Transplant - General Discussion

[zillabreeze]

On 9/23/2020 at 7:49 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

I caught up on the parts I missed. I’m not wild about how they treated the Type I diabetes case. I have Type I and I suppose I should be used to the condition not getting proper depiction.  Why this is so difficult for so many shows is a mystery.  First of all, Type I is not really genetic as the doctor said. It’s an autoimmune disorder that may run in families, but, you don’t have to have a parent with Type I to get it. The exact cause of Type I is unknown.   And I don’t understand why they didn’t have the patient have true Diabetic Ketoacidosis symptoms.  I’ve had it once and it was HORRIBLE!  The symptoms are pretty obvious, severe vomiting, severe muscle pain, severe stomach pain, difficulty breathing, this normally after weeks of weight loss, extreme thirst and frequent urination.  When I entered the ER, I was diagnosed within about 30 minutes.   They are correct that the girl will need to check her glucose levels with a meter, but multiple daily injections are just as vital...or use of an insulin pump, which requires substantial training and education.   They just played it off like it was simple to check your blood sugar levels..but it’s much more. It’s a HUGE challenge every minute of your life.  You check your blood 8-13 times a day, unless you wear a Continuous Glucose Monitor. (More work, training and time). I get frustrated when tv shows don’t accurately portray a medical condition, when they could get it right.  No wonder the public as such misinformation about Type One diabetes. 

 

I'm so glad that I am a complete medical moron!  I see all over these forums how being med smart takes folks out of the moment!!!  I can just buy whatever they sell 😁

You'd think showbiz would pay for a better stable of technical consultants.

The occasional crime scene on a construction site messes me up the same way!  Dear gawd, when it's all mixed up and burying a body - it's not CEMENT!  It's CONCRETE!

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah. I tend to overthink think things and it can ruin the experience. Lol

[eel21788]

On 9/27/2020 at 3:18 PM, zillabreeze said:

You'd think showbiz would pay for a better stable of technical consultants.

I once asked the executive producer of All My Children who did her medical consulting. Her response was, "We have excellent medical consultants. We just don't always listen to what they tell us." 

[eel21788]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Yeah. I tend to overthink think things and it can ruin the experience. Lol

However, I totally agree with you about how poorly misinformed the general public is after they have seen Type I diabetes portrayed on any TV show. The usual staple episode is to send someone into seizures from hypoglycemia then revive him with insulin instead of glucagon. There needs to be a huge disclaimer flashing on the screen that says DON"T TRY THIS AT HOME while the episode is airing or some layperson is going to think insulin is the solution to all diabetic conditions whether hypo- or hyper-glycemic and send someone into a permanent coma giving insulin.

[SunnyBeBe]

38 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

However, I totally agree with you about how poorly misinformed the general public is after they have seen Type I diabetes portrayed on any TV show. The usual staple episode is to send someone into seizures from hypoglycemia then revive him with insulin instead of glucagon. There needs to be a huge disclaimer flashing on the screen that says DON"T TRY THIS AT HOME while the episode is airing or some layperson is going to think insulin is the solution to all diabetic conditions whether hypo- or hyper-glycemic and send someone into a permanent coma giving insulin.

Very true. 

[Darian]

When it was revealed that the elderly woman had been going without food and water to die, I got very nervous about how they were going to handle it. What she did is Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking, or VSED, which I had just begin, with the full support of my medical team and everyone who loves me, when the pandemic news broke (now waiting to try to help my  husband through the pandemic). So this was personal enough that I was ready to bail on the show if they blew it (I give the writers a B-). Bash disappointed me at first but he came around (and I'm glad he's not *quite* perfect). And the writers didn't have the woman decide she wrong or being selfish, or show that she was only depressed, so I was relieved.  The goulash recipe was a nice way to show the daughter begin to accept and support her mom. 

I liked seeing more of Bash's sister and their relationship, and I care about all the characters. Worried for Magalie! I'm sure there'll be a lot more to her cardiac story. Dealing with serious health issues from a young age could be part of why she's so driven and tightly wound. 

 

[rhys]

Tonight's episode (10/13) confused me. I don't think Doc Syria should have had to participate in that drill due to his PTSD. Also who was the mystery patient (the black guy) we saw briefly when Doc Syria opened the curtain expecting to see the guy who was sent for scans?

[Good Queen Jane]

7 hours ago, rhys said:

Also who was the mystery patient (the black guy) we saw briefly when Doc Syria opened the curtain expecting to see the guy who was sent for scans?

I think he was just an ordinary patient whose only purpose was to show Bash had a blackout.

Too many hook ups in this episode for my taste. I don't need a Canadian Grey's Anatomy. 

[DanaK]

I don't understand why the young transgender teen wasn't offered puberty blockers already. I know his mom was against surgery and testosterone, but was she against blockers as well? In regards to surgery, I thought surgery for transgender people under 18 was not recommended due to the fact they were still growing, among other things. Is this not the standard in Canada?

[statsgirl]

Theo (the paediatrician) did say that surgery was not recommended because Danny was still growing but then he took matters into his own hands and bought the testosterone. I can't remember what the compromise in the end was.

I really liked how June was angry at Bash for telling about the needle prick and then asked him to read the results for her so she didn't have to read them for herself.

I know that Mags is supposed to be Bash's ship but I do like him with the social worker.

13 hours ago, rhys said:

Tonight's episode (10/13) confused me. I don't think Doc Syria should have had to participate in that drill due to his PTSD.

He was denying that he had PTSD or was affected by what he had gone through. Then the shooter exercise brought it back and he started to lose time in a dissociative state.* His conversation with the psychiatrist "I have a patient who is ....." indicates that he hasn't told the hospital that he has PTSD.

*I thought the show did a good job of putting the audience in the position of what it's like to be in that situation by the time skips.

[Ohmo]

On 10/14/2020 at 3:15 PM, statsgirl said:

I know that Mags is supposed to be Bash's ship but I do like him with the social worker.

She is?  No, no, no!  I don't like her.  She's the one character I can't get into.  She's too cold or the actress's performance is too hard.  I can't put my finger on it.

I like Bash and the social worker, too...and his sex appeal just goes off the charts whenever he's doing something to parent/raise Amira.

Theo is headed for divorce court.  The writing appears to be on the wall.  He no longer wants to be a small town pediatrician.

[eel21788]

On 10/15/2020 at 7:03 PM, Ohmo said:

Theo is headed for divorce court.  The writing appears to be on the wall.  He no longer wants to be a small town pediatrician.

Sudbury isn't a small town. It is an up-scale 'burb of Boston. I do agree, however, that he is deciding that kind of practice isn't what he really wants.

[Driad]

Did they say Sudbury, Massachusetts?  Since the show is Canadian, I thought they meant Sudbury, Ontario, also not a small town.

[eel21788]

8 minutes ago, Driad said:

Did they say Sudbury, Massachusetts?  Since the show is Canadian, I thought they meant Sudbury, Ontario, also not a small town.

Now that you mention it, I'm not sure if they have specified MA or ON. I just assumed it was MA based on him saying his commute was an 8 hour drive. How far away is Sudbury, ON?  They also don't refer to it as "Greater Sudbury" which I would think a Canadian would.

Edited October 18, 2020 by eel21788

[statsgirl]

Medicine is a union closed shop. American doctors can't practice in Canada, and Canadian doctors can't practice in the US.

Driving time from Toronto to Sudbury Ontario is 4 hours, an 8 hour round trip. The population is 161,000, the largest city in Northern Ontario but a far cry from Toronto's 3+ million.

[Ohmo]

4 hours ago, statsgirl said:

Medicine is a union closed shop. American doctors can't practice in Canada, and Canadian doctors can't practice in the US.

Driving time from Toronto to Sudbury Ontario is 4 hours, an 8 hour round trip. The population is 161,000, the largest city in Northern Ontario but a far cry from Toronto's 3+ million.

Since it's a Canadian show, yes, I assumed Theo wasn't crossing the border.  I also thought he referred to it once, as "small" as in "smaller than Toronto."

Edited October 19, 2020 by Ohmo

[alexvillage]

I am not reading al the posts because I just started watching this on Hulu. Love that it is Canadian because there is a completely different flavor. I am in the US and am so tired of the medical dramas here, can't even watch one whole episode, don't watch any of them anymore. I'd rather rewatch ER which is much better even in its worst parts. 

I didn't recognize Laurence Leboeuf. I don't really follow her work but always liked her in other shows, even the annoying teenager in Durham County. 

[Good Queen Jane]

I know that television never lets the reality of the law get in the way of a good story and I don't know Canadian law, but there's no way Bash's landlord would have been able to put his furniture out on the street so soon after a bounced rent check. Once he accepted the past due rent, the whole process would have to start again. But I guess Bash getting an eviction notice wouldn't have been as dramatic.

[chaifan]

This was my least favorite episode so far.  First, the eviction plot line is just unnecessary (and unrealistic).  I really don't need Bash & Theo as roommates storylines, and if they're using that situation to create more tension between Theo and his wife, ugh.  Just ugh.  But damn, that's one nice apartment!  Second, the racist patient plot seemed 1/2 written.  I think it should have been explored a little more, it was very surface level.  Third, the affair between the two top docs is boring and incredibly cliche. 

I feel this show has so much potential, but is just not quite getting there.  Still, it's new content in Covid times, so I'll be happy with what I get.  And, Bash is cute.  🙂 

[cinsays]

8 minutes ago, chaifan said:

This was my least favorite episode so far.  First, the eviction plot line is just unnecessary (and unrealistic).  I really don't need Bash & Theo as roommates storylines, and if they're using that situation to create more tension between Theo and his wife, ugh.  Just ugh.  But damn, that's one nice apartment!  Second, the racist patient plot seemed 1/2 written.  I think it should have been explored a little more, it was very surface level.  Third, the affair between the two top docs is boring and incredibly cliche. 

I feel this show has so much potential, but is just not quite getting there.  Still, it's new content in Covid times, so I'll be happy with what I get.  And, Bash is cute.  🙂 

yeah, i have an old lady crush on Bash, so i will continue to watch regardless of some of the predictable plots

 

[Ohmo]

6 hours ago, chaifan said:

First, the eviction plot line is just unnecessary (and unrealistic).  I really don't need Bash & Theo as roommates storylines, and if they're using that situation to create more tension between Theo and his wife, ugh.  Just ugh.

I'm ready to ditch Theo's wife.  We all know where this is headed. Yes, the eviction storyline was melodramatic, BUT I just love Bash and Amira.  I love the fact they're siblings, I love how clearly they love each other, how deeply he's taking the responsibility of raising her now that their parents have died...the whole thing.  So, I'll take a little hokieness.  Theo has daughters, so maybe they will meet Amira one day.

Love June, too.  She's assertive and confident

[Driad]

I like this whole show (give or take a few small points).  It doesn't get a lot of attention here, so I worry about its ratings.

The supportive relationships among the residents are a pleasant (Canadian?) surprise. Most medical dramas have the residents competing (often nastily) to suggest the right diagnosis, do the most challenging surgery, etc.  And in Transplant they are not all having sex in supply closets!  🙂

Edited October 22, 2020 by Driad

[Crashcourse]

14 hours ago, Driad said:

And in Transplant they are not all having sex in supply closets!  🙂

Yes, how refreshing!  Please don't disappoint me, show!

[Darian]

On 10/21/2020 at 3:21 PM, cinsays said:

yeah, i have an old lady crush on Bash, so i will continue to watch regardless of some of the predictable plots

 

Riiiiight there with you! I love Bash.

Really, I'm interested in and care about all the characters. I guess I wouldn't mind a little at-work romance. I was an RN and at times it felt like everyone was always hooking up with everyone. The sibling relationship is wonderful.    



 

[Ohmo]

22 hours ago, Driad said:

I like this whole show (give or take a few small points).  It doesn't get a lot of attention here, so I worry about its ratings.

The supportive relationships among the residents are a pleasant (Canadian?) surprise. Most medical dramas have the residents competing (often nastily) to suggest the right diagnosis, do the most challenging surgery, etc.  And in Transplant they are not all having sex in supply closets!  🙂

Canadian shows seem, I don't know, calmer and less frenzied.  I had to give up The Good Doctor, but Transplant seems kinda Zen. It also reminds me a bit of New Amsterdam.  A somewhat "softer" medical show.

[Crashcourse]

Also, there are no love triangles or raging friction amongst the staff--at least not yet.

[cinsays]

19 hours ago, Darian said:

Riiiiight there with you! I love Bash.

Really, I'm interested in and care about all the characters. I guess I wouldn't mind a little at-work romance. I was an RN and at times it felt like everyone was always hooking up with everyone. The sibling relationship is wonderful.    



 

Yeah and it looks to me like we will have some competition for Bash's affection with the blond doctor. 

[DanaK]

One of the things I like about the show is that it doesn't hide that it's set in Canada. There are a few too many shows, both US and Canada, that hide where they are set, though I haven't noticed if it's set in a specific city (something too many shows do hide)

[statsgirl]

It's set in Toronto although much of the show is filmed on sets in Montreal. I guess they chose to set it in Toronto because it's such a multicultural city (accotding to the UN the most diverse city in the world) and half of its inhabitants were born outside of Canada. Canada took in almost a third of the resettled Syrian refugees in 2018 and 7000 of them went to Toronto (along with another 4,500 from other places). Lots of potential storylines.

Also being set in Toronto rather than Montreal means people mostly speak English and that makes it easier to sell abroad .

[Ohmo]

The preview seemed to suggest that

Spoiler

Mags and Bash will become a pair.  With the exception of the one exchange that he had with her while she was in her car, I never really got romantic vibes from those two. 

I'm trying to like Mags.  She seems like a nice enough person, but something about her is so cold and distant that I find it difficult to like her.

[Driad]

10 minutes ago, Ohmo said:

I'm trying to like Mags.  She seems like a nice enough person, but something about her is so cold and distant that I find it difficult to like her.

Who knows about Mags's heart problem?  Dr. Bishop but not Bash or the other residents? Mags may be trying to compensate for what she considers a weakness.

[Darian]

I love Mags, but emergency medicine is a treat 'em and street 'em specialty and she is not a treat 'em and street 'em doctor. 

The medical stories were pretty wrenching tonight, and poor Amira has lost so much she's already worrying that Theo won't stay (looks like he might).  I need some good things to happen to that little sweetie. And Bash's friend. What a hard, horrible way to live. Glad it looks like law enforcement went after his psychotic boss. And yet, when he can work again, the friend may end up in a worse situation. Tragic. 

 

[Driad]

Since this show is set in Canada, and US viewers are seeing it now, can anyone explain differences between the two countries, e.g. medical insurance, or treatment of undocumented immigrants? adTHANKSvance!

[marinw]

17 minutes ago, Driad said:

Since this show is set in Canada, and US viewers are seeing it now, can anyone explain differences between the two countries, e.g. medical insurance, or treatment of undocumented immigrants? adTHANKSvance!

It's complicated. For Canadian Citizens, doctor's visits, hospitalizations, and most out-patient tests and procedures are covered by Medicare. For example, I recently had an MRI at a local hospital and paid nothing. Most Prescription Drugs, Dentistry  and most eye exams aren't covered and these costs can be a hardship. I'm a Government Employee so I have insurance that lowers but does not eliminate these costs. There is private insurance for those who aren’t as privileged as me, but these companies can be complete a***holes and there is pressure to include some drugs and Dentistry within the Canadian Medicare System. All this varies a bit by Province.

I can’t say anything too authoritative about treatment of immigrants and refugees, it varies by circumstance and how mean or generous the Government of the day is feeling. I think these folks are eligible after a certian waiting period.

Edited November 18, 2020 by marinw

[eel21788]

26 minutes ago, Driad said:

Since this show is set in Canada, and US viewers are seeing it now, can anyone explain differences between the two countries, e.g. medical insurance, or treatment of undocumented immigrants? adTHANKSvance!

In the US, if someone who is illegal sought care in a doctor's office, they would be expected to pay cash for any services rendered. A doctor can refuse to see a patient who doesn't pay. However, no one can be turned away from an ER for any reason. Therefore, people in the country illegally use the ER as a primary care doctor. The hospital's financial counselors will help them apply for emergency medicaid, so the hospital doesn't have to absorb the cost and bankrupt themselves giving care to non-paying patients. Their ER or hospital care will be paid for by medicaid which is funded partly by the federal government and partly by the tax payers of the state where the hospital is located. This is what creates the idea that illegals can get free healthcare just by crossing the border. 

[Crashcourse]

I like the show but it the scenes seem "brighter" than other shows.  Maybe the lighting is different?

[statsgirl]

Like most of the other OECD countries, Canada's medicine is free at point of service. Costs are kept down by a combination of limiting facilities so that while urgent cases get treated immediately,  non-urgent ones may have to wait, and an emphasis on preventative care. Not everything is covered, things like physiotherapy and counselling from people who aren't MDs aren't, and there is private insurance and workplace plans for that. I've never found it necessary to get one because the provincial plan pretty much covers everything I've needed.

In Canada right now, refugees are covered for one year by the Interim Federal Health plan which pays the standard medical costs plus some extras that aren't covered like drugs, eyecare and physiotherapy.  Those immigrants who have permanent resident status can get into the provincial medical care but there usually is 90 day waiting period before it starts.

Undocumented immigrants don't have access to that care but there are clinics like The Canadian Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Health Care run by Dr. Paul Caulfield where doctors and other health care staff donate their time.

[CarpeFelis]

C’mon, show, get your medical details right. Theo mentioned the patient’s “THS” was normal when hypothyroid was raised as a possibility. I’m no doctor, but I’ve been on thyroid medication for years and have to get my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level checked periodically to see if my dosage needs adjustment.

[dargosmydaddy]

13 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I like the show but it the scenes seem "brighter" than other shows.  Maybe the lighting is different?

The hospital lighting reminds me of the lighting on Saving Hope, another Canadian medical drama. Except in that one, the super-bright/ overexposed/ slightly bluish lighting was used to signify the supernatural element of the show (one of the doctors saw ghosts). I feel like Transplant has the same lighting people as Saving Hope, but no one remembered to tell them there's no supernatural stuff on this show...

[ShortyMac]

13 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

C’mon, show, get your medical details right. Theo mentioned the patient’s “THS” was normal when hypothyroid was raised as a possibility. I’m no doctor, but I’ve been on thyroid medication for years and have to get my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level checked periodically to see if my dosage needs adjustment.

That reminds me of an episode of Strong Medicine, S5 E1, when they incorrectly referred to dextromethorphan as DMX, instead of DXM, multiple times.

[Driad]

I hope Bash will get help for his PTSD or whatever he has. Surprised Bishop hasn't required or at least suggested it.

Bashir is a good name for a doctor. (Julian Bashir on Deep Space Nine)

Theo presumably rented the big apartment for when his family visits, but they don't, so he may be extra glad to have Bash and Amira there.

[dargosmydaddy]

5 minutes ago, Driad said:

Theo presumably rented the big apartment for when his family visits, but they don't, so he may be extra glad to have Bash and Amira there.

This made me wonder a bit. Aren't two-bedroom apartments a lot more expensive than one-bedroom, especially in Toronto (or any big city)? Did he really expect his family to be visiting a lot, when he was only going to be there for a year? (And come on, little kids would love the novelty of camping out in the living room...) Is he or his family supposed to be wealthy? It might have been nice to have a throwaway line about subletting the apartment from a friend or something.

I discovered this series a couple weeks ago, and then caught up on all the earlier episodes on the NBC website. I'm really enjoying it! The medical stuff may not be groundbreaking (and can be super-cliché at times... as soon as they showed Mags and her patient in the elevator last night, I was like, Oh, they're definitely going to get stuck...), but Bashir and his personal life (and struggles) have pulled me in. And I'm enjoying the fact that none of the rest of the ensemble are outright obnoxious or annoying, even if I like some of them more than others.

[chaifan]

1 hour ago, Driad said:

I hope Bash will get help for his PTSD or whatever he has. Surprised Bishop hasn't required or at least suggested it.

Bashir is a good name for a doctor. (Julian Bashir on Deep Space Nine)

Theo presumably rented the big apartment for when his family visits, but they don't, so he may be extra glad to have Bash and Amira there.

I think in real life Bash would be required to have counseling - having a PTSD flashback and freezing in the middle of surgery could be disastrous.  But, I want the character to keep the PTSD as it allows us to have the flashbacks to Syria.  And I think that is what makes this show much more interesting than just another hospital/medical drama.  I think they've done an excellent job of it, showing some of the grim realities without making it feel preachy or Afterschool Special-ish. 

As for Theo's apartment, I get the impression there's family money, at least on his wife's side, so he could afford a nice place.  I hope they just keep Bash and Amira there, and let the housing plot line drop for good. 

Can someone explain the chemical exposure part of last night's plot?   I wasn't paying close attention and missed something.  How did Bash figure this out?  Did the bike guy cause the explosion because of something he was using?

Oh, and was there any reason someone couldn't manually open the elevator door from the floor above or below and pass Mags a real scalpel and something to disinfect it with?  I get that they wouldn't be able to get the patient out, but another person, and certainly stuff, could get in.  That just seemed silly. 

[dargosmydaddy]

15 minutes ago, chaifan said:

Can someone explain the chemical exposure part of last night's plot?   I wasn't paying close attention and missed something.  How did Bash figure this out?  Did the bike guy cause the explosion because of something he was using?

I think he figured it out because the bike shop guy was the first one to exhibit the symptoms after he (Bashir) did. He started asking the guy what he had in the basement of the shop, and they figured out it was the rust remover. I don't think that actually caused the explosion, but the guy did seem to feel awfully guilty about the fact that four people died when they showed him in the last scene, so that was a little unclear.

I raised my eyebrows at woman-who-almost-died-in-the-elevator being fine mere hours later, and even wheeling herself into her wife's room at the end there. But then, a lot of the patients seem to cover uber-quickly/ miraculously, so I guess it should stop bothering me. It was nice seeing Winnie from Flashpoint as the woman Bash saved.

Edited November 25, 2020 by dargosmydaddy

[CarpeFelis]

I thought the guy from the bike shop was about to confess to Bash that he was the cause of the explosion.

Show messed up another medical detail. June mispronounced “ischemic” (“is-kee-mic”) as “ish-kee-mic”. Can’t recall what, but somewhere else in the show a 4-syllable medical term was pronounced with 5 syllables. I guess I’m too picky, but it takes me right out of the story when stuff like that happens. The team is supposed to be top-notch and they should know better.

[katalizt]

On 11/18/2020 at 5:37 PM, Crashcourse said:

I like the show but it the scenes seem "brighter" than other shows.  Maybe the lighting is different?

I was in an OR once and all the lights in the room were on, not like other shows where they perform surgery in the dark with only the surgical lights on. There were even windows to the outdoors in the hallway, with sunlight coming in! Lol

So I do appreciate this show being brightly lit, even if it can feel too bright sometimes.

[DanaK]

Be aware that this week’s episode will be shown on Thursday to make way for a re-scheduled NFL game on Tuesday

[DanaK]

On 11/29/2020 at 8:28 PM, DanaK said:

Be aware that this week’s episode will be shown on Thursday to make way for a re-scheduled NFL game on Tuesday

Belay that. The episode will indeed be shown on Tuesday now that the NFL game has been moved yet again, this time to Wednesday afternoon

 

[Driad]

Season 1 episode 11 "Orphans" -- Glad to see Bash going to a counselor. Hope it helps.

Theo's story:  We haven't seen his wife enough to know her well. If she and her parents wanted a doctor in her generation to take over for her father, why didn't she go to med school?

I'm looking forward to two hours next week, but sad that it is the season finale. Hoping NBC will carry season 2.

[dargosmydaddy]

Do we know what Theo's wife does for a living? He seemed rather dismissive of her career, whatever it is. Honestly, I don't have much sympathy for either of them. She refused to listen when he tried to talk to her about taking the job, and seems very hung up on these plans they made a long time ago. Meanwhile, he let the topic go rather than insisting they discuss it, takes the job anyway, and springs it on her right before he leaves again. They both need to grow the heck up and use their words.

Mags' firewoman patient looked like all the required gear to be a firewoman would weigh more than she does, but whatever.

Did I imagine it, or did they play the promo for the finale two weeks in a row? I spent the entirety of this past episode waiting for Bishop to collapse, so it was kind of anticlimactic!  

NBC better carry season 2!