This weekend, a "cyber" friend killed herself. I have been stunned by this event, even though I did not know this woman "in real life." She called herself "Xalaska"; her real name was Susan.
I met her through the part of the Internet called the "Xenaverse," which is to say, we both shared a love of the TV show, Xena: Warrior Princess. I knew of her long before we shared private conversations and a telephone call. She was everywhere, it seemed, involved and chatty and glad to be talking to you.
But things fell apart and she took her own life. She was a physician by trade, and loved her work in a small town in Alaska. She wrote eloquently of the hardships, of trying to save lives and make existence better for others. That she could not do that for herself is staggering to me.
None of us who corresponded with her could what was happening. She had terrible physical pain from a gastric bypass surgery gone awry, for one thing. She also owed the government thousands for her education.
That would be enough to drive anyone to the brink. I am sorry, though, that she couldn't reach out and find help from someone, anyone. Especially since so many online knew her and cared about her. An online memorial to her is here.
I am angry at a medical establishment that condones such surgeries. I do not know if Susan's surgery was necessary, but I think it must have hastened her death. I am sure there are such surgeries that are life or death, but it seems to me most are aimed at women who are overweight and unable to live up to society's ideals of "slim" and "beautiful." How dare a doctor utter the Hippocratic Oath and then mutilate in the name of beauty?
I am also angry at a wealthy nation that has an educational system that puts its smartest and wisest in the position of being in intolerable debt. Why can't we put people through school without this burden? Why must our physicians be forced to shuttle patients through in rapid order so they can meet their educational obligations? What is it worth to the public to educate and train good doctors who will then stay alive and practice good medicine?
I fear this country has some wrong-headed perogatives. And every single day, someone else falls to the axe, a pawn in a great game that only a few understand.
I met her through the part of the Internet called the "Xenaverse," which is to say, we both shared a love of the TV show, Xena: Warrior Princess. I knew of her long before we shared private conversations and a telephone call. She was everywhere, it seemed, involved and chatty and glad to be talking to you.
But things fell apart and she took her own life. She was a physician by trade, and loved her work in a small town in Alaska. She wrote eloquently of the hardships, of trying to save lives and make existence better for others. That she could not do that for herself is staggering to me.
None of us who corresponded with her could what was happening. She had terrible physical pain from a gastric bypass surgery gone awry, for one thing. She also owed the government thousands for her education.
That would be enough to drive anyone to the brink. I am sorry, though, that she couldn't reach out and find help from someone, anyone. Especially since so many online knew her and cared about her. An online memorial to her is here.
I am angry at a medical establishment that condones such surgeries. I do not know if Susan's surgery was necessary, but I think it must have hastened her death. I am sure there are such surgeries that are life or death, but it seems to me most are aimed at women who are overweight and unable to live up to society's ideals of "slim" and "beautiful." How dare a doctor utter the Hippocratic Oath and then mutilate in the name of beauty?
I am also angry at a wealthy nation that has an educational system that puts its smartest and wisest in the position of being in intolerable debt. Why can't we put people through school without this burden? Why must our physicians be forced to shuttle patients through in rapid order so they can meet their educational obligations? What is it worth to the public to educate and train good doctors who will then stay alive and practice good medicine?
I fear this country has some wrong-headed perogatives. And every single day, someone else falls to the axe, a pawn in a great game that only a few understand.
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