Also known as: Water breaking early
Liza's water breaks approximately one week before her due date, requiring induction of labor. She experiences complications including fetal heart rate decelerations due to umbilical cord compression, requiring position changes and uterine relaxants.
Also known as: Heroin addiction
Liza has a history of heroin use during her first trimester and has been in recovery throughout her pregnancy. After delivery, she relapses and uses heroin while in the hospital, leading to DCFS involvement and placement of her newborn in foster care.
Also known as: Leg amputation
Rob suffers a complete hand amputation from a circular saw injury while working construction. Due to contamination, immediate replantation is not possible. He undergoes experimental ectopic banking surgery where his hand is temporarily attached to his leg to maintain blood flow until definitive reattachment can be performed.
Also known as: Kidney failure
Isaac has been on dialysis for five years due to end-stage renal disease and is awaiting a kidney transplant. He has gone through multiple fistulas and is running out of access sites for dialysis. He receives a transplant call but his surgery is delayed when further testing is required.
Also known as: Broken vertebra
Isaac sustains a compression fracture at L2 following a minor motor vehicle collision. The fracture appears to have lytic characteristics on imaging, raising concern for pathological fracture rather than simple traumatic injury.
Also known as: Blood cancer
Isaac is diagnosed with multiple myeloma after MRI reveals evidence of pathological fracture and blood tests (SPEP and UPEP) return positive. This diagnosis makes him ineligible for kidney transplant and requires biopsy confirmation, dramatically altering his prognosis from receiving a life-saving transplant to facing a potentially terminal cancer diagnosis.