u/socrates_friend812

I remember many times back when...... my heart was failing, would beat out of control, got shocked by my defibrillator again and again, doctor mentioned heart transplant, rode an ambulance for the umpteenth time, met a bunch of doctors who kept talking about transplant this and transplant that, then got a transplant, endured a coma, woke up, felt something weird, back to the ER again. I was supposed to die many times. But this morning I woke up. I took a deep breathe. And I remembered, I'm still here.

And so are you.

Hang in there.

I just finished this book. It is a combination war story and love story with themes including killing, death, moral ambivalence, revolutionary politics, civil war, cultural relations and love. I found it to be a great work with very interesting characters and a unique plot that slowly builds, and I do mean slowly (at times), towards a powerful and classic ending. Hemingway's writing is very straightforward and uncomplicated. He writes like a professional and experienced broadcaster reads the news; with a seriousness and diplomatic approach to the job, without going overboard in either a fancy prosaic manner nor in a technical, complicated way. Hemingway sets the scene in a simple, uncomplicated way. There is no "fluff". There are no shenanigans. At the same time, the characters are complex and have depth that drive the story and your interest as a reader.

I would rate the book 8.5/10 and place it amongst the greatest works of all-time. Not to cast doubt on the foregoing but I would not necessarily call it a must-read and that is for one reason: I do not think it is original in the sense that the story, both of war and love, have been told many times, and I have no doubt any serious literature scholar could find a better work on either (or perhaps both) topics; but this work certainly adds to both traditions in a meaningful way.

I finished this book. and I have a few thoughts I would like to share. I will try to keep this spoiler-free so as to encourage those who have not read it to experience this gem.

this is probably the greatest novel I’ve ever read. It is almost the perfect book, one could say. It is deep, engaging, thoughtful, challenging and unforgettable. It is also well-written, very much in a conversational tone and on the easier side of readability. The beginning is slow, but the middle and end parts are where this book declares itself amongst the greats.

What I found unique is that the story itself — basically a murder mystery — is almost an aside to the larger themes explored in the novel and the psychological and religious issues it explores. Dostoevsky is just fantastic at you telling you something while telling you a story.

The only other Doestoevsky novel I have read is Crime and Punishment. And while that book is great in its own right, it just does not sit atop the same summit as The Brothers Karamazov.

Everything fits in this book: the story, the characters, the messages, the themes, the tone, the implications. I just found this a true masterpiece. This book moved me and it challenged me and gave me everything I look for in reading. There just isn’t anything lacking.

This is easily top 10, naturally top 5, and arguably the number 1 of all time. If you appreciate the greats, this one will not disappoint. It is that good.

Hello everyone. I am fairly certain that I recently had Cyclospora, the parasite going around that is causing people to have diarrhea issues. I am not 100% certain it was Cyclospora because I did not get tested for this specific parasite (I was tested for other bacteria and viral causes). My experience was pretty much in line with the common complaints based on news reports. So as an immune compromised person, I thought I'd share my experience to give you all an idea of what it could look like.

I recall a kind of very slight abdominal uneasy feeling one day, kind of like where you know you might be getting sick but can't be sure. Then a few days later, I basically just started having diarrhea every day and it lasted for about 8-9 days in total. I had no other symptoms, like fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, or anything else. Just nothing but diarrhea, which was always present in the morning and sometimes afternoon/evening times. My team suggested Imodium and Pepto Bismol. After a couple days of this over-the-counter treatment, the diarrhea stopped and I had no more issues. Luckily no doctor visits or ER trips required. It just went away. I do eat a fair amount of fruits and salads, so that might have been how I got it. Luckily, it wasn't all that bad of an experience.

Not trying to be morbid with this post, but I was curious how close to death did you come up until your transplant? The reason I ask is because as organ transplant recipients I think we all share a pretty traumatic story. And that story was basically, "I was dying and needed an organ transplant. And the transplant saved my life." So basically we were all on an effective form of life support to some degree until the transplant intervened. And for some of us, I think, we came pretty close to the end.