I was thinking about this a while back. I had a raging staff infection in my leg in 1986 while in the Army. Long story short, I was kicked in the shin while playing soccer (just another reason to hate soccer @TAC :lol2:) and the resulting injury lead to a very very bad infection.

 

When I finally got to the hospital, "amputation" was mentioned in the beginning. That was scary. They stared me on a round of potent intravenous anti biotic, after 2-3 days it finally was able to overcome the infection and after a few weeks (and a couple of complications from draining the wound) I was able to make a full recovery.

 

Point of the story though is that without those anti biotics I would have at least lost my leg and quite possibly have died from the infection only 40 years earlier.

 

Now, fast forward about 28+ years, and I have now had a hip replacement. Without this marvel of modern medicine I would pretty much be sedentary and my quality of life would be drastically different. Again just a few short years ago they would not have even done this surgery on someone my age. Another example of the "medical age" we live in.

No, I'd still be alive.

No, I'd still be alive.

So far, me too. Although I'd limp very noticeably had knee reconstruction not been available.

Might not be dead, but my lifestyle would absolutely be different. No way I could still be playing basketball.

Well I didn't die of polio so

That's good.

I would probably have died of the black plague or small pox.

I've only been close once where modern medicine possibly saved me. My quality of life would probably be much worse.

Yes.

Well....I had an ACL reconstruction in 1982. Staph Aureous was introduced during the surgery. A week after the surgery, I was rushed back to the hospital with a 105 fever. My knee was fileted open and surgical de-breededing took place two times. I spent three months in the hospital on intravenous antibiotics and had two more procedures to release scar tissue.

 

So, medicine almost killed me, then it brought me back.

I'd probably be dead.

I'd be dead. I had jaundice at birth and had to have a complete blood transfusion.

I had appendicitis. I might not be dead but that would have been a painful surgery.

I would have suffocated in my sleep in 2007 during my bout with mono. My epiglottis was swollen to about 4 times its normal size. When I went to the doctor they immediately gave me 2 steroid shots and called an ambulance to take me to the hospital where I had to stay overnight.

 

The doctors said if I hadn't gone to the doctor when I did then there was a good chance I would have suffocated that night in my sleep with my epiglottis blocking my airway.

I had appendicitis. I might not be dead but that would have been a painful surgery.

Same.

I had MRSA at one point. I might not be dead but they probably would have chopped off my foot.