"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Wow.

What an amazing film.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/diving_bell_and_the_butterfly/

I have always had a very soft spot in my heart for MS patients in particular. The idea of being sort of "trapped" in a body that doesn't respond made me feel certain sense of heightened awareness as to what was going on around them.

This movie visually interpreted the frustration, anger, hopelessness of that situation as I have always felt it must b e like.

I highly recommend it here because it deals with perceptions of an environment most of us are so familiar with, in a whole different light.

Bring your tissues, bring your heart, and don't mind the subtitles.

Taitter

0 Votes

I missed the chance to see this film in the theatre but I have added it to my netflix queue. I used to work in the neuro ICU and had a couple patients who were "locked in." Even though I think I was a good nurse to them and was always kind, I don't think I ever truly put myself in their position because it's just a horrifying position for me to think about. I do want to see this movie though, and I was even thinking about inviting some friends over who are currently nurses in that ICU.

0 Votes
Specializes in LTC/hospital, home health (VNA).

A wonderfully insightful book that we were required to read before our ICU rotation for school was called "Book Number Ten". It is about a woman who developed Guillain Barre and became completely paralyzed, kept alive by ventilator, and her experiences as a non-verbal, non-moving person in a bed. Made you want to reach out and either smack or hug some of those nurses/doctors/therapists! Very good book! She (obviously) recovered. Made me very aware of that patient behind all of those tubes! I'll have to get that movie sometime! SOunds like a good one.

0 Votes

The producer of that movie is from this area and is here to show the movie tonight at a local theatre. I'd love to go . . . have to see if there are tickets left.

steph

0 Votes

:o All sold out . . . . .

steph

0 Votes
Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
The producer of that movie is from this area and is here to show the movie tonight at a local theatre. I'd love to go . . . have to see if there are tickets left.

steph

I would suggest big screen if you can, it really enchanced some of the opening scenes for me.

Oh and just to alay some of the stress I felt during one scene, he does not cut his father while he is shaving him. I was so worried he was going to nick him, I couldn't even tell you what the conversation was about in that scene.

0 Votes
Specializes in PCT - ER, Ortho, Neuro, Med-Surg.
A wonderfully insightful book that we were required to read before our ICU rotation for school was called "Book Number Ten". It is about a woman who developed Guillain Barre and became completely paralyzed, kept alive by ventilator, and her experiences as a non-verbal, non-moving person in a bed. Made you want to reach out and either smack or hug some of those nurses/doctors/therapists! Very good book! She (obviously) recovered. Made me very aware of that patient behind all of those tubes! I'll have to get that movie sometime! SOunds like a good one.

Thank you for the book recommendation. I had Guillain-Barre Syndrome in 2000, a very sudden and very acute case in which I was paralyzed completely for the first eight weeks, never ventilated but came close during two weeks in the ICU with breathing treatments Q2 for the first month.

I cannot begin to describe the impact that every person - and the attitude they brought with them - who came through my hospital door, whether they were a doctor, a nurse, a tech/CNA. PT, OT, whatever, had on my mental and emotional well-being, which then impacted my will to recover physically.

I was 30 years old. With a ten-month old baby I couldn't hug or even hold. I was a very independent and busy person with a great nonprofit job and a lot of community involvement - and all of a sudden I couldn't do a damn thing for myself.

I wasn't a difficult patient. I never wanted to inconvenience anyone, so I rarely called the nurses station (which I had to do by blowing on a straw-like attachment to the bed, since I couldn't move my hands). That said, I couldn't feed myself. I couldn't turn in bed. When my period came, I couldn't clean myself up. Hell, the first couple of months, I had no idea when my bowels moved. The nurses and techs who were gracious about cleaning me up will never be forgotten. Neither will those who rolled their eyes, made faces, muttered nasty comments under their breath. There but for the grace of God go them....I had no idea I would wake up paralyzed one day. None of us do.

The Golden Rule ought to be taped to the front of every patient chart and tacked to every breakroom bulletin board and recited at every staff meeting at every hospital in the world, as far as I'm concerned.

I cried real tears of relief and gratitude when a traveling nurse stayed an extra half hour one night and bathed me from head to toe and washed my hair after I had gathered three weeks worth of motionless summer sweat on a sheetless air mattress. There are no words to describe how much her kindness meant to me. I decided that night that I wanted to be a nurse and I promised myself that I would never make a genuinely sick or hurt patient feel bad about needing assistance.

One day shy of eight years ago, I was hospitalized with GBS for three months and then spent more than a year in a wheelchair... and this September I finally start nursing school. I've been a hospital tech for going on two years now and - while my sense of empathy is definitely tested from time to time, I'm happy to say that I still feel deep compassion for the patients I care for. I'm sorry I got to rambling here, but this thread struck a nerve for me.

I look forward to checking out Book Number Ten and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly". And I offer my most sincere thanks to all of you out there who have been treating patients with respect and compassion - it means more than any of you know.

Shari

:)

0 Votes

"Diving Bell" is in my Netflix queue too. I read the book some years back, and that other book is actually called "Bed Number Ten" by Sue Baier. It came out in the early 1980s, a few years after her experience, and she still wears a leg brace because of aftereffects.

0 Votes
Specializes in trauma, ortho, burns, plastic surgery.
I had Guillain-Barre Syndrome in 2000, a very sudden and very acute case in which I was paralyzed completely for the first eight weeks, never ventilated but came close during two weeks in the ICU with breathing treatments Q2 for the first month.

Shari, hugs honey.....sorry to hear that. One of Zuzi girl frineds had GB in avery acute case. In the morning we meet toghter for the coffe, drank coffe togheter smoke and I remembre like today, she told me...."this nicotine will kill me one day... I have numb feet fingers" We laugh toghter...

After 1 hour her legs was numbness, we was so scarried.....we crried toghter befor ventilation come, was the most hard promise that I did in all my life. I promised her then that I will take care of her two childs if she will not wake up. I was crazy 2 months.... a single girl with a big promise to keep and a friend on ventilator..... I don't know how she was passed by, she never ever wanted to talk about, but she told me that she rememberd when we comb her long beuatifull hair.

Was one of the most powerfull experience with a friend on all my life till now! She is ok married happy and need to say tanks GOD that was ok finally!

I wish to see your movie! Hugs love with all my heart! :heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment