seriously, even when it's nothing.

I guess the Dutch system is not so bad after all. Or maybe you've got bad luck in that doctor, and I'm fortunate to have a good one. There's always some bad apples in every group.

I think I'd change doctors if I were you.

To be fair, people having unhealthy lifestyle - especially those drinking are feeling terrible all the time - may just think this is how healthy person should feel and miss any symptoms of the potential disease.

By the time you notice the symptoms, in a serious way, you're unfortunately already as good as gone. :(

How do you find out you have it if it is asymptomatic? Should we be getting blood tests for leukemia right along? Or is it too rare to consider...?

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