Archa3opt3ryx

Want to go jumping in Washington or British Columbia? Will send you a DM in a sec.

Hi! Refractory left-sided UC patient here...my god this disease is awful. But thank you for doing this AMA! A few questions for you:

1. Why is a partial colectomy not an option for UC patients? Ie, my disease is restricted to my descending colon, so why not just remove that part and leave the rest functioning?

2. Why are colon transplants not a thing? Or even an artificial large intestine? It seems to me that the role of the colon is primarily mechanical, in that it removes water from stool and pushes it towards the anus. Seems like a relatively easy thing to replicate artificially?

3. Thoughts on helminthic therapy? I feel like I’m at the end of the line in terms of meds and surgery may happen soon, but want to try the worms first!

4. In the future, do you think it’ll be possible to use mRNA technology to have your body create biological meds on its own? So instead of getting an infusion every 4-8 weeks, you just get a shot with the instructions for your body to make the molecule itself. That would be an incredible breakthrough!

Thank you!

+1 to this question. Do you have to pay for food, or are basic essentials provided by he government? If you have to pay, are people still going to work? Are shops and restaurants still open? I’m really curious what the day to day life is like for you right now.

Best of luck, Vlad. We’re all hoping for a quick end to this senseless war.

Do Hawaiians consider that ~25% of their economy is tourism? Do they want to go back to May 2020, when unemployment was 21%?

My parents are Hawaii residents and had a career in medicine. They’ve seen how much COVID has impacted the Hawaiian economy over the past two years. They’ve also seen how the limited medical facilities (especially on neighbor islands) have crushed the ability to respond effectively to outbreaks. And they’ve also seen how many tourists are ignoring COVID safety rules like masking.

There’s a middle ground where respectful, vaccinated, and law-abiding tourists are welcomed, and those that aren’t are turned away. Turns out that complex problems require complex solutions. “Tourists bad, go home” is about as knee-jerk a reaction as you can have that just trades one problem for another.

Hawaii is wonderful in the winter. Get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask, be respectful of the people and the land, tip generously, and enjoy.

Incorrect. You can get either, though there are a lot of additional tests you have to go through if you get your operation prior to starting pilot training. I hear Wavefront Guided LASIK is the best procedure out there right now.

Source 1 (note this is from 2004): http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123009161

Source 2: I'm currently in AF pilot training and several of my friends here have had either LASIK or PRK. We fly above 14,000 ft daily, so clearly that restriction from that 2004 article has been lifted.