Lifestyles of the Not-so-Famous(or Rich!)

Add Patch Adams to the list of movies some PWD's shouldn't watch.

Now "Patch" aka Hunter Adams- is this incredibly funny guy who decides to go into medicine (after a stint (as a patient) in the psychiatric ward). Bear in mind, it was all based off a true story.
2 years later, he enters the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University).
As a first year medical student, he isn't permitted patient contact( and has to find a way around that). So when he and a friend mistakenly end up at a meat packers convention, + they see the white jackets- they get the brilliant idea of trying to sneak into hospital rounds wearing those jackets.
And it works, as long as they kept their arms crossed(to avoid showing the packer's logo!)

I watched this right after my Silhoette adventure, and immeadietly regretted it.

"We've got a 30(or thereabouts) yo Juvenile Diabetic w/ gangronous diabetic ulcers," the attending physician
drones on. "Plan?"

"Stabilize the blood sugar, treat with antibiotics, amputation if needed," pipes up one of the entourage.

"Any osteomylitis?" asks another student.

Flash over to patient, lying up in bed, legs akimbo. (Right?I think) leg is this blackish red thing that looks kind of like someone's discarded art project.
She's scared-it's written all over her face.
And I can sure indentify with THAT.

"Does anyone know the patient's name?" Patch pipes up from the back. All eyes turn to him.
"Uh, lets see.." + someone has to check the chart.

Movie never showed what happened to the gal, but as the year was 1971(truly, truly The Dark Age of Diabetes Care) you can guess. Loses leg, maybe gets another infection + dies.

And then there's the guy with pancreotic cancer (that PWD's are at a greater risk of getting, btw) that Patch connects with before he dies.

By the end of the movie, of course, you're crying bucketloads of tears over the fate of Patch's girlfriend + wondering how things could possibly get any worse.
Patch (finally) gets his degree-and it ends with a somewhat happier twist. (with the dream for the Gesundheit Institute).

I just wish there'd have been happier outcomes for the pancreotically challenged patients.

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Desperate people do desperate things.















No, I don't drive around w/ posterboard taped to the back of my car, it would probably fall off. It is, however, displayed promenantly for all the world to see. (I live on a pretty busy road) Tried to get some stuff sold off on the radio(weekly "phone yard sale") but the buyer changed his mind. I'M MOVING, PEOPLE- I WANT THIS STUFF OUT OF MY LIFE! (w/some cash on the side)