Lupus diagnosis on Netflix series Virgin River

[DJK99]

Hey all. Hoping you are all doing as well as possible.

Just needed to share that Lupus came up in one of my favourite Netflix series - Virgin River. It’s the story of a female Nurse’s move to a small US town to take up a new role, escaping her sad past. Been watching for years but I was amazed when the storyline unfolded in front of me tonight, of a new patient’s symptoms - and I even said out loud to myself “lupus”…. as the Nurse and Doc were looking with concern at each other… and……. lo and behold it was the doc’s diagnosis, albeit pre blood tests. If interested it’s Season 4, episode 5 “Mayday”. V chuffed to see it mentioned, and as a serious condition.

Take care out there folks.

D

[ExtremeDuvetDaze]

Hi there, I noticed this too and like you I also said out loud ‘she’s got Lupus 😄! They mentioned a few others including Fibromyalgia which I didn’t think was auto immune though 🤔. It’s great to have it highlighted!

I love Virgin River, I’ve waited ages for this season and have watch 7 episodes since Saturday, I need to slow down so I can savour it for longer 😂

Are you enjoying it?

Diane🌸x

[DJK99 in reply to ExtremeDuvetDaze]

Hello fellow Virgin River lover!

Yes I try not to cram things... but generally fail abysmally! There has also been a last series of Better Things this week... which I LOVED... and watched the lot this week :(. So sad that's over.

Yes, was pretty chuffed to see the new series of VR... those ruddy cliff hangers they leave you with at the end of a series... and great to hear someone else had that "aha" moment too, as the Lupus story unfolded... was so obvious eh.. but really just never expect it to be mentioned anywhere on TV etc.. It's a pretty big thing to get it more accepted/known, so I'm really grateful they wrote it into the story line - almost a bit random as it's so rare to see!

Hope you're doing OK as poss... I think you're one of us on here that live near me..? I'm in Lewes now but used to be in Brighton.

D x

[KayHimm in reply to DJK99]

Thanks for mentioning this. It is validating when we hear lupus mentioned like this on television. I heard it quite a bit as part of the differential diagnosis with older girls and adolescents admitted to the hospital.

Xx K

[ExtremeDuvetDaze in reply to DJK99]

Oow I’ll have to check out Better Things. I love getting stuck into a good drama 🎭 but hate it when they end, like a good book you miss the characters for a while don’t you especially when you’ve binge watched😊Yes I’m in Eastbourne so not far, Lewes must be a nice place to live. Do you mind me asking who your Rheumatologist is? xx

[DJK99 in reply to ExtremeDuvetDaze]

Dr Haj'....... is that enough for you to know? I swerved an AWFUL registrar... and prior to full on diagnosis was Dr Tac'.... You?

[ExtremeDuvetDaze in reply to DJK99]

Yep the former, I see him in HH, he was great for the first few years, I had a lot of confidence in him but the last two I’ve felt as though he’s no longer taking me seriously, I think he’s come to the end of the road with me because I can’t tolerate so many meds that might help and I don’t have any +ve inflammatory markers when he does my bloods, I have a feeling he’s going to discharge me at my next appointment which I’m not very happy about after telling me he’s monitor me yearly ( lung function, brain scan, echo) I don’t see him until December and I’m feeling pretty poorly with a lot of neurological symptoms.

Maybe I need to pop along to Virgin River for my medical needs, they listen and you get seen straight away 😂 xx

[DJK99 in reply to ExtremeDuvetDaze]

Will reply on chat if that’s ok with you? X

[Hamptons]

Even more grateful that I didn’t live in Virgin River with the blunt reality of at least £36,000 a year medical costs for medication alone. And the even more blunt news that if she did not take them she could choose a painful death by heart or kidney failure.

Much as we all have tales of medical challenges in the UK at least two are not having to worry about accessing medications.

I love medical shows but always wonder why American doctors have no chairs as the shocking diagnosis was given as she stood in the waiting area.

American medical shows often show Lupus, there is a great House where the patient was bleeding out of every orifice and they thought it was Lupus. Always remember it as it was two weeks after my diagnosis that I watched it.

[SurferGuy in reply to Hamptons]

Dr House always pre assesses anything he's unsure of as Lupus 😂

[DJK99 in reply to SurferGuy]

🤣

[DJK99 in reply to Hamptons]

Oh wow... how timely! Yes... lupus seems to be much more obvious there... but how any normal working (or unable to work) person gets proper medical support is beyond me... I know...£36,000?!! Well, that would be me (and pretty much anyone without prior health insurance or not called Elon Musk etc) done then!

[StriatedCaracara]

On Drama channel, I watched Season 6, Episode 7 Body and Soul of Peak Practice last year.

'young male priest, just taking on the parish, suffers from a mystery illness', previously diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. He had neuro symptoms, I was crying a loud Lupus...yes it was

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_...

[DJK99 in reply to StriatedCaracara]

👨‍⚕️🙌🙌🙌. You know it!!