Also known as: Severe eating disorder
A young woman with severe, chronic anorexia of 15+ years presents with hypothermia, extremely low BMI (11), and multiple organ complications. Despite attempts at intervention including feeding tube placement, she ultimately exercises her legal right to refuse treatment and dies.
Also known as: Kidney cancer
A stand-up comic presents with what she thought was back pain but is diagnosed with kidney cancer that has extended through the vena cava into her heart and metastasized to her leg bone. She undergoes complex surgery requiring multiple specialists and faces insurance/financial challenges.
Also known as: Copper accumulation disorder
A culinary school student presents with severe agitation and manic symptoms initially thought to be bipolar disorder. Eventually diagnosed with Wilson's disease (genetic copper accumulation disorder) identified by Kayser-Fleischer rings in her eyes, likely accelerated by use of copper cookware. She suffers cardiac arrest and dies.
Also known as: VRE, super bug
A vacationer develops severe throat and ankle infections progressing to septic shock. Initially misdiagnosed as strep and staph, ultimately found to be VRE (nosocomial superbug) transmitted by his girlfriend Hannah who has been an asymptomatic carrier for 10 years since her pneumonia hospitalization.
Tommy's girlfriend is discovered to be an asymptomatic carrier of VRE since her pneumonia hospitalization 10 years ago. She transmitted the bacteria to Tommy during their relationship. She is told she will remain colonized forever and decides to end the relationship to protect him.
Also known as: Cancer spread to bone
After successful removal of Asterid's kidney cancer, she develops leg pain and is found to have metastatic disease to her tibia that occurred months prior but was masked by her back pain.