Steve Jobs Issues Update On His Health

i4u writes "Rumors about Steve Jobs' health have been flying high again after Apple announced that he will not be holding the keynote at the Macworld 2009. Today Steve Jobs issued a letter with a rather personal update on why he was losing weight in 2008. The reason for losing weight in 2008 is a hormone imbalance that has been reducing proteins. The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward according to Jobs. Steve and his doctors predict that he will have normal weight again by Spring. So stop the rumors and enjoy Macworld 2009."

Comments

Should I sell my Apple shares?

[Average_Joe_Sixpack]

What if Steve shows up as a woman at Macworld?

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[Anonymous Coward]

Heh, that would be no surprise. Though ya'd think that a man like Steve could afford more modern sex change therapies.

Steve Jobs: "Hey, since I've had cancer, maybe it would be a good idea to starve my body of precious amino acids and other nutrients! Wow, this new-age voodoo stuff sure does work wonders, I've lost 50 pounds in 2 months and I haven't taken a shit in 2 years! How neat!"

Remember, folks. This is the kind of shit that happens to you when you do stupid shit like turn to Scientology for medical advice. I hate to see a good man ruin himself, but he's really asking for it.

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[Johnny_Longtorso]

...perhaps he'll demo the iVagina?

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[Hanners1979]

It'll either be that or the iMortal.

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[Anonymous Coward]

...perhaps he'll demo the iVagina?

Shouldn't that be "My" not " i "?

By "My" I mean "His", naturally.

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[MrCrassic]

It's gorgeous!!

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[aliquis]

You stick it in, and ... boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[afidel]

Um, actually the most recent research shows that starvation before chemo therapy DOES in fact help with recovery, it's not new-agey at all =) It helpded my former VP significantly with her ability to work a couple days after receiving her chemo treatments.

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[gondwannabe]

...and you'll need a paid upgrade to get it back out!

Re:Should I sell my Apple shares?

[aliquis]

No way, locked in for life. It's the way of Apple. The vagina will have inferior specs and be outdated real soon to, though the most fanatic iGina-users will claim they last forever and have a good resell value.

Hormonal Imbalance?

[SetupWeasel]

If anime has taught me anything, Steve Jobs should be back to work in no time with a huge rack.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[inKubus]

If anime has taught me anything, Steve Jobs should be back to work in no time with a huge rack.

Well, that explains the tittiesloveappletech tag on the other Apple story today.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Junior J. Junior III]

I hope not, I've heard that the iRack is unstable.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah. But I'd give my left two lug nuts to see an iRack designed by Jonathan Ive.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[powerlord]

As an FYI on the above joke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjLEwZqcQI

Truly funny MadTV skit.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Anonymous Coward]

you mean "the pen is mightier"?

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Sentry21]

Great, like Mac fanboys aren't in infatuated with him enough already.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[g0at]

As an FYI on

"As a for your information on"?

It was a fairly clever sketch, but the first gag for me was the perhaps unintentional joke that Americans don't know how to properly pronounce "Iraq".

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Tablizer]

unintentional joke that Americans don't know how to properly pronounce "Iraq".

Oh yeah, well lets see you pronounce Ohio, Tehachapi, and Mississippi.
       

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[FatherOfONe]

The really funny part is that the same thing could have been done with regards to Japan after WWII.

I wonder if history will repeat itself again and in 20 years Iraq will be making electronics and great friends of the U.S.A?

Then again some of them may wish for the old days of getting 30,000 people mustard gassed over a weekend. Who knows?

On topic. I say that Steve should just start eating some McDonalds. :-) A few triple quarter pounders a day and he will be back to fighting weight in no time. Yeah Yeah Yeah I know he is a vegan, but who really thinks McDonalds uses real meat anyway.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[mattwarden]

> Truly funny MadTV skit.

I know; I was just as shocked as you were.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Knara]

The a/an thing is primarily a result of the problem in saying "a" previous to another word starting with a vowel sound (or, should I say, the clumsiness of it).

As such, it is grammatically correct to say "an FYI". The real reason you would use "an" instead of "a" in this case is because it pronounced "eff, wai, eye", implying a vowel sound at the beginning.

So, "an eff-wai-eye" is preferable to "a eff-wai-eye". :)

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[powerlord]

As an FYI on

"As a for your information on"?

Sorry, tend to "spell out" acronyms in my head, not "read them out", "FYI=F.Y.I., like F.B.I". Since F is phonetically starts with a vowel, it should have "an" before it, not "a". If I had written out "For Your Information" then you would certainly be correct.

It was a fairly clever sketch, but the first gag for me was the perhaps unintentional joke that Americans don't know how to properly pronounce "Iraq".

Definitely true that most US citizens have issues with foreign languages (including place/people names), however in this case I was under the assumption that while the iRack pronunciation is less correct, it was used for the sake of comedy and political satire.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Anonymous Coward]

Adirondack
Titicaca
 

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[c_forq]

I don't know on this one, Google has a lot more hits for "as an FYI", by an order of magnitude. Saying it aloud I think it sounds better as "an an FYI" too, probably because of the eff sound.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[NoMaster]

I don't know on this one, Google has a lot more hits for "as an FYI", by an order of magnitude.

Personally, I suspect that using Google as your go-to for correct spelling/grammar/pronunciation automatically makes you a looser.

(Ah, what the hell, I'm only going to have to explain it later: that was deliberate.)

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[c_forq]

I, on the other hand, say that language is what the people make it, and that Google is a better authority on that than the Queen, Oxford, or Webster.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[dangitman]

The real reason you would use "an" instead of "a" in this case is because it pronounced "eff, wai, eye", implying a vowel sound at the beginning.

No, it's pronounced "For Your Information." Don't you expand written contractions when reading them?

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[aqk]

back to work in no time with a huge rack.

(gasp) Pamela Anderson will be doing their commercials?
YAAAYYY WHHHEE! Every macweenie's wet dream!
.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Tablizer]

I didn't ask about your personal life, but about place names.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[g0at]

Sorry, tend to "spell out" acronyms in my head, not "read them out", "FYI=F.Y.I., like F.B.I". Since F is phonetically starts with a vowel, it should have "an" before it, not "a". If I had written out "For Your Information" then you would certainly be correct.

Yes, if you had started your sentence with "For your information" (or even just "FYI"), it would have made sense. To say "as a for your information" is incoherent.

(My bone was not so much with the "'a' vs. 'an'" thing)

-b

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Anonymous Coward]

that wasn't funny. it was just predictable right down to the iRan 'climax'

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Julien Brub]

I see... that's why they way Jobs is always right at Apple... it's the hormones!

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Knara]

It's not a contraction, it's an acronym. "Can't" is a contraction, "FYI" is an acronym.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[powerlord]

Sorry, from the way you presented it, I misunderstood the criticism of the sentence as a grammar issue.

I'll buy that as a legitimate critique, and I agree. In the future I'll probably just start with "FYI ..." :)

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[dangitman]

It's an acronym, an abbreviation and a contraction. Words often have more than one meaning, you know. Some grammar Nazis would correct you saying it's an initialism rather than an acronym. But I'm not that much of a dick.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[treeves]

No it's not that either. It's an initialism, or more generally, an abbreviation. Nobody says, "figh-eye, we have a meeting tomorrow". An acronym is a pronounced as a word, like RADAR or LASER, not one letter at a time.

Re:Hormonal Imbalance?

[Knara]

There is not a standardized view of this sort of thing, by any means. Different sources will give you varying definitions of these various things.

Nonetheless, no one pronounces FYI and "fi-yee" and the overwhelming number of people will say "eff-wai-eye" instead of "for your information" because to do otherwise would defeat the purpose of shortening the phrase to 3 letters. As such, my statement is accurate.

News because

[Kamokazi]

from the can't-believe-this-is-news dept

When many people believe that the continued success of a large company depends on one individual, his health becomes news.

Re:News because

[Roland Piquepaille]

When many people believe that the continued success of a large company depends on one individual, his health becomes news.

That's because in Apple's case, it's more than a belief. Apple's success does depend on Steve Jobs, strangely enough. Remember John Sculley?

Re:News because

[je ne sais quoi]

When many people believe that the continued success of a large company depends on one individual, his health becomes news.

And this is all the more reason for Mr. Jobs to stop giving the keynote. Apple needs to break this perception that Mr. Jobs is Apple. He can't go on working there forever, and if they want to survive once he retires, they need to get him to take a back seat for awhile so the ninny-headed stock holders stop believing the sky is falling every time Mr. Jobs gets a cold.

Incidentally, it's not surprising that Mr. Jobs might have this happen, a lot of people as they get older have thyroid or other changes that cause them to gain or lose weight. E.g. Bush Sr. had that thyroid operation when he was president because it was becoming overactive IIRC.

Re:News because

[gEvil (beta)]

When many people believe that the continued success of a large company depends on one individual, his health becomes news.

Seriously! Can anyone here imagine what slashdot would be like if Taco were to suddenly bite it?!? There might actually be someone fixing those damn loose/lost typos!

Re:News because

[tritonman]

yea, they need someone who has the hormones of a 13 year old girl to design their products!

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

I remember only Fox Mulder.

Re:News because

[Mr_Perl]

Remember John Sculley?

People usually pick inferior successors, egomaniacs even moreso. Makes their own "term in office" look better. It was Jobs who set up that failure and Jobs who profited from it on his return.

Re:News because

[Chaos Incarnate]

Sure, if by "set up that failure" you mean "was forced out by that failure".

Re:News because

[Apocalypse111]

Well, that *would* explain the pastel color schemes...

Re:News because

[Capt James McCarthy]

You mean like Warren Buffet?

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

He can't go on working there forever, and if they want to survive once he retires, they need to get him to take a back seat for awhile so the ninny-headed stock holders stop believing the sky is falling every time Mr. Jobs gets a cold.

You do realize that Mr. Jobs lost some weight and the GLOBAL ECONOMY COLLAPSED, right?

A coincidence? Perhaps, perhaps not. I wouldn't be willing to take that risk.

Re:News because

[larry bagina]

How do you explain Michael Spindler and Gil Amelio? Maybe John Sculley picked them so he could ride back and rescue Apple once Steve retires?!!!?!!!

Re:News because

[Lars T.]

When many people believe that the continued success of a large company depends on one individual, his health becomes news.

Seeing that much more people care about "lose" vs. "loose" - I don't think so.

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

I think he was referring to the fact that Steve Jobs hired John Sculley. Sculley was reluctant at first, but Steve convinced him to join Apple.

Re:News because

[loshwomp]

When many people believe that the continued success of a large company depends on one individual, his health becomes news.

Seeing that much more people care about "lose" vs. "loose" - I don't think so.

I think you mean many more people.

Re:News because

[aardwolf64]

Somebody get that man some more french fries...

Re:News because

[morgan_greywolf]

Right, but he wasn't picked as a successor. Sculley was to run the day-to-day stuff, leaving Jobs to be the 'visionary leader' over the Macintosh project. Later, it was Sculley who forced Jobs out, mostly because Jobs was trying to basically set the Macintosh group up as totally independent from the rest of the company.

Re:News because

[morgan_greywolf]

Sculley had the the thing running into the ground well before Spindler came along to piss on Apple's fresh grave. Amelio, believe it or not, was relatively good for Apple -- it was through his efforts that Apple bought NeXT and brought Jobs on board.

Re:News because

[Xest]

I apologise in advance if this is a dumb question. But what exactly is Job's speciality that makes him so important to the company?

I get the impression he's not a technical guy as Woz did all that in the early days and he has plenty of other peons to do that now.

I understand he's not a designer, certainly credit for the iPod design goes to a British guy iirc and similarly the iPhone.

Is it simply that he's good at hiring the right guys? Is it down to making good business oriented decisions (i.e. what markets to go for?) or is it something else entirely?

I'm just intrigued to know what skill he has that's apparently so rare that the life of a major tech company depends on it and that they couldn't find easily in anyone else.

Re:News because

[BESTouff]

What they need to overcome is called the Bus Factor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor

Re:News because

[0100010001010011]

Next step is for #2 to come out with "Steve Jobs has actually been dead for 3 years". Maybe not that extreme but the best way to reassure investors is to think that Jobs is running everything while having someone else actually run everything.

Re:News because

[eebra82]

When many people believe that the continued success of a large company depends on one individual, his health becomes news.

An entire hockey team can depend on the performance of one player. A religion can lean on just one character/thing. Apple is obviously not successful only because of Steve Jobs, but you have to admit that his performance in recent years changed the way we look at things.

It is easy to sit here and look at Apple's products and think "yeah, I would approve that product too, and make millions". It's an entirely different thing to have a deep understanding of how the industry works, predict products, functionality, timing and investments.

So, yes, I would say that Apple needs Jobs because Steve is Apple and Apple is Steve.

Re:News because

[cayenne8]

"Next step is for #2 to come out with "Steve Jobs has actually been dead for 3 years". "

Now that you mention it...I think I have seen a picture of Steve Jobs walking across Abbey Road barefoot....

Re:News because

[Roland Piquepaille]

He's a catalyst. He's not arguably good at anything that's directly useful to development, sales or marketing, but he fires employees and customers up. You could say he's the soul of his company.

My boss is like that: he doesn't know much about the products we make and how they're made, nor is he particularly good at promoting or selling them, but he could convince you to put on suntan lotion in the middle of a blizzard storm.

Re:News because

[rishistar]

yea, they need someone who has the hormones of a 13 year old girl to buy their products!

There, fixed that for you.

Re:News because

[Bourbonium]

Remember Gil Amelio? He followed Scully, and proceeded to pull Apple stock down to around $10 a share. That's about the time I should have bought a ton of Apple stock. Too bad my time machine was running Windows NT at the time.

Re:News because

[MPAB]

And, FYI, that's exactly the kind of people that make the big money while us nerds look startled at their sheer ignorance and evident feeble reasoning.

Re:News because

[ubrgeek]

During the dot-com days, his business card would have read, "Technological Evangelist." They were the folks who would get put in front of big customers, or more importantly VCs when the next funding round was needed. They could talk about the Big Picture and how Their Product fit into it. Sometimes they were technical, sometimes not. But they were always enthusiastic.

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean the guy that practically invented the PDA and could have made Apple the biggest company in the tech world with it?

Yeah, I remember him. Getting rid of him is the the reason Apple's going to be #2 in the computer world forever.

Sculley sucked at building PCs, that's for sure. He would have made a kick-ass iPhone/iPod combo years ago, though, and I could see him creating an Apple version of a game console, too. It's really too bad Apple didn't keep him for his non-PC related talents.

Oh well, why should I complain? The only Apple product I own was bought at a flea-sale for $25... :D

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to forget mirror finish on iPhone, unnecessary shopping (... you need BOTH airport extreme and express), ..

/ aliquis

Re:News because

[aliquis]

The Macintosh and the OS as separate parts or something else?

Personally I don't give a shit anything not computers from Apple, and even in the case of mac vs OS I would obviously had prefered a split.

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

(Posting anon because I work for Apple, and I'm not allowed to comment publicly. This is all my opinion.)

Jobs has been scaling back his role in the keynotes for a while now, and putting his lieutenants on stage, for this very reason. It's not because Jobs hasn't had the strength to walk back and forth, clasp his hands, and periodically say "boom" for the full presentation (he has), but because he knows the company needs more faces than just his, to reassure the public that it could continue without him if necessary, and so people wouldn't be horribly spooked if he were to {gasp} miss a keynote.

Re:News because

[Chabil Ha']

Chalk up a point for the capitalist 'Cult of Personality'. It's funny how we all point to Stalin, Hilter, Kim Jong Il, etc. as points of failed/failing organizations, but Stevo really highlights how this can be to the detriment of a major corporation, too.

Re:News because

[santiagoanders]

Here's something to strengthen your case:

Since people are countable, your statement should be: "Seeing that many more people ..."

Re:News because

[bledri]

During the dot-com days, his business card would have read, "Technological Evangelist."

I think that understates his value to Apple. A "Technological Evangelist" promotes the technology that a company has. Jobs does do this, but he also recognizes which technologies to push the development of, what markets to enter and he rides people to create products that fit his vision/version of perfection.

That's not to say he's irreplaceable, just that since his return he has been highly effective in leading Apple's success.

Re:News because

[morgan_greywolf]

When Sculley took over, Apple had other computer products than the Macintosh, including the Apple II line, and there were other machines on the horizon. In the end, the Macintosh became the main computer line largely because it was the most successful.

Re:News because

[Tablizer]

When many people believe that the continued success of a large company depends on one individual, his health becomes news.

Counter this pattern by putting Bush in charge of Apple. If he got sick, the stock would go way up. (And less window panes broken from flying shoes.)

    -1 Political Troll

Re:News because

[camperslo]

The Macintosh and the OS as separate parts or something else?

Prior to the Macintosh, and for some time after that, the Apple II series computers were the biggest-shipping product and profit center for Apple.

Re:News because

[brarrr]

You've clearly never been in a design, sales, or marketing meeting with him - involved would be an understatement.

Re:News because

[IL-CSIXTY4]

Pick up the book iCon, or do what I did and get the audiobook from Audible. It explains all the drama going on in Apple at the time.

Re:News because

[mattack2]

According to Wikipedia, Sculley was the CEO until sometime in 1993, the Pippin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Pippin) was released in 1995 in Japan. I'm not directly refuting anything you say, just that _a_ game system was released, outside of Sculley's reign.

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank You. Now can I convince you to get back to work?

Re:News because

[MichaelSmith]

I apologise in advance if this is a dumb question. But what exactly is Job's speciality that makes him so important to the company?

Funnily enough it was Bill Gates who said it best. Steve Jobs has taste.

Re:News because

[Blackhalo]

"Apple needs to break this perception that Mr. Jobs is Apple."

I remember an Apple without Jobs. That is going to be a tough perception to break.

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

Amelio was the right CEO at the wrong time.

It's worth noting, however, it wasn't his idea to get the sack and be replaced by Jobs - that was kind of thrust upon him.

Re:News because

[cyber1kenobi]

...is there another type of blizzard? ;)

Re:News because

[cgenman]

He's also shockingly good at convincing developers to create polished products in new ways. The idea of an all-in-one was foreign before the the iMac, using a 1.5" drive in the iPod was seen as suicidal, and none of the labels would sign for digital music distribution before iTunes. Dropping floppies, integrating burners as standard, those little wireless network access / speaker express thingies... Jobs has a way of seeing things ahead of other people, and pushing until it happens.

Sure, he's a good salesman. But the best thing he can sell is a strange idea to a team of developers and financers, and make it actually come out in polished format.

Re:News because

[Why2K]

The idea of an all-in-one was foreign before the the iMac

You mean, like the original Mac from 1984?

Re:News because

[cgenman]

Yes. Not gone, just foreign. Remember how weird those friendly-colored all-in-one things looked next to the drab grey PC's of the era?

Re:News because

[Jugalator]

That's because in Apple's case, it's more than a belief. Apple's success does depend on Steve Jobs, strangely enough. Remember John Sculley?

Hmm, I'm not following the logic in this argument.

Are you implying everyone but Steve Jobs will do a job like Sculley or worse?

What's to say Jobs' successor won't be better than Jobs himself at running the company?

Re:News because

[mjwx]

When you build a customer base around a cult of personality, dont be supprised when that customer base leaves along with the cult of personality.

Re:News because

[mjwx]

And, FYI, that's exactly the kind of people that make the big money while us nerds look startled at their sheer ignorance and evident feeble reasoning.

Speak for yourself, I for one am capable of seeing through a cult of personality, so are most technically inclined people. Its those who don't have the intelligence and/or discipline to learn that become enamoured with an image or personality.

Re:News because

[tverbeek]

So the beige Power Mac G3 All-In-One that immediately predated the iMac doesn't count? It had none of the aesthetic appeal of the iMac, but the G3 AIO - which looked very much like a Mac Classic which had been exposed to gamma radiation and then made very angry - was the iMac's direct and immediate ancestor.

Re:News because

[dangitman]

He understands what Apple is and is not about, and he sticks to that vision. Most other CEOs would probably have Apple going in utterly random directions, chasing the latest buzzword they heard.

Re:News because

[dangitman]

Speak for yourself, I for one am capable of seeing through a cult of personality, so are most technically inclined people. Its those who don't have the intelligence and/or discipline to learn that become enamoured with an image or personality.

Complete fail. You've just demonstrated how prone to cult-like or mythical thinking you are. In your case - the "techies are superior and see through all the bullshit" cult. That's a cult of personality, or maybe a cult of anti-personality.

Re:News because

[dangitman]

WTF? Since when was Apple based on a cult of personality? It is based on selling computers and software. Do you really think that anybody buys an Apple machine out of a sense of loyalty to Steve Jobs?

Re:News because

[soldoutactivist]

SKULLY!

/end x-files reference

Re:News because

[mjwx]

Cult of personality refers to a leader, not a organisation. For more information please read the wikipedia article.

If you need proof of Steve Jobs' Cult of Personality please find the nearest apple fanboy. A cult of personality is often created by others, but if this is Jobs' case, he is not humble in his fame at all.

Re:News because

[mjwx]

Complete fail. You've just demonstrated how prone to cult-like or mythical thinking you are.

How? Please read up on what a Cult of Personality actually is before making broad statements and changing what people actually said to support your wild conclusions.

In your case - the "techies are superior and see through all the bullshit" cult. That's a cult of personality, or maybe a cult of anti-personality.

Once again, learn what a cult of personality is.

I said, its people who don't have the intelligence or discipline to learn (perhaps I should have said those who cant think for themselves) tend to become enamoured with an image or person. Further more, I said that most technically inclined people tend to see through a cult of personality, which is to say, not all technically inclined people. To actually work with technology properly you need to be able to solve problems and have some thinking ability of your own.

What I said primarily comes from the fact that I don't like being lumped in with a group that feels that it needs to be someone else or requires a charismatic leader to give their lives purpose or definition. For me the ability to decide something for myself is of paramount importance and I don't like to follow like a sheep which is what the parent was refering to:

And, FYI, that's exactly the kind of people that make the big money while us nerds look startled at their sheer ignorance and evident feeble reasoning.

So I am not a cult of personality as it could only ever be a cult of 1, I'll happily tell others to think for themselves. A cult of anti-personality is an oxymoron.
Sir,
Epic fail.

Re:News because

[dangitman]

How? Please read up on what a Cult of Personality [wikipedia.org] actually is before making broad statements and changing what people actually said to support your wild conclusions.

I actually never mentioned "Cult of Personality" in the paragraph you quoted. I was talking about cult-like or mythical thinking. And that's exactly what you demonstrated in your "I can see through it" bullshit diatribe.

Once again, learn what a cult of personality is

Since you're such an expert on cults of personality - why would you describe Apple this way? Apple doesn't resemble anything of the definition you linked to. And by the way, I was using "creative license" in my reply to you. Maybe you should look that up? I said you had a cult of anti-personality, because you seem to believe that anything that is popular must be non-authentic, or corrupt in some way.

I said, its people who don't have the intelligence or discipline to learn (perhaps I should have said those who cant think for themselves) tend to become enamoured with an image or person.

So, what does that have to do with Apple, since it's not a cult of personality, and there are many valid technical reasons to choose the platform?

What I said primarily comes from the fact that I don't like being lumped in with a group that feels that it needs to be someone else or requires a charismatic leader to give their lives purpose or definition.

Again, what does any of this have to do with Apple? people like the products, they don't buy because Steve Jobs told them to.

A cult of anti-personality is an oxymoron.

How so? You seem to be distrustful of anybody that is charismatic, or things that are popular. So, you worship the stance that you are beyond emotion and charismatic manipulation, to the extent that you are actually affected by charisma in a reflexive way.

Re:News because

[dangitman]

If you need proof of Steve Jobs' Cult of Personality please find the nearest apple fanboy

There were Apple fanboys long before Jobs returned to the company, and they tend to be fans of the products, not of Steve Jobs personally. If anything, the Apple fanboys are much less rabid than they were before Jobs returned. Remember back to 1996, before Jobs came back. I think you'll find a lot more eye-opening evangelism back then.

I think the problem that you have is that Jobs is charismatic, and he is an actual icon of the personal computer revolution. So, should Steve be dull and boring? Is it his fault that he's an interesting figure? That's just who he is, it's his nature.

Bill Gates is in the same boat - he's not charismatic, but he is worshipped by many, who mistakenly think that he invented modern computing. Is Microsoft a Cult of Personality just because many people exaggerate Gates' contribution?

A cult of personality is often created by others, but if this is Jobs' case, he is not humble in his fame at all.

Except that nothing about Apple has anything to do with your definition. I don't see images of Steve Jobs plastered on Apple products. I don't see him asking for unquestioning adulation. In fact, he's a very private person - he appeared yearly (not any longer) for Macworld, and appears at shareholder meetings. He very occasionally writes these missives. Jobs certainly doesn't feed a cult, if anything, he wants it to die.

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

... and putting the Leopard DVD into any functioning region 6 DVD player plays a video of his funeral!

(mutters:) Steve is dead, miss him, miss him, miss him.

Re:News because

[Xest]

It's odd in a way because I know many "geeks" who have these ideas long before Apple pushes them onto the market.

I wonder then whether jobs just happens to be one of those geeks in the right place and whether he's not replaceable or whether it's a combination of his geek instinct coupled with another ability, such as being a great business man or leader that makes him stand out?

It'd be an interesting experiment to put one of the people on the ground who have equally good ideas in that kind of position for a while to see if the effect is the same or whether there's more to it than just good ideas and being in the right place at the right time.

I don't think there's a lack of people with the insight into the industry of jobs, I think it's just that they're largely the clever, but unfortunately rather introverted guys at the lower parts of the scale that perhaps have this insight. Perhaps the rarity then is in someone who both has the technical/industry insight AND the extroverted character and charisma required to make people listen to these ideas too.

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

The Slashdot editors "can't believe this is news" yet they still post the news story. Morons!

Re:News because

[Anonymous Coward]

your sig: "Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!"

Beware? Surely you mean "Rejoice"?

Wait... you must not have the same kinds of friends I have.
-os

Obligatory English lesson.

[caluml]

i4u: You loose something if it's too tight. You lose something if you can't find it/keep hold of it.
Please learn this, or the venom of 1000 Slashdotters will be directed at you.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[Chapter80]

You loose something if it's too tight. You lose something if you can't find it/keep hold of it.

Is loose even a verb? I hate when people verbize nouns!

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[Chapter80]

dang... foiled again.

loose indeed is a verb. And an adjective.

in my haste to tell a bad joke, I screwed up and mentioned verbizing nouns. I should have mentioned verbizing adjectives.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[Thanshin]

You loose something if it's too tight. You lose something if you can't find it/keep hold of it.

Keep it tight or you'll lose it for loosing it.

And yes, I will indeed be here all week. Go find another bar.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[Anonymous Coward]

ur also gay

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[Ixitar]

Slashdotter venom? *shudder* Thank you for putting such an image in my head. Now I have to go and get my mind rinsed out with beer.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[hobbit]

And another one, especially for you:

You loosen something that is too tight. You let loose the hounds. You never "loose" anything.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[ObiWanKenblowme]

The part of my dictionary with the definition of the verb "loose" disagrees with you.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[Mr. Slippery]

You never "loose" anything.

It's an unusual usage these days - at least in American English - but not an incorrect one:
loose ...
-verb (used with object)
20. to let loose; free from bonds or restraint.
21. to release, as from constraint, obligation, or penalty.
22. Chiefly Nautical. to set free from fastening or attachment: to loose a boat from its moorings.
23. to unfasten, undo, or untie, as a bond, fetter, or knot.
24. to shoot; discharge; let fly: to loose missiles at the invaders.
25. to make less tight; slacken or relax.
26. to render less firmly fixed; lessen an attachment; loosen.
-verb (used without object)
27. to let go a hold.
28. to hoist anchor; get under way.
29. to shoot or let fly an arrow, bullet, etc. (often fol. by off): to loose off at a flock of ducks.
30. Obsolete. to become loose; loosen.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[ColdWetDog]

Well you're still 'Offtopic'. So there.

Come to think about it, so am I.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[xaxa]

Is loose even a verb? I hate when people verbize nouns!

"Loose" also means to release an arrow (I fire a gun, I loose an arrow).

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[rvw]

You loosen something that is too tight. You let loose the hounds. You never "loose" anything.

OMG, I'm lost here!

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[1u3hr]

You loosen something that is too tight. You let loose the hounds. You never "loose" anything.

Oxford English Dictionary
loose, v.
1. a. trans. To let loose, set free;
1697 DRYDEN Virg. Past. VI. 38 Loose me, he cry'd, 'twas Impudence to find A sleeping God, 'tis Sacrilege to bind. 1821 SHELLEY Prometh. Unb. II. ii. 94 How he [the chained Titan] shall be loosed. 1840 BROWNING Sordello II. 211 Like Perseus when he loosed his naked love. 1865 TROLLOPE Belton Est. xx. 232 Belton had gone into the stable, and had himself loosed the animal.

b. In immaterial sense: To set free, release, emancipate
1570-6 LAMBARDE Peramb. Kent (1826) 149 Loosing them from al duty of allegiance to their Prince. 1611 BIBLE Luke xiii. 12 Woman, thou art loosed from thy infirmitie. 1637-50 ROW Hist. Kirk (1842) 130 It was concluded,..that he shall be lowsed fra the said sentence. 1784 COWPER Task II. 39 They [sc. slaves] themselves once ferried o'er the wave That parts us, are emancipate and loosed. 1842 TENNYSON Godiva 37 She sent a herald forth, And bad him cry,..that she would loose The people. 1902 A. M. FAIRBAIRN Philos. Chr. Relig. III. II. ii. 542 God as interpreted through Him [Christ] was loosed from the qualities that bound Him to a peculiar people.

d. To free (the lips, tongue, etc.) from constraint.
1902 Expositor May 383 The wine loosed the tongues of the guests.

.... and pages and pages more, but I think the point is made.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[tverbeek]

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned." -William Butler Yeats

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[Anonymous Coward]

Was Yeats writing about what happens to Apple when Steve dies?

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[stevencbrown]

You loosen something that is too tight. You let loose the hounds. You never "loose" anything.

Oxford English Dictionary

loose, v.

1. a. trans. To let loose, set free;

  1697 DRYDEN Virg. Past. VI. 38 Loose me, he cry'd, 'twas Impudence to find A sleeping God, 'tis Sacrilege to bind. 1821 SHELLEY Prometh. Unb. II. ii. 94 How he [the chained Titan] shall be loosed. 1840 BROWNING Sordello II. 211 Like Perseus when he loosed his naked love. 1865 TROLLOPE Belton Est. xx. 232 Belton had gone into the stable, and had himself loosed the animal.

    b. In immaterial sense: To set free, release, emancipate

1570-6 LAMBARDE Peramb. Kent (1826) 149 Loosing them from al duty of allegiance to their Prince. 1611 BIBLE Luke xiii. 12 Woman, thou art loosed from thy infirmitie. 1637-50 ROW Hist. Kirk (1842) 130 It was concluded,..that he shall be lowsed fra the said sentence. 1784 COWPER Task II. 39 They [sc. slaves] themselves once ferried o'er the wave That parts us, are emancipate and loosed. 1842 TENNYSON Godiva 37 She sent a herald forth, And bad him cry,..that she would loose The people. 1902 A. M. FAIRBAIRN Philos. Chr. Relig. III. II. ii. 542 God as interpreted through Him [Christ] was loosed from the qualities that bound Him to a peculiar people.

  d. To free (the lips, tongue, etc.) from constraint.

  1902 Expositor May 383 The wine loosed the tongues of the guests.

.... and pages and pages more, but I think the point is made.

what point? That this particular use of that verb has been outdated and unused for about a century?

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[Anonymous Coward]

i4u: You loose something if it's too tight. You lose something if you can't find it/keep hold of it.

Please learn this, or the venom of 1000 Slashdotters will be directed at you.

Yes, the venom of 1000 Slashdotters will be losed upon you.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[1u3hr]

what point? That this particular use of that verb has been outdated and unused for about a century?

Okay, so you're illiterate.

Re:Obligatory English lesson.

[aqk]

Aww.. Fukoff.
Yeats was a looser.
So was Auden. And Isherwood.
And don't try 'n tel me they were borne before there time!
.

What is weird is...

[pato101]

why is not Ballmer loosing weight despite of being unable to sit down anywhere?

Re:What is weird is...

[DoofusOfDeath]

why is not Ballmer loosing weight despite of being unable to sit down anywhere?

It's not fat, it's muscle. Peons like us don't realize the weight of a good, executive chair.

Re:What is weird is...

[wik]

I beg your pardon. It's typically all dead weight.

Re:What is weird is...

[CODiNE]

Wow... Steve Ballmer is the Kingpin.

Re:What is weird is...

[MPAB]

He is indeed LOOSING mass:

loose: to shoot or let fly an arrow, bullet, etc. (often fol. by off): to loose off at a flock of ducks.

Re:What is weird is...

[Anonymous Coward]

its about 13 lbs usually

get well soon!

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't own any mac products or anything like that - but get well soon Steve!

It's January 5th

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't think Steve is the only one resolving to be "back to normal weight" by spring.

Re:It's January 5th

[aussie_a]

I actually avoided the whole "make a new years resolution" mistake by being determined to lose weight several months ago. I hope Steve did a similar thing, or else he may be doomed to failure.

Re:It's January 5th

[betterunixthanunix]

I thought that half the Slashdot crowd made a resolution to "bulk up and stop exercising only the fingers."

Re:It's January 5th

[bledri]

I thought that half the Slashdot crowd made a resolution to "bulk up and stop exercising only the fingers."

I'm sure that a wrist and forearm of the average Slashdotter get regular workouts...

Re:It's January 5th

[PurdueBUZZ]

I am doing my best Steve Jobs impression right now. Post-cancer. So, yeah, I'm hoping and praying to gain some weight.

Misspelled

[Roland Piquepaille]

"stop the Tumors."

There, fixed that for ya...

Re:Misspelled

[Abreu]

hormone imbalance that has been reducing proteins.

...yeah, and Michael Jackson has a skin disorder that makes him paler ...

I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Please don't mod me down!

Re:Misspelled

[MBCook]

It is not a tumor.

I only want to know

[codeButcher]

.... How does this influence the strength of the Reality Distortion Field??

Re:I only want to know

[glebd]

Increases, obviously. Can't you just feel the tingle of it when reading Steve's letter?

Re:I only want to know

[StikyPad]

For values inside the RDF, the field strength is unchanged.

Re:I only want to know

[Jon_E]

what do you think caused the hormonal imbalance? .. think about it ..

after the ipod and apple popularity boom in the late 20th / early 21st century - there's many more women now caught up in the RDF who are finding apple products "sexy"

Re:I only want to know

[mjwx]

For values inside the RDF, the field strength is unchanged.

Apple engineers were planning to reverse the polarity of the RDF but Steve though the batteries looked cool when they were around the wrong way.

Re:I only want to know

[codeButcher]

Then again, it might not be THOSE hormones.... I know of a couple of hormonal imbalances that can distort reality quite a bit. Haven't encountered them in a male though.

Aha, so that is how to reduce Apple stock value

[Anonymous Coward]

Secretly replace Steve Jobs' coke with diet coke.

Investors are then disappointed he does not present a chubby look and the stock tanks.

Re:Aha, so that is how to reduce Apple stock value

[machine321]

Secretly replace Steve Jobs' coke with heroin.

There, fixed that for you.

ahnuld

[Anonymous Coward]

So stop the rumors and enjoy Macworld 2009.

<Ahnuld>It is not a rumor!</Ahnuld>

Set the fat free!

[Anonymous Coward]

He loosed his weight into the wild, to run free and learn for itself the difference between loose and lose.

Get a dictionary people. You lose weight, not loose it.

Hey Steve... how about a little

[eweu]

meat? Seriously. Get off the hippy diet and get yourself a taco.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[CmdrPorno]

When he said in his letter that it's a "nutritional problem," I couldn't help but wonder whether it was the result of some nutty diet.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Being that he had pancreatic cancer, he's probably on a special diet. A fatty diet causes a pancreas much grief.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[Anonymous Coward]

Being that he had pancreatic cancer, he's probably on a special diet. A fatty diet causes a pancreas much grief.

What is the justification for the second sentence? A healthy, high-fat diet (which, for the same number of total calories, will have to be lower in carbs) will demand less insulin of the pancreas.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[$1uck]

I don't follow this stuff, but if he had/has pancreatic cancer, my guess is he is dying. Pancreatic cancer is a bitch, I've seen two people die from it. I had an old boss who went from 200 lbs over weight to looking anorexic and managed to fight it for a couple years. I think by going on a some experimental special diet, but it still destroyed him. I haven't heard of anyone getting better from pancreatic cancer.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[Anonymous Coward]

Depends upon the situation. I have a friend that had his pancreatic cancer found very early on so they were able to take it out through only surgery. No chemo was needed and after a year they still say he is cancer free. The bad thing about pancreatic cancer is they usually don't find out about it until it is spreading through the body. That's why the survival rate is so low. I don't know how early in the process they discovered Jobs had pancreatic cancer so it's hard to say how likely a re-occurence is for him.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[jgs]

I haven't heard of anyone getting better from pancreatic cancer.

Now you have. A few minutes with Wikipedia reveals that "Jobs was lucky; he had an extremely rare form called an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor that can be treated surgically, without radiation or chemotherapy." (From the Fortune article the Steve Jobs Wikipedia article links to.)

It's really dicey for non-experts (or, probably even experts) to make generalizations based on the common name of a cancer, without knowing exactly what variety of the disease it is, what stage it's at, and so on. Jobs has been (apparently) cancer-free since his surgery in July 2004.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[larry bagina]

You're right. You don't follow this stuff. There are two kinds of pancreatic cancer. Most (adenocarcinomas) are a short term ticket to death. 5% are in the "other" category and are treatable. Mr. Jobs was in the other category.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[Hieronymus Howard]

Read this article:

Let's recap why there's concern about his health: in October 2003, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer - which is usually a quick killer. But Jobs is extraordinarily lucky: he had neuroendocrine cancer, a rare and treatable form. He had the Whipple procedure (which removes the head of the pancreas, where the cancer was, and the duodenum, which connects the stomach to the jejunum) to treat it in July 2004 (having unsuccessfully tried to "treat" it through diet, a fact that was kept from
Apple shareholders beyond the board).

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[tgatliff]

I question the use of the word "hormone"... What he is saying does not make allot of sense. It no doubt does sound like an adrenal/thyroid/pituitary problem of some sort, but his symptoms are wrong for the typical diagnoses...

I strongly suspect there is more to this....

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[tgatliff]

Just for the record... I am assuming a complex diagnosis because of his statements of "his doctors not knowing the problem". There are a number of very simply conditions that could cause the weight lose, hyperthyroidism being an example...

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[Hognoxious]

But Jobs is extraordinarily lucky: he had neuroendocrine cancer, a rare and treatable form.

Interesting definition of extremely lucky. Mine would be more along the lines of not getting cancer at all.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[ceoyoyo]

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data."

Jobs had a form of pancreatic cancer that is relatively easily treated and has excellent survival rates.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[bugs2squash]

I hope he goes on to enjoy a long and happy old age.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[Anonymous Coward]

Pancreatic Cancer has a 6% 5-year survival rate.

Source:

http://www.cancer.ca/Ontario/About%20cancer/Cancer%20statistics/Canadian%20Cancer%20Statistics.aspx?sc_lang=en&r=1

(p57)

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[Antique Geekmeister]

A fatty diet causes a body missing a pancreas, or much of a pancreas, much grief. It's hard to digest, and can make your need for bathroom breaks in the middle of a meeting increase quite profoundly.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[porcupine8]

Trust me, once you've heard the words "It's cancer," suddenly the words "it's a type with a very high survival rate" make you feel incredibly lucky.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[jgs]

Pancreatic Cancer has a 6% 5-year survival rate.

Again, this is pretty misleading unless you consider the specific cancer rather than "pancreatic cancer" as a generic. The statistic you cite is for "Estimated Five-year Relative Survival Ratio (%) (and 95% Confidence Interval) for the Most Common Cancers", and you read off the "pancreas" line. The specific case in question is not one of "the most common cancers" but (AFAICT) a different disease of the same organ.

Pancreatica.org has this to say about islet cell tumors:

Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (islet cell tumors) are much less common than tumors arising from the exocrine pancreas. Reports often indicate that there are about two to three thousand cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year

and

The natural history of islet cell and carcinoic tumors tends to be favorable as compared with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. For example, the median survival duration from the time of diagnosis for patients with non-functioning metastatic islet cell tumors approaches five years.

(Johns Hopkins agrees.)

The Pancreatica article says this compares to a median survival time of 15.5 months for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas ("pancreatic cancer") treated with the same surgery Jobs had.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[Anonymous Coward]

Note that he doesn't say anything about his cancer. Importantly, neuroendocrine cells of the pancreas secrete a number of hormones (such as insulin and glucagon) that affect both carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Thus a "hormonal imbalance" could be caused either by the surgery that Jobs underwent, or by expanding tumor mass (many neuroendocrine tumors continue to synthesize the same hormones that their cell of origin does, but in a poorly regulated manner.) I'm therefore reluctant to conclude from this non-denial denial that his tumor hasn't come back.

Re:Hey Steve... how about a little

[cyber1kenobi]

I read something that said he has a rare form of pancreatic cancer which is treatable.

Which Steve?

[chill]

The big question is, which Steve will be commemorated by the U.S. Postal Service on a stamp? The younger, chubbier Steve or the older, skinnier, playing-in-Vegas Steve. If only there was a precedent...

Re:Which Steve?

[sorak]

Does anyone else see the irony in the idea of someone who did so much to make snail mail less relevant being commemorated in a stamp?

Re:Which Steve?

[Anonymous Coward]

No.

Re:Which Steve?

[sorak]

Ok. good. I'm glad we got that resolved.

The remedy

[Anonymous Coward]

abstaining from Macworld

He's a CYBORG!

[Stele]

He'll surprise everyone when he shows up in the new iBod, which happens to weigh what his normal weight should be.

Darkstar

[Gothmolly]

Patrick Volkerding laughs at Jobs' silly medical problems.

Not dead yet

[jollyreaper]

He says he's not dead yet.

Don't worry, he'll be stone dead in a minute.

I'm feeling better. I feel happy!!!

Hey Steve!!

[CaptScarlet22]

Start living the high life! You'll do fine!

Re:Hey Steve!!

[db10]

Miller Genuine Draft?

Okay, so I have to ask the obvious question...

[Fritz Benwalla]

How do I *get* this hormone imbalance?

Re:Okay, so I have to ask the obvious question...

[db10]

Aisle two, across from the haircare products.

Re:Okay, so I have to ask the obvious question...

[Capt James McCarthy]

How do I *get* this hormone imbalance?

Build a house under high tension power lines.

Re:Okay, so I have to ask the obvious question...

[denzacar]

Start using exclusively apple products.

Apple computers, apple software, apple music, apple apples...
Pretty soon you will run out of money, so you will be soon be forced to eating apples grown in the wild and ones you can steal at the market.

You'll be losing weight so fast - Justin Long will try to kill you in a fit of jealousy.

Re:Okay, so I have to ask the obvious question...

[Anonymous Coward]

How do I *get* this hormone imbalance?

by banging baby fanbois

Re:Okay, so I have to ask the obvious question...

[KZigurs]

Oh, cmoon - give the guy some slack. Last I heard his annual salary was $1. And you thought you are having hard time feeding your family for $30 a week? No wonder he lacks meat.

Re:Okay, so I have to ask the obvious question...

[denzacar]

Yeah, but I bet he can sneak out some unlocked iPhones when nobody is watching and sell them on eBay later. Or some of those $30 iPod socks.

Or, he could get a second job.
By that I don't mean a clone. I'm told that a "blogger" is considered an occupation these days.

And I heard that Fake Steve Jobs left the "industry" - that means that there is a vacancy "in the sphere" somewhere. Or is it ON the sphere?

Re:Okay, so I have to ask the obvious question...

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm surprised that no doctors (real, actual gone to medical school types) aren't speculating what this 'hormone imbalance' is.
I thought it might be Graves Disease but as far as I know that doesn't interfere with protein absorption although it will cause a loss of weight.
So where are all the guess work doctors on Slashdot when you need them?

Re:Typo Correction

[Anonymous Coward]

Freudian slip. The author was thinking of Steve's asshole when he wrote the summary.

He's dying and we all know it

[mlwmohawk]

Seriously, why does someone issue a letter that says, "no, really I am healthy." He is a very wealthy man, surely he can avoid the sorts of doctors that would be able to be able to figure out his problem.

Re:He's dying and we all know it

[Bourbonium]

Perhaps this is the real issue...avoiding the sorts of doctors who would be able to figure out his problem. Surely he can afford comprehensive health care coverage.

Re:He's dying and we all know it

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, why does someone issue a letter that says, "no, really I am healthy."

Perhaps when websites are constantly posting articles speculating about his health?

The bigger news here is that they finally managed to get a rise out of Steve Jobs.

As for your second sentence, I'm not really sure what you mean. Are you being sarcastic and think that simply because a person has excellent health coverage that all non-life threatening health issues can be spotted immediately? As someone who has non-life threatening chronic medical condition, you'd be surprised at just how long it can take for doctors to figure these things out sometimes.

Any doctors reading this?

[Yuioup]

Any there any knowledgable slashdotters out there that care to speculate on what Steve's condition might be?

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[Anonymous Coward]

Superficially, it sounds a little like

Unfortunately, the best cure for this sort of thing- seriously- is to consume more meat, and less starch and vegetable matter. More likely, he will treat it with steroids, DMARDs, immunomodulators, and maybe even TNF inhibitors, which is the usual course of treatment. Unfortunately, this just draws it out and makes it last longer, while the dietary route will treat it directly.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[Vintermann]

A rare but treatable kind of pancreatic cancer, which he foolishly tried to treat by eating mostly raw vegetables, before having the operation. It's not much of speculation, it's a matter of record.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[shellac]

I am a physician and I have actually performed a few Whipple procedures in my training. I can say that upon reading this letter, I immediately smelled big-time BS.

There are some treatable medical causes of cachexia (profound weight loss) but they are not difficult to diagnosis. If he had pancreatic insufficiency following his pancreas resection, this should have been quickly noted because it is common and his newfound symptoms of diabetes are easily recognized.

Hyperthyroidism is another cause of weight loss, but any doctor worth his salt would have screened for this right away. Celiac disease is another possibility but again this is not a difficult diagnosis because of the GI symptoms (lots of diarrhea).

The most likely cause of weight loss in this setting is cancer, cancer, and cancer. It can sometimes be very difficult to find where exactly the cancer metastases have recurred, and this can delay the proper diagnosis.

The main thing that Jobs has going for him is that this weight loss was first publicly noted some time ago now, and he does not have other signs of cancer that we know of. Jobs does not seem to be the type to hide it if he knew he had cancer. At least, he didn't hide it the first time, right?

shellac.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[geek]

If you really are a physician then shame on you. Trying to give a differential based on a media report is pathetic.

That's just bad practice and horribly unprofessional. I can excuse the nerds here who don't know what they are talking about, but you sir just scraped the bottom of the barrel. You should know better.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[93 Escort Wagon]

I am a physician and I have actually performed a few Whipple procedures in my training.

Does that mean you got to squeeze the Charmin?

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[giffnyc]

Your comments seem, well... under-informed.

Here's a link to a user comment that I found pretty interesting regarding the ability of post-Whipple procedures patients to process proteins.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/new-money/2009/01/05/some-arent-buying-steve-jobs-hormone-imbalance.html#1593509

For those that don't click through, here's a quote of a portion:

"the person has an unusual level of difficulty digesting proteins, fats, and starches since pancreatic enzyme levels are reduced and since the duodenum is missing. Unlike ferrets (who also get a little understood form of insulinoma, with insulinoma being a topic that needs a lot of study still) humans just don't have a lot of excess pancreas to spare. So, the upshot is that his body now will have more of his food go through without needed nutrients digested. Hence, the weight loss.

Add to this that he is a vegetarian, in fact, a vegan. Vegetable protein is especially difficult to break into usable amino acids. Animal protein is far easier to utilize.

Furthermore, people who have had the Whipple Procedure sometimes find themselves simply not feeling like having the many and frequent small meals the procedure makes necessary, and as a vegan Mr Jobs may resist the foods that settle the belly at such times: full fat yogurts, full fat milk, and cheeses. "

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[shellac]

This is a well known complication of having pancreas surgery. Some patients need pancreatic enzymes supplements afterwards to process proteins.

This sort of thing should not be a "mystery" to Jobs' doctors as the press release says.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[Anonymous Coward]

It all depends on the doctor. Some doctors find things a mystery that other doctors find to be easy to diagnose. Some people who have had repeated misdiagnoses from many doctors before finding one doctor that properly diagnosed their condition can tell you all about this.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[bill_mcgonigle]

From what I've read in various places, consulting doctors for health advice isn't his primary strategy. I've heard the Whipple was only after everything else (quirky diets, 'alternative' healers) failed. Though I suppose there must have been some testing in there to have a diagnosis in the first place.

I don't know what's going on, I'm just pointing out that the doctors you presume are there may not be (at least regularly), nor would they necessarily have a good patient.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[shellac]

the doctors you presume are there may not be (at least regularly), nor would they necessarily have a good patient.

good point. that is definitely a very plausible explanation.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Celiac disease is another possibility but again this is not a difficult diagnosis because of the GI symptoms (lots of diarrhea)."

As someone with the condition, I'm glad as an MD you've heard of Celiac (many still haven't) however, there is a lot a good research showing that in fact many, many people have no GI symptoms at all. There is some discussion as to whether "classic" celiac may in fact by the exception rather than the rule. Do a search for Silent Celiac or Asymptomatic Celiac for references.

IMO, Jobs is a serious candidate for Celiac. If he -has- been diagnosed, the fact that he would be reluctant disclosing this (which is his absolute right) is also fairly common. It's a "poop problem" (classically anyways) and that is not something a hip, cool dudes wants to be associated with. This is one of the reasons why we don't see celebrity spokespeople for the disease. At 1% of the population there are some out there.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[Anonymous Coward]

I read Steve's letter as saying he had been experiencing weight loss for some time but had only recently taken it seriously enough to seek a medical explanation. At that point, his doctors located the probable cause and he is currently undergoing treatment.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[ikarys]

Are you a physician? Or you studied it and it's your profession?

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[geekoid]

It just say doctors. Considering his wacky beliefs, I wouldn't rule out 'Alternative' people calling themselves 'Doctors' in this case. I hope not.

Common sense as to what the article means does not apply in these situations. At least not to me. I've spent too much time watching those assholes hurt and kill people and get away scot free to do harm again.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[diversiform]

Celiac disease is another possibility but again this is not a difficult diagnosis

Tell that to every doctor I'd ever seen in my life (being visibly malnourished, and complaining of symptoms associated with malnutrition), until I was 33 when my celiac was self-diagnosed and confirmed by testing. And to my cousin and grandfather (both on my mother's side of the family) who died of gastrointestinal cancers, both associated with undiagnosed celiac. And to my mother, sister, and another cousin who all have celiac which was undiagnosed until I brought this condition (so common I don't like to call it a "disease") to their attention.

In the U.S., it is standard medical practice to misdiagnose celiac, and most people have to self-diagnose in their 30's, 40's or 50's (keeping in mind that this is a genetic condition, and so present from birth). Or more likely, stay undiagnosed and die of a gastrointestinal cancer, or some other condition caused or worsened by malnutrition. Celiac affects 1 in 133 Americans, but only 1 in 5,000 is diagnosed.

Unless you're saying that 1 in 133 of your patients (or more, if you see many patients with gastrointestinal symptoms) has been diagnosed with celiac, then you have no business saying it's "not a difficult diagnosis."

Celiac disease is always my first thought when I hear of a somewhat geeky underweight person. Undiagnosed celiac is associated with Asperger syndrome. For more about this, see Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder by Karyn Seroussi.

Re:Any doctors reading this?

[Anonymous Coward]

Duh. The vegan diet is the natural diet of all human beings.
How many human beings see a cow's udder and want to suck milk from it? How about a horse's udders, or a pig's?

How many human beings can chase a rabbit and catch it, kill it with their bare hands, and eat the uncooked rabbit? How about a pig? Can you catch and kill one with your bare hands and teeth? Can you eat it uncooked without getting food poisoning?

And yet still we have idiots telling us how 'animal protein is far easier to utilize'...

Clue: you'll have to actually question all the stuff you've been taught

Steve?

[SpaghettiPattern]

Steve and his doctors ...

Steve? It's Mr. Jobs. Show the man some respect.

Where does this buddy-buddy tone come from? You had a friendly-ish talk/thread with him? You were in same school -albeit 20 years apart? And, you wish to share this with us?

I wouldn't be surprised if he is old enough to be your dad.

Re:Steve?

[Thanshin]

dad?

Don't you mean "father"?

"male parental unit" would be acceptable too.

Re:Steve?

[BlackPignouf]

Oh c'mon!

Don't be so pedantic, you're behaving like Adolf.
And screw Mike's (Mr. Godwin) law!

Re:Steve?

[denzacar]

Where does this buddy-buddy tone come from?

Same place Billgatus of Borg icon and Developers-Developers-Developers video came from.
Or maybe not from EXACTLY the same place, but a couple of doors down the hall from there.

I wouldn't be surprised if he is old enough to be your dad.

Are you implying that Steve-steve-stevee-o and his mom were getting it on behind his father's back?

Re:Steve?

[Slash.Poop]

Mr. Jobs? Are you kidding me? Please tell me you are.

I would call him Mr. Jobs but that is because I have manners. However the point of many people (maybe even your point) would be that we should call him Mr. Jobs because he is a God of computers. Give me a break.

Jobs is a marketing genius, not an actual genius. Mr. Woziniak was the actual genius. How quickly you fanbois forget him. (Or hate him with his recent comments on the company, its future and its products)

Just because Steve-O holds up an iPhone does not mean he invented it or even a small piece of it. Just because Steve-Arino has his name on the patent does not mean he did anything beyond write CEO after his name. He markets the products and guides the ship. (And from most accounts he is a complete asshole when it comes to being a CEO. That right there should remove the Mr.)

Stop making Steve Jobs into a God. He is not, never was and never will be.

poor jobs

[clam666]

I guess Jobs should have eaten an apple a day to keep the doctor away.

Re:poor jobs

[Rakshasa Taisab]

If you eat only an apple a day you're going to have to visit the doctor in a week or two.

Re:poor jobs

[fbjon]

Microsoft tried that. It kept the doctors away, but the lawyers replaced them.

Re:poor jobs

[Anonymous Coward]

If you eat an Apple a day, you'll be seeing a doctor a lot faster than that.

Re:poor jobs

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm gong to have to object on this one.

Not the poster so much, but all the "funny" mod points.

It's 2009. Let's hold ourselves to higher standards, shall we?

Months to prep for a keynote?

[Johnny_Longtorso]

Seriously - months to prepare? I've seen massive numbers of keynotes in my day, and while they're impressive speeches, they're just that. Why would anyone need more than a couple weeks for this, much less a techno-weenie like Jobs? I've given a talk to 1,400 with a week to take over someone else's content....

Re:Months to prep for a keynote?

[falcon5768]

Last I checked you where not talking to millions of people you asshat. Bill Steve, all of them take months to prepare the speeches, hell at Apple they used to start preparing Macworld NY when they still attended it DURING Macworld SF.

Re:Months to prep for a keynote?

[Johnny_Longtorso]

10 or a million, it's the same content douchebag. Public speaking is a forte of those in this position and while it takes some work, "months" is insane, not to mention sacrificing personal health and holidays with family. All I'm saying he's not demoing table-top fusion that he needs to write a masters thesis on, they're refreshes of flippin' iPods and PeeCees that he sells to the masses that, in general, would buy his feces in a bag if he offered it up.

And I got modded troll - for a brief instant in time I forgot why I never post up here....

Oh. Steve is going to be taking 'roids?

[AtariDatacenter]

Reading between the lines on the 'hormone imbalance' and weight loss, and not a stemming but a rapid regain of lost weight (by late Spring), it seems what Steve isn't saying here is that the doctors have put him on a Steroid (testosterone) supplement (testosterone replacement therapy) to put on weight.

Is there another underlying issue for the weight loss, or is Steve just becoming an old man (with the loss in testosterone that goes with it)? Who knows.

But I, for one, look forward to the new roid inspired designs yet to come from Apple.

Re:Oh. Steve is going to be taking 'roids?

[Thanshin]

But I, for one, look forward to the new roid inspired designs yet to come from Apple.

Irate?
Irascible?
Irritable?
Ikillyou?

Re:Oh. Steve is going to be taking 'roids?

[Chris Mattern]

Well, he can't have iChoke-U, because that's already taken.

Re:Oh. Steve is going to be taking 'roids?

[WiiVault]

I always wanted a blade server with actual blades

Re:Wording is correct

[hobbit]

If his weight had been too tight, he would be loosening, not loosing, it.

Move along...

[Anonymous Coward]

Everyone knows that a hormone imbalance is just a 'feature' that promotes weight-loss.

It's worse than that; he's dead, Jim!

[Anonymous Coward]

Oops... sorry about my lapse into Star Trek. Please return to reality now.

WTF

[Anonymous Coward]

Why is one of the tags aids?

Re:WTF

[Anonymous Coward]

Given its proximity to San Francisco, it would behoove one to think of a retrovirus associated with 'a certain community' therein. Maybe there should be some other tags added, like 'forcedinputtooutputonlydevice', and 'poeticjustice (given the association between the creative arts crowd and Apple equipment)'.

so much for...

[Digitus1337]

So much for an Apple a day keeping the doctor away.

Update on my weight

[noidentity]

I just want to update everyone on my weight. I lost a few pounds when I got sick recently. Well, that or the scale varies by a few pounds (I just started using it, so I don't know how much it normally varies). I hope to have my weight back up in a few weeks. I hope this calms everyone's curiosity. I'll keep you updated on this as it progresses.

i's?

[ElephanTS]

Always wondered what the i's in the Apple product line stood for? Internet, information? No, ill.

extreme vegetarian diet?

[peter303]

The body loses efficiency in absorbing some nutrients like B12 as one ages. Jobs has been known to have some weird diets when younger. But he has often hired private chefs who specialize in quality vegetarian preparation.

Re:extreme vegetarian diet?

[powerlord]

That's what vitamin supplements are for.

Lots of people live perfectly healthy lives and go their whole life with a vegetarian diet.

Re:extreme vegetarian diet?

[runbadscott]

Maybe all he needs is a nice juicy steak. Yummm.

Re:extreme vegetarian diet?

[bill_mcgonigle]

That's what vitamin supplements are for.

It's tricky to impossible if you're a 'real' vegan (though I suspect, given modern agriculture, there are few to none who can bear the label).

Re:extreme vegetarian diet?

[geekoid]

Depends. Some 'vegetarians' diets people go in have very little or no fat. I don't care how many supplements you take, no fat means you can't absorb A and D, and you die.

guess the hormone? insulin, thyroid ...

[peter303]

The Denver quarterback had trouble keeping on weight two seasons ago and a surprise case of type-1 diabetes turned up. He didnt have other common symptoms like extreme fatigue, urination, etc., so doctors thought it was just stress. But high sugar turned up on his annual blood test.
Steve had some of his pancreas removed during his cancer and the remainder may become insufficient.

Re:guess the hormone? insulin, thyroid ...

[Anonymous Coward]

That was my thought, too. After anything pancreas related, it's not too shocking to end up a type 1 diabetic, and it can often come on very slowly. As an adult, it may not have been something they were actively looking for at first.

Jobs != SinglePointOfFailure

[Junior J. Junior III]

If Apple's doomed the minute Jobs is no longer running the helm, you might as well start running like hell as far away as you can from Apple right now. Jobs is a mortal, and will not be around forever. Find a company or product that will not immediately collapse when its founder dies or retires.

Do you *really* want to be running on something with a future that uncertain? I for one don't believe that Apple's on that shakey ground, but for those who do believe that, if they're still running on Apple, they're crazy.

Re:Jobs != SinglePointOfFailure

[morgan_greywolf]

Find a company or product that will not immediately collapse when its founder dies or retires.

Except that there was a long period of time between about 1985 and 1998 or so that Jobs was no longer associated with Apple. That's what? Almost 15 years?

Apple didn't immediately collapse and the Macintosh line existed and was largely successful in niche markets without Jobs.

No, Apple doesn't need Jobs, but I think that without Jobs, Apple would lose its sense of direction.

Re:Jobs != SinglePointOfFailure

[Hognoxious]

Jobs is a mortal, and will not be around forever.

With iClone technology, it won't matter!

Re:Jobs != SinglePointOfFailure

[Nefarious Wheel]

If Apple's doomed the minute Jobs is no longer running the helm, you might as well start running...

You could probably say that about any other high profile figure in the fashion industry.

Re:Jobs != SinglePointOfFailure

[Anonymous Coward]

That's why they developed the Time Machine.

Re:Jobs != SinglePointOfFailure

[geekoid]

They would loose focus, someone to set a high bar, and the ability to shut down a product while in development.

The iPod would not have happened without Steve Jobs to drive it.

Oblig. Monty Python

[gzipped_tar]

I'm not dead! ... I... feel... happy...

Lies!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Jobs, cannot be sick, he is immortal you heathens

Hormone Imbalance

[Anonymous Coward]

is AIDS causing it? Or is he hitting the meth pipe too hard?

Re:hormone imbalance

[DLWormwood]

Well I'll be snookered... it's true!

http://wordsmith.org/anagram/anagram.cgi?anagram=hormone+imbalance&t=1000

Re:hormone imbalance

[CopaceticOpus]

not to mention 'blame mac on heroin'

i knew the stress was getting to him

Hormone imbalance usually means menopause right?

[imaginaryelf]

Or is it a new euphemism for cancer now?

You know, such as when some bigshot gets fired, the press release usually says so and so resigned to "spend more time with family."

Future Headline: Steve Has Breasts!

[bodland]

A buxom Steve Jobs delivered a healthy keynote at MacWorld 2010. After months of hormone imbalance treatment Jobs emerged on stage at this year's MacWorld sporting a apple logo tube top, short shorts and C cups.

but for a *balanced* vegetarian diet

[peter303]

I was just reading the Pixar history book this weekend and reminded of Steve's eccentricities like two months almost solely ric macrobiotic diet; Atari putting him on the night shift because he smelled so bad ...

Seriously people

[d3xt3r]

Sorry, but I can't believe the incredible amount of stupid comments posted here on this article. Jobs basically announces he's not dying and Apple's shares jump 4%. Apple isn't a one man operation and Wall Street knows that. It's probably safe to assume that every single innovation that's come out of Apple in the past 11 years hasn't been dumped straight from Steve's brain either.

Steve's marketing genius and patient leadership are the real value he provides to Apple, and losing his leadership is what makes investors nervous. As some suggest, Apple pulling the Stevenote from MacWorld is an attempt to address the former, but without a plan to address the latter, Wall Street will still freak out at the possibility of Apple losing Jobs.

In a world where IT companies are constantly diversifying their offerings, rushing products to market, and generally playing a bizarre game of throw 50 products at the market and see which ones stick, Apple is playing its cards close to its chest - and has been successfully since Job's return. It's not chasing emerging markets (Netbooks), it's not trying to get into online advertising (Microsoft) and hell it's not even doing things that outsiders think it should be doing to expand its business. Apple's stock value is based on the perception that is has a master plan. This is what makes Apple unique. And this is the value of Steve Jobs.

Re:Seriously people

[ceoyoyo]

There is a rather major Apple press event tomorrow, which usually means some big product announcements, and is normally associated with a hefty jump in the stock value.

Re:Seriously people

[PCM2]

Steve's marketing genius and patient leadership are the real value he provides to Apple

Whoah, are we thinking of the same guy?

Re:Seriously people

[winwar]

"Sorry, but I can't believe the incredible amount of stupid comments posted here on this article. Jobs basically announces he's not dying and Apple's shares jump 4%"

What's even more amazing is that he didn't say he wasn't dying. He said he had a hormone imbalance. Also note the time required to regain the weight...

Press releases are often very important for what they don't say. But most people tend to miss the obvious. Certainly doesn't rule out the dying bit....

But which hormone is the question...

[gcmd]

The most likely would be hyperthyroid, though that really doesn't cause one to 'lose protein'. Something that makes you lose protein would be more along the lines of a renal disease. Of course, those "sophisticated tests" are just so cool, lets all run out and get some. (and run up health costs even more when a decent physician should be able to make a diagnosis with a good physical exam, a good history and some simple blood tests)

Re:Wording is correct

[Austerity Empowers]

Not if it were being held to him by ropes. Then he could "Loose the weight!".

hormone imbalance

[jap]

is an anagram of 'a common rehab line'

The newest Linked List library from Apple!

[betterunixthanunix]

Apple's latest developer product: the iLL! Your linked lists will never be more effective!

NO we haven't

[GuloGulo]

"Now you have."

So he's been cancer free for five years? Because that's generally what is considered "cured".

"Jobs has been (apparently) cancer-free since his surgery in July 2004."

Ok, pretty close. That being said, it's cancer...

Re:NO we haven't

[porcupine8]

The idea that five years means cancer is "cured" is ridiculous. Yes, that's when you actually get to use the word, but it's completely meaningless. The relapse rate for some cancers dwindles to near zero after just two years (maybe less, I don't know about that many cancers) - some, there's a significant risk of recurrence for a long time. The five-year mark is just something they came up with long ago to make people feel better. So he's been cancer-free for 4.5 years - I'll have my next CT scan about 4.5 years after being declared in complete remission, and that is scheduled to be my last scan. My oncologist clearly isn't too worried about those last six months.

Re:NO we haven't

[Anonymous Coward]

True, 5 years is not equal to "cured," but it does make a pretty good milestone in most cases. As you say, all cancers are different, so it's by no means universal.

That reminds me - I have to chuckle whenever I hear people talking about medical science finding a "cure for cancer." Cancer is such a wide class of diseases with different characteristics that no single treatment can possibly be effective for all, or even most. It's like saying you're searching for a single cure for all disease.

Just look at the specifics of Jobs' case - he had pancreatic cancer, which normally has an extremely high mortality rate. Without more specifics, people might assume he had only weeks or months to live. But it turns out that he had a completely different disease, which happens to fall under the same name of "pancreatic cancer" because it is a form of cancer that also originates in the pancreas. Aside from those two facts, his highly curable disease had nothing to do with the much deadlier and more common disease with that name. Lucky for him.

As someone who's nearing 6 months since my treatment, I wish you good luck and good health approaching the 5 year milestone and beyond. Cancer's a bitch, regardless of what type you get, but that just means I intend to make it my bitch. ;)

Re:Hormone imbalance usually means menopause right

[cynvision]

I think it's a new euphemism for an executive worrying about his business in a economy not seen for sixty years. I'm sure if Gates was examined he'd be in the same situation.

Re:Wording is correct

[easyTree]

or badgers..

I have no idea what this means

[Invicta{HOG}]

You know, there can be some pretty complicated and rare syndromes related to pancreatic hormones insofar as cancer is concerned. However, I have no idea what he is alluding to here. The most likely answer for why a person without part of a pancreas would be losing nutrients would be a deficiency in exocrine pancreatic enzymes leading to steatorrhea and calorie loss. However, the description of hormones instead of enzymes and sophisticated blood tests instead of stool tests is a little confusing. My understanding is that he had a Whipple procedure for a neuroendocrine tumor. He would certainly be at risk for steatorrhea. People with neuroendocrine tumors can overproduce certain hormones (such as glucagon) which can lead to weight loss from chronic diarrhea. However, if his problem was due to such overproduction, that would certainly mean that his cancer had not been cured by the surgery and probably wouldn't be described as an "imbalance."

Anyway, I'm not his doctor and don't know much about his case, but can't really put together what he's given us into a coherent story. Maybe someone else can speculate, but it's a bit of a mystery what he is referring to here.

Re:Typo Correction

[Anonymous Coward]

+1 digg for you, sir.

Weight loss

[Anonymous Coward]

Cocaine.

Guesswork at its best...

[Anonymous Coward]

I am a junior doctor and an old time contributor to Slashdot. I want to comment on this press release but I'm not interested in any trouble my guesswork may cause me.

Steve Jobs had pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple's Procedure) for pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer a while ago. His press release is very cryptic and makes little sense because he's using the layman's definition of terms he's using instead of precise medical terms. I'll do my best to decipher it.

First of all, Jobs is losing weight. Is this malnutrition or cancer-related cachexia? The former simply has to do with the body not receiving enough nurishment. The latter is an inflammatory condition related to abnormalities in inflammatory cytokines. Both cause similar outward effects but the underlying processes are very different. If we are to believe the press release then Jobs doesn't have a resurgence of his cancer. A Bloomberg article today commented that "Neuroendocrine islet cell tumors can cause overproduction of either one, or other powerful hormones such as somatostatin or gastrin, which are involved in digestion." While this is true, we are assuming Jobs had his tumor completely reseted so this isn't very likely. Therefore he probably has some form of malnutrition (more on this later).

"Nutrition Management of the Cancer Patient" By Abby S. Bloch states on page 89:

"Surgical resection as a treatment modality for pancreatic cancer creates several nutrition challenges: malabsorption caused by inadequate or absent exocrine pancreatic secretions or obstruction of the common bile duct (or both), diabetes mellitus resulting from resection of endocrine pancreatic cells, and protein-calorie malnutrition, which develops secondary to malabsorption."

If we are to believe the press release, then chances are it could be any of these issues. The only issues that fall under a "nutritional problem [that] is relatively simple and straightforward" are or absent exocrine pancreatic secretions, diabetes mellitus, and protein-calorie malnutrition secondary to malabsorption.

There are several articles which discuss these issues both in chronic pancreatitis and in patients status-post pancreatic resection and intestinal bypass. The one curious omission in the press release is the onset of symptoms. Mr. Jobs sounds like he was surprised by his weight loss and his doctors were confused. In Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency patients often have statorrhea which is a white-colored and foul smelling fat rich stool. Did he not notice this or was this detail to vulgar for Apple's shareholders and fanbase? It's wholly possible that he didn't have statorrhea which could have caused his doctors to run more tests to check for the worst-case scenarios such as his cancer reappearing. I think its fairly safe to take Mr. Jobs at his word. If his symptoms don't change by Spring then we can revisit this topic.

Anyway, "Pancreatic Cancer" By Douglas Brian Evans, Peter W. T. Pisters, James L. Abbruzzese is a wonderful resource that spends a great deal of time discussing Whipple's Procedure and I would suggest reading Part III from pages 123 to 232. Another great research paper is: "Management of complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy" by CJ Yeo.

Lastly I'd like to say this is all guesswork without having Mr. Jobs' and his test results in front of me so I welcome other doctors, experts, and researchers to comment on this press release. We can all benefit by collaboration. Remember, chaos is the score upon which reality is written but collaboration can swiftly bring some order.

Re:Guesswork at its best...

[gnasher719]

One thing to consider: If someone has survived a treatable form of pancreatic cancer, then it is quite possible that three years later they suffer from a completely unrelated illness. And if a dozen doctors all say "the guy had pancreatic cancer, and now how he has weight loss, so how does pancreatic cancer cause weight loss" they might completely miss the fact that one doesn't have anything to do with the other. So when you asked

Is this malnutrition or cancer-related cachexia

then maybe it is neither?

Eat a fuxing steak already!

[Anonymous Coward]

This is (more) proof that neo-hippie veganism is a scam....

The weight loss ...

[PPH]

... is just a side effect of the embalming process.

Grow up.

[Anonymous Coward]

Doctors, like IT folk, mechanics and theological students are nothing more than educated folk in a specific area. They hear a situation, give their opinion and try and suggest a solution. Want a "good" one? Find one with a quality practice in place and word of mouth recommendations. You'll find out the 'good' ones require you to pay.

Of course, it always "depends" on the specific cases and there are reasons why advice from a lawyer or doctor differ than they do with IT people. The difference is risk!

I'm tired of the IANAL warnings. Free advice is worth every penny you pay for it but it is nice to see someone throwing out an idea or two with a background.

I saw my mother as she lost weight and died of cancer, I think Jobs is dying too. He can lie if he wants, or legally speaking, shift the blame to some other nebulous medical reason. He'll probably be dead within six months. I hate to see him go but he's lying and that isn't fair to the stock holders or employees. His approach, or the board's approach, makes Apple scum in my eyes.

Taking the bait

[shellac]

I shouldn't reply to this ridiculous posting, which implies that somehow because I am both a doctor and a geek I am not allowed to have an opinion on a media report on a medical issue. But fine, I will take the bait.

I am not Steve Jobs' doctor and I am not trying to be. The OP solicited a doctor's opinion and I gave mine with the little information I could guess at from a media report.

COMMON SENSE would dictate that I am not making an ironclad diagnosis from a media report, but apparently it is because of people such as yourself, who are lacking in this capacity, that people have to post disclaimers at the bottom of their comments and email or whatever that they are only giving their opinion and not a professional service.

Before I posted my earlier message I had a discussion about the media report with one of my colleagues. It would seem then that you would prefer doctors to keep such talk to ourselves. You are quite free to block my comments or refrain from reading them from now on.

shellac.

Re:Taking the bait

[Anonymous Coward]

I appreciated your comment! Please do post little tidbits like that! it was a good little tip about what sorts of problems do come up. You didn't claim to know the answers but just gave us some ideas! Posting AC because I don't have an account :).

Re:Taking the bait

[shellac]

Wow, touchy aren't we? I guess you didn't care too much about the talk regarding McCain's chances of melanoma recurrence either. I think that was an important discussion that I would have chimed in on as well, had I seen a posting here. Just as this discussion is important to certain AAPL shareholders.

But I guess if you don't really have an argument to make you can always attack the individual. Good luck with that.

Re:Taking the bait

[Bryan Ischo]

Don't feed the troll. That guy has the lowest trolling Slashdot ID I have ever seen. I suppose he himself is like a cancer on Slashdot that continues to linger despite needing to be cut out a long time ago.

Re:Taking the bait

[Anonymous Coward]

If you were a real doctor, you wouldn't be posting speculation about a patient you're not treating. Unless you're just not a very good doctor.

iLite

[Tablizer]

So Steve-Lite will introduce the iPhone-Lite?
     

Steve will live forever!

[Tablizer]

They will slice his brain up into micrometer slices and scan it in, like they did to that volunteer for that medical database a few years ago, use it to create a neuron emulation, and then run the emulation on Mac hardware. It will be called the iJobs.
     

Vulnerability Advisory

[droopycom]

Got to love the way they announce that... Announce both the bug and the fix at the same time so nobody freak-out.

What's the CERT Advisory number for the Sick Steve Bug ?

Rumors of Jobs Health Greatly Exergerated

[itsybitsy]

"Heck, I had half of my digestive system removed and rearranged and now my hormones are raging, or not, and it's all a mess in there. I'm wasting away into a holocaust of a man but hey I'll be back as Steve 3.0 in no time. The monopoly that Nature has on life can't stop me. No matter what bugs she throws at me I'll bounce back with new the iHormone product line, exclusively from Apple." - A glued back together man named Steve Jobs.

Seriosly Steve I wish you the best. Please sell OSX for high end generic PCs and crush Microcrap while you're still alive. Thanks.

Lacking Protien?

[John Jamieson]

Eat meat? Just a thought.

Desperate reasoning of a very sick man

[Anonymous Coward]

Quote from the letter: "Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause--a hormone imbalance that has been "robbing" me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis."

That explanation explains nothing, except that Jobs is accepting any nonsense as an explanation. Why is there an imbalance? Someone who has "a hormone imbalance" has a serious condition.

To me, it sounds like the desperate reasoning of a very sick man.

Re:Desperate reasoning of a very sick man

[Anonymous Coward]

What's House think?

Hormones...

[adiposity]

The question is, why are his hormones imbalanced? It's not that common in males. Artificially altering hormones is extremely common for cancer treatments, however, so maybe this story is true but hides the bigger truth that he is having hormone therapy for cancer.

-Dan

That was ALL wild speculation...

[Anonymous Coward]

Quote: "But Jobs is extraordinarily lucky: he had neuroendocrine cancer, a rare and treatable form."

That was ALL wild speculation by someone who admitted he had no facts. No information was released by Jobs or anyone connected with him.

You can't be a doctor

[Anonymous Coward]

We can read your writing.

Re:You can't be a doctor

[MPAB]

Ever been to a FEMALE doctor?

mod parent down

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting definition of extremely lucky. Mine would be more along the lines of not getting cancer at all.

Pretty insensitive of people with cancer.

Re:mod parent down

[Hognoxious]

Pretty insensitive of people with cancer.

What is? Did they tease some crippled orphans?

Sounds like a Symptom

[waterlogged]

I have a thyroid hormone imbalance that affects my weight as well. I can spout on all day about that is why my weight is all over the map. That still doesn't tell you WHY my homones are out of wack.
I had Hodkin's disease almost 15 years ago and the radiation therapy fried my thyroid and it isn't producing as it should. Ergo homone imbalance.
What Mr. Jobs tells us is akin to telling me their car gets bad gas milage. That just leads to more questions... is it bad milage due to old plugs or because the gas tank is on fire.

Apple only needs Jobs for PR reasons

[thetoadwarrior]

I highly doubt Jobs had invented all their recent innovations. They is too busy to be tinkering with gadgets all day *and* coming up with superior marketing to make their products really popular.

But everyone thinks they need Jobs which is a good reason to keep him on and get him to slowly disappear and ease people into the fact he's human and won't live forever.

Steve's Diet

[DesScorp]

Being that he had pancreatic cancer, he's probably on a special diet. A fatty diet causes a pancreas much grief.

It didn't help him with his first bout of cancer. He's been on a "special diet" since his early twenties. He's a pescetarian.... usually, the only "meat" he'll eat is fish. Otherwise, he's a fruits, vegetables, and grains guy. It's not like he had unhealthy eating habits before. That's one of the reasons I think he's seriously sick, and this "hormone imbalance" stuff is just PR to delay the inevitable.

Re:Steve's Diet

[fgb]

he's a fruits, vegetables, and grains guy

No wonder he looks sick! Give the man a cheeseburger. He'll be fine.

"Jobs doesn't seem the type..."

[DesScorp]

" Jobs does not seem to be the type to hide it if he knew he had cancer."

Forgive me, I've been working long hours today, and perhaps I'm just dense, or perhaps my sarcasm/humor meter is dead at the moment, but isn't that precisely what he did the first time, Doc? Basically hide his illness for what, damn near a year? If you believe what you read with the "special diet" treatment, it also looks like he was kind of in denial about the seriousness of the whole thing too.

Anonymous Coward

[Anonymous Coward]

so, its not lupus?

Learn to read

[GuloGulo]

"The idea that five years means cancer is "cured" is ridiculous"

NO, the idea that you think that's what I said is ridiculous.

Not only what I said "CONSIDERED CURED" but the line following it "THAT SAID IT IS CANCER..." make it clear that the term "cured" is tenuous.

"Yes, that's when you actually get to use the word"

Which WAS MY POINT WHEN I SAID "CONSIDERED" and "THAT SAID IT'S CANCER."

Perhaps if you had actually read what I said you'd realize where you went wrong.

Re:Learn to read

[porcupine8]

Calm down, dude. Honestly, you're making yourself even less clear here.

I know all about Mr Jobs...

[gondwannabe]

...because I once stood behind him in line to get into a guitar concert at Stanford, yeah!

He stood there quietly and waited to get into the hall with everyone else, see!

Now pipe down you sonofabitch!

He's a brilliant guy, too bad that his own reality distortion field delayed his surgery. His letter seems a little disingenuous and unfortunately his health is material re Apple shares. There's probably no succession plan that will change that when the CEO is so closely identified with the brand.

latest MacWorld rumor from fan sites

[Anonymous Coward]

Jobs won't be there to give the keynote, but instead they are going to hold tryouts to be successor, to be broadcast live on TBS and Discovery Channel.

Some of the rumored contestants include Zuckerberg, Wozniak, Andreessen, Steve Wynn, Brad Pitt, Chelsea Clinton.

Missing the easy protein jokes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, that vegetarian diet of his finally came back to bite him the ass. Time for the hot beef injection!

Enter your on diagnosis

[Anonymous Coward]

Ok... I am posting this as an anonymous coward.

And, I admit my site is new... and I am shilling.
But, I thought it would be amusing.

Check out the case study on www.thecyberdoctor,com

I wish he would tell us which Steve Jobs says this

[Anonymous Coward]

If he would sign it "Steve Jobs. CEO Apple" I would believe it more (as Apple could be held accountable for stock fraud if it was knowingly untrue), else it is just an entity that can't be held accountable (yet is still controlled by Apple) for saying something that happens to prop up the stock price.

I am no more or less confident that he won't be dead in 18 months.

Very long term puts should be priced better after this. If I enjoyed gambling I might buy some.

Re:Typo Correction

[aqk]

Hey! Take it easy!

Some of us are borne too loose!

.

Attention Deficit

[Miamicoastguard]

Like all attention starved Mac users, once again the narcissistic hypochondriac king of the goons is doing whatever it takes to get a mention in a tabloid even if it's not worth the electricity used to write it. Who the F@*# cares? Everyone knows he has AIDS Did anyone hear of Ballmers' foot rash? BIG NEWS!

It called karma $itch

[davro]

Steve your an egotistical mug and we get what we deserve it called karma $itch.

YOu need to read that link.

[geekoid]

"I said, its people who don't have the intelligence or discipline to learn (perhaps I should have said those who cant think for themselves) tend to become enamoured with an image or person."

You are wrong, intelligence has nothing to do with it. I can list 100 very intelligent people who have believed in, or followed, some very wacky people just becasue of their cult or personality.
You are vastly underestimating the situation.

"I said that most technically inclined people tend to see through a cult of personality"

This shows that you are listening to your ego, not reason.

You completly missed the point of the original point becasue you were to busy slapping out a knee jerk response. i.e. Not Thinking.

The poster is correct, many technical people are stunned when someone who spouts off crap, has no technical grasp becomes hugely successful.

Non of which points to Steve Jobs btw.
He is actually understands the technology, and talks pretty intelligently about the company.
Yes I own an iPod, no I don't own any Apple computers and haven't since the Apple IIc.

Finally, and Ironically, if you read that link you would understand that the Cult or personality doesn't actually apply to Apple or Steve Jobs.
I think Apotheosis would describe it accurately.

Re:YOu need to read that link.

[mjwx]

You are wrong, intelligence has nothing to do with it. I can list 100 very intelligent people who have believed in, or followed, some very wacky people just becasue of their cult or personality. You are vastly underestimating the situation.

Oh, for the love of bob, I can list 1000 that haven't, where would we be if that were actually true, think about WWII, if the German scientists who left in the 30's had of chosen the best leader instead of the best scientists how many would have gone the Britain and the US? Certainly not in the 30's.

Intelligence has everything to do with it in the context I was using intelligence and/or discipline (English is a contextual language). In the context of the ability to learn and analyse intelligence and discipline are important. A person who cannot apply either is more likely to fall for a scam. I can however agree that being intelligent does not prevent one from being naive but it does make it a little bit harder.

The poster is correct, many technical people are stunned when someone who spouts off crap, has no technical grasp becomes hugely successful.

The poster is incorrect, many naive people are stunned when someone who spouts off crap, has no technical grasp becomes hugely successful.

There, fixed that for you.

You are also getting a bit ahead of yourself, A cult of personality (or Apotheosis if you would prefer) is created because people follow them, they do not start off hugely successful but are made that way by people who believe what they are saying, often this is blind belief. This kind of blind belief is often found in the typical Mac fanboy which is why I liken Jobs to a cult of personality. Add to this the fact that Jobs is highly charismatic and gives the appearance of intelligence which are halmarks of other cults of personality (Stalin, Kennedy, Chavez and so on)

Finally, and Ironically, if you read that link you would understand that the Cult or personality doesn't actually apply to Apple or Steve Jobs.
I think Apotheosis would describe it accurately.

Either or both are true depending upon your perspective. I'd say both personally. Cult of personality does apply to Jobs, weather it is true or not Jobs is perceived to be running Apple in its entirety and it 100% in control. This is advertised discretely over the last few years mainly with his speeches (in person). This is something that Apple intended to begin with as it desprately needed to create a new image for itself, that image, based around a man (Jobs) has taken on a life of its own and taken over Apple.

Not Funny

[Anonymous Coward]

It's amazing what passes for Funny on Slashdot.