Stanford » Mark

MENLO PARK (4) » SUSAN

“So patients can choose whatever shift they want — and we need to balance for that?”

“Yes, the customer is always right. We are just poorly paid employees”

“This is keeping us alive… how can that be poorly paid?”

“Slaves were kept alive too. And it isn’t like this is just (or even) for our benefit: we are each keeping a dozen other people alive. How much would those people pay if we did it directly for them? Say get rid of the clinics… provide it directly.”

“I don’t know how much they would pay… I guess it would be some combination of what it is worth to them, what they could afford, and what alternatives they would have.”

“It would be worth their lives, so that factor is clear. But currently there aren’t alternatives… the clinics own the process keeping patients alive… and the clinics own us. It is like Amazon only worse: they have a complete monopoly and there is no possibility of competition”

“There are multiple chains. They should be competing.”

“Except we can’t change clinics. Patients can, but we can’t. ”

“The clinics are conspiring to keep us restricted?”

“I assume so. We can’t change employers… we don’t control where we work… we don’t control when we work… we can’t go out on our own… and we can’t negotiate a better salary, benefits, or situation.”

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“Has anyone tried?”

“I think so, but the results were similar to trying to form unions within Amazon or similar companies. It did not go well. I believe the leaders of those activities are not around anymore.”

“They aren’t still trying to unionize”

“No… they aren’t ‘trying’ to do anything anymore. People don’t appreciate undead who complain. We do not appear to have that right.”

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INFLUENCE

I started driving for Lyft — after about nine months from being discharged.

There were several impetuses: I like driving quite a bit and am a decent navigator in the Bay Area; my vehicle is very comfortable for both the driver and to infirm passengers — I know the later because my sister, wife, and daughters would drive me around in it when I was first discharged; and finally, there were too few ‘paratransit’ drivers for the people that did dialysis with me. I was never an official paratransit driver and vehicle (no wheel chair lift, for example), but I understood the needs of infirm and post-dialysis patients. I also had nothing much to do early in the day, so I drove both early and afternoon (post-dialysis) shifts.

During one of the afternoon shifts, I encountered another ability. While I drove Timi home, I suggested she try a Mexican restaurant (“La Fonda de Los Carnalitos”) in Redwood City. It was an innocuous suggestion, but two days later I found out she tried the restaurant. That same night. In spite of her saying she was having fried chicken for dinner during that drive.

Nothing incredible, but it seemed very unlikely to be just a coincidence. I tested this out with more (good) restaurant suggestions, and every time ‘my patient’ and rider would eat there that night.

Very strange. Didn’t work in the morning though, so the impact was limited.

“I can influence people” — I say to Dr A., who is dressed fashionably as always.

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“Yes, Mark, you can have a major impact to the world, especially given how long you will be with us. Is that what you are referring to?”

“No. I can my cause my patients to do things… immediately… and even sometimes silly or out of character actions. I suggested ice skating at Winter Lodge for exercise, and met the patient on the ice at the very next public session. I recommended visiting the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, and found out the patient had made the several hour trip the next day. I suggested touring Yosemite and they visited over the weekend (this was after Friday’s session).

I am now being very careful what I suggest, and adding lots of caveats (like ‘in the summer’) to prevent messing with their lives.”

“Interesting…”

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