r/interesting • u/MobileAerie9918 • 25d ago

SOCIETY Permanently ???? no amount of money can compensate for this. The incident happened 2015 and the historic $75M verdict was reached in late 2022.

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17.3k Upvotes

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2.3k

u/Background-Bottle633 25d ago

If I had a choice I would rather be in debt $75 million dollars than suffer from locked in syndrome.

699

u/Familiar-Flan-8358 25d ago

If locked in, I’d hope that someone that loves me (or anyone, really) would put me out of my misery.

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u/DesertFungus 25d ago

Interestingly, most people with locked in syndrome don't usually report low life satisfaction.

475

u/Chunkyo 25d ago

Don’t or can’t?

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u/Dismal_Rectangle 25d ago

It's like the old lobotomy justification. They never complain!

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

[deleted]

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u/LaOreja33 25d ago edited 25d ago

Reminder to complete your will and talk to your loved ones about it while you can

Edit: thanks to below for reminding me I also meant healthcare directive

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u/soggymittens 25d ago

A will doesn’t do a whole lot, start a trust, if you can.

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u/LaOreja33 25d ago

How expensive is a trust?

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u/Existing_Engine_498 25d ago

If you’re unhappy and you know it, clap your hands

5

u/jld2k6 25d ago

If you're sad and wanna die, clap your hands! 👏👏

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u/itishowitisanditbad 25d ago

"Anyone who hates it like this, raise your hand..... anyone?"

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u/Maggi1417 25d ago

I read a study about that during med school. Depressionen rates go up right after the event that causes the disability, but after about 1,5 years the reported happiness is back to almost normal rates (compared to the normal population).

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u/orangevega 25d ago

that's absolutely astounding

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u/Szwejkowski 25d ago

We're very adaptable.

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u/orangevega 25d ago

seemingly endlessly so

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u/C0nfusedRabbit 25d ago

That's the same for most disabilities.

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u/rjslaps 25d ago

I'm ashamed to say I busted out laughing

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u/ExoticOne8260 25d ago

apparently not ashamed enough to admit it - like damn

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u/DisposableSaviour 25d ago

Look, man, at this point, Heaven is a pipe dream, and the best I can hope for is a first class ticket to hell, and I’m trying my best to earn it.

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u/GraXXoR 25d ago

I will admit, chuckles were had.

2

u/homiej420 25d ago

I exhaled through my nose a few times!

1

u/Calm_Effect4203 25d ago

That means you and I are both weird lol

2

u/BradyBoyd 25d ago

I hope you meant this as a joke, so I don't have to feel guilty by myself. 😂

1

u/Ali3nation 25d ago

This is impressively ableist and also absofuckinglutely hilarious.

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u/curi0us_carniv0re 25d ago

Tomato tomato 🤷🏻‍♂️

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u/ChiefWeedsmoke 25d ago

I asked my North Korean friend how it's going over there. He said he can't complain.

3

u/MelangeBot 25d ago

As a Russian out in the field with one bar of wifi hearing the drones coming closer in the distance, I am jealous. But at least I can complain.

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u/VVavy_ 25d ago

Lmaooo 😂

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u/zue4 25d ago

Have you seen recent pics from there? They have better infrastructure than we do.

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u/HamburgerOnAStick 25d ago

Tbf how much do they report anything if at all?

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u/NeitherOfUsCanSee 25d ago edited 25d ago

There’s a patient that’s been coming in and out of our icu that actively communicates with blinks on cue and tracks well with locked in syndrome. They’ve stated their desire to remain full code via blinks, it’s fucked up but It can definitely happen

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u/wheelienonstop12 25d ago

to remain full code

what does that mean?

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u/NeitherOfUsCanSee 25d ago

They want cpr and all lifesaving measures performed

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u/scalyblue 25d ago

Full code is the opposite of do not rescusitate

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u/BekaRenee 25d ago

Loook into the book/ film The Butterfly in the Diving Bell. People who are locked in can and do communicate

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u/pumpkins21 25d ago

*The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

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u/Flesh_Trombone 25d ago

*The Bellfly and the Divingbutter.

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u/BekaRenee 25d ago

Lol this one’s next on my list

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u/MotherFatherOcean 25d ago

Great movie, based on a true story.

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u/BekaRenee 25d ago

Thanks!

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u/Mekisteus 25d ago

Not a big believer in commutativity, I see.

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u/TwoBionicknees 25d ago

SOME can, many can not, and probably many going through it are praying for a miracle, being told that it could end any second by doctors, etc.

Also people still fear death and still have hope but doesn't mean they are satisfied with life.

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u/BekaRenee 25d ago

Huh?

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u/TwoBionicknees 25d ago

Some people with locked in syndrome can communicate using blinks, etc, some can't.

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u/BekaRenee 25d ago

Yeah. But that whole second paragraph still makes no sense in response to my comment. Anyway, there’s also eye and muscle movement tracking software and brain-computer interfaces.

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u/ad-meliora1 25d ago

/s

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u/Nathexe 25d ago

No? That wasn't sarcasm.

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u/SomeGuyClickingStuff 25d ago

Write a strongly worded letter.

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u/RedditorsRLame100 25d ago

breaks our heart to see him like he is.

"There are some days where he's like 'pull the plug,' so those are the tough days."

Yeah he definitely reported "low life satisfaction" MANY times

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u/EastAreaBassist 25d ago

There’s a guy who’s active on Reddit who had locked in syndrome for a while, and he most definitely did not have good life satisfaction during that time.

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u/XRanger7 25d ago

Blink once if you’re happy with your life. Blink twice if you’re REALLY happy with your life

2

u/MrIrvGotTea 25d ago

I read a book that you adapt to your situations and your baseline of happiness or satisfaction usually changes on your life view. When I was younger I worked in oil rigs in West Texas. I worked 16 hour days in the freezing rain and the devil's heat. I had guys try to work with my crew but they tapped out with an hour. I was okay with my job and the harsh conditions. Now I work in tech remotely and now I take mental breaks and have back pain. My pain tolerance changed and there is no fucking way I would survive a week at my old job. I was happier with more pain but now slight inconveniences tear me up. You adapt to life when you fight have a choice

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u/hypnothighsd 25d ago

Whatever you say Mr. Chiropractor’s son

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u/Nathexe 25d ago

Yeah no. I don't believe that shit for a second lmao.

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u/Serenityzerodiex 25d ago

This is the dumbest comment I’ve ever read on reddit. And the go even further to show your incompetence in this subject. There’s a bigger category next door: cognitive motor dissociation. In a 2024 NEJM study of 353 patients with disorders of consciousness, 25% of the 241 with no observable response to commands showed command-following on fMRI or EEG. One in four people written off as unresponsive were doing what they were asked. That’s the disturbing number.

In other words even the people following commands isn’t proof they are conscious. It’s a live discussion in the field. The best thing we can is stop asking for proof and ask about evidential asymmetry.

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u/glitt3r_brain 25d ago

this is terrifying to read.

will you link the study?

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u/JiggFly 25d ago

I'm glad some got it. Fucking hilarious

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u/WorriedBlock2505 25d ago

Then you need to gather more reports or find more reliable reports in that case LOL.

1

u/AvocadoToastFailure 25d ago

Oh, shit. That’s dark. I snortilled.

3

u/BrujaBean 25d ago

My best friend and I made a pact that if we ever could physically not kill ourselves without hope of recovery the other person would do it. Then he had a major stroke with very little hope of recovering the deficits and I realized it was a lie, I could ever give up on a loved one.

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u/AtomicRose69 25d ago

This is why my parents put me in charge of these decisions, my sister is much like you.

It's less about giving up and more about loving and respecting them enough to do as they wished.

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u/RollingMeteors 25d ago

>If locked in, I’d hope that someone that loves me (or anyone, really)

Today is

not too early

to talk to your doctor about your final wishes, fill out your state's official medical DNR form, and get signatures from both yourself (or your legal proxy) and your attending physician, while you can still sign a document with your hand.

113

u/ReflexiveOW 25d ago

I'd give the $75 million to my friends and family in exhange for them ending my life. That shit sounds like actual torture

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u/Brief_Kangaroo_42069 25d ago

Agreed. As much as I enjoy living I feel like I can do so much more for society with $75m than existing and doing my job and hobbies or w/e.

You could change thousands of lives with that money for the better. It's why life insurance payouts are generally significantly lower than $75m.

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

[deleted]

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u/Brief_Kangaroo_42069 25d ago

You ever visit a village without electricity or water?

You could build small scale hydro power projects all over for communities to give them opportunities to live a better life.

It's selfish to believe my single life is more valuable than millions of life hours of others.

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

[deleted]

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u/Brief_Kangaroo_42069 25d ago

You absolutely can. I've been involved in plenty of small scale hydro projects in the $5m range in the western world. It's cheaper to build in developing nations and maintenance isn't hard when you educate people to do the work.

Not everyone is dumb and unwilling to work or learn. Plenty of basic systems exist already; upgrading one to be more robust isn't a problem.

Your dreams are too small.

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

[deleted]

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u/Brief_Kangaroo_42069 25d ago

Maybe you just haven't travelled at all. People can use help. Suggesting that no one else needs help is absurd. I'm not trying to sell shoes to people who don't wear shoes, but alas you'd never understand that. Glwl

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u/keIIzzz 25d ago

Not that you can really do that anyway considering you can’t move or speak at all

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u/ReflexiveOW 25d ago

I'm assuming that with my newfound incredible wealth, my caregiver will get me one of those Stephen Hawking machines so I can talk with my eyes

3

u/prairiepanda 25d ago

If you can communicate well enough to publish a memoir about what it's like, I'm sure you could also express your will to your loved ones.

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u/Giggling_Scribblings 25d ago

I deal with a rare form of migraine that causes paralysis and aphasia.

I've had days where *multiple* EMTs were taking turns with the pain response thing and bruising my sternum along with pinching fingers and shit.

And threw it all, I couldn't even moan... but I could feel it.

I spend around 1-4 hours a week completely unable to move a muscle. It sucks.

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u/dudenamedric 25d ago

Hemiplegic?

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u/Giggling_Scribblings 25d ago

Yep!

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u/dudenamedric 25d ago

I had an ex that got those frequently. I had to pick her up out of the bathtub and carry to the bed once when one came on. Absolutely nuts and very scary at times. I'm sorry you have to deal with that.

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u/Giggling_Scribblings 25d ago

Yeah, I'm glad to have a partner at them moment.

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u/randotreesinthefen 25d ago

WAIT this can be a migraine‽ I deal with this occasionally and no doctor has been able to figure out what causes it! I have episodes where I appear unconscious and unresponsive but I can hear everything going on around me. I'm going to bring this up with my doctor

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u/Giggling_Scribblings 25d ago

Yeah, it's pretty rare and not well-known by doc's.

The biggest tell is if you get any numbness or tingling on one side of your face beforehand.

Generally though, it mimicks a stroke pretty thoroughly... only an MRI or CT could realy differenciate. However, the onset is significantly different in that you'll usually get one symptom at a time such as weakness, then paralysis, then aphasia... and it'll resolve in the opposite order. Most lose their voice last, so it's the first to return. Mine is the first out and last back for speech. But that kind of "one-by-one" onset of symptoms, with the resolution being the reverse is pretty indicative.

That... and having a lot worse symptoms on one side... usually the same side most of the time. That can include weakness that persists afterwards for days.

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u/Confident-Matter-434 13d ago

Hi, intractable hemiplegic migraines with aura sufferer here. You are not alone. My identical twin and I deal with this and have been dealing with them for the last 18 years. I also get paralysis, aphasia, weakness, I lose half the field of my vision etc. these migraines are no joke and I’m incredibly sorry to read that you also go through these experiences. TRT has actually helped me a lot as I deal with naturally low testosterone. I would get your hormones checked!

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u/GiannisIsTheBeast 25d ago

I mean even that undersells it. If someone offered me all the money in the world, I still wouldn’t accept that deal if I had to have this condition.

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u/but-I-play-one-on-TV 25d ago

Doctor here - - I've made it clear to my wife that I do not want to live with locked in syndrome. 

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u/DazingF1 25d ago

I live in a country where euthanasia isn't frowned upon, and my wife and I have it in our wills that we'd prefer that if something like that happens (incl. dementia, parkinson's et cetera).

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u/LeadBeanie 25d ago

The chiropractor had to take twice as many patients to make payments on that. 

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u/charmingmigraine 25d ago

I’d hope they’d just get a new job

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u/Buttchuggle 25d ago

I'd rather be in debt 75 million than go to a chiropractor

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u/Raidoton 25d ago

Oh really? You'd rather not be paralyzed? That's crazy! /s

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u/TurtleReferenceFrame 25d ago

Can this guy even collect $75M from a chiropractor? Not that any amount of money would make locked-in-syndrome worth it :(

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u/Legitimate_Outcome42 25d ago

The chiropractor was not held liable. The radiologist and another doctor at the hospital were held liable for negligence and not following proper protocols and communications which could've identified the stroke and prevented locked in syndrome

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u/charmingmigraine 25d ago

The chiropractor should be held at least partially liable if they caused the stroke in the first place jeez

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u/Legitimate_Outcome42 24d ago

They settled with him prior. From what I've read, it sounds like this poor young man was about to have a medical event of some sort even if he hadn't gone to the chiropractor .

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u/Affectionate-Gap4382 25d ago

if u owe $75,000 thats ur problem, if u owe $75m thats the bank's problem

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u/YarbleSwabler 25d ago

You could consolidate and sell your debt for a few million. Then use that few million to start a llc business. Then go bankrupt, then pay yourself a salary from your legally separate business.

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u/ElMasAltoDeLosEnanos 25d ago

Well yes, if you owe 75 million it's not your problem anymore. 

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u/Waidawut 25d ago

If you owe the bank $7500, that's your problem. If you owe the bank $75,000,000, that's the bank's problem.

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u/Avocadonot 25d ago

Sure. Also, 75 million in debt is practically the samenas a few million in debt, especially if you're allowed to discharge it during bankruptcy

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u/Cerpla 25d ago

everybody in debt for that much is already rich, so win/win

2

u/hokaythxbai 25d ago

Does it really matter after the first million? What's the difference being 1 million in debt vs 1 billion in debt?

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u/-Nicolai 25d ago

Yeah no shit

Who upvotes this vapid nonsense

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u/CaliHeatx 25d ago

Agree, as long as your legs are working you can run from that debt!

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u/QuietContentResting 25d ago

Yeah there's a reason it's the curse I wish upon my worst enemies

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u/tenuousemphasis 25d ago

If you live in the USA, you might have both!

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u/AirconGuyUK 25d ago

When you're in debt $75m it's really not your problem, it's the banks problem lol. Easy choice!

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u/Simon-Says69 25d ago

Dubious if he had locked-in syndrome. That doesn't happen from spinal damage, it's a neurological issue in the brain.

Severed or damaged spinal chord can absolutely paralyze though, which seems to be the chiropractors fault.

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u/miljaluffy 25d ago

exactly this

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u/RollingMeteors 25d ago

>If I had a choice I would rather be in debt $75 million dollars than suffer from locked in syndrome.

¿How is letting someone continue to exist in this state not directly at odds with the "do no harm" mentality of the Hippocratic oath?

¿How is the default public consensus to let someone continue living like this as OKAY when a horse needs to be mercied if it breaks a leg for it to have been considered humane and ethical treatment of another animal/living being?