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Lord of the Rings Entertainment

Peter Jackson Hospitalized w/ Stomach Ulcer 84

Posted by CmdrTaco from the sauron-is-watching dept.
An anonymous reader writes "The Hobbit author JRR Tolkien suffered from a perforated ulcer before dying in 1973. Now today, New Zealander Sir Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and soon-to-be-director of the two Hobbit movies, was hospitalized with a perforated stomach ulcer, and underwent surgery. This is only expected to slightly delay the filming of The Hobbit, and he's expected to make a full recovery."
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Peter Jackson Hospitalized w/ Stomach Ulcer More

Peter Jackson Hospitalized w/ Stomach Ulcer

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  • Maybe if he'd used his impressive CGI skills to create a better working environment, more hospitable country and friendlier government officials he wouldn't have had this 'analog' medical issue. ;-)

  • Bless. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by unity100 ( 970058 ) on Thursday January 27, 2011 @11:33AM (#35021044) Homepage Journal
    may he get well quick. if he puts out 2 more good movies like the ones in lotr series, he will be doing good to all of us.

  • Ulcers don't kill anymore (Score:4, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 27, 2011 @11:36AM (#35021088)

    Since it is now well known that ulcers are primarily a result of bacterial infection, they can be cured with antibiotics. Perforated ulcers these days is primary the result of lack of diagnosis. This can be due to doctor's incompetence, bad luck and/or patient's inability to seek medical help.

    But overall, the stomach ulcer condition is very curable. You no longer bleed out or have your stomach removed because you have ulcers, like it was common in as early as 1980s

    • Re:Ulcers don't kill anymore (Score:5, Informative)

      by GameMaster ( 148118 ) on Thursday January 27, 2011 @12:25PM (#35021588)

      Yea, the OP also, conveniently, forgot to mention the fact that Tolkien was 81 when his ulcer killed him. Older people tend to have a much higher mortality rate with major surgery, for obvious reasons.

    • Re:Ulcers don't kill anymore (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Low Ranked Craig ( 1327799 ) on Thursday January 27, 2011 @12:34PM (#35021686)

      Ulcers are predominately caused hy the bacteria H. Pylori http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicobacter_pylori [wikipedia.org]

      This bacteria can cause genetic changes in the stomach lining which lead to stomach cancer. I had the bacteria about 10 years ago, and the cocktail of antibiotics they give you for treatment is a nauseous nightmare.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        "...the cocktail of antibiotics they give you for treatment is a nauseous nightmare. "

        You need to get a new doctor.
        I had it 3 years ago and I had to take 5 pills during a week.
        No adverse reactions whatsoever.

      • This bacteria can cause genetic changes in the stomach lining which lead to stomach cancer.

        This sounds more like virus.

        • Sorry. The effects of the bacteria can cause changes that lead to cancer. Not a doctor.

          • I never heard before a bacteria which can cause genetic change, however all viruses do that. Bacteria usually produce toxins. And we know that some toxins can cause cancer too. (Not a doctor.)

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Mashiki ( 184564 )

        Just so you know, these days it all comes in a pack if you're diagnosed with it. A pack of acid reducers taken 3 times a day for 7-21 days, and 1-2 packs of antibiotics taken every day for 7-21 days twice to three times a day. It's come a long way in the last 10 years.

      • Ulcers are predominately caused hy the bacteria H. Pylori http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicobacter_pylori [wikipedia.org]

        This bacteria can cause genetic changes in the stomach lining which lead to stomach cancer. I had the bacteria about 10 years ago, and the cocktail of antibiotics they give you for treatment is a nauseous nightmare.

        I'd like to know what sort of bacteria alter my DNA.

        Then I'd like to patent, copyright, trademark, etc. it. That way Stan Lee can't use it for the basis of another shitty universe where the GENETIC MUTATION cop out is the back story for every DC ripoff character he dreams up.

      • As far as we know the bacteria do not directly alter DNA. Rather, like in the condition known as Barrett's Esophagus, hyperplasia and dysplastic changes in the cells occur as a result of ulcers, acid etc. These demands on the cells increase the change of a clonal metaplasia including cancer. Then again, I'm a med school idiot .....

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Mashiki ( 184564 )

      It's been well known for the last 8-10 years(note: these doctors and the fellows who discovered this were call quacks in the medical profession for years). Before that all ulcers were believed to be caused by stress for the most part(one of those: the science is settled type things). Sure it's curable, that doesn't stop even good doctors from misdiagnosing it, or ultrasound tech's from missing it either.

      It's very easy to mistake a started perforated ulcer to something else in the upper tract causing bleed

    • While stomach ulcers are very curable, they can often progress to perforation with relatively little warning. We don't know if any doctor or the patient himself are to blame for this progression. Hope he recovers quickly. Then again, I'm an idiot....
  • I was looking forward to the Hobbit.
    • What is too bad? FTFS "This is only expected to slightly delay the filming of The Hobbit, and he's expected to make a full recovery." Are you saying it's too bad that he will recover and make the movies and that you were hoping he wouldn't make the movies and some other director would take the helm?

  • It was the ring (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    He was given the One Ring by Tolkien, and still hasn't taken it off yet.

  • I have ten bucks that says he developed the ulcer due to the stress of having to deal with modern copyright issuess and whatever big name Hollywood studios he's had to tolerate doing business with.

    Guns don't kill people, the modern entertainment media industry kill people. :D

    • Most ulcers aren't related to stress (directly, anyway. it can contribute, as prolonged stress can mess with the immune system). It's almost always a bacteria infection.

      • Bullshit. The reason those bacterial infections can grow without being disturbed is precisely because your immune system is inactive during stressed periods. See Sapolsky's work, e.g., Why Zebra's don't get Ulcers. [amazon.com], or his recent splendid TTC series Stress and your body [teach12.com].
      • This was thought to be true years ago when H. Pylori first got on our radar. Further testing has shown that a very large percentage of people have H. Pylori without problems. Research has demonstrated that stress is a very large factor, along with genetics, diet and infection. The original statement that stress from work may have contributed to the ulcer is a medically valid observation, especially since he's publicly commented on how demanding the movies were

        Then again, I'm a medical school idiot.....

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by osu-neko ( 2604 )

      I have ten bucks that says he developed the ulcer due to the stress of having to deal with modern copyright issuess and whatever big name Hollywood studios he's had to tolerate doing business with.

      That's a pretty poor bet, given that ulcers are usually caused by Helicobacter pylori, not stress, sin, witchcraft, or any of the other superstitious beliefs we used to have regarding ulcers.

      • That's a pretty poor bet, given that ulcers are usually caused by Helicobacter pylori, not stress, sin, witchcraft, or any of the other superstitious beliefs we used to have regarding ulcers.

        Yes, but everyone knows the Helicobacter pylori are summoned with witchcraft.

    • Re:What Caused the Ulcer? (Score:4, Informative)

      by sloanesky ( 1371165 ) on Thursday January 27, 2011 @12:48PM (#35021836)
      Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it now known that most ulcers are caused by Helicobacter Pylori [wikipedia.org] infection rather than being stress induced? Stress may have exacerbated the symptoms but I'd wager this nasty microbe was what caused it.

      Check out the history section in the above link for the awesome story of how the guy who discovered the link between H. Pylori and ulcers got people to take his results seriously. Its one of my favorites.

      • Check out the history section in the above link for the awesome story of how the guy who discovered the link between H. Pylori and ulcers got people to take his results seriously. Its one of my favorites.

        So you're saying Africa is to blame? ;) It is an interesting history.

      • Oh no, you're completely, 100%, factually accurate. The intent of my comment was not to make a serious assertion, but, rather, to make a snarky joke aimed at lambasting the entertainment industry. Of course, as is typical on slashdot, I fully expected someone more pedantic than me to come along and put me in my place for using an old wives tale to make a wise-ass remark on what is supposed to be a serious website.

        Congratulations, you win at being the first poster modded up for said correction. =P
        • It is my experience that most people I interact with on a daily basis do not know about even the existence of H. pylori much less its role as the casual agent of most ulcers. Perhaps I should have expected differently from the more informed Slashdot crowd, but alas it is too late now. Either way it was not my intent to be pedantic, but rather to inform, so I apologize if I came off as "putting you in your place". It was not my intent to do so.
          • Oh, I wasn't offended. Besides, unless there's blood on the ground, there's no need to apologize. I don't mind the correction at all. When I post things like that above, it's entirely due to my boredom and amusement derived from people acting on the internet. Don't worry about it.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        This is one of those stories that people love to repeat but it's only partly true. Half of all of the people in world harbor H. Pylori in their stomachs. However it only becomes dangerous when the immune system fails to prevent it from overgrowing. Immune system suppression is well known to occur in...wait for it... overstressed individuals. So yes stress causes ulcers. And yes bacteria cause ulcers.

      • I think the fact that the direct mechanism for peptic ulcers is bacteria does not preclude stress's being a cause.

        It's like thinking "I was not the cause of your concussion, it was the baseball bat ".

        An expert panel convened by the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research concluded that ulcers are not purely an infectious disease and that psychological factors do play a significant role. Researchers are examining how stress might promote H. pylori infection. For example, Helicobacter pylori thrives in an acidic environment, and stress has been demonstrated to cause the production of excess stomach acid. This was supported by a study on mice showing that both long-term water-immersion-restraint stress and H. pylori infection were independently associated with the development of peptic ulcers.

        WP [wikipedia.org]

      • Hey, med school student here. I commented elsewhere on this board:

        This [H. Pylori only causing infection] was thought to be true years ago when H. Pylori first got on our radar. Further testing has shown that a very large percentage of people have H. Pylori without problems. Research has demonstrated that stress is a very large factor, along with genetics, diet and infection. The original statement that stress from work may have contributed to the ulcer is a medically valid observation, especially since he's publicly commented on how demanding the movies were.

        Then again, I'm a medical school idiot.....

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by thomst ( 1640045 )

      I have ten bucks that says he developed the ulcer due to the stress of having to deal with modern copyright issuess and whatever big name Hollywood studios he's had to tolerate doing business with.

      Gastric ulcers are the result of "hotspot" infections by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. The most common contributing factors are diabetes, heavy use of NSAIDs, and prolonged high stress levels.

      At a guess, and given his obvious weight, Jackson's ulcer was probably precipitated by diabetes and stress. Of course YMMV, etc.

      Guess why I know these things ...

    • Guns don't kill people, ah ah. [youtube.com] the modern entertainment media industry kill people. With guns.

      -MC Vagina

    • Re:What Caused the Ulcer? (Score:4, Informative)

      by SplashMyBandit ( 1543257 ) on Thursday January 27, 2011 @02:22PM (#35022882)
      Well, it turns out that several months ago an Australian actors' union (lead by a guy called Simon Whipp) tried to muscle in on the New Zealand scene and caused a lot of problems for the production. Jackson was involved in the resulting cat-fight, and no-one (including Jackson) came out looking like a saint (although some looked worse than others). The problem was resolved by the NZ Government stepping in, modifying some laws and promising greater assistance for the film. Cynics have a small NZ industry dispute being inflated to the benefit of large Hollywood studios (who made noises about moving the film elsewhere - which ultimately ensured they received a beneficial outcome).

      This was what passes for major news in New Zealand, since we don't have too much other bad stuff going at that time (dislaimer: I'm from New Zealand).

      Here is some of the reporting of the bitch-fighting that went on (go forth Slashdotters, melt that server to molten slag!):
      http://www.onfilm.co.nz/2010/10/27/peter-jackson-statement-re-actors-equity-the-hobbit-i-was-never-asked-for-a-meeting-not-without-a-gun-to-my-head-2/ [onfilm.co.nz]

    • I have ten bucks that says he developed the ulcer due to the stress of having to deal with modern copyright issuess and whatever big name Hollywood studios he's had to tolerate doing business with.

      The copyright issues for the producer - director are straight-forward: You expected to generate a return on an investment of $100 to $500 million dollars. If you are doing the next Batman, James Bond, LOTR or Harry Potter flick you are expected to deliver a marketable product that preserves the franchise. You take responsibility for a $100 - $200 million dollar project -

  • He should never have gotten involved with it.

    I loved the movies and wish him a speedy recovery.

  • Curse of the ring? *gasp* (Score:3)

    by jadin ( 65295 ) on Thursday January 27, 2011 @12:25PM (#35021594) Homepage

    Thank you anonymous reader for trying to start the "Curse of the Ring!"

    I hope you fail miserably.

    I happen to enjoy 'studying' coincidences, but trying to insert them when it's just happenstance is pretty lame.

  • "The Hobbit author JRR Tolkien suffered from a perforated ulcer before dying in 1973."
    So what, everybody I know will have lots of diseases and illnesses before dying. You don't get many afterwards.

  • Like some actors, he's just getting into character.

  • The summary could have been tweeted. Move along, nothing to see.
  • ... but he's taking things too far giving himself a self-inflicted perforated ulcer.

  • That is an augurous doom indeed...

  • Pretty sure I got an ulcer after watching Meet the Feebles [imdb.com]. But seriously, all the best wishes for him, I'm sure most geeks here have watched the LotR movies multiple times (I'm at 20+ for the Fellowship alone) and have high hopes for The Hobbit. Especially since it'll be a two-parter, we need him in good health.

    Get well soon!

  • The Music of the Ainur (Score:5, Funny)

    by Caerdwyn ( 829058 ) on Thursday January 27, 2011 @02:46PM (#35023170) Journal

    And it came to pass that, when Illuvatar had presented the Third Theme in which the coming of Men was foretold, Melkor in defiance awaited the moment in which the themes were echoed in canon. Then, in despite of Illuvatar, he did let forth a gut-rumbler that echoed through the Firmament, and one thread recounting the Themes of Illuvatar was extinguished. "See here," said Illuvatar, "that thou, Melkor, art an ass and a cretin. For my music hath already echoed when thou didst snuff out the thread. My Themes and your Music will be retold and recounted; thou art too late to prevent it."

    "Verily," replied Melkor, "Thou hast spoken." And the Music and Third Theme continued. But Melkor, consumed with spite and sophomoric behaviors, awaited the next echo of the Themes and Music in canon, and covering his mouth with his hand, did let forth another sound of ailment of the stomach. The Valarauko around him did giggle, but Illuvatar was ill-pleased and knew full well who had let one rip, and shored up the echoed thread of the Theme by his will.

    "Melkor, hie thee to my office," spoke Illuvatar, and the Ainur were abashed. "There shalt thou write ten thousand fold, 'I shall not belch during holy musics'."

    And Melkor's resentment grew, for he now realized that the Music would be recounted, not once but twice, and no ailment of the stomach would interfere. ---

    And this is why Tolkien fell over from an ulcer... and why Peter Jackson had one too but is getting successful treatment.

  • How long until we hear about a curse? Isn't that what happens when there's any sort of morbid coincidence?

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