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Paul Alexander, the polio survivor who spent over 70 years in an Iron Lung, has died at 78 (www.bbc.co.uk)

submitted 2 years ago by sjmarf@sh.itjust.works to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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[-] WarmSoda@lemm.ee 72 points 2 years ago

Mr Alexander was a far stronger man than I could ever be. 70 years in an iron lung? I would be begging for release within a year or two max.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 57 points 2 years ago

I'm guessing it's a bit easier if you start as a kid. It's just what life is like to some degree. Still, can you imagine how much FOMO you would have, literally confined to a barrel? Puberty must have been extra weird for him.

[-] Drusas@kbin.run 11 points 2 years ago

Puberty must have been extra weird for him.

He was paralyzed from the neck down. Puberty was probably mostly a squeaky voice and inconvenient growth spurt.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I mean, to be direct about it, desire comes from the brain. The poor dude just didn't have a body to then be horny with. Also, genitals operate on a slightly different circuit, so they often can remain functional even if voluntary things have been knocked out.

[-] ripcord@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Agreed on it probably being easier if it's something you're used to and not actively in pain.

Not everyone gets a lot of FOMO, so I could imagine that might also not be much, though.

I mean, maybe you just mean frustration/sadness that he can't do as much as other people, or to do specific things he wants to do. And I could imagine that could be just incredibly tough. Like all sorts of people with severe, debilitating conditions. But FOMO is kinda a different (more childish) thing than that.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 years ago

Yeah, maybe that's not the right word.

[-] Kalothar@lemmy.ca 28 points 2 years ago

He apparently did regain the ability to breathe a little bit and would leave the iron lung for short periods of time

[-] elbarto777@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago

Imagine if you find out that normal humans could breathe underwater, and there 100 billion people living underwater. Us 8 billion people unable to live underwater are the "iron lung kids".

The all say "imagine not being able to 'fly' underwater, or not riding a gigantic squid - I would kill myself to end my misery!"

What would you respond to that? I'd be like "eh, must be nice, but I've lived above water all my life. It makes no difference to me."