MND storyline on Corrie

[Music man's wife]

So daughter says. Will be interesting to see, though I haven't watched it since Mike Baldwin's missus pulled a gun on him.

[Deb]

I watched it. Apparently the script writers have consulted with the MNDA to make the storyline as realistic as possible. So the character saw a neurologist the day after seeing their GP with hand weakness . Hmm!

[Tony]

These things are always so far fetched. Seeing a GP indeed !

[WheelsOfSteel]

...as realistic as possible. So the character saw a neurologist the day after seeing their GP with hand weakness . Hmm!

Hilarious

[Arcadian]

Mixed feelings on it as a storyline, but feel it adds public interest (as long as overall publicity from all things in The Media don't cause the wider public to switch off (so to speak) from MND issues due to any perceived saturation.

(I'm aware of some very negative adverse comments on social media towards BBC Breakfast and their highlighting of rugby players).

It will be interesting and helpful if Coronation Street show the months of waiting for a driving licence answer and the months of PIP application hassle without DS1500.
Also that people with a terminal progressive life-limiting illness don't get free prescriptions...

A Blue Badge parking spot abuse scene could be helpful to educate the wider public when illnesses and disability aren't immediately visible.

https://www.mndassociation.org/coronation-streets-paul-to-receive-mnd-diagnosis/

[SAMMY88]

The general public doesn't know enough about the condition. Funding put forward for research is inadequate. I really hope they do us justice.

We need a spotlight on this devil's disease. We need everyone to know exactly what MND is.

As for seeing a neurologist the day after a GP appointment, well how ridiculous. More like 2 years later 🤬

[GennyS]

So daughter says. Will be interesting to see, though I haven't watched it since Mike Baldwin's missus pulled a gun on him.

My hubby (diagnosed bulbar MND July 22) and I both watch Corrie and guessed the forthcoming story line before it was announced 🙄🙂. As retired health professionals we just hope they keep it realistic and are glad to know the script writers worked with the MND association. For us, it's going to be hard to watch.

[Ellie]

... we just hope they keep it realistic ...

Think that ship has (already) sailed 😕

My mum, an avid Corrie fan for decades, says she dreads what's coming.

[Zante]

GennyS I dont watch any soaps but am sure that not everyone lives in an area where everything has been successful to apply for and the support being comprehensive etc is easy to access!
Just reading on here you can see the battles people have to access services and equipment, so I personally think it could be a good idea to show how difficult managing mnd is and not just from the physical side of things. Most people would be shocked at how patients here have been treated by the nhs and social services and councils. Sorry just my opinion. x

[GennyS]

GennyS I dont watch any soaps but am sure that not everyone lives in an area where everything has been successful to apply for and the support being comprehensive etc is easy to access!
Just reading on here you can see the battles people have to access services and equipment, so I personally think it could be a good idea to show how difficult managing mnd is and not just from the physical side of things. Most people would be shocked at how patients here have been treated by the nhs and social services and councils. Sorry just my opinion. x

No, don't apologise! Maybe we've been more fortunate and I hadn't realised.

[Zante]

GennyS But its really good to read that you have been successful and have decent support and health care needs are being met xx

[PaulaF]

I haven't watched all of it, but I'm not sure the storyline is helpful so far.

1. The only thing they seem to be focussing on is that the character is going to die. Well, yes, everyone dies eventually, but let's not forget that in the meantime we have a life to focus on!

2. It shows the characters as being excessively hopeful, and then having these hopes quickly crushed - as if this is some kind of a lesson to everyone not bother having a positive mindset, and not to consider any therapeutic approaches nor to ask for anything from the health services.

3. Everything seems unrealistically speeded up - from super-quick diagnosis to immediate deterioration. The programme makers will probably want to kill off the character as soon as they have covered the 'issue' from every angle and wrung every bit of emotion out of the storyline, but hopefully the MNDA are reining them in on such inclinations.

4. It seems to lump every person with MND together, as if all will go through the same thing and die on the third anniversary. This is misleading, in my view - MND is a catch-all term like 'heart disease' or 'lung disease' - it comprises lots of different conditions (linked to wide variety of genetic and environmental triggers), with different symptoms and with life expectancy ranging from one week to fifty years.

My fear is that this storyline could end up leading to mis-awareness - the viewing public acquiring a stereotypical and overly-negative view of the condition. It risks simply scaring them - so that they may avoid seeking a diagnosis and give up psychologically (to the detriment of their mental and physical health) as soon as they are given one.

I suppose such mis-awareness might increase fundraising for research, but as lots of the funds raised for research aren't even being spent, I'm not sure how helpful this will be either.

I would love it if the character carried on in the series for many years, had spells where nothing very much happened MND-wise (apart from the usual frustrations with the NHS) and were involved in various other non-MND storylines, but I suspect this might be too much to hope for.

[GennyS]

Yep, my thoughts too. Sadly the soap will feel they need to wrap up the storyline to move on to other topics. I would have loved to see the character adapt his life for a few years at least... more realistic.