I don't know why anyone was celebrating Phil's diagnosis. He's in the ICU and he dealing with blood clots and a pulmonary embolism. Given his total disregard for his health, he probably won't make 60. There's no way he will be cured of the damage he has inflicted on his body.
To see him sneaking out of his room and smoking outside the hospital is just stupid. I've had it watching these "macho" men act like really dumb children playing with matches. Phil had every single risk factor for getting lung cancer or developing chronic lung or heart disease. There's no excuse for acting so foolishly and then acting surprised when the grim reaper visits you.
I work at a childrens hospital where we do research on kids with cancer. With children they have no choice--they get cancer because of bad luck, bad genes or some other factor that they had no control over. To see adults like Phil (and most of the other men on DC) smoke like chimneys and abuse their bodies causes me to have zero sympathy for them when they have to confront the consequences.
They act tough and masculine facing the raging ocean, but they aren't tough enough to act like responsible adults when it comes to their health.
What is so attractive about these guys?
This message has been edited. Last edited by: mod_ivy,
it is hard to see people continue to hurt themselves, but everyone gets a wake up call and i hope that this is phils, sometimes it takes a while to sink in, he will have to realize that if he continues to do all the same stuff , it is a very selfish thing to do to his boys,because they are the ones watching him do it and they really love their dad..i smoked for 30 years and so did my husband and we both decided to stop cold turkey, we did in nov.1998 and have never looked back, my heart and lungs have completely healed themselves, so i will pray that phil gets it together..i think the attraction is the macho guy image but when you get older you really see people for who they are, and he is not a tough guy, macho man, he was really scared and rightly so.
captain phil good luck you have better chance than my wife had she had blood clots that went though her heart and filled her lungs 90% they life flighter her to a larger hospital disovoled them and she is still alive a year later, bye the great fishing wish I was there Roger
First off, remember that this is a real person and real serious health issue. I don't know why some people feel the need to talk bad about somebody eles, especially in a situation such as this.
As for Phil smoking after his diagnosis, sometimes the need can override the little voice in your head that says "don't do it". I have chronic asma and I used to smoke. I went to the doctor a few years ago and found I only had about 60% of my breathing capacity. So, ya know what I did? I took my Advair 2 times a day as prescribed AND continued to smoke. It was when I got pregnant that I finally decided quit and that's been 3 years ago. But it's still very tempting in social situations to bum a cig from someone. Maybe this will be Phil's wake up call, but if it isn't, he's a grown man and that's his decision. That's my 2 cents and now I'll go back to my lurking around the MB!
I'm not talking bad about Phil and I apologize if it came out that way. Most of my close friends work in medicine and I've been in this business for 20 years.
Phil is the one who was concerned and talking about his responsibilities and how his crew and sons depended on him. He's the captain and he has all kinds of responsibilities. So I'm responding to Phil's concerns. What good is he to his crew and sons when he's sitting in the hospital? All it will take is a tiny clot that goes to his brain and he'll be dead or crippled for life. Who is letting people down?
They should have called the Coast Guard the night he thought he broke his ribs and couldn't breath. Most people would have died right there. If he had passed out from that clot and they had to call the Coasties, now they are putting the Coasties at risk. Frankly, his behavior makes me angry since he is acting irresponsibly.
This is serious business but unfortunately many people don't see their health in these terms. I've watched this show from the beginning and it's clear that people like it because of the dangers and adventures.
Well, compared to an average hospital, DC is like a stroll in the park. Life and death happens every single day in a hospital and it's unfortunate that sometimes the first time many people think of their health, it is too late. For Phil it is too late since he already has serious health issues--he has out of control hypertension and coronary artery disease, and his lungs are damaged from years of heavy smoking. You can't cure or reverse these kinds of problems and in real terms, he has significantly shortened his life expectancy.
What's going to kill most of these men isn't the Bering Sea; it's going to be a tiny tumor cell or a blood clot. So while the rest of us don't do such a dangerous job as these guys, in reality many people are taking much larger risks with their lives and health by not taking care of themselves.
The difference between fishermen and being John Doe lying in an ICU is that for John Doe, there are no rescuers from the Coast Guard to save the day.
Phil's health problems are just as much a part of the action as a boat springing a leak from a cracked pipe. So don't take your health for granted because the last place you want to be on this earth is lying on a bed in a hospital with heparin or some other clot buster being fed into your arm.
Phil is a dead man walking??? What a rotten thing to write. Where did you get your medical degree and when did you examine him? He is obviously doing much better as evidenced by After the Catch. Just like your mama should have told you if you can't say something nice...
Originally posted by DebiRN: Phil is a dead man walking??? What a rotten thing to write. Where did you get your medical degree and when did you examine him? He is obviously doing much better as evidenced by After the Catch. Just like your mama should have told you if you can't say something nice...
Any biostatistician or other person familiar with life tables, survival analysis and epidemiological studies of the chronic conditions that Phil has will come the conclusion that his life expectancy has been drastically shortened compared to a 50 year old who has taken care of themselves.
Men in their early fifties don't have clots in their legs or suffer pulmonary embolisms. In fact men in their fifties should be vital and strong--Phil looks like a 75 year old.
It never fails to amaze me how so many people act as if a sick person is a victim when all of their ailments are the result of their own choices.
As a population Americans are significantly less healthy than many other developed nations' citizens. There is a reason for that--many Americans have really bad habits when it comes to health.
We are quick to blame others for our chronic conditions (eg toxic chemicals, pesticides, pollution), but in reality the worst enemy to the health of Americans are the people of America!
People like Phil are one reason why America is having a health care crisis. Do you know how expensive it is to take care of sick people like Phil?
And what about those people who take care of themselves and will never end up in an ICU like Phil? Or what about the rest of us fifty-somethings who don't have any of the health issues that he does because we didn't smoke and were careful to eat a healthy diet?
We all end up paying and the country is going broke since health care is the single largest industry in America.
Tell you what, you go visit the nearest children's hospital and look at all of sick kids with cancer or other life threatening ailments. Most of the kids there had absolutely no choice in their predicament. Their parents would give anything to see their children normal again. These are the people who deserve sympathy.
Phil is a guy who made a lot very bad mistakes. Like I said earlier, a lot of people don't realize that their health is serious business and that the doctors and hospitals won't be able to cure you once you crash with heart disease, COPD or cancer.
I understand why you are frustrated with Phil but here's the thing that I think needs to be stated more often. I read somewhere that Josh and Jake read the message boards when they can. As if their not going through enough with their dad they could read a post like dead man walking about their dad!!! Just a thought...
this was filmed 6 months ago.. he has changed a lot since then. I don't know if you've ever been addicted to cigarettes but he's done his best to give them up.
Originally posted by wendy928: I understand why you are frustrated with Phil but here's the thing that I think needs to be stated more often. I read somewhere that Josh and Jake read the message boards when they can. As if their not going through enough with their dad they could read a post like dead man walking about their dad!!! Just a thought...
I fully understand the seriousness of what Phil is facing--I do cancer research for a living.
Hello! Most people who have a pulmonary embolism like Phil did have a far worst outcome.
What I'm saying is that Phil's health is right up there with falling overboard except for the fact that the damage that has been to his body cannot be completely undone or even partially undone.
This is about life and death pure and simple. His son's should know and everyone else should be aware that living like Phil will take years or even decades off of your life.
Phil obviously didn't pay much attention to these facts. Many Americans take their present health for granted and it is a serious mistake.
I thought that people here like "real life" drama and not the sugar coated variety. Like I said, Phil has a far more difficult opponent than anything the Bering Sea could dish out but he never believed it existed.
Well the consequences of ignoring those warnings from modern medicine kills people by the thousands every week.
ALL THESE GUYS SMOKE, not just Capt. Phil so its kind of unfair to come down just on him. Sig said he lives on a diet of cigs, coffee, and chocolate! And unlike Phil who's kids are grown, Sig still has young kids at home. So if you're going to come down on Phil, come down on the rest of them too. And don't forget all the people who eat junk food, clogging their arteries on a daily basis. We all do stuff that's bad for our health so its unfair to target just one person.
I wonder when if anyone working in a hospital has ever made a bad choice reguarding their own health? Hey, wait a minute I work at a childrens hospital and when I drive in to the parking lot there are always at least 7 to 10 medical personal standing outside smoking. NO matter where you work people are peolpe and free will rules.
I don't think DC saying any their habits are good examples. In fact, I think by showing what Phil is going through it only exposes the negatives aspects of smoking.
Why does everybody blame Captain Phil for not taking care of himself? He has a life, ( he still does ) he's living it the way he wants to. I see him as being a loving responsible father and captain, doing his best. That's it, not as a smoker who isn't taking care of himself. I am a smoker in my 50's, I know that I'm taking chances. I CANNOT QUIT! I AM HOOKED! They have programs for people who are addicted to Drugs, Alchohol, etc.....why don't they have programs for smokers? I have known people who NEVER SMOKED that have lung cancer and heart disease and other illnesses. The long and short of this is that NO MATTER WHAT we do, no matter how well we take care of ourselves, we are ALL going to DIE. Our society seems to believe that if you take care of yourself you will live forever. That's not how it works. Contrary to the mass publics beliefs, Smokers are not the cause of the world's problems as we are all led to believe. We all have to blame something on somebody. We don't make this big a deal of Alchohol and Drug abuse for God sake. Sorry, I didn't intend to turn this into a pro smokers campaign. Just wanted to blast the non-smoing do gooders and remind them that they are all just as vulnerable as the rest of us and that they are going to have problems one day too.
I fully understand the seriousness of what Phil is facing--I do cancer research for a living.
well good for you... but you think he isn't aware of this now? he doesn't need you coming on here smearing his name and life.. show some tact. You don't know what it's like to walk in the man's shoes so quit judging him.
also it's not right to condemn him as though recovery isn't possible.. the body has an amazing ability to recover if someone decides to turn around. Here's what the doctors said about the state of his body.
Originally posted by lonebeagle1: I'm not talking bad about Phil and I apologize if it came out that way. Most of my close friends work in medicine and I've been in this business for 20 years.
Phil is the one who was concerned and talking about his responsibilities and how his crew and sons depended on him. He's the captain and he has all kinds of responsibilities. So I'm responding to Phil's concerns. What good is he to his crew and sons when he's sitting in the hospital? All it will take is a tiny clot that goes to his brain and he'll be dead or crippled for life. Who is letting people down?
They should have called the Coast Guard the night he thought he broke his ribs and couldn't breath. Most people would have died right there. If he had passed out from that clot and they had to call the Coasties, now they are putting the Coasties at risk. Frankly, his behavior makes me angry since he is acting irresponsibly.
This is serious business but unfortunately many people don't see their health in these terms. I've watched this show from the beginning and it's clear that people like it because of the dangers and adventures.
Well, compared to an average hospital, DC is like a stroll in the park. Life and death happens every single day in a hospital and it's unfortunate that sometimes the first time many people think of their health, it is too late. For Phil it is too late since he already has serious health issues--he has out of control hypertension and coronary artery disease, and his lungs are damaged from years of heavy smoking. You can't cure or reverse these kinds of problems and in real terms, he has significantly shortened his life expectancy.
What's going to kill most of these men isn't the Bering Sea; it's going to be a tiny tumor cell or a blood clot. So while the rest of us don't do such a dangerous job as these guys, in reality many people are taking much larger risks with their lives and health by not taking care of themselves.
The difference between fishermen and being John Doe lying in an ICU is that for John Doe, there are no rescuers from the Coast Guard to save the day.
Phil's health problems are just as much a part of the action as a boat springing a leak from a cracked pipe. So don't take your health for granted because the last place you want to be on this earth is lying on a bed in a hospital with heparin or some other clot buster being fed into your arm.
WHILE most people dont understand your pint i have been there layed in that hospital bed with heparin after weeks of that went on coumadin for 6 months and have been on an asperin regiment for 20 years,i know were your coming from advise phil 325mg. bayer no 81 mg low dose..nothing lie bayer...thanks for your intelligent post..
Originally posted by lonebeagle1: I'm not talking bad about Phil and I apologize if it came out that way. Most of my close friends work in medicine and I've been in this business for 20 years.
Phil is the one who was concerned and talking about his responsibilities and how his crew and sons depended on him. He's the captain and he has all kinds of responsibilities. So I'm responding to Phil's concerns. What good is he to his crew and sons when he's sitting in the hospital? All it will take is a tiny clot that goes to his brain and he'll be dead or crippled for life. Who is letting people down?
They should have called the Coast Guard the night he thought he broke his ribs and couldn't breath. Most people would have died right there. If he had passed out from that clot and they had to call the Coasties, now they are putting the Coasties at risk. Frankly, his behavior makes me angry since he is acting irresponsibly.
This is serious business but unfortunately many people don't see their health in these terms. I've watched this show from the beginning and it's clear that people like it because of the dangers and adventures.
Well, compared to an average hospital, DC is like a stroll in the park. Life and death happens every single day in a hospital and it's unfortunate that sometimes the first time many people think of their health, it is too late. For Phil it is too late since he already has serious health issues--he has out of control hypertension and coronary artery disease, and his lungs are damaged from years of heavy smoking. You can't cure or reverse these kinds of problems and in real terms, he has significantly shortened his life expectancy.
What's going to kill most of these men isn't the Bering Sea; it's going to be a tiny tumor cell or a blood clot. So while the rest of us don't do such a dangerous job as these guys, in reality many people are taking much larger risks with their lives and health by not taking care of themselves.
The difference between fishermen and being John Doe lying in an ICU is that for John Doe, there are no rescuers from the Coast Guard to save the day.
Phil's health problems are just as much a part of the action as a boat springing a leak from a cracked pipe. So don't take your health for granted because the last place you want to be on this earth is lying on a bed in a hospital with heparin or some other clot buster being fed into your arm.
WHILE most people dont understand your pint i have been there layed in that hospital bed with heparin after weeks of that went on coumadin for 6 months and have been on an asperin regiment for 20 years,i know were your coming from advise phil 325mg. bayer no 81 mg low dose..nothing lie bayer...thanks for your intelligent post..
sorry i actually can spell,having problems with keyboard...
This goes out to Phil and his family. Man, you take care of yourself. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. You will be o.k. and to let you know, you are not alone. I know that you feel that way but you're not. You have millions of fans that watch and care about you and you have your shipmates and crews and all of the other ships too. We love you and we hope that we will see you again.
You really need to quit smoking and as a previous smoker I know that it's not easy. You have to think about your health and your family though.
I know this was shot over 6 months ago but I really hope we get updates on how Phil is doing and I hope that all of the captains start thinking about their health and life now. Maybe this will help the others to start taking better care of themselves.
Phil's smoking also screws up his clotting time, which may contribute to further PE episodes.
That said, Phil is who he is. He takes on life on his own terms.
I think it is unreasonable to expect him to, after chain-smoking for decades, stop cold-turkey and not have another cigarette.
The captains smoke, drink coffee, and take other stimulants (example: RedBull) to stay alert during the impossible hours they spend at the wheel. An amphetamine or its like would probably be more healthy than the cigarettes, coffee and RedBull, but it can also screw up their concentration and ability to react appropriately in emergency situations.
If you've never been on a boat in the kind of seas they daily face, you have no idea of how exhausting it is to simply stay standing. Even in calm seas, your body is constantly shifting and moving to compensate for the roll of the ship. In the Bering high seas, it would be exhausting.
Being a captain under the best of circumstaces is a hard job. In the crab season, the captain must be alert and present, focused on the situation, for hours on end. They have to monitor and adjust for taking on the waves at the right angle, and that is constant in high seas. And then there is the rest of the crab-fishing specifics, which also require concentration.
Every time a big wave breaks over the ship, the captain must look to account for all the crew, knowing that one may have gone over the side. For you or I to face that ONCE would be extremely stressful. They face that situation frequently.
I'm new to the board, and am concerned over the judgments made by posters who don't appear to have a clue as to what is involved in being out to sea, being a captain and being a crew member. Trying to take land-based reality and superimpose it on a ship environment will usually be inaccurate. The criticisms of Keith not being polite and mannerly are, IMO, ridiculously uninformed.
In summary, posters might want to cut the captains some slack, and realize that the way they handle their job is what they have to do to be successful and keep them and their crews alive.
If they need cigarettes and RedBull, that is what they need. Yes, it will shorten their life, and they certainly realize that. But it is a decision they make for themselves and, IMO, it's not our job to sit in judgment of them.
Actually if Phil is a dead man walking so is every other captain that doesn't take the time to move out of the captains chair at least once per hour. It's easy to get a blood clot if you sit for an extended period of time. Maybe they could ask whether all of the captains sit the whole time they are in the wheel house. Sig looks like he is on his feet pacing more often than not. I hope to see many more episodes of your program. So get out of those chairs and walk if there is the chance to.
Topic Closed
I understand why you are frustrated with Phil but here's the thing that I think needs to be stated more often. I read somewhere that Josh and Jake read the message boards when they can. As if their not going through enough with their dad they could read a post like dead man walking about their dad!!! Just a thought...
Hey, wait a minute I work at a childrens hospital and when I drive in to the parking lot there are always at least 7 to 10 medical personal standing outside smoking. NO matter where you work people are peolpe and free will rules. 
