[Creampop]

and Rose wouldn't remember someone she came face to face?? and Locke did tell Walt tho we don't hear it outright we know he did unless Locke had another miracle happen to him that we dunno about....
from the pilot

LOCKE: Backgammon's the oldest game in the world. Archeologists found sets when they excavated the ancient ruins of Mesopotamia -- 5,000 years old. That's older than Jesus Christ.
WALT: Did they have dice and stuff?
LOCKE [nods]: But their dice weren't made of plastic. Their dice were made of bones.
WALT: Cool.
LOCKE: Two players. Two sides. One is light, one is dark. Walt, do you want to know a secret?

and then what Walt hasta say to his father about it in

MICHAEL: Hey, who was that guy you were hanging out with?
WALT: What guy?
MICHAEL: The bald guy.
WALT: Oh, Mr. Locke?
MICHAEL: Mr. Locke got any kids?
WALT: He didn't say.
MICHAEL: Yeah, what did he say?
WALT: I don't know.
MICHAEL: What do you mean you don't know. What did he say?
WALT: Some of it's secret.
MICHAEL: Did he tell you not to tell me?
WALT: No.
MICHAEL: Then what's the secret?
WALT: Mr. Locke said a miracle happened to him.
MICHAEL: Yeah, well, a miracle happened to all of us, Walt. We survived a plane crash. Look, I don't want you hanging around with him anymore.

Now if Michael hadn't been so uptight about it then Walt prolly would have went on to say for sure....

[clemdup]

I think that the island doesn't cure any disease, but only cure the effects. Imagine Rose and Ben still have tumors, and Locke still has a leg problem, but the island's magnetism makes those diseases asleep.

Then when they escape the island, they will be ill again.

I think Ben wants to go back to "the real world", but his tumor prevents him from that.

I don't believe Ben when he says that he only learned being ill "two days ago". I think he knew it from long before, why not even CAME to the island for the disease to be "suspended". No matters if he says "I've lived on this island all my life". "BEN IS A LIAR"

Besides, my opinion about the others is that Ben is the origin of their presence on the island. If he is there to live longer thanks to the island's cure properties, he may be the one sponsoring Otherville. Did he buy the island from Dharma on eBay ? ...nevertheless, I see Ben as being the head of the others.

[Silencer89]

now now. since when did rose have tumor too now? lols..

[lobsterandom]

I think that the island doesn't cure any disease, but only cure the effects. Imagine Rose and Ben still have tumors, and Locke still has a leg problem, but the island's magnetism makes those diseases asleep.

Then when they escape the island, they will be ill again.

I think Ben wants to go back to "the real world", but his tumor prevents him from that.

I don't believe Ben when he says that he only learned being ill "two days ago". I think he knew it from long before, why not even CAME to the island for the disease to be "suspended". No matters if he says "I've lived on this island all my life". "BEN IS A LIAR"

Besides, my opinion about the others is that Ben is the origin of their presence on the island. If he is there to live longer thanks to the island's cure properties, he may be the one sponsoring Otherville. Did he buy the island from Dharma on eBay ? ...nevertheless, I see Ben as being the head of the others.

He said he learnt of the tumor 2 days before the crash, so about 70 days from the current episode.

He also said he had lived on the island his entire life, so he has never been to the real world.

[scoobarama]

OK, I have a question that hasn't yet been raised about Ben's tumor.  What ever happened to the Island's mysterious ability to heal those with supposedly uncurable diseases/ailments?  I mean they kind of made a big deal about it with John walking and they definitely did so with Rose and her cancer.  Have they just abandoned this when it comes to Ben and his tumor?  I wouldn't think that it would be any different than Rose being healed (except then we wouldn't have an ongoing mystery for this season).  Anyway, am I off here or is this just something that everyone has brushed under the rug?

The other thing I couldn't help thinking of this episode - shades of Bob Dylan when it came to those cue cards!!


moderator edit: welcome to the site, the issue was raised in 3X4 and is being discussed in its own topic in 3X5 so I have merged you to the appropriate topic.  Enjoy!

[LadyGraffix]

OK, I have a question that hasn't yet been raised about Ben's tumor.  What ever happened to the Island's mysterious ability to heal those with supposedly uncurable diseases/ailments?  I mean they kind of made a big deal about it with John walking and they definitely did so with Rose and her cancer.  Have they just abandoned this when it comes to Ben and his tumor?  I wouldn't think that it would be any different than Rose being healed (except then we wouldn't have an ongoing mystery for this season).  Anyway, am I off here or is this just something that everyone has brushed under the rug?

The other thing I couldn't help thinking of this episode - shades of Bob Dylan when it came to those cue cards!!

Actually this was disucssed quite a bit after 3x04, when it was first mentioned. Some are thinking that maybe the healing powers are somewhat selective. Although I think that would be highly unlikely. The writers have more than hinted about the healing powers of the island, not only with what you've mentioned, but also in the time it took for Locke's crushing leg injury to heal, the time it took Sawyer to heal from his gunshot, etc. The biggest reason I'm not buying the selective healing is because Ben even seemed to benefit from shortened healing time after he was shot by Danielle with the arrow.

I have no theory at this point as to what is going on with Ben and the tumor. Maybe, as some have mentioned, it is part of their con on Jack -- maybe not.

[LynchMob]

Now if Michael hadn't been so uptight about it then Walt prolly would have went on to say for sure....

Uhm... as a parent, especially a new parent like michael is...

Uhm, Nope... not uptight, my friend. PARA fucking NOID! And rightly so...

Hey little boy, want to know a secret? Are you ticklish? Come over to my tent and i'll show you a game....

Get it?

[Brennan]

I think that the island doesn't cure any disease, but only cure the effects. Imagine Rose and Ben still have tumors, and Locke still has a leg problem, but the island's magnetism makes those diseases asleep.

Then when they escape the island, they will be ill again.

I think Ben wants to go back to "the real world", but his tumor prevents him from that.

That's a good of a theory as any I've heard so far, maybe that's the reason that Ben can still be "taking walks" as Jack said even though the tumor has progressed rather far.  He certainly does't act like a man with a tumor which leads to believe that either he doesn't really have one or that you're right- the Island is keeping the harmful symptoms from becoming apparent, and Ben just doesn't realize that everything will be fine if Jack doesn't do the surgery.

But also like someone said, maybe the Island just doesn't have the right healing energies, like Isaac mentioned.  Perhaps the energies were meant for Locke and Rose (and maybe others) but not for Ben.  It seems like a cheap way for the producers to explain something, but it's also the most reasonable and therefore likely, IMO.

[LynchMob]

Maybe the cancer is the result of the healing powers of the island?

Maybe, eventually, too much of a good thing turns bad. he has been there all of his life, or sorta.

[Riggs]

Something I just can't get my mind around..IF the Island has healing powers...and Rose's cancer has gone away do to whatever magnetic forces exist, why is Ben suffering from a tumor?  Tumors are cancer, hence the healing power of the island should have prevented Ben from ever getting a tumor.  Can anyone shed some light on a theory why the island's powers are useless to Ben???  Thoughts? 

[vanyvrgs]

Something I just can't get my mind around..IF the Island has healing powers...and Rose's cancer has gone away do to whatever magnetic forces exist, why is Ben suffering from a tumor?  Tumors are cancer, hence the healing power of the island should have prevented Ben from ever getting a tumor.  Can anyone shed some light on a theory why the island's powers are useless to Ben???  Thoughts? 

There is a thread on this and am merging you there, but well, tumors are not all cancer, Benign tumors are not typically harmful. However, if the tumor becomes very large, its weight and size can put pressure on nearby blood vessels, nerves, or organs.  In this case, it could be a beging tumor who has grown to the size it is about to cut his  spinal/ nervous system in 2.  That makes sense because if it was cancerous, cancer spreads and the surgery wouldn't be his only problem.  So well, just guessing but maybe the island doesn't cure benign tumors (makes no sense, I will go now).

[badfish]

Something I just can't get my mind around..IF the Island has healing powers...and Rose's cancer has gone away do to whatever magnetic forces exist, why is Ben suffering from a tumor?  Tumors are cancer, hence the healing power of the island should have prevented Ben from ever getting a tumor.  Can anyone shed some light on a theory why the island's powers are useless to Ben???  Thoughts? 

Yeah, it has been stated a bunch of times before but maybe the island only heals people that are good.

[HvnSntRN]

I believe the difference here is simple... the tumor is on his spine where his head and neck join i believe... or atleast it is supposed to be

Jack identified the tumour as being on the L4 vertebra - it's located in the lower back, just above the area where an epidural is administered.

[richiesandgems]

a few thoughts to dwell over.

what if the xrays are not Bens and are

Lockes or even Jacks !!
Could be another twist to the whole saga
Jack cures a spinal patient that had zero chance, then ends up with the same problem.

[bluesonic]

a few thoughts to dwell over.

what if the xrays are not Bens and are

Lockes or even Jacks !!
Could be another twist to the whole saga
Jack cures a spinal patient that had zero chance, then ends up with the same problem.

I don't think they'd be Lockes. How could they get the x-rays? I also don't think they'd be Jacks, as he is the surgeon, and he couldn't operate on himself. So that means if it isn't Bens (and just tricking Jack) it must be... Kate's, Sawyer's or another other. I'd go with Sawyer.