Be sure to have a box of Kleenex handy, you'll need it.
Beth still writes, books and articles. When we lived in Champaign, she worked as a nude model at the university. She was in the crowd on Oprah once and got to tell Oprah about it:
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprahcom-Exclusive-A-Nude-Model-Spea...
LOL, I just watched the video again, what a hoot! She has a very lighthearted personality. I'd recommend the book to anyone who needs a pickup, I am not marketing this for my buddy but recommending a book by somebody w/ diabetes. It's not "for" PWD and doesn't really talk about that stuff but I am certain it will cheer you up!
Although this movie takes place in the present, it is still a remake of an '80's play and movie, and the story probably took place in the '70's. That was before blood glucose testing, pumps, CGM's, and you took NPH insulin once a day mixed with regular insulin on a set dose, every day. No sliding scale yet, no MDI. Terrible hypoglycemia with no warning. My son was diagnosed in 1975 at age 4, and I could identify with the mother in the movie and her feelings of helplessness. I bawled during the first movie, and I bawled again during this remake.
I did not particuarly go around rooting for the first "Steel Magnolia", nor the second. The performances were fine in both movies, but I am not too fond of girly-girly movies. those "chick flicks" are not at all a favorite genre, and I rarey watch Lifetime movies.. I thought that both movies were a bit too weepy and sentimental. Yet they both did show the in and outs of female group camaraderie, which is hard, evidently, to potray without abundant sentimentality.
As for coming up as a type one in the 1970's no. I did not have access to a not yet invented for home use glucometer, no sliding scale. nor MDI. However, I never had terrible hypos and never felt that my life was compromised because I had diabetes. I do not have children and have not given birth, but that choice was because I did not have a husband; not because I was a diabetic. But that is just my personal situation.
I kind of thought that both movies did emohasize that the potential for risk was great due to kidney disease, plus pregnancy. THAT combination was the deal-breaker; but the suddeness of the onset of ill health in the latter movie surprised me.The Shelby character had a kidney transplant, went back to working as a nurse;, and then just dropped and went into a coma. I guess this happened 18 months to 2 years after the birth, fron how her baby son looked,. Then a few days ( weeks?) later, her husband signed off on the paper to not resucitate..Did she have a stroke, a did she CVA due to acute kidney falure? What happened? I surmise that sad event can and does occur. I guess I just never thought at the time of it happening to me. Kidneys still fine after 43 years; but I know that is not true for some diabetics. So I guess it is possible to have sudden renal falure after a transplant?
I did like the fact that the movie intrepetation of long -term marriages with African-american couples as upwarsdy mobile,positivr characters I like to see Married, not "shacking" up couples. that was great. I have always appreciated "The Cosby >show" and "My wife and kids" for such very reasons.Both shows provide an uplfting media image of African american famiiles.
One other strangely funny ,to me. scene showed people at Shelby;'s reception hand dancing to the "wobble-baby-wobble" song : a recent a dance club mega hit for about 2 years. LOL :The "wobble" is a line dance< and in "real" not "reel" life, everybody and their mother would be moving in sync, not paired off in couples to the driving, danceable beat.. . Not a hand dance at all.. I just "wobbled" twhile I was out Saturday night. Fun times were had!!
God bless,
Brunetta
I might beone of the few on here who liked the original? I liked Julia Roberts' hypo scene at the hairdresser's. I'm eager to see the new version if and when it airs again.
I agree about the hypo scene. It's been a really long time but I recall my impression was that the hypo scene was tactically realistic in its portrayal of being zonked out of your gourd on insulin but that the "strategy" of the movie failed.
Personally would have liked to have seen it....inasmuch as I was driven to watching the original version, perhaps simply because of the fact that it is no longer accurate....perhaps to be reminded that diabetes is not the easy peasy no prob. condition that the media at times reflects....never saw the play though. Yes, I agree with Holger that it is now inaccurate and paints a very grim picture of diabetes. Unfortunate that the remake could hot have been more in tune to the times...our times. It indeed portrays to those without diabetes that a PWD is weak, feeble, fragile, limited....it also tells you, however, that there is a difference between type1 and type2, but not the difference we wish to portray. It is flawed at many levels, and yet....I was nevertheless drawn. Hmmmmm!
I also agree that the portrayal of the low was right on....shaky, confused, buzzy, panicky, out of body-like!
I actually disagree with this, Linda. At least in my experience, I may feel confused and spaced out inside, and even out of my body the one time I came out of an unconscious state. I was moving slowly but I was moving. I tested and ate glucose tablets; I didn't just sit there like a zombie and stare into space like Shelby did in the new version of the movie (I can't remember the old version).
Well...that's ok Zoe...but no need to disagree with my experiences lol...we all respond to lows in different ways, regardless of their intensity!!!
Yes, of course, Linda! I wasn't "disagreeing with your experience" (how could I!) but expressing my disgust with the portrayal of a type 1 in this awful movie as helpless, whiny and disabled.
I've gotten to where I stare off into space like a zombie. I still haven't caught the movie though. I've been sort of a zombie this week, after the race last weekend. Now that I'm coming out of it, I'm running around and trying to get stuff done. I'm going to watch Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, or dueling zombies tonight.
I guess we saw the movie in different ways. I thought she was very brave to want to get pregnant and have a baby, in spite of everyone's objections. "I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." Also she was a nurse who would have been able to take care of others, so I don't see her as helpless or whiny. Her only disability was her kidney disease, but she seemed to be able to work and care for her family, until her body rejected her donated kidney and she passed out, went in a coma and died.
I taped it and got bored pretty quickly. I deleted it because I had no interest in watching the rest. The original film was never one of my favorites although I have seen it. I thought the casting of the new film was just fine, although I couldn't get used to not seeing Dolly Parton. I did chuckle at the father of the bride shooting the birds from the trees. I had forgotten that part.
I tried so hard to watch the first one and just could not do it. I cried and turned my head for most of the movie, and not for the reason you might think. You see my mom lived that life as a type 1 who wanted a second child so badly she tried and tried until the doctor said no and she had a hysterectomy at age 26.
Julia Roberts looked much like mom and while the story was compressed mom passed when she was 48 as a result of complications of kidney failure. She was blind, and could barely walk.
I had been type 1 for 14 years then with two children. Mom had just died a few years before and when I saw Julia Roberts I saw mom and even writing this I am teary. I respect the second attempt but I will pass. My wife loved it (she learned what life was like in my house when I was growing up) but I did not and maybe with history cannot enjoy the movie. On some level I wish I could.
Thanks for the comment thread.
Rick,
Thanks for sharing your experience. So sad about your poor mom. The author of Steel Magnolias wrote it about his sister, whom he was close to. Whether or not others think it is an accurate portrayal is beside the point, it is his experience of what his sister went through.
Maybe someone else will someday write a play about present day diabetes management.
It may be a bit outdated....but will never cease being accurate in a portrayal of a low, and indeed of Shelby's unfortunate demise...taking into consideration the era. Shelby's inability to carry full term, or her unfortunate death were what I had in mind when I mentioned "inaccurate" above....meaning those are inaccurate for 2012. Much can alter the course of innovation/breakthroughs/ treatment/longevity in 3 decades. This is true to countless other conditions/illnesses.
I used to refuse to take glucose, juice, milk, honey, or anything my husband would try to get me to take when low, telling him I was fine. I have now tried to train myself to trust him when he does this, and I think it has helped.
Those of us who live alone pretty much just do what we have to do. It's amazing what necessity can do! I think I might rebel if someone were trying to convince me of something too, but since it's just me I keep aware of my blood sugar and handle it as needed. I think it's that fierce independence that makes me hate the portrayal of an adult Type 1 as so helpless.
My son lived alone for 17 years and he programmed his mind to get a sugar source when low (he lives with us now temporarily until he finds a permanent job).