If you are an avid watcher of Grey's Anatomy and have yet to watch this week's season premiere...spoiler alert!!! One of the main characters, Arizona Robbins, became an amputee as a result of a plane crash that ended the last season. I do not know if it is one of those situations where I am noticing things more because I am aware of them, or it just happens to be a thing where amputees and prosthetics are breaking into being a mainstream topic lately.
I think it is so neat to see something that is very near and dear to me, and really unknown to most people, become a storyline of one of the most popular shows on TV. I know the writers and producers of Grey's Anatomy are working with amputees and the amputee community to do the best they can to accurately portray all of the struggles and emotions that go into living with an amputation.
This is the clip from the show on Thursday night when Arizona reveals that she had her leg removed...
http://youtu.be/sTzszKNZIgQ
I think it is such a true portrayal of how anyone would feel in that situation, much less a very successful doctor who's own partner was the one who amputated her leg in surgery.
I am really interested to see where this storyline goes and how it is all going to play out this season. I want to know when she will start walking, how they will show her therapy and rehab. I want to know what kind of leg she is going to end up wearing. I just really hope they give the matter a good amount if attention and the millions of people who watch the show can gain a new perspective on this world and see not only the struggles, but the triumphs and the endurance and perseverance as well.
Thursday night will definitely be appointment television watching for me this season!
I agree with you! I was so proud of Shonda for being brave enough to take this path, and being so real about it.
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of people within the fanbase who didn't want it to happen, and why I get their viewpoint, I couldn't really imagine any other outcome considering their situation... 1+ week in the woods, Arizona with an open Femur fracture and compromised blood supply.
Her wife may be an ortho god, but sometimes even the most masterfully skilled surgeon can't save limbs, or what they do "save" is useless in the context of an active lifestyle.
These are decisions being made everyday by families and surgeons alike... save it and end up with a severely compromised quality of life... or lose it, and be forced to adapt in exchange for a return to as much normalcy as possible.
I am not an amputee myself, but have a disability which has required a lot of time with an orthotist, and through the years I've become incredibly aware of prosthetic developments, and the struggles that amputees face.
I appreciated the "this is a decision we did for the best possible outcome" aspect of it within the storyline over the premiere and from the promo, the second episode.
There are people saying that the show jumped the shark by taking this path... but I don't agree. I think that is societies general lack of exposure to disabled people, and lack of perspective on how full their lives can be after an injury like this... which is something that needs to be addressed by having MORE situations like this on TV.
I think, as I said before it brings an incredible new level of realism to the show. This is not quite like Dr. Romano getting whacked by a tail rotor and losing his arm, or Dr. Barnett stepping out into the street becoming a double amputee... those incidences were handled differently.
Arizona's life is not over. She will have to adapt, sure but she still is only as limited as her mind allows her to be. There is no reason she cannot return to work as a Dr, and may well find other passions... perhaps children with amputations or disabilities. I think this experience will give her perspective and make her a better doctor among other things.
As Capshaw mentioned in a recent interview, there is an entirely new level of potential development for the character with this story line... on many many levels... if they write it correctly... and I hope they will make it a big issue... not only in the context of how she deals emotionally, but in terms of how she rehabs, and what equipment she uses and why. I.E. sometimes it takes a while to find the right equipment, sometimes you can't use a prosthetic, or it's not the most functional way to exist until you find one that works for you.. and in the meantime you have to be on forearm crutches, and sometimes you need different equipment for different things... or whatever.
I have always loved Callie and Arizona, and the fact that they turned one half of the best couples on the show into a potential advocate for the disabled community, especially as a role model who has incredible ambition...and as a platform to educate the public... is outstanding, and I can't wait to see how this goes.
I just hope they don't sweep it under the rug...she should be proud that she made it through the plane crash, no matter how dark the situation seems at the moment.