Coronation Street

Countryboy

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Mar 17, 2005
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Coronation Street story played by Mike Baldwin last week I said I thought they were taking the “mick” .after last nights show I know they are, I don’t know where the producers / editors of this show are getting the information it’s obvious that they haven’t talked to a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's , to get to Mike Baldwin stage of the illness would have taken years hiding away the car keys again completely out of order a person with Alzheimer's is quite capable of driving
a car sorry but the story line is making Mike look very old and senile and in my opinion giving Alzheimer's patents bad press no wonder they want to stop us having Aricept (and yes I have been on Aricept for almost 5 Years still drive and go to work 8 hours a day)
 

bernie

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Jul 28, 2005
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there is some dramatic license in any TV program. Alzheimer's would not progress so quickly.

everybody's case is different with Alzheimer's and I am glad that your doing so well.

somebody in mike's condition should not be driving. my mum never drove but she cycle and on more than 1 occasion she would go out cycling and come home by bus and loose her bicycle.

coronation street is good as it gives an indication of what it is like for somebody with Alzheimer's in a fairly advanced state and shows what a strain it is for the people who have to look after the sufferer. the choices re putting somebody into a home.

the whole storyline will be covered in too short a period of time and as such will misslead people, but overall it is done too well, I personally don't think mike Baldwin's part is acted too well but unless you've lived with somebody with Alzheimer's it would be hard to get wright.
 

connie

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Mar 7, 2004
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Tony, so glad you are doing so well and can still drive.

Lionel was diagnosed at age 60, he is now 64.
I had stopped him driving well before he was diagnosed, and his very first mini mental test proved me right. He has absolutely no Spatial Awareness, and his mobility is very bad.
Yes....memory problems, although he still recognises many members of my family. He is also good at covering up.

What I am saying is................Corrie storyline cannot fit everyone with dementia..............but as long as it raises awareness, who cares. Lionel has been on Exelon for 4 1/2 years,
but can see the marked deteriation this last 12 months.

Hope you continue to stay on an even keel. Connie
 

Countryboy

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Mar 17, 2005
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Reply Tony

Hi Connie Thanks for getting back yes not everyone has the same level of disability and I am sorry to here your Husband is at a more advanced stage, I was diagnosed at the age of 57 I am almost 63 now after I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s yes ok it upset me but I didn’t give up I was sent for two MRI scans which showed that my Frontal Lobes are damaged they now say I have Frontal Lobe Dementia & mild Alzheimer’s I still think Mike Bladwin story line is over the Top
 

Dearth

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May 27, 2005
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Yep... it certainly sounds like Mr. Baldwin has gone through the 'Encyclopaedia of Dementia' in a short period of time... that is, he's exhibited 'all the symptoms' in about a fortnight!

I hope what me Mam says isn't true... but she's read somewhere that he wanders off soon, gets pneumonia and dies... now I know that this isn't beyond the realms of impossibility but come on... can't we at least increase the chap's life-span a little bit?

From diagnosis to death in under a month to me would do more harm than good and certainly won't help remove or reduce the stigma of what is already a much ignored and avoided illness!

Tony - thanks for sharing your information here... pity the producers and writers of the show didn't contact you to get more insight... unless they are scared of the story 'dragging on' and want it done a.s.a.p.

:)

N.
 

katieberesford

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May 5, 2005
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south wales
Hi

Yes, it has all happened far too quickly and I too am a little disappointed. Friday the 7th April is the big day when Mike dies in the arms of Ken Barlow.

Katie
 

Linda Mc

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Jul 3, 2005
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Nr Mold
Regular viewers of the programme will know that Mike has been displaying symptoms for over a year, very subtle changes but there nonetheless.

The consultant in the story did say Mike would die with the disease not from it and this is where the storyline is heading.

I had a relative who from first symptoms to actually dying was only 14 months and she was under 60.

So whilst not agreeing or disagreeing with anyone I thought the whole basis of the story was to raise awareness and it has certainly done that.

Linda
 

Sandy

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Mar 23, 2005
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Fact + Fiction = Faction

Hi,

I read the following interview with the actor who plays Mike Baldwin and it threw a fair amount of light on the offstage influences:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16834740&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=saying-goodbye-was-the-hardest-thing-i-ve-ever-done--name_page.html

I found that article a useful reminder of the the factors - such as the actor's perceptions of his character and the storyline, as well his own life plans - that can influence how a plot develops.

One of the most useful quotes on TP was Canadian Joanne's "When you've met one person with dementia, you've met one person with dementia."

It seems that the character has a history of strokes and he is

*********************PLOT SPOILER WARNING**********************

supposed to die of a heart attack. So Mike Baldwin might have vascular dementia which can have dramatic step downs or mixed dementia - vascular + Alzheimers (as my father in-law has).

Even if the pace seems a bit unrealistic, it still has done a great deal to raise awareness and bring people with dementia out of the shadows.

Personally, I recommend the storyline of Jack Wooley on the Archers which is proving to be very sensitively and realistically paced (radio listeners are more patient;) ).

Take care,

Sandy
 

Norman

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Oct 9, 2003
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Birmingham Hades
I do not believe that Corination Street is ,or indeed can, show the heartache and stress of the carer.
The family (Mike's) seem to be coping well and not showing much signs of distress.
I don't feel that Mike seems too unhappy,a little confused at times,I wish my wife could play draughts,I wish she could play anything that we could share.
It seems that Mike's demise is to be pretty quick,this of course will not show to the general public the years and years that many carers care for their loved ones before the final end.
The best that we can hope for is that Dementia is brought more to the notice of the general public,it said that any publicity is good publicity.
Norman
 

Dearth

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Norman said:
The best that we can hope for is that Dementia is brought more to the notice of the general public,it said that any publicity is good publicity.
Norman

Very well said Norman... I think I keep forgetting that when I make my comments.

As you know, I mention the 'Malcolm & Barbara' documentary frequently on here... and I try to get as many people as possible to see it... unfortunately, many are not interested and I struugle to appreciate that a lot of people simply are just not bothered.

Whereas at least Coronation Street has a huge fanbase already... and is repeated constantly throughout the world... therefore it has immense scope for highlighting the issue of dementia.

So I'll curb my opinion on 'what I think a good "dementia storyline" should be' seeing that no two 'cases' are alike anyway... instead I just hope that it does indeed raise public awareness.

:)

N.
 

mocha

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Feb 17, 2006
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different people

I am glad that Tony is so well and can drive and carry on with his job following a 5yr diagnosis. I hope he appreciates how lucky he is. My Husband was diagnosed May 2002 and has now lost his speech and spatial awareness, he is also becoming incontinent. We used to love nothing more than having almost daily runs out in the car[all seasons and weather] Thank your lucky stars Tony and Coronation St. couldn't keep a story running for years because a lot of people don't want to know. I didn't like it at first but as the stories gone on it has got more true to life. In the poll I am one of the 10% in the 70+ age group.
 

trendy

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Oct 19, 2005
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tyne and wear
hi we found out in sep ov last year and my mother has got a lot worse than we thought nurse is comein the morro to c about a restis place for 2 weeks but she said no way ya not sendin me any where so not sure wot going happen yet its hard work but i love her only doing the best for her not me
 

Michael E

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Apr 14, 2005
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Ronda Spain
trendy hi,

It must be awful for you... It seems to me one of the hardest things about all this is that many of the sufferers are not aware of the problem and come to be dependant on one person to the exclusion of all else - so clingy and not prepared to allow that person much if any freedom... Scared of loosing the one solid thing in their lives and I can only imagine how dreadful it must be to be so dependant....

I failed a while ago totally to get my wife to group days but am going to give it another whirl in a time....

What ever the perceived failings of the plot line, I am certain that Corrie has done more to raise awareness of the problems of Alzheimer's than anything else in the last decade. Somebody in the production team must have had knowledge of the sickness and when Johnny Briggs said he wanted to retire at the end of his current contract suggested that Alzheimer's could be an interesting way of developing his 'death' and parting with the Street.

Frankly there is not a lot which is interesting about this illness.... Most of us looking after someone with it know it is the relentless boredom of the whole thing that gets you down... Seldom any high drama rather an endless daily grind just to keep the act together. I would not be surprised if other soaps did not feature Alzheimer's in the future - with a bit of luck it will become 'fashionable' like cancer did. Nothing wrong with that as it leads to interest and support for those suffering or involved with it... There is no such thing as bad publicity!!!!

Michael
 

mocha

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Feb 17, 2006
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publicity

You are too right Michael, I agree that the Coronation St. story has got everybody talking.I have been to our monthly Alzheimer's support group this afternoon and carer's who don't normally watch the program have done to follow the story line. The only drawback I can see is that some people caring for relatives might think it progresses so fast. One of the characters said a very true thing when she said that Alzheimer's was 'The long goodbye' I feel that you have a bereavement once you start losing communication with your loved one, but not all times are bad and you learn to appreciate the good and funny times.
 

Dearth

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I was discussing with folk yesterday about the programme... a lot of people do think that 'it all happened so quickly'...

One person highlighted something which was spot on though:

"If it'd have been going on for a long time, viewers would have become annoyed and said 'Oh God... is that Mike Baldwin thing still dragging on - I'm sick of seeing it!"

Now I understand what they mean there... the fans of the show would become 'fed up' and maybe the publicity generated surrounding the issues raised would have been negative ones simply through being 'fed up'.

So my personal opinions aside where I feel Mike went at a speed of from 0 - death in approx. 10 seconds (or so it seems) may not seem to be agreed by all... but then again, I am certainly not a 'Corrie' fan... but the storyline had me watching - so it must've achieved something.

:)

N.
 

dmc

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Mar 13, 2006
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hi all

my mum was diagnosed in february this year they've only given her a year the progression is very quick she really is going from 0 to ......
as yet i havent actually managed to get a name for this type of dementia all they can tell me that the progression is similar to CJD, so in a funny way the coronation street plot is quite true to life for me anyway, it was for this reason i couldnt watch all of it just read the papers they tell you all the plot beforhand anyway!!
The long goodbye---- even a year is too long to watch someone you love suffer:(
 

Lynne

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Jun 3, 2005
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Suffolk,England
Hello Trendy

trendy said:
hi we found out in sep ov last year and my mother has got a lot worse than we thought nurse is comein the morro to c about a restis place for 2 weeks but she said no way ya not sendin me any where so not sure wot going happen yet its hard work but i love her only doing the best for her not me

I'm sorry to learn that your Mum has Dementia, and that she's being difficult about taking advantage of a respite place.
Perhaps she's afraid that 2 weeks might be "the thin end of the wedge".
Does she go to any day group or anything like that? Sometimes that seems to help, from what I read on this forum, and gives the carer at least a few hours break.
You have to look after your own health & well-being as well as your Mum. If you crack up, who will run the world then? :p

Best wishes
 

Hilary

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Apr 17, 2006
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Oxfordshire
Michael E said:
trendy hi,

I would not be surprised if other soaps did not feature Alzheimer's in the future - with a bit of luck it will become 'fashionable' like cancer did. Nothing wrong with that as it leads to interest and support for those suffering or involved with it... There is no such thing as bad publicity!!!!

Michael

Gosh...perhaps there's room for me to write a storyline here, stepmother with cancer and dad with AD. Perhaps being 'fashionable' might help with the care home fees for one or even both of them! :cool:

I'm sorry I'm not a Corrie watcher - last episodes I watched still had Pat Phoenix in them! Perhaps because I'm newly dipping my toes in these waters and getting most of my information from this group at the moment life feels a bit fraught....

Hilary
 

Dearth

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Hilary said:
I'm sorry I'm not a Corrie watcher - last episodes I watched still had Pat Phoenix in them!

:D I always tell people the last time I saw it, Fred Gee had fallen down the cellar in the Rovers... or was it Eddie Yeats had met a woman over his C.B.?

(I think people know I'm lying... I'd've been about six at the time).

Never been a 'Corrie' fan, but I did watch some of the Mike storyline... I'll not go on about it again lol, as I've posted my comments a few times.

:)

N.

P.S. Alan Bradley was a nast piece of work though weren't he? :D