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Dying Fred Baron to Get Biomed Cancer Drug

By Jeralyn, Section Off Topic
Posted on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 11:00:46 AM EST
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A few days ago I wrote about Fred Baron's sudden diagnosis of multiple myeloma and Biomed's refusal to allow him to use the drug Tysabri. His son Andrew, founder of Rocketboom, enlisted dignataries from Lance Armstrong to Bill Clinton, John Kerry and others to the public to convince Biomed to allow Baron to receive the drug.

Biomed has relented and Baron now is being treated with the drug at the Mayo Clinic.....Andrew Baron said the Mayo Clinic, working with the FDA, found a legal basis for using Tysabri on his father.

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    Dying Fred Baron to Get Biomed Cancer Drug | 20 comments (20 topical)
    Im glad that he will get a chance.... (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by MKS on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:12:59 PM EST


    His dying is irreversible. (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:17:30 PM EST
    He has no chance.

    Parent
    Awesome (none / 0) (#1)
    by andgarden on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 11:04:05 AM EST


    Nice to agree... (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 11:36:52 AM EST
    Indeed, common sense and compassion prevailed.

    Shame a stink had to be raised to make it happen is all.

    Parent

    I wish I could agree... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 11:52:49 AM EST
    ...but I haven't seen any indication that this is what the father himself wanted.  

    I lost my Dad in February, so I totally understand the emotions that the son is going through.  I still get choked up thinking about losing him.

    But, as a result of my own battles and talking to Dad about his, I know all too well that sometimes the pain and suffering is too much to handle and you just don't want to prolong it or you don't have the strength to keep fighting--no matter what our loved ones may wish or hope.  

    At any rate, I wish these people solice and comfort during this trying time.  

    Parent

    I hear you.... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by kdog on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:02:55 PM EST
    not knowing what the father's final wishes are, I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that the son knows best.

    Another reminder to make sure your loved ones know and understand your wishes.

    Parent

    An excellent point. (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:08:02 PM EST
    Don't leave those things to chance (or emotion).  From quality of life issues to what you want done with your remains, make sure your wishes are clear and understood.  

    Parent
    As for doubt (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Fabian on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:09:39 PM EST
    I lost my dog last month.  I still wonder if we made the right decisions.  Even if we had gone all out fighting the cancer, I think I would still wonder if I made the right decisions.  I think it's just part of the process.  

    Health care is about making choices, often choices that have no clear consequences.  Doubt and uncertainty are often unavoidable.

    Parent

    Tell me about it.... (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by kdog on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:16:43 PM EST
    watching my father hasten his own death, I was racked with doubts, still am 3 years after the fact.

    A tired cliche it may be...but it is what it is.  And life goes on, we can all take solace in that.

    Parent

    Sometimes... (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:29:52 PM EST
    ...you just have to make the leap of faith and know that they (pets or humans) are indeed in a better place.  A place without pain and suffering.  

    It is in our nature to be afraid of death and what lies on the "other side".  Doubt and uncertainy play a big part in that.  There's always a part of us survivors that asks, "what if".  Nobody wants to lose those we love, but sometimes it truly is for the best.

    In a sense, I'm "lucky" that I've experienced a couple of near-death/clinically dead episodes.  I've had a glimpse of the other side and it doesn't frighten me.  

    Parent

    I'm with you MH - (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:34:21 PM EST
    I'm not scared of death. Not a big fan of the physical pain and trauma that might be associated with death, nor a long illness that caused my death, but, no, I'm not scared of ceasing to exist.

    Parent
    Me either..... (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by kdog on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:52:19 PM EST
    Personally, I think its pretty foolish to fret the inevitable....you start dying the day you are born, and that's just the deal that comes with the gift of life.  

    Beats having never been born, and as you alluded to, there are fates far worse than death.  Far worse.

    Plus, who isn't curious about the existence of the after life.  I don't think it exists, but I'd love to be wrong:)

    Parent

    You just might be surprised. (none / 0) (#19)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 01:00:31 PM EST
    It may not be what they try to tell you it is like in church, but there is something awaiting all of us out there in the great beyond.  

    Parent
    We lost Ajax (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by MKS on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:38:16 PM EST
    on Mother's Day.....On the Friday before, he had surgery to remove a splenic tumor.  On Sunday morning, he was bleeding....We took him to the animal hospital.  The vet took him in the back.  Then, in a separate room, she recommneded we let him go.  They had given him an iv....They let him in the room and he seemed fine--revived even--wagging his tale and happy--wanting to go home....

    The vet said he was bleeding out and would die within minutes if we did not do surgery which even if successful would require him to be in the hospital for 8 days.  I could not bear the thought of his being alone in the hospital....He died in my arms....My wife kept saying "my baby boy."

    I still wonder if Ajax could have been saved.  The tumor had covered his entire spleen.  I did not know if it was benign or malignant--the vet said when the tumor gets that big it doesn't really matter.  I had to decide so quickly and the prior research I had done said such tumors are usually malignant...

    My last diary at Big Orange tells of my good friend, how loving, how smart--like a toddler in a furry coat. We have a fine son who is in college and otherwise are very lucky....But we miss our good friend so much.  

    Parent

    MKS, you did the right thing (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 01:35:05 PM EST
    A friend of mine had the same thing recently with her dog, but it was discovered early enough to biopsy and it was that awful hemangioma, I think it's called, cancer.  Totally hopeless, awful prognosis, and a very fast-moving disease.

    Her dog had surgery, a long, very uncomfortable recovery, and never got very much of her old self back before the cancer came roaring back and the dog had to be put down.

    It's very likely you saved your friend Ajax all of that by doing what you did.  My friend says if she ever has that diagnosis in a dog again, she would not try to prolong things as she did but do what has inevitably to be done right away rather than putting the dog through all that misery with no hope of recovery.

    Losing an animal companion is so terribly hard.  I've lost two well before their time in recent years.  Both of them have left great, big holes in my heart and I still miss them sometimes acutely painfully.

    Do get another dog soon.  It feels disloyal to some people, but it's the only way to soothe that hole in the heart a little bit, and I know our lost animal buddies would absolutely not want us to be unhappy.

    Parent

    I hope it gives comfort to the family. (none / 0) (#3)
    by Fabian on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 11:48:38 AM EST
    I doubt it will do much else.

    Jeralyn--off topic (none / 0) (#8)
    by MKS on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:12:32 PM EST
    Big Supreme Court ruling dissolving the TRO re Ohio registration.....

    Per Curiam opinion...Very good news....

    The Ohio ruling will likely cut the heart (none / 0) (#17)
    by scribe on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:40:47 PM EST
    out of the GOP attempts to litigate the election by challenging voters, at least in the way they intended to do it in Ohio.  The S.Ct. found they had no clear entitlement to relief because they did not have standing (though they didn't say so in so many words).  And, from the way it was written and the cases cited, it might have been a Roberts opinion (or one in which he was in the majority).

    Parent
    I'm glad he will get a chance.... (none / 0) (#10)
    by MKS on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:13:20 PM EST


    Jeralyn..It's BIOGEN not Biomed, especially (none / 0) (#12)
    by steviez314 on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 12:16:56 PM EST
    now that they did the right thing.

    Dying Fred Baron to Get Biomed Cancer Drug | 20 comments (20 topical)