How insensitive ...

[aftermathman]

an episode of "Holby City" on the BBC prime time.

A woman is admitted to hospital and they find she has been hiding L-dopa from her partner.

Yes she suffers from PD and has been hiding it.

When asked for a reaction by her partner the "doctor actor" replies (in so many words):

"your life will be Sh@@te and your partner will end up unable to feed or wash herself".

My wife watched this and you can imagine her reaction, in addition she went to work today and people spoke to her about this.

The purpose of this post is that I could not see Cancer treated the same way. It seems to be open season on PD.

Perhaps this is a good thing, the recent experience with MJF "off" drugs shows that PD stripped bare can accomplish loads.

All I know is that, "dramatic licence" or not my wife is still upset and I don't know how to placate her.

Aftermathman.

[paula_w]

Hi aftermathman,

Gee I have the opposite problem - total ignoring of the illness and denial from family members. Is it you or your wife who has the illness? Is it progressing slowly? I remember I was comforted by one doctor saying, 'oh it's slow - you'll have 20 -30 years before a wheelchair'-at the time it sounded good.

I've already seen one article referring to the "Michael J. Fox" effect of too much l-dopa and the dyskinesia. Somehow I don't think that is something that Michael would appreciate catching on like Lou Gehrig's disease. I'm going to write and discourage reporters if I see it again. Who wants their name synonymous with dyskinesia? The media has never been known for its sensitivity - quite the opposite.

Paula

[Yam1]

Hi aftermathman,

Gee I have the opposite problem - total ignoring of the illness and denial from family members.



Me too!

I'm sorry Aftermathman - the entertainment industy is a poor source of information (don't we know it!) and unfortunately can contribute to more misunderstanding about PD.

[lindylanka]

Hi Aftermathman, I too watched this episode of a programme that often does a good job of educating watchers. I was surprised at the scene you discuss, there was no mention of timescales, or of the fact that medication can bring QOL, and only seemed to concentrate on negative things for a potential carer, and none at all for the person with PD. The reason why a person might hide medication from those she knew - well there was no real attempt to discuss prejudice either.....

I understand your anger, there are diseases that have a high and dangerous profile, with a real fear factor - the diseases that are mainly attributable to age do not get the same treatment. This is ignorance pure and simple. You wife could, if she chose, use this opportunity to educate people around her - that Holby stripped it bare and never followed through didn't do us any favours other than that.......

[CTenaLouise]

how very uneducated of them...
&
cold hearted, and realistic!


now I am thankful - I only get one channel, and I rarely watch it,
I use my TV as a movie screen.
I quit watching the news, because it is always -the bad news.
the weather men are often wrong, the entire tube, is overly inflated.
if someone really wanted a TV - I would give them mine.
for free!
:)