"The Hospital" CH4 Prog on Diabetes Mon 16th August 9pm

[RachelT]

I'm sick of the negative-doom and gloom stuff...It's depressing, and makes me more paranoid about being diabetic than over testing ever could. Sorry, i haven't seen the show, the write ups scared me off.
I feel sympathetic to the kids though, beeing a teenager is hard enough without having to deal with something that makes you obviously different from all the other kids (it may not be obvious to them, but it's obvious to you). Teenagers feel like they're indestructable, i guess they grow out of it. I remember going through the "everybody else does why can't I? It's not fair!" stage myself and that was just because my parents wouldn't buy me a new bike...
It's time that diabetes got the same kind of social accetability (by which i mean being able to test and administer insulin in public) and understanding as asthma does. Then maybe people wouldn't feel so alienated or wierd (or maybe that's just me).

Diabetic Grandads? Hows this? My grandad is in hospital at the moment (i don;t know why, i'm not sure anyone knows why, if they did it would be a LONG story), when he was first admitted they were told he was diabetic, they asked if he was on any medication, he said no (wrong! he's on gliclazide) and then tested his blood which was somewhat on the high side.. So they obviously asked what he'd had to eat and he said nothing, after a certain ammount of probing they managed to discover what he'd had for dinner that night...two merangues!! He also told them he lived on his own, which is rubbish coz he lives with my grandma, and has done for the last 60 years or whatever...I guess half the reason he's in hospital is because they can't work out if he's got dementia or not, they fail to realise he was born stubborn...

 

[Freddie99]

Now time to buck the routine that the programme seems to give out as apparently I'm well controlled and rather well educated. According to that folk like me only come around once a blue moon. I'm not exactly warming to this and that's after twenty minutes. Considering writing to Channel four and perhaps Professor Sabine. One to express disgust and one to congratulate him on a down to earth approach. I think you can guess to whom which letter will be going.

Tom

 

[rossi_mac]

oooh I missed it, but no power cut so can watch it although I'm not sure I want to, I'm sure I will just not in a hurry!

 

[Ruth Goode]

It's sad to watch that these teenagers are so negative with their diabetes and their parents are not really helping! We all know there are some positive teenagers who control their diabetes better and also good parents who do help and support their diabetic children.

 

[Lewy]

I suppose to be honest I can't really comment much being very newly diagnosed and not having much experience, but being able to see some of the complications quite literally 'in the flesh' rather than just a double page in the booklet the nurse handed to me has definately made me want to take this a helluva lot more seriously than I already am.

Which is definately something positive to take away from this. Then again who knows, some of them took it seriously to begin with too. I won't be able to properly comment for another year at least I guess..

 

[SilentAssassin1642]

Now time to buck the routine that the programme seems to give out as apparently I'm well controlled and rather well educated. According to that folk like me only come around once a blue moon. I'm not exactly warming to this and that's after twenty minutes. Considering writing to Channel four and perhaps Professor Sabine. One to express disgust and one to congratulate him on a down to earth approach. I think you can guess to whom which letter will be going.

Tom

i like your approach there tom 😎

 

[Adrienne]

I suppose to be honest I can't really comment much being very newly diagnosed and not having much experience, but being able to see some of the complications quite literally 'in the flesh' rather than just a double page in the booklet the nurse handed to me has definately made me want to take this a helluva lot more seriously than I already am.

Which is definately something positive to take away from this. Then again who knows, some of them took it seriously to begin with too. I won't be able to properly comment for another year at least I guess..

Hiya

This is a great attitude to have and perhaps the programme has shown some people how not to treat diabetes and like yourself gain more respect for it and control it to the best of your ability.

The problem I see though is that it won't be the parents of the people like the teens on the programme that will bother watching it, they don't care, so they are not going to watch a factual programme. It will be people like us lot who do care and do want to do something about it which is why we are on these forums as well so it was aimed at the wrong audience I think.

 

[vix001]

I so shouldn't have watched that alone. Now I'm here panicking that I'm going to be a one legged blind 40 year old who spends her days on dialysis.
I did learn that poorly controlled D can lead to infertility, which would explain a lot, shame my doctor didn't explain that to me the last time I mentioned it. Having said that though, I don't think I want to have children now, the risks are sooo big.

I've been trying so hard to get the BS down, but Dawn Phenomenon doesn't help, neither does a doctor who doesn't know what it is and can't (won't?) help.
Can someone please tell me that there is a reason to carry on and not just book the next flight to Dignitas?

Sorry for the rant, its been building for a while and the programme just made it all blurt out.

 

[Steff]

s
I did learn that poorly controlled D can lead to infertility, which would explain a lot, shame my doctor didn't explain that to me the last time I mentioned it.

Good point I also learnt that as well Vix.I was told nothing along those lines,makes sense now lol.

 

[Northerner]

...I've been trying so hard to get the BS down, but Dawn Phenomenon doesn't help, neither does a doctor who doesn't know what it is and can't (won't?) help.
Can someone please tell me that there is a reason to carry on and not just book the next flight to Dignitas?

Sorry for the rant, its been building for a while and the programme just made it all blurt out.

It was shocking, but remember that it was very much 'worse case scenario' - people who thought they could ignore diabetes. However difficult you may be finding it, you are trying, and that is a world away from those poor young people. Don't be a stranger Vix! Feel free to rant here anytime the need arises! 🙂

 

[KayC]

I missed the program at 9.00pm, so I've just watched it on Channel 4 on Demand.

The program uses shock tactics for non diabetics and poorly controlled diabetics not to go down the same way. That was pretty disgusting and shocking, so I think it served its purpose.

However, we all know that it's a simplistic view of the disease and its sufferers. Many of us are trying hard to control the condition. Many of us are trying hard yet not successful in control. Many of us are trying hard and actually managing BG level but still developing complications. We come in many sizes and ages and are from many different backgrounds. I feel uncomfortable to be categorized simply as 'fat and lazy'.

In my opinion, the program failed to show our daily struggle to manage, or the diabetics as individuals. Probably it's difficult to do so in 60 min program, though.

 

[MIsmail]

I missed the program at 9.00pm, so I've just watched it on Channel 4 on Demand.

The program uses shock tactics for non diabetics and poorly controlled diabetics not to go down the same way. That was pretty disgusting and shocking, so I think it served its purpose.

However, we all know that it's a simplistic view of the disease and its sufferers. Many of us are trying hard to control the condition. Many of us are trying hard yet not successful in control. Many of us are trying hard and actually managing BG level but still developing complications. We come in many sizes and ages and are from many different backgrounds. I feel uncomfortable to be categorized simply as 'fat and lazy'.

In my opinion, the program failed to show our daily struggle to manage, or the diabetics as individuals. Probably it's difficult to do so in 60 min program, though.

I think that the "tactics" were wrong.

However our "daily struggle to manage" has a huge scope of variation between each individual.

Perhapse it may be better too do a more focussed program with a larger number of individuals.

It got people talking, so there's a good positive.

 

[katie]

When I go to my next appointment i'll ask my consultant if he can make a more balanced programme for us!

The foot surgery made me scream at my computer. The bit about pregnancy made me cry, even though I have never even thought about having children.

I think it was a good programme for getting people to see the seriousness of the disease, and for getting young people to take the condition more seriously (and older people too!). It would be great to see a programme that's focused on Diabetes, but shows a good balance of people who really try to look after themselves & people who don't. Also a focus on educating people about the different types etc. As aymes said, I don't think that's what The Hospital is suposed to me about, but I would love to see it 🙂

 

[Freddie99]

And here we have found a colony of an ancient beast long thought lost to extinction... The Rantasaurus rex, a cousin to the thriving Bantersaurus rex...

 

[Twitchy]

Not that I've been stewing on this all night, or anything...!!

BUT, as for his comment about his patients' weight & how they obviously aren't just eating demineralized water & lettuce leaves... I find it really really hard on mdi to get good control without weight gain - over 2 pregnancies now I have gained 3 stone...not because I was eating for two, but because the mdi was so crude compared to what I needed that all I could do was to have too much insulin & 'eat up' to it... I also stopped exercising whilst trying to get pregnant & whilst pregnant because it played merry hell with my levels, whether during or up to 24hrs after exercise - so yes, I am/have been a big fat slob for a while, but it was all for the good control he & his team were concerned that pregnant mothers should have!!!! What does he want, the moon on a stick?! 😡

I also am firmly convinced that once or twice a year clinics are not much good - esp from a motivational point of view. I know it might cost more, but follow ups from (good) DSNs every month or two might help keep people (esp teens??) focussed & on the right track? If they felt someone was taking a keen, sustained committed supportive interest in their diabetes & could see things improving with input maybe their attitude would improve...

Finally (promise I will put 'puter down & walk away then), is it really too much to ask the media to do something a bit less shock-horror?? Could they not do something like follow a NORMAL (ie trying to make some effort at control) T1 & T2 for say a year, honestly showing the struggles it takes & the highs & lows, whilst being clear about the differences?? I know, I know, it wouldn't be cheap & would not attrack the shock/gore audience... 🙄

Right, huff over, off to try to magically shift some more weight without detriment to my diabetes control. After that, it's a perpetual energy machine... 🙄

 

[lanzlady]

the hospital

Oh my goodness how scary was that? the amputations ohhh dear and I am only 7 months into D They are all so indenial

 

[novorapidboi26]

Keith was the scariest for me, same age as me, renal dialysis 4 times a day, he really must of abused his condition..........


I dont really think the episode was directed at the diabetic population becuase theres no way it will make diabetics pull the finger out.........tennage diabetics at that.......

The majority of them are on MDI, yet know nothing of carb counting, dose correction, all the essentials you need for the regime.........they would be better on a twice a day mix.........it still works for people...

 

[Copepod]

All in all I think they did a good job with that. Sure there are a few bits I would have rephrased slightly maybe but no major issues with it at all. I think it fitted in well with the context of the whole series, it did what it set out to do. It maybe would have been nice if they'd followed one person who did test and inject regularly to show the alternative but that's only a minor point.
I did find some of the young people they followed frustrating, although I do understand the reasons behind their behaviour, just frustrating that there seems no way to help them change their attitude. One look at that foot will be enough to scare me for sometime, there were several texts exchanged between me and my D friends at that point!
The message that came through strongest for me though was frustration on behalf of the medical staff, knowing that their help (and nhs resources) is just ignored and what that may well lead to must be destroying. It's definately increased my empathy for them, and I understand the shock of some when I get very involved in everything! Oh, and I want that doctor to be my doctor!

I missed the first 15 minutes of the programme, but overall, I agree with Aymes's view. I know how frustrating it is to be available on duty when patients / volunteers (not diabetes, but all conditions) don't turn up - particularly when it's outside normal working hours, although that's off this topic. It's tough being a teenager, and even tougher with diabetes, when you want to do the same as your friends, but as Keith (2x year old on peritoneal dialysis and hoping for a kidney & pancreas transplant) showed, complications can come all too early - not just post middle age. However, I didn't watch it thinking it was a comment on how I manage my condition. I reckon it's too graphic for anyone under about 18 years, by the way.

 

[novorapidboi26]

I reckon it's too graphic for anyone under about 18 years, by the way.

Is this in response to the toe amputation.........nasty.....

I cant remeber seeing anything that unsuitable though.....

My hopes is alot of the teens will sort it out once there out on there own and settled in life, thats one o the main reasons I took control.......

 

[Northerner]

...The majority of them are on MDI, yet know nothing of carb counting, dose correction, all the essentials you need for the regime.........they would be better on a twice a day mix.........it still works for people...

The drunk girl who said she hadn't injected all day but 'I'll do it when I get home'. Drunk? Had she a clue about how much she might need? I doubt that she would do it anyway. Also, didn't they keep saying she was 15? What was she doing being shown drinking so much? OK, I know teenagers drink. None of these kids seemed to have any real understanding of the possible consequences of how badly they were managing their diabetes, and as someone said elsewhere, that DSN that was being so meek with the girl trying to persuade her to test - tell her the truth, don't mollycoddle her! Whilst the amputation scenes were very graphic (and not really backed up by any description of why this was happening i.e. not just poor control, but surely lack of attention to infections etc.).

Didn't like the conclusion with the doctor planting the idea that diabetes was a (inevitable, almost) consequence of being fat and lazy - particularly since he was displaying a personal tendency towards visceral adiposity!