General
Did anyone else catch the Hollywood Myths webinar this week?
I was so lucky to join in with Tenaya Wallace from Donate Hollywood to talk about all the myths and strange storylines about transplant that make it into TV shows and movies.
I recently watched The God Committee on Netflix and also some older episodes of Grey's Anatomy that featured transplants.
The God Committee was so strange to me because it focused so much on the greedy money side of medicine. And basically how the organ recipient squandered their gift at the expense of other people who were more qualified to get the organ.
Anyway, I just felt that the way they portrayed organ donation can really have an impact on how society views transplants. And if the general population really thinks that whoever has the most money gets bumped on the list, then it can make people less likely to sign up to be an organ donor.
What other myths have you heard that drive you nuts?
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Transplant Patient
One of the myths I’d never even thought of before the webinar was the punch line of “oh just sell a kidney” and how that can be harmful. While it does happen on the black market, that isn’t how organ donation happens. And it’s really interesting how jokes like that actually influence people’s perceptions and their willingness to donate
I've noticed in TV shows like Grey's Anatomy that often the surgeons are there making the decisions on if they are able to get and use the organ or not. It reality the surgeons operate and they are completely seperated from organ allocation.
While they can talk and try to use two parts of a liver for 2 patients I think that is still done through UNOS.
If we each take a little time I'm sure we would find so many little myths that we need to debunk.
I completely agree. There's such a negative perception around selling an organ and next to no Hollywood stories about the actual process--which I think is thrilling enough for a storyline to begin with! Reality can be just as compelling.
Yep! It took me a little while to piece together that the surgeons are treating two very different people. It's not the same surgeons trying to decide "who lives" and "who dies". Both medical teams are both advocating for the best health and course of action for their patients--donors AND recipients. And I'm sure you would know that better than most-being both a donor and mom to your recipient.
I loved the webinar. I shared it with some of my close family members and they also appreciated it. I have always been passionate about breaking the stigma around Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes, and now that I understand transplant process more I want to make sure and educate too.
@TServold I love that. It's so strange that there are so many stigmas around health conditions. I hope that as a society in large that we are working to more equity, understanding, and acceptance with all areas of health. What do you think are the most harmful stigmas around Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes?
This is such an excellent question! Type 2 is almost always associated with obesity and while there are many cases of that, it’s not the only reason people develop T2. I have a friend who is T2 and she weighs 100 lbs on a good day. She is very petite. She has been tested for CPeptide, which is the accurate way to diagnose T1D, and she is making her own insulin, but her body can not use it correctly.
people often mistake T1 for T2. So, I used to tell people all the time I have diabetes and they would say “but you are so thin, or so young, or so active, etc”. None of those comments actually mean anything in the world of diabetes. One of my favorites was “how did you get that”. I would tell people I am the chosen one. 😝
The chosen one 😂😂 I love it.