Movies depicting kidney failure/diaylsis

[PaulBC]

 

Fistulas aren't "pretty" enough for movies. You can only have perfectly placed interesting scars. Unless you're the bad guy.

I don't think I'm that squeamish, but I admit that when I first looked up fistula in google images, I found the pictures disturbing, like having a snake living under your skin. Are they always that big?

I can see the fistula working in a superhero movie. It could be big, provided it was perfectly shaped. I imagine someone who can fight supervillains for a few hours a day and has to spend much of the rest of the time on dialysis. Sometimes the fistula would be pulsing and appear to be a source of power. There might be some kind of snake tattoo on top of it. In weaker moments, the hero would be like any other dialysis patient.

I'm sure you could come up with an origins story for this that was as plausible as any other comic book hero.

[PaulBC]

I saw one the other day (was it malcom in the middle? i think) that the lady who needed a kidney was called in by the dr, mid day, to get a kidney she didnt even want to have.... from her sister, who had it removed that morning.... that one made me LOL because wow...

The humor on Malcolm in the Middle was always outrageous. I didn't see this episode, but it totally fits. Of course, it doesn't reflect reality, but that's not the point.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

There's a 2009 Italian film where dialysis features prominently.  It's called "Il soffio dell'amina" or "The Breath of the Soul".  The plot summary states "A young man on dialysis fights to keep his disease from controlling his life and shattering his dreams."  If you're on dialysis, you understand the storyline of dialysis putting a fork in your dreams (the main character is a competitive martial artist) as well as being viewed as "less than worthy" at times among your peers.  There's a crazy scene where the main character's fistula explodes (or starts bleeding crazily) when he's kicked there in competition.  Otherwise, the rest of the film is a little uninteresting and makes no sense.  I liked it because it had a young person on dialysis.

[jeannea]

UkranianTracksuit, your description is hilarious. The rest of it makes no sense. I don't know any Italian but someone here might want to see it.

[PaulBC]

UkranianTracksuit, your description is hilarious. The rest of it makes no sense. I don't know any Italian but someone here might want to see it.

It doesn't sound that great based on the small amount of info on IMDB, but you have to give them credit for going into that much (disturbing) detail on dialysis. I see it is based on a book of the same name by Valentina Lippi Bruni, which is claimed to be autobiographical on her Linkedin page. I cannot find much information written in English (and I have run some Italian through Google translate).

I was confused by UT's expression "dialysis putting a fork in your dreams", which first made me think of dreams splitting on two paths like a fork in the road, but I now I believe she meant it like "put a fork in it, it's over", right?

[Deanne]

Not a movie, but I was watching Chopped last night. They were doing one of the all-stars episodes where TV chef personalities were competing for a 75,000 donation for a favorite charity. The winner's choice of charity was kidney disease research. The competitor's father had PKD.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

I was confused by UT's expression "dialysis putting a fork in your dreams", which first made me think of dreams splitting on two paths like a fork in the road, but I now I believe she meant it like "put a fork in it, it's over", right?

Yeah, “put a fork in it” way of expression.  Sorry, sometimes my use of expressions is unclear.  Good thing you don’t have to hear me speak!

[Simon Dog]

I was confused by UT's expression "dialysis putting a fork in your dreams", which first made me think of dreams splitting on two paths like a fork in the road, but I now I believe she meant it like "put a fork in it, it's over", right?

Yeah, “put a fork in it” way of expression.  Sorry, sometimes my use of expressions is unclear.  Good thing you don’t have to hear me speak!

The full expression is "put a fork in it, it's done".   (think BBQ steak)

If you're on dialysis, you understand the storyline of dialysis putting a fork in your dreams (the main character is a competitive martial artist) as well as being viewed as "less than worthy" at times among your peers. 

There was an interesting news article about the recent 9/18 patient chain in CA.    These people who are interviewed about their transplant do people facing D a big disservice - if you listened to them, you would think you life would stop once D starts.    All the horror stories from the people in the media about how they "had no life" while awaiting an xplant colored my expectations of D, so I expected life to grind to a halt once it started.   It turns out one can have a pretty decent life on D, and it does not have to mean the end of good times.

And I have not had any of my peers treat me as "less than worthy".  They still dump the same crappy problems on me at work as they did in the old days.

[PaulBC]

It turns out one can have a pretty decent life on D, and it does not have to mean the end of good times.

My daughter is doing so well on PD that a lot of her classmates just thought she was cured as soon as she stopped having to leave school early for hemodialysis. She will need a transplant eventually, but she isn't acting desperate about it. Holding on to a transplant doesn't sound like a picnic either. In fact there are two popular misconceptions, the other one being that getting a transplant fixes everything up.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

Different expectations, dreams and social groups, to be honest.

I'll give the experience of a young female known as a drama queen.  My life was shattered when I knew my days of singled sleeved Pucci dresses were over.  Some people are stressed out trying to make ends meet and I was focused on what I couldn't wear.  Perspective, right?  The very lame Italian movie gave the perspective of a young man facing common challenges such as love and the achievement of dreams.  The main character faced a lot of stigma.  "Don't love that boy, he's damaged!"  Yes, the media should give more dialysis success stories as everyone loves a good human interest story.

Dialysis is obviously not a path illuminated by the ethereal joy of rainbows.  Some people succeed on it while others do face an end to good times.  My good times ended when late stage CKD and dialysis struck.  No more decisions on the spot to leave for vacations to sun or the party.  Subsequently, friends stopped including me on such trips or social events.  Dating went down the toilet.  Kind of like in the Italian film where the girl got heck from people for loving dialysis boy.  Nightlife was problematic; no staying out all night, very small drinks, too tired to dance.  No more school in Marseille.  At work, I can't conduct interesting field work in strange places.  My colleagues receive funding to go to amazing places and I'm stuck in my office to be tied to a machine three times a week.  Woo wee.  Kidney failure put my life from fun to zero.

I'm happy in your case that your peers do not treat you less than worthy.  I face a lot of judgement that somehow I am severely disabled thus incapable of being normal for my age.  Ah, the judgement.  The wonderful judgement.  Especially now, with the kale and yoga generation who are dead set on being healthy forever, I MUST HAVE done something to cause the boat I'm in.  So, they make jokes and assumptions.  Following that, there is the belief that I am somehow less of a woman for being on dialysis.  Cause you know, you can't be beautiful with a fistula!  To my circle, it matters.  Or, I make a useful Instagram prop when they want to seem they care for "deep causes".  You know, #caring #strength.

In the grand scheme of the dialysis world, all of this doesn't matter.  Chronic illness and dialysis present so many problems to people that make these concerns vapid.  Can you have a "generally" good life on dialysis.  Sure.  A great life of love, strength and meeting good people in your fellow patients.  You can work, own a home, get educated, get married etc.  The film portrayed a young decent looking man doing his thing despite dialysis.  Hence, I liked the concept he succeeded.  Life doesn't end obviously.  It just depends what is considered fun to people.  Perspective yet again.  As for the film, a martial artist on dialysis is going to be at a disadvantage than someone (in the same weight class) bulked and healthy.  Any kind of dreams like that have to end.  Life in general goes on but specific dreams end.  But then again, everyone experiences this at some point.

In other news, back to the original topic of the thread.  My parents called to tell me on "Marcus Welby, MD" there was an episode called "Killer of Dreams" about dialysis.  A young woman had one kidney, had to have a nephrectomy on the other one and start dialysis.  Her fiancé ditched her and then she decided she wanted to quit dialysis.  Happy ending; they convinced her to go back.  My parents were so excited to call to say, "Zomg!  There was dialysis!  On TV!  At dinnertime!  Were you sleeping?" 

[Simon Dog]

Life in general goes on but specific dreams end.

True.    Returning to Ireland for a second honeymoon with the wife was one for me.  Yes, I know international travel is possible, but my wife and I have decided it is not worth the hassle with all the cool stuff we can do in the US.   I had a great trip to Bangalore a few years before dialysis....there is no way I am going back to visit India on dialysis, or even if I get a transplant (microbes and all), even though I could probably buy a kidney while I was there.

I suppose I was lucked - I got to my mid fifties, married, had the family, and got old enough that if I lose my job I am not "unemployed" but "retired".   The dialysis hassles would have been a bigger impact on my life in my younger years.

[micron]

The TV show, Revolution, had a plot where one of the villain's wife had kidney failure.  Post-apocalyptic show, so no dialysis or electricity.   He kept her alive via blood transfusions from prisoners, not sure how accurate that would be, but the scenes were pretty brutal.  She was clearly miserable.

imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3209876/

[PaulBC]

The TV show, Revolution, had a plot where one of the villain's wife had kidney failure.  Post-apocalyptic show, so no dialysis or electricity.   He kept her alive via blood transfusions from prisoners, not sure how accurate that would be, but the scenes were pretty brutal.  She was clearly miserable.

imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3209876/

I can't imagine that working for very long if at all. Are you supposed to drain all the blood and replace it? And every transfusion is going to increase the chance of catching a disease or developing new antibodies.

[Cowdog]

The movie Rock Star that starred Mark Wahlberg had a scene where the bands manager was getting a dialysis treatment backstage. The machine setup and line placement looked correct even if the location (behind a curtain just off stage) looked sketchy.

[gothiclovemonkey]

Devious Maids had a woman who gets up on dialysis. It doesnt show anything dialysis related, though she just says it makes her tired. no access or anything either lol
 she is rich and when discussing transplant , says its ok she can just buy one. only to find out it isnt legal

[PrimeTimer]

Devious Maids had a woman who gets up on dialysis. It doesnt show anything dialysis related, though she just says it makes her tired. no access or anything either lol
 she is rich and when discussing transplant , says its ok she can just buy one. only to find out it isnt legal

I've never seen the show but picture Joan Collins playing the part.

[gothiclovemonkey]

Devious Maids had a woman who gets up on dialysis. It doesnt show anything dialysis related, though she just says it makes her tired. no access or anything either lol
 she is rich and when discussing transplant , says its ok she can just buy one. only to find out it isnt legal

I've never seen the show but picture Joan Collins playing the part.

Close lol Susan Lucci

[Riki]

Code Black had a dialysis story line... kind of.... the patient had had a transplant, and it had failed... the kicker was, the patient was a serial killer, and was a prisoner in a high security prison.. they had him connected to the machine through a central line.. but they did get it kind of wrong.. saying that the machine was the only thing keeping him alive.. and one of the young doctors wanted to "pull the plug"

The show is new... perhaps they'll figure it out before it gets cancelled...

The only show that really depicted transplant right.. well, almost anyway.. was Three Rivers, which was centered around a transplant centre and a procurement team... I liked it, but it only lasted one season...

[micron]

The scifi show,  The 100 is using dialysis (it's a futuristic interpretation, interesting catheter plug flush with the chest) as radiation therapy. Season 2 I think (just appeared on netflix)

[gothiclovemonkey]

of all things... Family guy.

[Bill Peckham]

There is a major motion picture coming out (Going in Style), where in Morgan Freeman is using dialysis

https://chronicdiseasecoalition.com/going-in-style-brings-kidney-disease-awareness-to-a-movie-theater-near-you/

I guess we'll see how dialysis does in the movie, it sounds like it transplant centric but looking at the trailer at least it seems we'll see a dialyzor with enough energy to plan a caper. That's a step forward.

[kristina]

Thank you Bill Peckham for the information about "Going in Style" and I really look forward to watch this film
I saw the 1979 version of "Going in Style" where George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg are living on the dole and decide to organize a bank robbery.
In the 1979 version there was no dialysis involved but it is a very witty film and well worth watching all the same.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFBTnavIGHg

[cattlekid]

This is one of my favorite Family Guy episodes of all time.

For those that aren't familiar, Family Guy is an adult cartoon that is fairly irreverent.  In this episode, the father of the family (Peter) destroys his kidneys by drinking homemade Red Bull.

The family dog (Brian), decides that he has lived a long and fruitful life and he is willing to donate both his kidneys to Peter so that Peter can live without dialysis. 

Of course, at the end, just as the surgery was about to start, Dr. Nick, Family Guy jack-of-all-medical-trades comes up with the best line of all:

"Dog kidneys?  What was I thinking?"

Never fails to send me into gales of laughter.  I figure it's okay for me to laugh since I'm usually the only one in the room when we are watching it who has ESRD   

of all things... Family guy.

[Simon Dog]

Grampa Simpson needed a transplant from Homer because Homer would not pull the car over when Grampa needed to pee.

[Tío Riñon]

There is a major motion picture coming out (Going in Style), where in Morgan Freeman is using dialysis

https://chronicdiseasecoalition.com/going-in-style-brings-kidney-disease-awareness-to-a-movie-theater-near-you/

I guess we'll see how dialysis does in the movie, it sounds like it transplant centric but looking at the trailer at least it seems we'll see a dialyzor with enough energy to plan a caper. That's a step forward.

I just saw the movie and there is a scene with Morgan Freeman on HD in a Fresenius Clinic (product placement?).  He is told that the dialysis is no longer sufficient and he must have a transplant soon.  I don't want to spoil the ending, but I found it interesting that given the fact that Morgan isn't getting sufficient results from the dialysis, he appears to be pretty energetic and healthy during the 20+ days of preparation for the big heist.

Any other observations for those of you who have seen the movie?