ER Episode tonight: Dr. John Carter on Dialysis

[Wattle]

The only inconsistency I saw was he said he used a shunt for dialysis--I asked my nephro when he did rounds and he a shunt would never be used for dialysis.

Donna

I remember my Dad having a Bovine Shunt in the early 80's.

[Stacy Without An E]

It is so rare to have Dialysis depicted honestly on television or in movies, I applaud ER for attempting to portray it properly.

I am intrigued to watch the end of ER's run to see if suddenly, hey, he gets an immediate kidney transplant and everything is fine (I'm talking to you "Nip/Tuck")

[Jess21]

Well, on the episode before the dialysis episode, there was a patient that was on the heart transplant list for less than 24 hrs.  So, it wouldn't surprise me if Carter gets one superman quick.
Did anyone else notice how much gauze he put on his arm when it was leaking?!?   It was atleast one roll!

[jbeany]

Oh, heck, they always get the transplants right away on tv - it's the no-wait waiting list in Hollywood.

Fiction in general gets it wrong, though - remember "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult?  They all like neat little endings tied up with bows.

And when have you ever seen a fictional character have a problem with a transplant?

[paddbear0000]

curtain between patients 
in a bed 
with no bright lights 
it is television

well, maybe it is not a bed but it looks a lot better than chairs I use
and it looks like the third patient has a flat screen television

Since he works at a hospital, I guarantee that's where he is dialyzing. That's exactly what my hospital clinic is like. Most of the patients are in beds (because they are hospital patients), there are curtains between every station and the lights are turned off if you want them to be. Each station is fairly separate, so the lights from one don't affect another very much.

ER is so accurate because they have doctors and other medical professionals that are consultants and work with the writers.
It is so rare to have Dialysis depicted honestly on television or in movies, I applaud ER for attempting to portray it properly.

I am intrigued to watch the end of ER's run to see if suddenly, hey, he gets an immediate kidney transplant and everything is fine (I'm talking to you "Nip/Tuck")

[okarol]

March 05, 2009
ER: Is Dr. Carter going to die?

By Anna Bennett

Even though March 12th is World Kidney Day, March really is World Kidney Month.  We are seeing mainstream press write about dialysis, kidney failure and transplant.  CKD5 is in in prime time, watched by millions of people who are emotionally attached to the character played by Noah Wyle, Dr. John Carter.  In tonight's third episode "What we do" of the Carter is sick story line, he is back, has revealed that he is in kidney failure due to prior trauma and amyloidosis secondary to chronic inflammation from Schistosomiasis.  He is back in Chicago, and waiting on the UNOS list for a deceased donor kidney.  We covered all of this is our prior posts. (3/7 episode SPOILERS after the jump)





Tonight, Carter passed out while treating patients in the ER.  As his coworkers treat him, more people are now aware of his condition.  His incenter runs are 3x a week for 4 hours.  (he would have been so much healthier at home on NxStage)  Wow, while he is being treated, Carter tells Gates to summon his Nephrologist from another hospital (Northwestern).  (Now that can only be on TV)

The John Stamos character, Dr. Tony Gates covers transplant options, questioning the length of the UNOS wait time, offering County's paired donor program in which a non matching donor is matched to another recipient, and that recipient's donor is matched to Dr. Carter - the first of these transplant chains was done in NY.

Dr. Carter could not tell his wife what was going on with him medically.  His withdrawal and fear of rejection is common, but it cost him the love and support of the woman he loves.  Dialysis is depressing, scary, and some people choose to be scared in silence.  But the depression can be treated.

ER is really doing transplant a favor.  They are trying to cover a lifetime of disease and waiting in a few episodes.  Tonight, the character of Sam Taggert (Linda Cardellini) is waiting for a transplant flight (a heart).

Carter was not able to summon his nephrologist (hah a bit of real life there!) and he is in the stretcher being transferred to NorthWestern.

The show ends with Carter turning off an alarm, and speaking to the camera.  I have a feeling that we'll have him around for a while.

http://www.billpeckham.com/from_the_sharp_end_of_the/2009/03/er-is-dr-carter-going-to-die.html

[paddbear0000]

Ok, the writers have completely lost touch with reality! There is no way in hell you could be on dialysis without your spouse knowing about it!! I mean, come on! The big ol' chest cath, fistula or graft would kind of give it away. 

[okarol]

Good point!
Maybe they have separate bedrooms?

[BigSky]

Ok, the writers have completely lost touch with reality! There is no way in hell you could be on dialysis without your spouse knowing about it!! I mean, come on! The big ol' chest cath, fistula or graft would kind of give it away. 

It is because his wife in Paris visiting her parents when this happened.

[okarol]

Thanks Big Sky! How long was she gone (can you tell I haven't watched??)

[BigSky]

The impression I got was she went to Paris and John was still in Africa and then had his problems and returned to the US to undergo dialysis and get onto the transplant list.   They really havent said much about the wife or even showed her.

[Bill Peckham]

The one thing that I saw that is off is that the Fire Department Medic One is not going to be transferring people between hospitals. At the end he is being sent to a different hospital (not sure why that would be or why he needed to spend the night) if that had to be done they would use a private ambulance company not the FDC Medic One unit he was shown to be riding in.

[paddbear0000]

Apparently the wife is a completely clueless. I mean, how do you explain suddenly up and leaving the country without your spouse knowing? Their communication skills suck.

[Jess21]

they weren't in the same country to begin with.

[Zach]

I'm going to watch "The Medium" tonight and see if she has all the answers.   

[kitkatz]

Then go on the Ghost Whisperer and see what she has to say!

[Zach]

"The Mentalist" might have something to offer as well.   

[Wenchie58]

       Zach....you have all the answers!         

[Zach]

I propose a new TV drama:  The Renalist.

[Bill Peckham]

With a four and a half hour show three days a week - you could cover a lot of ground.

[jbeany]

I'll tune in for that!   

[Wattle]

 

[dwcrawford]

I'm not a big TV fan (guess that will change when I start dialysis).  One woman I know who lives by television told the yesterday that she could not understand why I'm so concerned about this new stage of my life.  After all, she tells me, Dr. (?) Noah Wylie on ER dialysis and then works a full shift at the hospital.  I'm still a little concerned (lol) however since I try to distinguish betwen fiction and reality (even though is may be good fiction.

OK, I'll try and watch it  Hope is has a good laugh track.

[kitkatz]

I'm not a big TV fan (guess that will change when I start dialysis).  One woman I know who lives by television told the yesterday that she could not understand why I'm so concerned about this new stage of my life.  After all, she tells me, Dr. (?) Noah Wylie on ER dialysis and then works a full shift at the hospital.  I'm still a little concerned (lol) however since I try to distinguish betwen fiction and reality (even though is may be good fiction.

OK, I'll try and watch it  Hope is has a good laugh track.

Oh MY GOD!  Your neighbor needs a reality check or a whack upside the head! 

[Wallyz]

That kidney was from UW.  In this region I have been primary on the last two Kindey Pancreas pairs.  THAT WAS MY FRICKEN KINDEY, YA JERK!