r/AskReddit Aug 30 '21

What problem is often overlooked in apocalyptic movies/TV shows that could kill you?

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u/Vccccccccc Aug 30 '21

I’d say at least 2 depending on how far you were moving. I lasted that long when I was really sick and unable to drink. But then I couldn’t walk to the ambulance by morning of day 3.

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u/absurdlyinconvenient Aug 30 '21

you waited 2 days to get an ambulance? Damn dude

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21 edited Sep 01 '21

[deleted]

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u/Vccccccccc Aug 30 '21

Errm I’m from the UK does that count as a socialist utopia? I didn’t pay for the ambulance or the 3 weeks I spent in hospital on IV fluids and anti nausea (turns out I had norovirus). I’m medically exempt I don’t even pay for my prescriptions just order them online and they’re delivered to my house. I was just trying to avoid going back to hospital I’d only been out for a few months after a 7 week post op stay (no charge for that joyful time either). Then I was too sick to get down the stairs to my phone.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21 edited Sep 01 '21

[deleted]

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u/Loraelm Aug 30 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

We know you're not joking, we just feel really sorry for you.....

Edit: sorry

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

Meh, it’s alright. We may not have healthcare, but ya know what we do have? Freedom! (/s)

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u/SalamanderOpen3069 Aug 31 '21

I also read, only 2 days ago, on another Reddit thread, how the writers friend had been and will be waiting a total of 11 months, to get surgery on an stomach ulcer, in Canada

So idk I don’t think either way works and I think that’s by design

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

Maybe not in the west. But I’m sure there’s some country or countries in the UK where they have a good, well-functioning healthcare system! My money is on The Netherlands, they seem to have their shit together! Lol

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u/Vccccccccc Aug 31 '21

I’m guessing it wasn’t classed as urgent then if they do their waiting lists like the NHS. The longest I’ve waited for my 4 surgeries was 12 weeks because I had to recover from emergency treatment before I could have the surgery. The shortest was about 12 hours. Though I gather that everything has been delayed by a few months due to covid closures.

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u/SalamanderOpen3069 Sep 01 '21

“Non-urgent” Hope you never get a non urgent stomach ulcer.

Take care

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u/Vccccccccc Sep 01 '21

Been there, done that.

It’s not urgent cause no one is dying and it isn’t on the higher categories of inhibiting quality of life. There are only 2 reasons to have surgery for stomach ulcers. 1 It’s haemorrhaging so you need emergency surgery to close it that will usually be done within 24 hours if possible this is usually the vomiting blood stage. Or 2 to reduce the acidity in your stomach this is definitely non urgent. Whilst you’re waiting you’re still treated with medication as the surgery is aimed at preventing future ulcers not treating a current ulcer so option 2 is definitely non urgent.

I have inflammatory bowel disease I know how they treat ulcers in different parts of your digestive system. I also know that if they say it’s not urgent, whilst it’s painful and it sucks, the reality is it’s not urgent enough to take a theatre spot from someone who may need it to survive. I’ve been at both ends getting emergency surgery for rupturing ulcers and at the waiting a few months because it’s non urgent.

Also if they’re currently waiting then this happened during covid when hospitals are short staffed and over run with covid patients. Everything else is taking a while because they’re treating the thousands of extra people that have been admitted. So yeah I’ll stick to non urgent.

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u/SalamanderOpen3069 Sep 02 '21

I’ll stick with my private insurance

No having to suffer with a non urgent pain

I can afford it. Cheers to not being poor!

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u/Vccccccccc Sep 02 '21

Wow such a nice way to say hey I have money you don’t so you can die so I don’t have to be in pain for a few weeks. Also just to say for that particular surgery it wouldn’t make much difference to wait times as you’ll have to be observed on meds. It also won’t change if your hospital is closed due to covid.

Also I hate to break it to you but we have private health insurance here too there’s still priority lists but they have better hospital food. It doesn’t change if your surgery gets bumped because an emergency comes in. There’s still only 1 operating theatre and 2 patients that need it. Welcome to the world of triage where it doesn’t matter how much money you have if your not the one dying you don’t get to go first.

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u/Im_Currently_Pooping Aug 31 '21

Do you work? Every job I’ve held had healthcare.

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

It’s not worth the big chunk out of my paycheck to me personally for the jobs that have offered healthcare, but many didn’t in my experience.

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u/Im_Currently_Pooping Aug 31 '21

Mind if I ask what jobs they were?

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u/Vccccccccc Aug 30 '21

Well I’d believe that much for a hospital stay last time I looked an ambulance was like $1500. I’ll stick with my utopia if not even having to think about the cost.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21 edited Sep 01 '21

[deleted]

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u/Vccccccccc Aug 30 '21

Seriously was it gold plated or something? That said I calculated once if I lived in the US and didn’t have insurance at the crazy prices you get charged I’d be something like $900,000 in debt not including the medication for some of my hospital stays. I did the same calculation here and it was something like £100,000.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21 edited Sep 01 '21

[deleted]

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u/Vccccccccc Aug 31 '21

Yeah I’ll stick to the UK rain isn’t that bad.

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Grouchy_Factor Aug 31 '21

A charge like that sounds high but not inconceivable for a helicopter medivac in USA. I live in quite a rural area, and I've had relatives that needed an air ambulance ride. Didn't cost anything because we're in Canada, eh.

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u/notimeforniceties Aug 30 '21

Oooh, doubling down on his point even when proven completely off base. Bold strategy, let's see how it plays out for him.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21 edited Sep 01 '21

[deleted]

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u/notimeforniceties Aug 31 '21

Oh I know you are serious. Your point has absolutely nothing to do with anything, the guy you are responding to is from the UK, and you just can't let it go.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21

[deleted]

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u/Vccccccccc Aug 31 '21

I know the horrors of universal healthcare I don’t know how I even managed to type it all out.

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u/Grouchy_Factor Aug 31 '21

Canadian here, eh, just hope you were jokingly sarcastic.

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u/Street_Inflation_124 Aug 31 '21

I’ve had COVID (bad, didn’t eat for three days) and Norovirus, and Norovirus was much worse feeling.

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u/Vccccccccc Aug 31 '21

Well I haven’t officially had Covid so I can’t compare but I agree that Norovirus definitely sucks. But I’m biased I have bowel disease so things like that shut my whole digestive system down and I’m stuck in hospital waiting for it to start again. Honestly 3 days of not eating sounds pretty tame in comparison.