95 year old Oscar-nominated director Mario Monicelli jumps out of hospital wind

[malaise]

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/11/29/833140/oscar-nominated-director-mario.html
<snip>
Oscar-nominated director and screenwriter Mario Monicelli, considered one of the fathers of the Italian comedy of the 1940s-1960s, died Monday after jumping from a fifth-story hospital window, the hospital said. He was 95.

Monicelli was being treated at Rome's San Giovanni hospital for pancreatic problems and leaped to his death Monday night, said Anna Scoltore, who heads the hospital's media office. She said he had been admitted a few days ago and that it appeared his condition was terminal.

His body, covered by a sheet, remained on the ground hours later as medical examiners and police investigated.

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Pancreatic problems - I too might jump but how does a 95 year old jump out of a window?

[crim son]

1. My grandmother could have done it when she was 95.

She died at 98, but was mobile until she was 97.

[malaise]

6. I guess it is possible

Sad

[louis-t]

2. Depends on how high the window ledge is.

He might have just had to lean out. Pancreatic cancer is very fast moving. Once you're diagnosed, there's usually no hope.

[monmouth]

7. My dad went in for what appeared as a gall bladder problem, they

immediately closed him up and he was gone in ten days.

[crim son]

9. That's hard. I'm sorry.

My friend had a similar experience: her father suffered for several years with an undiagnosed illness. He was encouraged to go in and get new tests and was diagnosed with ALS. Within a week he went from almost fully functional to coma, and shortly thereafter he died. It was a terrible shock to everybody. I empathise, monmouth.

[monmouth]

11. Thank you crim son. We were grateful for the quickness and that

he didn't linger. Prior to this he had always suffered from a great deal of "gas" as he called it. People need to pay attention to this event, it sometimes isn't just "gas."...

[joeybee12]

3. Poor guy...hope it was over quickly for him...I mean, he didn't

suffer once he hit.

[malaise]

5. The sad truth is that it was way quicker than

the pain associated with pancreatic illnesses.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. omg

[LaPera]

8. Yeah, I know of a 94 & a 98 yr old who are still very sharp & agile - No big deal in this day & age

This will be even much more common as people routinely will live past 100 years old more & more!

[crim son]

10. My grandmother, mentioned upthread,

was a functional alcoholic and still lived until 98. She was also wealthy and could afford good medical care her entire life, which helped.