A Different Set of Choices

I seem to get a lot of my news from the elevator at work. Last week, one of the big stories was about former President Carter's new cancer diagnosis. These details struck me: an accomplished individual who is now 90 years old gets a cancer diagnosis, decides to fight and so immediately starts radiation treatments.

I mean, wow. 

I get that ex-Presidents must receive what is literally the world's greatest healthcare, but even that's not going to prevent him from experiencing the joyous side effects of cancer treatment. And at ninety, how much time can this actually be expected to buy him? 

I just have no comprehension of how one would have to exist in the world such that, at ninety, chemo or radiation or pretty much any sort of cancer treatment at all would seem like a good choice. I wasn't willing to tolerate it at 47.

And this doesn't even begin to address all the "death panel" considerations. I'm not sure how a Presidential risk pool works, or if there even is one, but assuming there is you gotta wonder how his fellow poolees feel about underwriting cancer treatment for a 90 year old. 

But more power to him. I hope his decision turns out to be a good one for him. 

Still, radiation at ninety? Oof...