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General Major 
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TITLE |
First Do No Harm (1997) (TV Film) |
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DISABILITY |
General
Epilepsy |
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NOTES |
Don't be
wooed by Streep's part in this, it is much like any TV film. |
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Streep's son
has epilepsy. |
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The story
sets up the family circle, onset of disease, the |
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medical
explanation, and trouble with medical insurance. |
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Medicine
causes boy to behave erratically so they change |
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from phenol
barbitone to diathonal (maybe wrong here since I |
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was
transcribing from dialogue). All this hiding the truth that
|
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he has
epilepsy, in fact idiopathic epilepsy, of uncertain |
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Along side
this medical bills lead to foreclosure on their |
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Multiple
seizures lead to retardation in the boy. Then he gets |
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Streep
blames the hospital and watches their every move. |
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An old
school friend with epilepsy who offered his help and |
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was rejected
is now turned to and Streep does her own |
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research.
Learns about the Ketogenic diet but her doctor |
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refutes her
opinion (one sympathises with the doctor). Streep |
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thinks a
little bit of reading and she knows better than the |
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doctors. She
takes her son out of the hospital without |
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permission
but is caught. Then she finds a doctor who "looks |
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beyond" the
limits of drugs and surgery. |
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There's a
friendly nurse who thinks the parents are right, she |
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even agrees
to go with them to Baltimore where the |
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Ketogenic
diet treatment is based. |
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Incredibly
biased film. There are phone numbers among the |
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rolling
credits for people who want to find more. One needs |
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just a
little bit of scepticism watching this film. This is |
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propaganda
and does not give the viewer enough information |
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to make up
one's mind. And is charity work for Streep. |
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Notes
FAQ on Ketogenic diet |
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