Sunday, May 27, 2012

What I Learned While Watching TV

I recently read that Sarah Hyland had a kidney transplant. Not familiar with her? She's a 21-year-old actress on "Modern Family," one of my favorite TV shows, and has been battling kidney disease since she was nine years old. While those close to her obviously knew what she was going through, her health was not public knowledge.

Her father was a match (how cool!) and she had her transplant a few weeks ago.

I read several of her post-surgery interviews, and what I found most interesting was how she was able to work despite being completely exhausted from the disease. She talked about the tricks she used to conserve energy while on the set, and how she maximized her character's lazy teenager persona. All of that sitting around and texting that Haley (her character) does? Turns out that is strategic.

I watched a few episodes this week, paying particular attention to Haley's movements. And true enough, she is usually seen sitting down or leaning against something. It seems simple, really, but it's these little things that help her save energy and make it through filming.

I can learn a lot from Sarah/Haley. My job -- and the long commute it takes to get there and back -- takes a lot out of me. Most days I'm so fatigued that by the time I get home, I'm running on fumes. I make dinner and then crash -- only to have to get up and do it all over again. I've been working hard at managing my schedule, and while some adjustments have been easy -- like saying NO more often -- I still need to get better at pacing my day. The good news? I'm starting to figure out my own tricks for keeping myself rested and happy.

Who says you can't learn anything from watching TV?  

3 comments:

  1. I read about her case and wondered if the transplant "cures" her, or will the disease destroy the new kidney eventually as well. Glad you are learning tricks to help get by.

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  2. Hey Darcy, the winner of American Idol this year had a kidney surgeries during the competition (another thing I learned from TV). Also, Tracy Morgan from 30 Rock had a kidney transplant.

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  3. She had kidney dysplasia, which I believe means that the kidneys never properly formed during fetal development. I need to Google! So her new kidney could give her issues, but the dysplasia won't happen again.

    Good question, though. In my disease (IgA nephropathy) a transplanted kidney can still be susceptible to the disease.

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