Tuesday, February 24, 2009

House M.D.

I do enjoy the show although Hugh Laurie's crankiness has gotten a bit grating in the past two seasons. It is interesting how the writers so often refer to lupus as the potential cause of whatever ailments that episodes patient is facing. It makes sense due to the difficulty to diagnose the disease and the myriad of symptoms that are associated with it. I am conflicted though in that while it does bring a criminally underexposed and understood disease some well needed attention, I wonder if it makes lupus seem almost so rare and almost less severe. This is evidenced in the now almost catch phrase "It's not lupus." Google it and you will see t-shirts among other items with this emblazoned on them. While the line itself is clearly in reference to the show, most have a depiction of House's face on them, this phrase has also raised itself in perhaps more disturbing ways. On the ALR YouTube channel www.youtube.com/myalr, I have noticed many postings by people after a very powerful video 'Faces of Lupus" who respond with this catchphrase, often with an exclamation point. These posts are generally taken down, but still what point are the poster's trying to make. Did they even watch the video? Is someone else's suffering cause for a cheap joke? Or is this all really no big deal at all. I am not sure. I would love to know anyone's thoughts...

1 comment:

  1. Great reaction below from Rachel Charisma I recieved over at www.myspace.com/lupusresearch

    I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU. WHEN THEY FIRST MENTIONED ON THE SHOW THAT "IT COULD BE LUPUS" I JUST FROZE AND SO PROUD THEY DIDN'T SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG. BUT A FEW TIMES IT WAS A BIT UPSETTING. WHEN HOUSE HAD CUT OUT THE CENTER PAGES OF A BOOK TO HIDE HIS EXTRA PILL STASH AND CHASE WAS BAFFLED AND SAID YOU HIDE YOUR VICODIN IN A LUPUS BOOK? AND HOUSE SAYS: IT'S NEVER LUPUS. TO SOMEONE ON THE OUTSIDE WHO HAS NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND OR HAS NO SERIOUS AUTO IMMUNE DISEASE IT WOULD SOUND LIKE AN ULIKELY DISEASE THAT IS RARE THAT NOBODY GET'S. I USED TO WORK IN CLINICAL RESEARCH,WHEN I WAS FINALLY DIAGNOSED IN 2001, THE COMMENTS REGARDING LUPUS WERE SHOCKING TO ME. I KEPT IT HIDDEN BECAUSE OF THE IGGNORANCE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD,UNTIL I COULD NO LONGER AND IT STARTED TO EFFECT MULTIPLE THINGS AND IT WAS OBVIOUS I EITHER HAD MS OR LUPUS AND NOT A SIMPLE COLD. I LOVE HOUSE, I WISH THE WOULD DO A PROPER EPISODE AND HAVE THE ACTORS SPEAK ABOUT LUPUS AND HOW THERE IS NO CURE AND GIVE INFORMATION SO PEOPLE TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO BE SEEN ,PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AND TREATED AND WHAT TO DO IF AA LOVED ONE HAS SLE. THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS UP. I ALWAYS WONDERED IF IT WAS JUST ME OR IF ANYONE ELSE FELT THE SAME WAY ESPECIALLY BEING SOMONE WITH SLE.... RACHEL CHARISMA~ NOUVELL :) XO

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