Info on the film
- http://www.thedivingbellandthebutterfly-themovie.com/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diving_Bell_and_the_Butterfly
- http://www.salon.com/2008/02/23/diving_bell_2/
What
questions do you have? What was your favorite scene? What "lessons"
do you take away from the film? What surprised you? What made you sad? Make an original post (by 5 May) then come back and comment on 2 of your classmates' posts (by 7 May).
I actually liked this movie, Such a tragic situation which serves as a reminder that life is a gift and we never know what may happen. We should live in a way that we would have no regrets if something this tragic should happen. I was surprised that his ex would be so involved in his care after his betrayal of her with his affairs. She was very compassionate and patient with him. I loved how the the health care workers never ceased to lose patience with him either, but found a way to communicate with him. I can only imagine how long it took to write his book that way! My favorite scene was when he was at the beach with his family, I thought it was very sweet and endearing. It was very sad that he never actually recovered from his stroke. Just when he had come to terms with it and was appreciating life again is when he died.
ReplyDeleteI liked this movie as well. It showed so many sides to life. I agree with you that life is to short. Having regrets at the end of life is such a heavy thought. I also was surprise of the devotion his ex had toward him and kept the family together as one unit. She showed so much strength and love.
DeleteI agree that the ex showed devotion and dedication to their family. Especially when Bauby's girlfriend called and she had to translate for him. WOW what a woman.
DeleteThis WAS a terribly sad movie, but also one with so much hope. It was sort of an affirmation that every life has meaning and importance. I felt Jean-Do communicated and was more appreciative of his life once he could no longer participate in it as he did before. He adapted and participated in a new way.
DeleteThis movie was very touching. It made me smile, laugh, and sad all at the same time. It made me think more about how short life really is,as I often do. We should do what we set out to do in life and not look back. (within reason). Having regrets about the things we should have done is far more sad than death it self. The love and kindness his heath care workers had toward him was so pure. They never gave up and gave him all the time he needed to express himself. I only wish in today's real world we could have time to give to our patients as they portrayed in the movie. Also, there were moments in the movie that showed what our patients may think of us as we walk into the room to care for them. How do they perceive us when they can not express their wants and needs? What are they saying in their head? I had many favorite parts within the movie. One of them was when someone in the movie stated that he was a vegetable his remark was "what kind am I? Carrot?" Another one was when his kids came to see him on Father's day. They went to the beach and they were a family playing and laughing together as one. When his son wiped his dad's face off with such love and without fear. I was touched to see how much love his ex had for him and stayed by his side and kept being apart of his world. What devotion.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching how dedicated the health care personnel were to Jean-Do it made me take a second look at how I treat my patients as a nurse. I think we sometimes fall into the rut where we have done something so many times we think others should easily as we do. This made me stop and be more patient and thorough with those I am caring for.
DeleteI loved this movie. It made me think about issues such as resuscitation measures and advanced directives, to what we should and should not say to our patients. The scenes in the beginning when the doctors told him "I promise" and "You will be okay" were heartbreaking. Maybe they thought they could cure him, but I think considering the fact they didn't know much about what was happening to him, they should have told him what they did know. Later in the movie when he talked about "Sundays" broke my heart. I feel he realized what he had in his "not my wife, the mother of my children" and the therapist. I know it made him happy to know his book was published and he knew and felt true love and kindness in his heart before he died.
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DeleteI enjoyed the movie as well. The part about Sundays broke my heart. The loneliness he felt gave me chills. I would never want to feel that alone But on the plus side, I think it made him realize how much he wanted to be loved by his family and the staff that became a part of his life.
DeleteCindy this is why I think it is very important to discuss what we would want do in an emergency situation. Death and dying is not a comfortable subject for most people. Who would think a 40 something year old man would be faced with such a horrible situation? But was he wrong to tell his therapist he would rather die? Makes me look at life in a whole different way.
DeleteI agree. There were so many things I observed that I thought we could use in our practice. It's important to have these refreshing moments that remind us why we do what we do.
DeleteI agree that doctor's should not have told Bauby that he will be ok if they were not sure. They did not know that for a fact. I think that the doctors should have been level and totally honest with Bauby. This gives false hope.
DeleteThis movie hit home because my dad passed away 1.5 weeks after having a stroke. Watching Bauby struggle in the begining thinking he was speaking when he was only talking in his head, I thought was that what my dad was doing. I loved the dedication of the speech therapist, she wasn't giving up on him. I also thought how professional it was for her to come back and apologize to him for getting upset with him when he told her he wanted death. I also enjoyed the beach scene with the family. You could see that the kids weren't scared of their dad and that they enjoyed spending time with him even though he couldn't do anything but watch them. The sadist part of the movie for me was when his father called him and he told him that they were basically in the same boat. The dad was trapped in the apartment and the son was trapped in his body. I think that when he died he was glad that he was able to tell his side of the story. The story tells us that even though we think we have life under control and their is no stopping us, life can always throw us surprises.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry this similar situation happened to you. I agree that life can throw us an obstacle or a surprise in our life when we least expect it! It's enlightening to see the dedication and professionalism from the speech therapist. This movie reminded me to be patient live like it's you last day on earth!
DeleteBauby's lifestyle was much different than most, but in the same sense it's also very similar. We are all so busy living life and all the obligations we have that we all tend to take life for granted. Working acute care and seeing patients after they have experienced strokes I don't always get to see the support they get during their rehabilitation. That speech therapist also amazed me with her patience and dedication. We do need to remember to step back from our busy lives and appreciate all things we are able to do.
DeleteThis movie was very touching. It made me smile, laugh, and sad all at the same time. It made me think more about how short life really is,as I often do. We should do what we set out to do in life and not look back. (within reason). Having regrets about the things we should have done is far more sad than death it self. The love and kindness his heath care workers had toward him was so pure. They never gave up and gave him all the time he needed to express himself. I only wish in today's real world we could have time to give to our patients as they portrayed in the movie. Also, there were moments in the movie that showed what our patients may think of us as we walk into the room to care for them. How do they perceive us when they can not express their wants and needs? What are they saying in their head? I had many favorite parts within the movie. One of them was when someone in the movie stated that he was a vegetable his remark was "what kind am I? Carrot?" Another one was when his kids came to see him on Father's day. They went to the beach and they were a family playing and laughing together as one. When his son wiped his dad's face off with such love and without fear. I was touched to see how much love his ex had for him and stayed by his side and kept being apart of his world. What devotion.
ReplyDeleteShirley it is so true to wonder what our patients are thinking when the are unable to communicate.
DeleteI will think twice now before assuming someone doesn't understand or can't express their needs.
This movie is portrays an excellent example of taking life for granite and not realizing what you have until your helpless. It is often easy to get caught up in everyday task and to ignore the repercussions that you may encounter from the actions you've chosen. This movie reflects a good example of loosing a sense of self
ReplyDeleteworth,morals,and ethical principles. It was heartening for me to watch Bauby reflect on his lifestyle before his CVA. As I reflected on the movie, I questioned myself "What is the significance of the title?" I noticed when he would reflect on his past that were negative in nature, the scene of a diver with a heavy helmet would sink deeper in the water. Do you think this reflects the diving bell? A sense heaviness that weighs on your shoulders that sinks you deeper into guilt or shame? Does the butterfly reflect the way he lived his life after the cva? Instead of sinking deep into the water but to fly higher in the sky to become a better person? A sense of free spirit lifting the weight off your shoulders? My favorite part of the movie was when Bauby listened to his father share his feeling about being captive. The scene of Bauby shaving his father because Bauby thought he needed it. Bauby could relate to him and realize that he is a captive as well. The scene where the mother of his children called to say she couldn't see him like that saddened me. It was touching to see the book recorder trying to protect him. The devotion of the speech therapist and book recorder was touching! They were a true refection of a patient advocate, and dedicated care takers!
Excellent point about what the diving bell might mean. I kept wondering what the significance was of the diver, when i realized that it did happen when he reflected upon some aspects of his life when he should feel guilt and shame for the things that he had done. Do you think maybe when the ice glades were being built back up at the end of the movie that ment that he had accepted everything in his life and that he finally had peace.
DeleteFor me this movie is a prime example of how quickly our lives can change. In a split second it can all be taken away.
ReplyDeleteJean-Do was this famous man, living a wonderful life and with no warning in a brief moment his life was forever altered. After having the stroke and waking up after a 'long sleep' not remembering a thing, had to be a very scary time for him. Being paralyzed, thinking you are talking but then realized, you are not being heard it is only your thoughts in your head.
My favorite scene in the movie was when he said his " memory and imagination were not paralyzed and he could go anywhere and do anything he wanted to do". I think any of us can do that at any time, but could you imagine only being able to live in your mind?
I hope to take away a different approach on how I take care of patients who have had a stroke and may be "locked-in" there body. I look back on my career as a nurse and realize that I probably have been dismissive, thinking that a stroke patient was confused, did understand me or maybe even they were just ignoring me. When really they were there but couldn't communicate with me in the way I thought they should.
What surprised me was how devoted the mother of his children was even though he left her and the children for another woman. I am not so sure that I could have been that understanding.
What made me sad was that there is no cure to fix what happened to this young man. His life was way too short. He was trapped in his body and there was nothing he could do about it. He would rather of died that to live his life liked that. Was that selfish or disrespectful as his therapist thought? Not how I would want to live my life.
Questions I thought about were, What caused the full body paralysis? What type of treatment did he have? How common is this type of stroke? How long was he unresponsive? Was he on life support? Who made the decision to keep him alive?
I was wondering the same about if he was on life support, and how common is this type of stroke. Just can not imagine living but not truly living, being a so called vegetable not being able to move or talk but being totally cognitively with it. So life altering. Definitely makes you not take life for granite!!
DeleteI can’t comprehend going from complete independence in every aspect of your life to complete and total dependence on someone else for every single thing. I enjoyed the memory and imagination scene as well. It would have been a big challenge though to remain positive enough to let your mind soar and enjoy from imagination alone. Like you Donna, I hope to remember from this point on that my patient may in fact be understanding everything I have said, even if it is not evident by their speech or actions.
DeleteI'm not sure how to feel about this film. Mr Bauby seemed to be a financially well off person who lived a decadent lifestyle. He bought fancy sports cars, took flights across the world, and had relationships with a few women, the girl he bought the Madonna for, his current girlfriend, and the "mother of his children". Was she an ex-wife or just the mother of his children? Didn't his father say he should have married her? I was a little confused about that. I also didn't like when the Dr. referred to the therapists as "two beauties". Was that appropriate in 1997? I'm sure it was meant as a compliment but it was demeaning none the less.
ReplyDeleteThen he has a stroke with locked in syndrome and his entire life changes. He begins rehab in a nice facility with wonderful views of the mountain side, a with appropriate staff to take him into the facility pool and transport him to the beach and back. He is even afforded the luxury of going for a boat ride "for a change of scenery". I wish everyone could get rehab like this. They might also be inspired to write a book about their life altering event.
The other part of my conflict was that I truly did enjoy the movie. It flooded me with empathy and made me cry. I was sad every time the film showed Bauby alone, the diving bell taking him deeper in the water. I found myself holding my breath hoping someone would pull him up taking away those feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, with the anticipation of death. Sometimes he would get a reprieve from the speech therapist or the interpreting book writer, but you knew it was just a matter of time. The devotion the speech therapist demonstrated teaching him and his care givers how to communicate with each other was so inspiring. I have taken care of a person with locked in syndrome before and I tried using the blinking method to communicate as he too could blink, but he did not speak English. That made communication very hard when there was no family around. His family was his interpreters to help facilitate his care. Plus his blinking was mostly yes/no questions. What helped me with his care was putting myself in his place. What would I want done if it was me lying in that bed?
These are the things that make me feel conflicted about my interpretation of the film. I know I'm being judge mental, I just like fairness for all and I'm just unsure how to interpret all parts of the film. Would the effects and outcomes be the same if it happened to a homeless John Doe?
Awesome point about what if Bauby was homeless what kind of treatment he would of received! This is sadly so often presented to our patients we encounter. Frequently patients that requesting substance abuse rehabilitation cannot find a facility for treatment because he/she is uninsured. Patients that need nursing home placement cannot go to a specific facility because he/she does not have a qualified stay. Sadly, this continues to be a challenge within the health care system. This is definitely an example to think about quantity vs. quality of life.
DeleteI was wondering the same thing Jodi and completely agree with you. Did he only receive the treatment he did because he was wealthy and well known? It makes you wonder about our system for sure!
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DeleteI think you can't go wrong when you approach care from that viewpoint. Even if what we want is different from what the patient wants, as corny as it sounds, if it starts at the heart, the patient feels care for. I'm not talking about going against wishes for care, just the "caring" part of our jobs, listening, taking an extra moment etc.
DeleteThe French health care system is one of the best in the world, in no small part because it has universal coverage. We'll see more about health care systems around the world towards the end of the course. In the U.S., I'm not sure someone with the same condition would have gotten comparable care unless s/he were very wealthy or very well-insured.
DeleteThis movie was a huge eye opener for me. I can't imagine having all this fame and then in a snap of a finger losing it all and being paralyzed. This movie truly shows you to never take your life for granite because it can change just like that. When Mr. Bauby woke up from his coma and thought he was talking out loud back to the healthcare workers but then to actually find out he wasn't able to speak was very sad to me. I can not imagine being completely cognitively with it but not being able to express my feelings and words. This definitely gives me a totally different outlook on when I took care of stroke patients never thinking that may may understand everything I am doing and saying but yet they just can't communicate their thoughts back to me. When Mr. Bauby talked about Sundays being the worst days, I could definitely see why he thought this. No one came to visit, no therapist, just no one seemed to be around and it was a long and lonely day. This would be very hard to be in his shoes. Visiting your loved one's when they are in the hospital is very important even if you think they don't want the company, usually they do, this always shows love. I felt that Mr. Bauby's wife was a great lady to him and understanding. The scene of Bauby, his wife, and the kids on the beach broke my heart. You could see it in Mr. Bauby eye that all he wanted to be able to do is run around and play with his kids, but he felt trapped in this body unable to play with his kids or even talk to them. Questions I would want to know is what treatments did Mr. Bauby receive besides the therapy sessions we saw. Also in real life would a hospital really sew a patients eye shut? I also want to know who was making his decisions for him while at the hospital regarding treatment?
ReplyDeleteAndrea,
DeleteThis was a very heartbreaking and eye opening story. This locked in syndrome is terrible to even imagine being in his shoes. I agree that they need extra love and support to get through this, otherwise they circle down the drain of depression. My husbands step dad has been ill for the last year and the last 6 months has become virtually bedridden. He cannot hear, walk, groom himself, and is incontinent. I know this is not the same, but his care is totally dependent on someone else. He is suffering great depression and and says he is no longer a benefit to anyone and hates to be a burden. It's so sad! We, on one hand are encouraging them to stay strong, telling them they are going to be OK and get better, but this really might not be true. I think the patients know this too and we aren't fooling them. I do think it is so important to talk to patients as if they can hear and understand everything, because they probably do on some level, I encourage all family of patients I have had that are sedated to talk to them or whisper in their ear. Just a familiar voice letting them know you love them can mean so much. Good questions you raised at the end, I also was wondering who was making decisions for his care. He seemed alone for so long before any visitors showed up.
In my opinion this was a very moving and powerful movie. I was surprised at the amount of time that seemed to pass between the initial accident and when Jean Do’s family visited for the first time. However, I have a friend who is from Switzerland who has described to me that people do not visit there loved ones in the hospital as we typically do here.
ReplyDeleteAn early scene where the neurologist looked Jean Do in the eye and said everything would be okay felt insensitive. It gives the perspective that we really can not sympathize with, rather we can more often empathize with, our patients. I found warmth in the scene where Jean Do was visiting his father and gave him a shave. There was obvious love and affection demonstrated between father and son. Lastly, the scenes where Jean Do was sitting, sometimes outside in the cold, with those taking dictation. There was a number of people supporting him and not giving up on his desire to go forward publishing his book.
It was sad to hear Jean Do’s thoughts so often talking about his inability to do such simple things like wrap his arms around his kids, tussle their hair, and appreciate and maybe even marry the mother of his children. We can not take tomorrow for granted, for tomorrow is not a promise.
This movie, while of a serious nature, did have humor and insight to life. Jean Do described how he was not paralyzed when it came to his imagination and his memory and we could watch as the pictures flashed by of him in different stages of life. He indicated that he could imagine anywhere and anything. We need to, every day of our lives live out our imagination of anywhere and anything. We are capable.
Hi Cindy!
DeleteInteresting thought about why he didn't have visitors for a while. Being nurses, we tend to compare everything else to what we do. We would be stepping over visitors to get to the patient! Especially with his "celebrity" status, and a string of girls following. I also like the mention of the beach scene, that was one of my favorites too. I didn't consider it from the perspective of not being able to hold or touch his kids. I'm sure he had a lot of regrets and didn't see his kids as much as he should have. He had a very busy and demanding job, and when he wasn't working he was out on the town. I wonder how his life would have changed if he had made a recovery and had a chance to do life over again? I'm certainly thankful for 2nd chances, I feel every day I wake up is a chance for a do over. This movie made me realize that all the more, not to take life for granted, but enjoy every day and be thankful to God for it. The rare bits of humor in this movie definitely broke up the seriousness of it at times and made me laugh too. One of the funniest things to me was when the Dr. got in front of the TV while he was watching sports and then turned it off when he left the room. Jean Do's reaction to this was priceless!
His connection with his father was heart-warming. It was nice to see him shave his father, to experience their love for one another. How sad when his father called him after the stroke and he verbalized his similar situation, stuck in his apartment as Bauby was stuck in his own body. It was emotional seeing their love and losses among each other.
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DeleteI may be mistaken, but I think I remember in the beginning, the staff talking about visitors. Since the movie was told from his perspective, he would not have known who visited prior to waking from the coma. I know there are times when I wish we could limit visitors for our sake. Not being selfish, just to have time to get the work done! Then when you think about someone being there with nothing to do to pass the time, it has to be excruciatingly boring.
DeleteI was very hesitant about this movie when I first started watching it. I think mostly because it was subtitled and I felt like I couldn’t turn my head for even a second for fear I would miss something. This movie did a great job demonstrating to the viewers the perspective of a person’s mind after a severe stroke. Working with stroke patients on my unit, they are not always this severe and I’ve always said that I would hate to end up with a mind and not being unable to communicate.
ReplyDeleteBauby lived a very fast lifestyle that was changed in an instant. I felt horrible for his son to have to see him experience this in the car. All three of his children basically no longer had a father and did not visit while he was in rehab. What I found surprising was although he was not able to swallow it never showed him having any type of feedings. I guess we are to assume he did.
He was definitely dealt a horrible hand of cards, but he was lucky to have great therapists who worked very hard with him. It was a great accomplishment to be able to publish a book and not even be able to speak a word. I couldn’t imagine that patience it took to get the entire book transcribed by eye blinks! The mother of his children was also very dedicated. I have to admit that I don’t know if I’d be able to do what she did knowing he had girlfriends. I guess she did it to show their kids.
The entire movie I kept waiting for a miracle that never happened. I never thought he’d make a full recovery but I thought he would regain something.
The mother of his children was a remarkable woman to do things she was able to do. I am sure he had caused her a significant amount of pain, but she was able to look past that and give her children and their relationship priority.
DeleteShelley, I too was waiting for some miracle at the end, even though I knew deep down his stroke was too damaging for him to regain much of any control. I was just hoping for some small return for him to assist him with communication. I wish the speech therapy would have worked!
DeleteI wish I knew how the family (his children) were able to cope with this catastrophic event their father went through and what was available to them to help. They seemed very comfortable at the beach with him in his wheelchair. I too kept waiting for that miracle to happen.
DeleteShelley, I too was waiting for some miracle at the end, even though I knew deep down his stroke was too damaging for him to regain much of any control. I was just hoping for some small return for him to assist him with communication. I wish the speech therapy would have worked!
DeleteI have a patient that I see weekly. She had a stroke last year. I look at her husband and think how much his life has changed as well as hers. It makes me sad that they worked all of their lives and looked forward to retirement. Now those days are spent at PT, and speech therapy. She cannot talk to him except for one word answers. After seeing this movie I feel she is lucky to have the function she has but, still hope for a break in stroke research. I can imagine for her it is hard to have hope.
DeleteThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly was such a moving movie. It was a special experience to go through the stages of grief with Jean Do. I cannot fathom what it would be like to wake up and no understand what is happening and have your life be so drastically changed. Through acceptance he was able to see the important things in life, his children, family, and friends.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the things that he was capable of accomplishing with the dedication and patience of his care givers shows what an impact we can have in our patients' lives. Being able to see his perception on Sunday's, the tv being on but not working, and the fly on his nose made me think about the way patients' perceive things as significant that we see as routine. As nurses, we are advocate for our patients and to help them set and achieve goals to better their health/lives. We need to take moments to put ourselves in their places. That's when we are able to find those special moments where we can make the biggest difference.
I agree Beth…this movie brings into perspective things that we may have not considered before now. Jean Do’s comment about Sunday and the lack of therapist there. I imagine the therapist worked extensively with him through the week, so Sunday could be a depressing day without their interaction.
DeleteI enjoyed the humor interjected through out the movie. For example, when he was describing himself and the picture of Marlon Brando was on the screen. Jean Do’s pointing out that wasn’t him pictured was great. I also enjoyed when his friend was visiting, and pacing in front of Jean Do stating he was no good at hospital visits…all he would do was bring grapes but then eat them himself! You are right, we need to put ourselves in the places of our patients and find the moments to make the difference for them.
I also agree with you Beth. Some of the simple things we take for granted that can be so important to our patients. That we need to look at the small things like the TV being on and on a station that they like, in addition to the overall holistic care we give. This movie was very enlightening with that respect.
DeleteThat hit a nerve with me. When I worked in ICU, I used to put classical music on the TV for the critical patients! Back in the day when we had about 8 channels on the TV. I always thought it helped calm them. I'm sure there were a few who wished they could scream at me to either "turn that garbage off or put on ANYTHING else!"
DeleteThe way the hospital staff cared for him was amazing!! I think our healthcare system is robbing patients of the care they receive in the U.S. There are so many responsibilities we have as nurses and they just keep adding more. When I worked on the floor, I tried to take extra time with my patients at bedside but nurse/patient ratio does not make that feasible.
DeleteI really enjoyed this movie. It definitely made me stop and think what a good life I have. The things I complain about are irrelevant and minuscule. That in a blink of an eye, it can all change. I can't imagine living with locked in syndrome, having a sound mind but unable to move or speak. How frustrating this must have been for him. I felt happy and sad at the same time, when Bauby and his 3 kids were on the beach. It was great to see "the mother of his children", bring the kids to see him and interact with him. I'm sure it was very hard for them to see their Dad like that. I felt sad for him on Sundays, because no one comes to visit and the hospital functions on a skeleton crew. He must have felt so alone in his condition, and looking forward to who was coming to see him whether it be family or healthcare workers probably gave him the strength and courage to keep going. I was amazed how he wrote a book by blinking his eye. That shows what determination truly is!
ReplyDeleteAnother part of the film that made me sad was when his "absent" girlfriend called and the mother of his children had to interpret the conversation. You could see the hurt that they all felt and I felt bad for the mother of his children.
DeleteAnother part of the film that made me sad was when his "absent" girlfriend called and the mother of his children had to interpret the conversation. You could see the hurt that they all felt and I felt bad for the mother of his children.
DeleteWhen you think about the dedication the mother of his children had to Bauby. She must have loved him deeply as well as her children to keep them connect to each other as much as she could. There are times when taking care of patients who don't seem to understand, that I find myself really trying to put myself in their place. To think about the strengths they may have, I like to think it keeps me humble and helps treat patients the way I want those I love to be cared for. I attribute my sister for this, her disability has taught me a great deal about humility.
DeleteI must admit, I was dreading watching this movie when I seen that the movie was in French and I would have to following the captions to understand it. What a great movie! It is, like so many of you have said, an example of how life can change so quickly. He was a successful man, husband, and father, however it was taken away in just that moment in his car. How sad it was to see his son riding along with him when it happened, the fear in his son was so emotional. The therapist that decided to take on this book writing was amazing! Her dedication, like many nurses to their passions, gave him a way out of his trapped body. It was difficult to watch him struggle inside his own body, thinking initially that everyone could hear him but actually it was his own thoughts. My favorite scene would probably be the beach scene with his children, it touches your heart to see the children's love for their father although he is unable to physically play with them. An amazing part of the story was the courage and strength of his ?ex-wife to be there for him, although he had many different relationships with other women. He translating to the girlfriend on the phone had to take unbelievable strength! I thought it was great that Bauby got to see his book published before he passed. Maybe it gave him a sense of accomplishment although he could not accomplish anything physical.
ReplyDeleteThe entire movie touches you in an emotional way. Everyone should recognize and appreciate what they have because it can end so suddenly.
I too was dreading this movie because of what you mentioned and I ended up enjoying it even though it was a very sad movie. As nurses we understand that something like this can happen to any of us at anytime, but like all other people we really never believe it can be "us".
DeleteIt was amazing for him to see his book published. His children were so young and now they have this great book to remember their father by.
I must admit, I was dreading watching this movie when I seen that the movie was in French and I would have to following the captions to understand it. What a great movie! It is, like so many of you have said, an example of how life can change so quickly. He was a successful man, husband, and father, however it was taken away in just that moment in his car. How sad it was to see his son riding along with him when it happened, the fear in his son was so emotional. The therapist that decided to take on this book writing was amazing! Her dedication, like many nurses to their passions, gave him a way out of his trapped body. It was difficult to watch him struggle inside his own body, thinking initially that everyone could hear him but actually it was his own thoughts. My favorite scene would probably be the beach scene with his children, it touches your heart to see the children's love for their father although he is unable to physically play with them. An amazing part of the story was the courage and strength of his ?ex-wife to be there for him, although he had many different relationships with other women. He translating to the girlfriend on the phone had to take unbelievable strength! I thought it was great that Bauby got to see his book published before he passed. Maybe it gave him a sense of accomplishment although he could not accomplish anything physical.
ReplyDeleteThe entire movie touches you in an emotional way. Everyone should recognize and appreciate what they have because it can end so suddenly.
I am with you regarding the mother of his children. I felt he needed a someone to have a come to Jesus talk with him though. It seems during this part of the movie that he had reverted back to his self centered ways. It was obvious that is was painful for her to translate. She had done so much for him and it seemed he still could not appreciate that.
DeleteI thought the movie was great! I had no idea that it was based on a true story until I started watching it. I feel that a had a connection with the movie because I have taken care of a patient with locked in syndrome. The patient was not able to communicate on the level that Jean-Do did, but he was able to blink for yes/no answers and he was able to slightly follow with his eyes. When his daughter would visit, he would cry...which was truly devastating to watch. In the film, I loved that Jean-Do did not give up and what he was able to accomplish was very impressive. I think the movie did a great job portraying how compassionate and hard working the health care professionals are!
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ReplyDeleteAlthough this was tough to watch, I found it sort of inspiring. I think the level of depression he felt initially is part of the normal grieving process. Over the years I have seen many patients grieve for their losses. The loss is subjective and personal for each patient. The tidbits of information we got about his life prior to his infarct made me think that although he was successful, he was down to earth and deeply connected to those he loved. His relationship with his son must have been wonderful. It was demonstrated by the easy conversation they enjoyed on the drive as well as his son's reaction to and interaction with Bauby after the brain stem injury. I think part of what made Bauby a successful editor contributed to his ability to work through the depression and work to get to a place that was good as he could be. In my opinion, the most heartbreaking part was when his father was talking to him. I believe they too had a strong bond and it must have been devastating for the both of them.
ReplyDeleteI have a sister who has MS. She is very intelligent and well educated. She was a social worker until the MS limited her ability to do her job. Six years ago she had an exasperation that left her a quadriplegic and barely able to talk. She has developed a sense of grace as well as humor to accept the care she needs to receive to survive. It seemed Bauby was on the road to acceptance.
Loved this movie! I have to be honest , I first looked at this and thought " what in the heck kind of boring, French movie am I being forced to watch now ?" But my goodness , after a while I forgot that I was even reading the subtitles. My absolute favorite part of the movie was the transition that Jean Do made from taking care of his father - in a sort of obligated duty kind of way, to accepting that he was now being cared for. The dedication of those who loved him was beautiful to see. The ex- whom he never treated well, the therapists who did not treat him as a patient, but as a friend. All very heartwarming to see. It was a beautiful metamorphosis to see someone who had absolutely nothing left- no dignity, no privacy , no true way to express emotion , who in fact, longed for death , change his attitude and continue to contribute to his children, and the literary world.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard we had to watch a movie with subtitles I was not looking forward to it. I have to say I enjoyed this movie shortly after it started though. I see stroke victims at work daily and in the ED I am I am concentrating on the immediate needs of that pt. I do not get to look past what happens after the emergency is over. This movie gave me that glimpse. I was able see the long term issues are after the diagnosis though a personal experience
ReplyDeleteI found it some what light hearted to see his reaction at times to his situation and hope that I would act the same if that happened to me, but believe that would not be the case. It saddened me to think of his children and the regrets he had regarding his life. As nurses I think we do have the benefit of knowing that life can change in a second and that it should be appreciated as a gift that can be taken at any moment.
My favorite scene was when he was driving with his son in the car at the end of the movie. I felt at that point he was really connecting with his son. The conversation was a little odd, but I think it reflected the relationship between father and son. I was sad to see that is when he had his stroke but that is I how I feel life is. Good times and bad. I also appreciated the way he shaved his father.The care that he took to make certain he looked presentable.
He seemed like a pretty self absorbed individual out side of those scenes. He was lucky to have such great healthcare and people around him that treated him well. I have the feeling if he had less of a deficit that he would have been more contrary and shown more self pity.