TV cr*p about diabetes

[paltry]

I shall look out for that episode - and think of you for sure! (currently at 2005 season 2 still - so got a long way to go! whew!)

I had a friend who was going to dye her pubic hair green and tattoo 'don't walk on the grass' above it. Sort of similar?

 

[AloeSvea]

I'm currently working my way through the House boxset and haven't heard diabetes mentioned in the first couple of series. There was an episode where someone commented on a patients breath being 'sweet' and they referred to DKA as a symptom of the pancreas failing. All the organs were failing in turn I think (caused by something suitably bizarre for House to be called in!) as I remember shouting "her pancreas is failing!" as soon as the sweet smell was mentioned - felt good to out-diagnose House

Generally I'd rather tv over-dramatized the issues we face than played it down - it all helps to educate people that this is a serious condition etc, but I agree that sometimes they do get it a bit wrong. And there are plenty of us they could ask if they want a more accurate account!

It's there all right! Just wait for it and it will come. In the hospital clinic scenes, expressed by House, and generally by Chase during diagnosing scenes (he gets to be moral and sanctimonious - right?). I saw the series the first time before I was diagnosed. And the second recently. I was shocked by the attitude towards T2 being expressed. According to rellies living in the US - this is pretty well a standard attitude IRL. A lot about personal responsibility, very low on the food environment being dynamite for carb intolerance. I never thought like that, prior to diagnosis, so it amazes me still that there are quite a lot of folk out there who believe God punishes folk for gluttony and sloth with T2D. Even scriptwriters and TV producers. Even T2 diabetics themselves! (I have a religious prediabetic formerly slim cousin who believes she is being punished for the sins of gluttony and sloth, even though she had on the job severe back injuries which reduced her activity level, which in turn turned her carb intolerant, truncal obesity and the prediabetes.) I shouldn't be amazed - there are even weirder ideas floating around. And on TV! . (I would HATE to think folk get educated by fictional TV. Entertained - yes! Educated? Hell no!)

 

[AloeSvea]

I had a friend who was going to dye her pubic hair green and tattoo 'don't walk on the grass' above it. Sort of similar?

This I don't know! You're telling the story! .

 

[Wurst]

I watched the movie the 'Big nothing' recently , where a diabetic FBI agent was being forced to eat a large lolly at gun point.He had his insulin taken from him. The idea was this lolly would kill him very quickly :-0

 

[harrymolyneux]

I remember a plot line on Coronation Street years ago: A teenage girl wanted to commit suicide and attempted to when she was the only one in the house, smashed up her vials of insulin in the sink and then proceeded to eat away at a bag of sugar. From my experience with Ketoacidosis she wasn't suicidal she was masochistic.

Of course, only recently have news establishments starting differentiating between type 1 and type 2. For ages when i told people I was diabetic, one of their first reactions was "But your not fat". I then had to bore the pants off them explaining the different types. So the News and healthy eating programs and adverts are to blame for that.

 

[harrymolyneux]

No one would sit down to watch an hour of someone trying to remember where they put their repeat prescription, phoning the surgery, having that annoying conversion with the receptionist, getting a bit irritated, muttering to themselves, testing their sugar, making a cup of tea and getting on with life in general.

Oh I don't know, with the right suspenseful music and scripting it might be quite gripping. Haha

 

[AloeSvea]

I love the Eastenders, but I was very surprised when I heard the following on Tuesday's show:

The characters Kim and Denise are talking about baby Pearl’s birthday party.

“It’s a kid’s party – you’ve got to have sweets haven’t ya?”

“Absolutely! If the kids can’t give themselves diabetes – it isn’t a kids’ party isn’t it?”

Not quite sure which kids party it was where I gave myself my diabetes. I'm thinking hard here

 

[Prem51]

@AloeSvea I saw that too and had a little wry smile. Actually I'm surprised that neither Eastenders or Coronation Street has had a storyline about a character becoming diabetic. They seem to have covered a number of other medical conditions, and as the Government is supposed to be concerned about the rising level of diabetes I think it is only a matter of time before they do.
As most of the male soap characters spend a lot of time in pubs and bars drinking beer it should be easy enough to introduce the subject. Though they would probably be given bad medical advice on how to control it, so maybe not a good idea.

 

[Prem51]

Coincidentally I am listening to Radio 4 at the same time as reading this forum and they just did a piece on the newspapers section saying that Coronation Street are looking to write in a storyline about healthy eating, avoiding sugar, and eating five portions of veg/fruit a day, as they are concerned that the Government might decide to limit advertising about high sugar foods during the commercial breaks.

 

[Wurst]

@AloeSvea I saw that too and had a little wry smile. Actually I'm surprised that neither Eastenders or Coronation Street has had a storyline about a character becoming diabetic.

Eastenders has had two diabetic characters recently. One was Sam (Dexters Father) who needed a Kidney donor and currently Paul (Grandson of the Funeral director / transvestite). I've seen them both eating chips and white bread so they're not low carbers :-0

 

[AloeSvea]

Was Sam a T1? Ah. It seems T1s are more dramatic to scriptwriters and script editors than the common garden variety T2 . I think the Paul character is played by a T1 IRL - in real life - Jonny Labey. I remember reading a piece about him in the Daily Mail or some such. But I don't think he is T1 in the show? At any rate - both handsome fellas for sure. .

I would have Kim - who is a BBW - get diagnosed with T2 - and then she could go through all sorts of drama when she came to understand about the role of carbs in her life, get ****** off with the Governmental authorities for having told her and telling her to eat carbs quarter of a plate three times a day (and STILL doing so - as we know). The role of body fat could be gone through as poor Kim's life is turned upside down and she realises if not get lean she needs to get that fat off her liver and pancreas for the duration in order to be as healthy as she can be, at least for her baby Pearl. And then when it dawns on her that if she has a genetic predisposition to T2 - then so too does her little baby Pearl. (One of the cutest babies ever to hit TV btw!) That is sure dramatic in my own motherly eyes. And, there will be a good dramatic conversation in the square between Kim and Denise when Kim curses her sister for being the skinny healthy one. 'Why me?" asks Kim. And then yes - she could say 'And to think I thought it was the sweets! You ate sweets at the parties too Denise! But only I am fat, and have T2. Why then? Why me and not you? Why? Why? Why?'

And one day, after she has googled T2 some more, shopping at the market, she notices the people in wheelchairs without feet, or a leg cut off at the knee - one of them has a carer with a seeing eye dog next to them. Now she knows these people roughly her own age or just a bit older - are diabetics. Even - yes - T2 ones! That sounds darned dramatic to me! But I would, wouldn't I? .

Actually - just being able to have a story line with bread being mentioned as dangerous could be quite dramatic. (Remembering as I do how huge the role of the sandwich is in Britain! My own huge consumption of wholegrain toast to fill up on a HCLF diet). Egads! It would of course be a story line like that ol' HIV one back in the 80s and 90s. Goes on for ages (so like life, which is what I liked in soap opera days of old - just more dramatic) - all of Kim's time on Eastenders and beyond when we hear about her from other characters. Poor Kim! I feel sorry for her already! Living with a chronic disease! The fear of amputation, blindness, kidney failure. The huge changes and constant management in order to live as well as she can.

Yeah, dramatic indeed. And I know I'm not laughing.

 

[Grumpy ole thing]

wasn't Sonia diabetic in Eastenders? ..oh can I say diabetic?? soz x I watched a Dr Kildare episode where a patient with a mental illness was given Insulin Shock Therapy. After he was given the Insulin (they did inject it so a nod to accuracy), the patient twisted and contorted, (oh..maybe too real now), anyway, he was supposed to be going back in time through every animal there ever was, then waking up his usual happy self. ;-) funnee funnee

 

[AloeSvea]

Nah - Neither Sonia Fowler, nor Natalie Cassidy (the actress who plays her) is T2 - according to both memory, and having a wee read online (wikipedia and the BBC one eastenders site). The health plotline with Sonia is with her half sister Bianca as daughters of a woman with breast cancer - and the whole genetic breast cancer thing. (Which just as a note - is less than 5% of all breast cancers - but as we are saying - this is TV and not RL .)

Sonia DOES play the trumpet though . (I had definitely forgotten that piece of character development - the love and partner relationship with Tina way eclipsing trumpet playing in the interesting stakes!.)

 

[AloeSvea]

Y'all! I am WAY impressed! "In last Tuesday’s episode, a character joked: "If kids don't give themselves diabetes it's not a good party is it?" The BBC has since agreed to consult with the JDRF before representing diabetes."

Wow! There is hope!! (Good on you Britain, and the BBC!)

 

[zoze_j]

@AloeSvea I saw that too and had a little wry smile. Actually I'm surprised that neither Eastenders or Coronation Street has had a storyline about a character becoming diabetic. They seem to have covered a number of other medical conditions, and as the Government is supposed to be concerned about the rising level of diabetes I think it is only a matter of time before they do.
As most of the male soap characters spend a lot of time in pubs and bars drinking beer it should be easy enough to introduce the subject. Though they would probably be given bad medical advice on how to control it, so maybe not a good idea.

Years ago there was a character in corrie called Katy - she was T1 diabetic, had an affair with Martin Platt then tried to top herself by stopping her injections & gorging on biscuits!

 

[TRISH b]

I found the diabetic story on Emmerdale a bit confusing the diabetic woman was found to have retinopathy in one eye and has been wearing an eye patch for a few weeks until she has the surgery on it where she says they will cut her eyeball open. I thought the treatment for retinopathy was laser treatment

This irked me no end. They talk about it on emmerdale like it's a curse that appears over night not an adaptable condition.

 

[Shar67]

It is funny how Eastenders has a big story about Ben and Paul having a relationship, like it is the worse thing for 2 young good looking men to have, and a quick brush under the carpet about Paul being T1 diabetic. Getting hot and sweaty together, does Paul say I need a mars bar that was way to physical I must be low, nope more concerned Ben is hiding from everyone. How is Jay the only other person who has gaydar.
Also Kim ain't fat, she is small with huge boobs and bum, has lovely legs and dresses to look bigger than she is.

 

[AloeSvea]

@Shar67, I think the Paul character is played by a T1 IRL - in real life - Jonny Labey. I don't believe his character is T1. So no Mars bar scene on screen!

Tameka Empson who plays Kim Fox, looking at her twitter page - https://twitter.com/tameka_empson - she seems like a great gal IRL for sure. Even talks about T2D in there. I don't feel really comfortable talking about a lady's body though! Although I would say at a tea party with other diabetics over an Eastenders viewing - she has the same 'fat storage pathway' issue that I myself do, and many T2 diabetics do - fat stores readily around the middle - and hence - and I talk about my own tendencies here - a big tum and slender legs. Very carbohydrate-sensitive!

 

[Shar67]

@AloeSvea. Paul was shown injecting himself in the tummy, the character is also diabetic. Knowing Enders they will have a diabetic coma story, in which Ben realises he loves him but is it too late.