11 ms·
Jake Seliger has died
- fnord77 2y agoI've seen about a half dozen articles on his passing from cancer, but none of them say who he is. Googling his name doesn't help either. Who is he?
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- n1b0m 2y agoBased on his LinkedIn profile: a writer, editor and researcher https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-seliger-03363819 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-seliger-03363819
- sgt 2y agoI think the whole story about Jake touched a lot of and in a way it kind of felt like we knew him a bit. I told my wife about him and what his brother and his wife had written, and their circumstances. Now I will tell her tomorrow that the guy died and we will both be sad about it.
- slazaro 2y agoHe was an active HN user and a writer, he had a very active blog for many years, and he and his wife had been documenting their struggles during his disease; some of those articles were voted high here and had a lot of discussion around them. So in the microcosm of HN, it's relevant news. RIP Jake.
- efilife 2y agoso what was this guy known for? for a blog? for his illness?
- thom 2y agoYes. He was an academic who wrote about writing, authored two inconsequential novels, and was very open about his cancer. Many people here interacted with him or his work, but there’s no shame if you didn’t. A black bar on HN means people asked for it, it’s not a new entry on life’s high score table that needs to be rigorously justified.
- liberalmongo 2y ago[flagged]
- throwuxiytayq 2y agoReading your comments, I am increasingly convinced you might have accidentally registered on the wrong website. Possibly the wrong internet. Go read the rules.
- dredmorbius 2y ago<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9740876 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9740876>
- lofaszvanitt 2y ago[flagged]
- ugh123 2y agolike what
- A_D_E_P_T 2y agoConfirmed by his brother on his GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-fight-against-cancer-with-jake-s https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-fight-against-cancer-wit... May he rest in peace.
- thaumasiotes 2y agoThanks for the link. Bizarrely, the post on Marginal Revolution links to a post from 5 days ago, and it's easy to confirm that Jake was still alive when that post was published. (And, apparently, for almost a week afterwards.) The gofundme appears to be the only source that states he's died, and the MR report doesn't even mention it. (Other than to include a link to it in a quote from someone else.)
- NhanH 2y agoJake's writing was on hacker news 4 days ago and he was still replying to the comment at the time: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41157974 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41157974 Rest in Peace, Jake.
- sgseliger 2y agoThis is his brother. He passed away around 8:30pm on Wednesday. He was still reading, writing, hearing from loved ones up until the end.
- canucker2016 2y agoHis brother also posted a comment, https://jakeseliger.com/2024/08/04/starting-hospice-the-end/#comment-467390 https://jakeseliger.com/2024/08/04/starting-hospice-the-end/... , about his brother's death - slightly different wording than the GoFundMe update.
- aestetix 2y agoFuck cancer :(
- bigstrat2003 2y agoIndeed. I had never even heard of Jake before the post a few days ago about him going into hospice, so I had no personal attachment to the guy. But even so, reading about what he and his loved ones went through struck me as brutally unfair. Nobody should have to suffer (or watch someone they love suffer) like he did. Not just the disease itself but the extreme measures he had to go through just to try to keep it at bay. May he rest in peace.
- michaelsbradley 2y agoWithin each form of suffering endured by man, and at the same time at the basis of the whole world of suffering, there inevitably arises the question: why? It is a question about the cause, the reason, and equally, about the purpose of suffering, and, in brief, a question about its meaning. Not only does it accompany human suffering, but it seems even to determine its human content, what makes suffering precisely human suffering. It is obvious that pain, especially physical pain, is widespread in the animal world. But only the suffering human being knows that he is suffering and wonders why; and he suffers in a humanly speaking still deeper way if he does not find a satisfactory answer. This is a difficult question, just as is a question closely akin to it, the question of evil. Why does evil exist? Why is there evil in the world? When we put the question in this way, we are always, at least to a certain extent, asking a question about suffering too. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/1984/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris.html https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters...
- cancerboi 2y agoIt ain't fun!
- vinnyvichy 2y agoJake's wife on FDA deregulation https://bessstillman.substack.com/p/the-drugs-killing-dying-patients https://bessstillman.substack.com/p/the-drugs-killing-dying-...
- blackeyeblitzar 2y agoThanks - it’s so helpful for them to have documented this for us to understand a very complex and opaque process. All while they were under extreme stress.
- fatnoah 2y agoI've experienced this from both sides. First with my father who was dying of cancer and was informed that while some promising treatments were in trials, he was not eligible. Balancing potential harm from unapproved drugs vs. certain death within 12 months feels like an easy task. On the other side, my wife worked for a mid-sized pharma in the past. After several rounds of trials that each cost tens of millions of dollars, the FDA couldn't be convinced to approve the drug, despite hearings full of people who were either alive because the drug saved their lives or were hoping to have it approved for future use. After a couple more trials, the company ended up cutting losses and moving on to something else. Again, it feels like there should be some pathway here. Such a drug shouldn't be the first option if others are available, but if there's nothing else or other treatments haven't worked, what's the real harm in letting someone who's going to die anyway give it a shot.
- newzisforsukas 2y agoWhat was the drug?
- fatnoah 2y agoTBH, I don't remember the name as it was one of those crazy generic beezelebubatab type of generic names.
- llamaimperative 2y ago
- david_allison 2y agoRest in peace
- kristofferR 2y agoFor those who missed the "reference": "Starting hospice. The end" - 1178 points 4 days ago https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41157974 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41157974
- ChrisArchitect 2y agoFurther related: How to let go: Jake's life ends as his daughter's begins https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41174621 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41174621
- onemoresoop 2y agoRIP Jake
- kstrauser 2y agoSo quickly. He must've been very ill indeed when he came in to say his goodbyes. RIP Jake.
- delichon 2y agoIt's impressive to me that Jake managed to remain involved and communicative until so near the end. I withdraw into a personal shell when I get so much as a hang nail. Respect.
- phone8675309 2y agoAs the romantic partner of someone going through a degenerative disorder and as someone who watched my grandmother be consumed by dementia I can say that it's something most people develop over time instead of being born good at. If a hang nail is bad enough to make you withdraw then that means you don't have a lot of experience of getting sick to the point where you had to push through as it hasn't happened a lot. Over the course of the 14 years I've had with my partner (started year 15 last month!) I've seen how she's had to adapt to remain involved and communicative - and a lot of days, that's a struggle for her that she puts herself through to stay connected to the people she loves. tl;dr: It's an adaptation, and I'm glad that you've not had to build that adaptation.
- painsucks 2y agoFully agree. I live with cronic pain and people ask me if I'm in pain, I say yes, then they want to stop whatever we're doing and I say no, if I stop living because of this, I have nothing else left but the pain. So yeah, you get used to doing things with it. Some days it's impossible and I indeed do nothing but most days, meh.. Screw it, I have stuff I actually want to do.
- ethbr1 2y agoObama gave an answer in his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee episode that stuck with me. Seinfeld asked something like 'How do you deal with constant annoyances, all the time, when you're president?' And Obama replied 'I expect it's similar to what you do -- you fall in love with the work. Sure, sometimes it's painful, annoying, backwards, foolish, etc. But in the end you fall in love with the work, and it saves you.' That defined purpose in a way I'd never thought about it, and probably undergirds every religion. It also made me try to open my heart more to people dealing with chronic pain or mental health issues, in terms of their subjective effort. Objectively, it may look like they're just doing {normal thing}, but subjectively that may be requiring 10x or 100x effort from them. And that effort (the work) deserves its own respect, independent of outome.
- danielvaughn 2y agoReading his post was like a gut punch, and I didn't even know the guy. It breaks your heart to hear someone speak with certainty about their own demise, and to face it with such grace and clarity makes it all the more heart-wrenching. It sounds like he was with his family in his final moments, and I hope he wasn't in much pain. Rest in peace.
- CharlieDigital 2y agoI can't remember where I read this, but it's always stuck with me: "Healthy is merely the slowest form of dying"
- virgoerns 2y agoYour comment reminds me about Polish movie "Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease", which is a story of a doctor dying from cancer. Some variations of this title were semi-popular in Poland in early 2000s.
- layer8 2y agoAbout 160,000 people die each day on this planet. It’s probably safe to assume that a good number of them are facing it with grace and clarity. The fact that many aren’t able to, for one reason or another, is maybe more heart-breaking, in a way.
- passion__desire 2y agoAfter reading "A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs", I felt Steve Jobs was finally happy with the way he lived life.
- samstave 2y agoFor some weird reason, I know exactly where I was when Jobs died. (Driving upper market street in SF on a sunny morning) But Ill never for get what he was claimed to have said as his last words: "Oh.. wow"
- kalaksi 2y ago
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- cheez0r 2y agoRIP, Jake. The world is lesser without you.
- NaOH 2y agoMensch
- NeutralForest 2y agoRIP, his later articles really echoed some of my personal experiences. Thanks Jake for taking the time to write what many others couldn't. Spend time with your loved ones.
- Bluestein 2y agoA black bar might be in order.-
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- dyauspitr 2y agoMuch as I followed Jake’s story I don’t think it fits. Though I would be for it.
- progre 2y agoNiklaus Wirth didn't get one
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- sctb 2y agoNo way that's true. Indeed: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38864375 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38864375. It would be good if there was less Black Bar Bikeshedding.
- vinnyvichy 2y agoYou were prescient!
- s5300 2y agoTerrible day for rain. I like to think some day his daughter will appreciate getting to go through his HN comments & such.
- OuterVale 2y agoI've been following his story for quite a while. I knew this was coming when I opened up Hacker News today; I just had that feeling — not that it made seeing it in type any easier. He had a way with words that I was impressed to see him cling onto until the very end. Thanks Jake, you'll be missed.
- benopal64 2y agoRest in peace, Jake. His blog post recently was moving and eye-opening. If you are in the headspace for tough topics, read it and you won't regret it.
- churchill 2y agoRIP, Jake.
- aubanel 2y agoImpressive to see the positivity that both him and his wife Bess maintained in their last posts, despite the constant pain and oncoming death. Real strength. Rest in Peace Jake, and I wish you the best on the path forward Bess!
- whisper_yb 2y agoRIP, Jake.
- ChrisMarshallNY 2y agoHonest question: Does this rate a black bar? I know that he wasn't a big deal, outside this community, but within HN, his posts were kinda awesome (and heartbreaking).
- toomuchtodo 2y ago+1
- toomuchtodo 2y agoVery kind dang, et al., thank you.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- dredmorbius 2y agoYes, it's since been added. Email mods for any such requests: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41203566 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41203566>
- canucker2016 2y agoHis karma puts him at #29 on the leaders list - https://news.ycombinator.com/leaders https://news.ycombinator.com/leaders
- maxbond 2y agoI've vouched this comment. I believe it was misinterpreted as suggesting there shouldn't be a black bar, which would be flaggable as flame bait. However, the black bar either wasn't there or they hadn't noticed it (it can be hard to see on mobile or if your topcolor is dark), and they were suggesting it should be. I myself took this impression initially. Posting this in case someone else is confused and tempted to flag.
- ChrisMarshallNY 2y agoThanks. At the time I wrote it (and the wording is bad, in hindsight -I probably should have said “Doesn’t”), the bar was definitely not there.
- dudus 2y agoWhat happens to his hacker News account? What about email account, cloud servers, etc ...? I know Google has a nice tool to share your account after you are gone, as for the rest, I have no plans. Anyone has good suggestions on managing one's own digital legacy?
- Jimpulse 2y agoI believe he briefly talked about that in a post. I think he gave all the account info to his wife.
- flobosg 2y ago* Get Your Shit Together – https://getyourshittogether.org/ https://getyourshittogether.org/ * What to Do Before You Die: A Tech Checklist – https://archive.is/6vjqQ https://archive.is/6vjqQ * Cheat Sheet For If I’m Gone – https://archive.is/lnWX6 https://archive.is/lnWX6 – https://github.com/christophercalm/if-im-gone/blob/main/example.md https://github.com/christophercalm/if-im-gone/blob/main/exam... (HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31748553 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31748553)
- 9dev 2y ago@dang I don’t know what the criteria for the black top banner are, but Jake would have earned it, IMHO. I never met him personally, but his writing deeply moved me, and others too, judging from the reactions.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- dredmorbius 2y agoEmail such suggestions to mods at hn@ycombinator.com. "@dang is a no-op": <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36526450 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36526450> (Edit: I've emailed the suggestion, and we now have a black bar.)
- pseudolus 2y agoProfound condolences to his family and friends. Reading about his journey was heart-breaking, all the more so knowing that he would never be able to hold or know his daughter.
- dredmorbius 2y agoJake posted as jseliger on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=jseliger https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=jseliger He blogged at <https://jakeseliger.com/ https://jakeseliger.com/>, and numerous of his blog articles were submitted to HN: <https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=jakeseliger.com https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=jakeseliger.com>. That includes numerous topics, over the past year or so his experience with cancer, often concerning frustrations with the process and mechanism. His essay on agenticness especially strikes me as hugely insightful and underappreciated. It was submitted several times to HN but saw little discussion: <https://jakeseliger.com/2024/07/29/more-isnt-always-better-death-and-over-treatment-as-a-downside-of-agenticness/ https://jakeseliger.com/2024/07/29/more-isnt-always-better-d...> Jake's wife, now widow, Bess, blogs at Everything is an Emergency: <https://bessstillman.substack.com https://bessstillman.substack.com>. That also details the cancer / caregiving experience, from the point of view of a wife, caregiver, expectant mother, and emergency-room doctor.
- canucker2016 2y agoIn an August 2023 post about regrets, https://jakeseliger.com/2023/08/12/regrets/ https://jakeseliger.com/2023/08/12/regrets/, his last regret is: * Not looking into that thing on my tongue in July 2022, when I first noticed it, but that is very specific to me and probably not generalizable. In https://jakeseliger.com/2024/05/16/the-financial-costs-of-healthcare-costs-or-is-keeping-me-alive-worth-it/ https://jakeseliger.com/2024/05/16/the-financial-costs-of-he..., he mentions "...I got a partial glossectomy in Oct. 2022. Mine had some high-risk features, but I was assured that, with radiation therapy, it wouldn’t recur (Bess recalls the exact words being, “Don’t worry, this won’t be what kills you”). ... In retrospect, however, I obviously should’ve been given chemo with the radiation, but at the time I was pleased to not need chemo, and I foolishly didn’t look deeper into the data on recurrence—which is common for HNSCC—and I didn’t seek second opinions. Some of those second opinions might’ve said: “Get the chemotherapy." Followed by radiation treatments, mentioned in https://jakeseliger.com/2023/11/14/the-more-things-go-wrong-the-more-things-going-wrong/ https://jakeseliger.com/2023/11/14/the-more-things-go-wrong-... He posted about his followup investigation and the treatment of his tongue one year after the treatment - https://jakeseliger.com/2024/05/25/the-one-year-anniversary-of-my-total-glossectomy/ https://jakeseliger.com/2024/05/25/the-one-year-anniversary-... "By July 21, less than two months later, another six to eight tumors had grown. If I’d known how things would shake out, I likely would’ve pivoted to chemo and clinical trials the moment the surgical biopsy came back. But I didn’t and couldn’t." His first public announcement of his cancer - https://jakeseliger.com/2023/07/22/i-am-dying-of-squamous-cell-carcinoma-and-the-treatments-that-might-save-me-are-just-out-of-reach/ https://jakeseliger.com/2023/07/22/i-am-dying-of-squamous-ce... Followed by https://jakeseliger.com/2023/07/23/how-do-we-evaluate-our-lives-at-the-end-what-counts-what-matters/ https://jakeseliger.com/2023/07/23/how-do-we-evaluate-our-li... From his wife's perspective: https://jakeseliger.com/2023/07/24/what-its-like-to-be-married-to-a-dying-man/ https://jakeseliger.com/2023/07/24/what-its-like-to-be-marri... His wife had several posts about their search for an appropriate trial for his cancer and how they dealt with his cancer. His outlook in May 2024: "The likelihood of me living to see another anniversary is low—probably under 20%—but not 0%."
- JohnMakin 2y agoThe craziest thing to me is he was still posting up to the very end. I've seen this multiple times in end-stage cancers, my grandfather's pancreatic cancer, he seemed "fine" (other than looking incredibly sick) til the last ~12 hours or so - he was even doing some yard work the day or two before he died. He knew the entire time how much time was left, too. I don't know why I find this so crazy, other than I hope I never have to go through it - you're very aware of what's going on for a long, long time up until the end. Glad he is no longer suffering.
- JamesSwift 2y agoI think thats why cancer is such a vicious illness to have a loved one experience. Its a long drawn-out suffering, with an inevitability at the end of it. The body shuts down gradually as the cancer wins out. For my sister it was the same with 'good days' vs 'bad days'. At first bad days were the minority and over time the ratio changed.
- Fire-Dragon-DoL 2y agoA sister's friend's mother had a very aggressive cancer that was diagnosed and in 10 days killed her. In a twisted way, I think that might be worse than tge long drawn battle, where more time is available. I have no first hand experience, so this is speculation. It was just shocking to hear.
- JamesSwift 2y agoYeah its two sides of the same coin. In some ways its easier, in some ways its harder. They both suck in their own ways.
- wood_spirit 2y agoYes I remember the shock to hear that The Hermit, who kinda run The Register forums, died on the same day I had a chat with him. He quietly messaged me to give me some advice that was spot on. I had no idea and there was no hint that he was at the tail end of a protracted illness. They closed the forums and the website continued to change and be less of a community after that.
- dole 2y agoCheers and good journey to a bonafide hacker.
- orkblorg 2y ago[flagged]
- zh3 2y agoPuts me in mind of Randy Pausch's last lecture [0]; only reminded of it by this, which also reminds me I've lost my mother, father in law recently plus close one going through it right now. Horrible disease, hard to find the words sometimes (edit: which he did). May he rest in peace. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
- JohnMakin 2y agoBeen following along with this for a while. Jake seemed like a genuinely good guy. I find it very heartwarming that yesterday his very last HN comment was to post an archive link (which are always the most heroic people on this forum): https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=jseliger https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=jseliger
- surrTurr 2y agohttps://jakeseliger.com/2023/08/30/turning-two-lives-into-one-or-things-that-worry-me-about-bess-after-im-gone/ https://jakeseliger.com/2023/08/30/turning-two-lives-into-on...
- cancerboi 2y agoJake was strong. He was so prolific throughout his death process. Truly an inspration, especially to those dying of this disease. It is a terrible disease. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. The horror, pain and lethargy that you experience... Having chunks of your body cut out periodically... Slowly dying from the inside out... Watching your loved ones fall apart... I can barely put into words how difficult it is. If you know someone who has this disease, reach out to them, they need love and support. Rest in peace Jake. You will be missed. But more importantly, you will be remembered.
- minimax-touch 2y agoAnd yet… an invaluable opportunity to say goodbye and "get affairs in order". The suffering for all affected, I completely agree, I would not want anyone to go through. But compared to a recent bereavement I experienced where this person just did not come home, having died suddenly, unexpectedly, tragically alone and unseen. Would that I could choose, I think I would like the notice, despite the downsides. Love to all dealing with grief.
- adamredwoods 2y agoThe work he did with clinical trials and navigating the system was very impressive. We need more people that are willing to push the envelope on cancer trials. I have my own challenges and his work is greatly appreciated. We still need to beat cancer, all types. Let's keep going where Jake left off.
- adaml_623 2y agoI agree with you in spirit but would suggest that pushing for more funding of schools, universities, basic research, and applied research is something that we should all be doing. Imagine if all the smart people tried to cure cancer instead of working in Wall Street and Adtech
- rottencupcakes 2y agoFunding poorly run institutions isn’t the way. Make it appealing for smart grads, like the type that apply for YC. That involves removing red tape and shutting down the AMA.
- akavi 2y agoThat's going to be hard to do so long as we continue regarding someone who makes a billion from a new cancer drug as as a price-gouging murderer while regarding someone who makes a billion from starting an adtech company with mere indifference.
- adaml_623 2y agoVery valid point. We do have Nobel prizes but they are an exception to an otherwise problematic set of incentives
- jordanpg 2y agoTo put a finer point on this, the capitalistic enterprises that many are very excited about and believe will solve problems via the invisible hand, may not not pursue basic research because you can't demonstrate potential profit in it to an investor. But of course basic research, including all of its false starts, failures, and irrelevant discoveries, are precisely what lays the groundwork for the for-profit enterprises that come later.
- zdw 2y agoI actually met Jake in person, more than a decade ago, when I was doing freelance tech support and his parents needed some networking help. Extremely driven guy, and also super interested in the why of everything I was doing and the debugging process. Also he had the first kinesis keyboard I ever saw in person, which kind of pushed me down the build your own keyboard route, which really helped later when I was having RSI issues. He left us far too soon.
- tzury 2y agoDevastating. https://x.com/seligerj/status/1820883556509565121?s=46 https://x.com/seligerj/status/1820883556509565121?s=46
- dredmorbius 2y agoArchive: <https://archive.is/76NRN https://archive.is/76NRN> The post in question was shared to HN, though without much comment: <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41173695 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41173695> And the blog entry itself: <https://bessstillman.substack.com/p/how-to-let-go-one-life-ends-while https://bessstillman.substack.com/p/how-to-let-go-one-life-e...>
- umvi 2y agoI'm sort of afraid to ask since everyone seems to know, but... what is he known for? Usually black bar means a tech giant has died, but absent a wiki page I'm having a hard time finding anything on google about him except the news of his death...
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- samatman 2y agoJake joined HN in 2008, and has (had?) 80000 karma and change. He was one of us. I'm sure if you refresh this thread a few times you'll learn more about him, as it happens I hadn't heard of the man until the thread about him entering hospice, so I'm looking forward to that. But the first part of this post is enough for a black bar imho. It means that a lot of the community will recognize and know who he is, and miss him now that he's gone. That's enough.
- tivert 2y ago>> I'm sort of afraid to ask since everyone seems to know, but... what is he known for? > Jake joined HN in 2008, and has (had?) 80000 karma and change. Is that all though? I kind of find it hard to believe he'd be getting this much attention because he has a lot of internet points. The OP makes it seem like he was some kind of libertarian activist. It looks like he wrote some kind of 50 Shades of Grey-like novel ten years ago. Is answer that he's a long time blogger known for writing very personal blog posts about dying of cancer?
- Jach 2y agoYou and the GGP author joined in 2018, so maybe you haven't noticed yet, but the black bar has always very much been an "at the whims of the site operator" thing. If you try to apply any other metric (like "tech giant"), you'll be scratching your head at who gets one and who gets left out. (I don't think you're missing anything, the only thing I know about this person is that according to my browser history I visited his July 2023 post, but I had no recollection of that as to me it was just another in the long line of sad posts about cancer and terrible government barriers in attempts to treat it.)
- nailer 2y ago@dang can we please unflag this recent submission from Jake? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40928248 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40928248
- ETH_start 2y agoTwo causes that Seliger believed in, that are after my own heart, are: Removing FDA restrictions, to speed up drug discovery: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40894632 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40894632 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40746156 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40746156 And removing regulatory restrictions on housing, to build more homes: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41125739 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41125739 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40942621 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40942621 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40746156 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40746156
- vinnyvichy 2y ago[flagged]
- wayeq 2y agoI have an MRI for two suspicious masses on my pancreas and liver tomorrow. Fear for my wife and toddler more than myself.
- cactusplant7374 2y agoHope it goes well.
- wayeq 2y agothank you kind soul, waiting for results. it's fun. not fun.
- rseliger 2y agoThis is Jake’s sister. He was reading and replying to as much as he could up until the end. He loved this community and would in turn be touched by this entire thread. Thank you all who supported him and read and shared his writing. He said it was bittersweet to go out on top.
- appel 2y agoI'm so sorry. I only learned about Jake due to his post the other day. I understood this was coming but still felt shock and sadness when I learned just now he has passed. Wishing you much strength.
- urda 2y agoI'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for the support.
- dang 2y agoLove and condolences from all of us.
- MrGilbert 2y agoI am deeply sorry. <3
- keeptrying 2y agoMy deepest condolences. Much strength to you.
- nickpeterson 2y agoThis is heartbreaking, my sincere condolences.
- royaltjames 2y agoSoul crushing! Reading his writing these past years has been a treat. I'm rooting for you all.
- froggertoaster 2y agoMy deepest condolences to you, Bess, Athena, and your entire family.
- Dalewyn 2y agoI remember exchanging some comments with him here a few months back. My mother passed from gastric cancer back in December, so this hits very close to home even if I never personally knew him. Death eventually comes for us all, but the sheer pain and agony of witnessing someone pass from cancer is particularly unbearable. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
- lupire 2y agoA jarring reminder to moderate blog comments. So many gross and vicious comments on a sentimental post.
- BessS 2y agoHi everyone, This is Bess, Jake's wife. I just want to say how deeply touched I am to see how much Jake and his writing are appreciated here on HN. The intellectual online community which made up a big piece of his life for so long was important to him, as was having a positive influence on others, and it would have meant so much to him- as it does to me- to see the impact he made. Thank you for the people who reached out while he was still alive to make sure he knew just how large that impact was. I've lost the love of my life, as well as my thinking and writing partner, and everything is strange and disorienting right now. It's a comfort when nothing feels comfortable to know how appreciated he was and still is. As soon as I'm able, and for anyone who is interested in joining the efforts, I promised him I'd continue the push for FDA reform, and to try to find ways to improve agency for cancer patients so that other people in his position might suffer less than he did. I've never known a braver person. I'll miss him forever, but won't stop trying to keep his legacy alive. Please feel free to reach out anytime (I'm at drbstillman@gmail.com). Thank you also for all the well wishes for myself and Athena, who I hope will be just like her Dad.
- sgseliger 2y agoLove you
- steve_adams_86 2y agoI didn’t know Jake’s work, but I’m going on vacation tomorrow and this thread has moved me to get copies of his books and start reading them while I’m away. I’ll be thinking of your family as I make my way through them. I sincerely wish you and your daughter the best.
- vinnyvichy 2y agohttps://bessstillman.substack.com/p/the-drugs-killing-dying-patients https://bessstillman.substack.com/p/the-drugs-killing-dying-...
- vinnyvichy 2y agoThe writing of Jake's widow (e.g., on FDA reform) is worth reading too.
- vinnyvichy 2y ago[flagged]
- benreesman 2y agoI don’t know Jake, but I’ve been reading his last writings and I’ll observe that strength and courage and class in the face of existential infinity never, ever goes out of style. That’s a legacy. You’re a role model to me for how I hope to face my moment when it comes.
- Drupon 2y ago[dead]
- canucker2016 2y agofrom his father - https://seliger.com/2024/08/14/in-memoriam-jake-seliger-1983-2024-son-colleague-writer-husband-and-soon-to-be-father-part-1/ https://seliger.com/2024/08/14/in-memoriam-jake-seliger-1983...
- canucker2016 2y agofrom his wife Bess Stillman - https://bessstillman.substack.com/p/in-memory-of-jake https://bessstillman.substack.com/p/in-memory-of-jake