Opus 2018-056: Headlines: Hope for Parkinson’s Sufferers

I don’t suffer from Parkinson’s but it is one of those conditions that lurk in the wings of life to make us miserable.  I found this article at Fox News to be encouraging.  I woman with severe tremors was given relief by a risky bit of brain surgery.  My hat is off to the doctors.  Also of interest is that this took place in India.  It is good to hear of breakthroughs in what has been called the third world.  I speaks to the progress everyone is capable of making. 

I wonder if this could have been done in the United States.  We have so many laws and regulations and so much fear of law suits that I think there is a lot of progress that is not made.  It may be that this procedure was so risky that Americans in their safe spaces need not apply.  The doctor who performed the surgery said that even a small mistake could lead to a major stroke.  I am not sure of the odds.  There also was no discussion of the long term effects of the surgery.  Would the tremors come back?  How soon?  Would it be worse if they return?

I am guessing that the woman operated on was willing to take the risks.  It could be that being willing to be a human guinea pig is a noble calling.  It could be foolish.  We need to have that discussion in a mature way.  I think of people dying with AIDS who are denied treatment because the drugs have not been fully tested yet.  The same with cancer patients.  Everywhere you look there are federal officers and salivating lawyers waiting for a mistake or a coloring outside the lines.

It is a difficult discussion because once the line of experimenting is crossed the question of coercion and manipulation comes into play.  Would it be a case of wealthy sick people paying large sums to get poor people to submit to experiments?  Would that necessarily be a bad thing?  Ethics is not a strong suit in American decision making.

Hard questions.  Meanwhile, in India, a woman has relief from Parkinson’s. 

homo unius libri