[Marxism] Castro's illness

[Roger Baker]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Louis Proyect" <lnp3 at panix.com>
To: <marxism at lists.econ.utah.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 10:32 AM
Subject: [Marxism] Castro's illness
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> Castro's Illness


Fidel is 80.  There are severals diseases of the aging that may require 
surgery and I will briefly mention the most common.

     1.  Ischemic bowel disease--inadequate blood supply to the colon, 
usually an acute disease passage of blood, usually requires immediate 
surgical intervention unless mild, and this is determined by colonoscopy and 
the patients clinical condition.   Unless severe, recovery is the rule.

      2.  Bowel obstruction--may occur out of the blue or secondary to 
previous abdominal surgery with residual scarring that may, later in life, 
cause obstruction or partial obstruction.  Usually acute, and the surgery is 
almost always successful and the patients recover quickly unles they are 
demented or cachectic.

        3.  The last, and most common cause is Cancer.  It the disese is 
discovered early, cure is likely, if later,  the disease is fatal although 
with chemotherapy and radiation therapy the survival rate could be 3-5 years 
at best.  I have heard reports that Fidel experienced bleeding several weeks 
before surgery which would lead me to believe  the 3rd and worst case 
scenario.