Dick Cheney Recieves Heart Transplant at 71

**Milkster** · 2012-03-28 12:09

I think the problem people have is 1) his age, 2) his current health condition (dude has been having heart attacks since he was 35) 3) That pretty much he doesn't have long to live anyway based on patients whom had a LVAD 4) How did he get a heart transplant when most people with LVADs get taken off of the list due to the risk being so great. I have a question, how much did he actually try decreasing his risk of having a heart attack, after the first one? I mean if he kept on doing the same things that caused the first, I find it silly to give him a brand new heart to destroy. Just my opinion.

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-03-28 12:11

Some people are just born with shitty hearts bro.

Question, for all those who think some transplant board was wrong in giving Cheney this heart, how long would he have to live starting now for you to say "Welp, guess I was wrong?"

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**Bregor** · 2012-03-28 12:19

Originally Posted by Milkster

(dude has been having heart attacks since he was 35)

Originally Posted by Bregor

Yeah we should save those donor hearts for people with perfectly healthy hearts.

Wait

.

**kuronosan** · 2012-03-28 12:55

You're taking things out of context. Working in health care, I clearly understand that donor organs are for unhealthy people. The question becomes whether priority is based on time on the list, money, or estimated risk of procedure.

I'll reiterate. If it was money that awarded him a heart, it's bullshit.
If he did his time, as the case appears to be, then okay.
If he was high risk and there were other candidates who were lower risk that needed it, and he was awarded the heart because of money, it's bullshit.
If he was high risk and there were other low-risk candidates that hadn't waited as long and he was awarded the heart because he waited, it's okay.

I'm not saying don't give people hearts, and fuck the old people, and fuck the soon-to-die-assholes. I'm saying money and status should not be qualifiers for receiving a heart, especially when you're old (and having heart attacks since 35? come on, apply for a transplant back then... shit), high-risk, and someone else probably could use the heart more than you.

In other words, organ transplants shouldn't be a "temporary life extender" for people who don't have much longer to live. Obviously there's a chance that Cheney could live another 10 years. Whoopdee do. Then who gets the heart? Look at Jobs. He had pancreatic cancer and received a liver anyway. Why? To buy him a couple more years? I'm sure sentimentally that's valuable and human lives are priceless, but be honest - he got the liver because he was Steve Jobs. If this was Candice from elementary school and Steve Jobs was first on the list do you think she'd still get it, despite the fact that she's otherwise healthy? Fuck no.

I can't really think of any other words to explain my position. If someone was irresponsible with their life they don't deserve the gift of an organ that someone who didn't ask for their condition really needs. Lung cancer because you're a chronic smoker? Fuck you, I'd rather have the young kid born with CF get those lungs. There's more than just you on this planet. Everyone has a right to survive but having money and power doesn't make you more vital to the survival of the species. Your happiness isn't the only happiness that matters.

**Bregor** · 2012-03-28 13:01

Originally Posted by kuronosan

If he did his time, as the case appears to be, then okay.

This should have been /post

I think what most people are dancing around is that they really don't like Dick Cheney personally and are trying to justify their umad at him being given a heart transplant.

**Kurokikaze** · 2012-03-28 13:15

I'm not mad that he got a heart transplant. If he needs it, why shouldn't he? What does annoy me is that universal healthcare is only good for elected officials. Fuck the masses. Amirite? But judging by the 20-month wait I'd say that was private insurance...

Also, shouldn't he be covered by government insurance which is taxpayer funded?

**Bregor** · 2012-03-28 13:16

Originally Posted by Kurokikaze

I'm more annoyed that he gets a transplant through government funded healthcare while the average citizen can not.

That's a different argument but I gotta agree with you there.

**kuronosan** · 2012-03-28 13:48

Well, shit. I should have just said that. It's pretty much half of my argument.

**Ragnus** · 2012-03-28 14:20

http://www.politicalcartoons.com/car...a727a6909.html

**Jeryhn** · 2012-03-28 14:43

Originally Posted by archibaldcrane

Question, for all those who think some transplant board was wrong in giving Cheney this heart, how long would he have to live starting now for you to say "Welp, guess I was wrong?"

Considering Cheney is most likely animated by the raw power of hate alone, I'm going to have to say "never".

**Sera** · 2012-03-28 16:12

Originally Posted by kuronosan

I'm saying money and status should not be qualifiers for receiving a heart, especially when you're old (and having heart attacks since 35? come on, apply for a transplant back then... shit), high-risk, and someone else probably could use the heart more than you.

In other words, organ transplants shouldn't be a "temporary life extender" for people who don't have much longer to live. Obviously there's a chance that Cheney could live another 10 years. Whoopdee do. Then who gets the heart? Look at Jobs. He had pancreatic cancer and received a liver anyway. Why? To buy him a couple more years? I'm sure sentimentally that's valuable and human lives are priceless, but be honest - he got the liver because he was Steve Jobs. If this was Candice from elementary school and Steve Jobs was first on the list do you think she'd still get it, despite the fact that she's otherwise healthy? Fuck no.

I can't really think of any other words to explain my position. If someone was irresponsible with their life they don't deserve the gift of an organ that someone who didn't ask for their condition really needs. Lung cancer because you're a chronic smoker? Fuck you, I'd rather have the young kid born with CF get those lungs. There's more than just you on this planet. Everyone has a right to survive but having money and power doesn't make you more vital to the survival of the species. Your happiness isn't the only happiness that matters.

He's saying that. I agree but I'm also saying you cannot convince me that there was not a MATCH on that recipient list who was a better idea than some 71 year old five time heart attack survivor (with a first at THIRTY FIVE? COME ON NOW.) That list is long. Younger people or congenital defects should come first. PERIOD.

And yeah, he can pitch a bitch about my contraception but I have to pay for his new heart? Fuck that noise.

**hey** · 2012-03-28 16:22

Originally Posted by Sera

That list is long.

Source please.

A lot of people around the country waiting for a heart does not necessarily mean there was even a single other person on the list that could have gotten the heart.

**greenhills** · 2012-03-28 18:26

i'll admit it. this irritates me because i think he is an asshole. same thing for steve jobs (who lived only 2 or 3 years after his transplant?).
also, this is going to only make me more irritated since i won't be able to laugh as loud when he finally dies in <5 years since now it will only be a waste of a perfectly good heart.

**Niiro** · 2012-03-28 18:35

Er, Jobs didn't even last a year after his transplant I thought?

**zoobernut** · 2012-03-28 18:49

I think people think that money and influence help get people higher on the transplant lists. I read an interesting article recently about Jobs' transplant and how people were outraged. There was some misconception about it and the article explained that ANYONE can be put on any number of transplant lists they want (the way it was explained is that there isn't one national list but many lists split up by region) the issue is that in order to get on a list you need to prove that you have the ability/resources to be in that location VERY fast in the event that a compatible transplant becomes available. The extremely wealthy with private jets/helicopters have the ability to pretty much be anywhere they want in the country within the set time frame and therefore have the resources to get onto every transplant list in the country or at least close to all of them. Since it is a game of numbers this means they have a tendency to get transplants faster but their money doesn't influence how fast they move up an individual list once they are on it.

I read this in an article on a news website some time ago so I might be a little bit off base here but I think this is maybe what is going on with Cheney too. Or maybe I am remembering it completely wrong and this whole post is just bollox.

**greenhills** · 2012-03-28 20:02

@zoobernut: I think i read that same article. you seem to be summing up what they were saying pretty spot on.

Er, Jobs didn't even last a year after his transplant I thought?

wasn't sure, so i googled.
from wiki:
Though it was initially treated, he reported a hormone imbalance, underwent a liver transplant in April 2009, and appeared progressively thinner as his health declined.[22] On medical leave for most of 2011, Jobs resigned as Apple CEO in August that year and was elected Chairman of the Board. He died of respiratory arrest related to his metastatic tumor on October 5, 2011.

**Sera** · 2012-03-28 20:09

Originally Posted by hey

Source please.

A lot of people around the country waiting for a heart does not necessarily mean there was even a single other person on the list that could have gotten the heart.

http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/H...ed/hearttx.cfm

Originally Posted by greenhills

i'll admit it. this irritates me because i think he is an asshole. same thing for steve jobs (who lived only 2 or 3 years after his transplant?).
also, this is going to only make me more irritated since i won't be able to laugh as loud when he finally dies in <5 years since now it will only be a waste of a perfectly good heart.

Jobs' transplant was bullshit too.

I bet they wouldn't give my 68 year old grandmother who has multiple metastatic cancer a new organ of any kind. You know, because she's not FUCKING DRIPPING IN MONEY. Some more "equal" than others, as usual.

**hey** · 2012-03-28 20:15

Originally Posted by Sera

http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/H...ed/hearttx.cfm

All i see is

The demand for donor hearts is greater than the supply. At any given time, more than 3,000 patients are on the national patient waiting list for a heart transplant, but only about 2,000 donor hearts become available for transplantation in a year.

Which does not mean jack shit. There are multiple lists, and it is possible for 1000 people to be on one list, and no one on another. Not to mention not everyone on a given list will be a match for a given heart.

I bet they wouldn't give my 68 year old grandmother who has multiple metastatic cancer a new organ of any kind. You know, because she's not FUCKING DRIPPING IN MONEY. Some more "equal" than others, as usual.

Or because the cancer is going to kill her anyway, and it'd be retarded to waste an organ on her.

**Sera** · 2012-03-28 20:24

Originally Posted by Jeryhn

Considering Cheney is most likely animated by the raw power of hate alone, I'm going to have to say "never".

lol, I'd say this but it would be an emotional response. I'd say 15-20 years archi.

**Sera** · 2012-03-28 20:25

Originally Posted by hey

All i see is Which does not mean jack shit. There are multiple lists, and it is possible for 1000 people to be on one list, and no one on another. Not to mention not everyone on a given list will be a match for a given heart.

Or because the cancer is going to kill her anyway, and it'd be retarded to waste an organ on her.

didn't stop em from giving something to jobs

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