The Softer Side
Encyclopedia
"The Softer Side" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of House
. It aired on February 23, 2009.
; when he was born, it was found that half the cells in his body are male and the other half female. The parents decided to raise their child as male and lately began giving him testosterone
, disguised as "vitamins". After a variety of tests, nothing is found, but Jackson suffers fluid build-up in his pericardium and his palms turn red.
Meanwhile, Cuddy, Wilson, and the team are all puzzled when House appears to be in an especially good mood. He took the case from Cuddy without a fight, has done clinic duty without incident, and even indulged the parents' wishes of performing a pointless test. In the middle of the diagnosis, House is found apparently asleep, but the team discovers he is not breathing. Foreman resuscitates him by twisting his nipples, but House shrugs off the incident as an accidental vicodin
overdose.
A search of Jackson's room reveals a poem he wrote, which leads the team to believe that Jackson is depressed and suicidal. Thirteen, who has been sympathizing with Jackson, forces the parents to tell their son the truth about his genetic condition, which greatly upsets Jackson. While speaking with Jackson, however, Thirteen realizes her mistake when she learns that the poem was written as a school assignment.
After an apparent break-up which was an act to keep their jobs, Foreman and Thirteen realize Taub and Kutner know they are still together. However, they all find out that House, surprisingly, has failed to notice this. Foreman, along with Wilson, begins to suspect House has been high from heroin use. Wilson tests House by offering him a drink, but House defiantly finishes the drink. When Wilson confronts House, who is inducing himself to vomit out on the street, House confesses that he has been on methadone
and that the leg pain completely disappeared. Cuddy is nonetheless upset that House is taking a dangerous drug, but she is dismayed when House quits his job after being given a choice between his job and his medication.
When Jackson vomits blood, the diagnosis reaches systemic scleroderma, which is very difficult to treat. However, Thirteen notices that the treatment seems to be working too quickly. House returns when Cuddy agrees to provide methadone prescriptions, and solves the case. It is revealed that Jackson was dehydrated
when he collapsed, since his kidney function was impaired by the large amount of energy drink
s he had before the game. When House agreed to an MRI
upon the parents' request, the injected contrast
was not filtered out by the kidneys and damaged multiple tissues, causing all the symptoms. Jackson is to be cured with dialysis
, and he reconciles with his much-relieved parents.
In the end, Cuddy gives House his regular dose of methadone, but House refuses to take it. He insists that the lack of pain and his brighter mood interfered with him doing his job, but Cuddy accuses him of simply being afraid of change. House leaves his office with his cane after throwing the medicine in the garbage can.
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
. It aired on February 23, 2009.
Plot
A 13-year-old boy named Jackson collapses after playing in a basketball game. He is admitted to Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, mainly because of his genetic mosaicismMosaic (genetics)
In genetic medicine, a mosaic or mosaicism denotes the presence of two populations of cells with different genotypes in one individual who has developed from a single fertilized egg...
; when he was born, it was found that half the cells in his body are male and the other half female. The parents decided to raise their child as male and lately began giving him testosterone
Testosterone
Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group and is found in mammals, reptiles, birds, and other vertebrates. In mammals, testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females, although small amounts are also secreted by the adrenal glands...
, disguised as "vitamins". After a variety of tests, nothing is found, but Jackson suffers fluid build-up in his pericardium and his palms turn red.
Meanwhile, Cuddy, Wilson, and the team are all puzzled when House appears to be in an especially good mood. He took the case from Cuddy without a fight, has done clinic duty without incident, and even indulged the parents' wishes of performing a pointless test. In the middle of the diagnosis, House is found apparently asleep, but the team discovers he is not breathing. Foreman resuscitates him by twisting his nipples, but House shrugs off the incident as an accidental vicodin
Vicodin
Hydrocodone/paracetamol is a combination of two analgesic products hydrocodone and paracetamol used to relieve moderate to severe pain...
overdose.
A search of Jackson's room reveals a poem he wrote, which leads the team to believe that Jackson is depressed and suicidal. Thirteen, who has been sympathizing with Jackson, forces the parents to tell their son the truth about his genetic condition, which greatly upsets Jackson. While speaking with Jackson, however, Thirteen realizes her mistake when she learns that the poem was written as a school assignment.
After an apparent break-up which was an act to keep their jobs, Foreman and Thirteen realize Taub and Kutner know they are still together. However, they all find out that House, surprisingly, has failed to notice this. Foreman, along with Wilson, begins to suspect House has been high from heroin use. Wilson tests House by offering him a drink, but House defiantly finishes the drink. When Wilson confronts House, who is inducing himself to vomit out on the street, House confesses that he has been on methadone
Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937...
and that the leg pain completely disappeared. Cuddy is nonetheless upset that House is taking a dangerous drug, but she is dismayed when House quits his job after being given a choice between his job and his medication.
When Jackson vomits blood, the diagnosis reaches systemic scleroderma, which is very difficult to treat. However, Thirteen notices that the treatment seems to be working too quickly. House returns when Cuddy agrees to provide methadone prescriptions, and solves the case. It is revealed that Jackson was dehydrated
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
when he collapsed, since his kidney function was impaired by the large amount of energy drink
Energy drink
Energy drinks are beverages whose producers advertise that they "boost energy." These advertisements usually do not emphasize energy derived from the sugar and caffeine they contain but rather increased energy release due to a variety of stimulants and vitamins....
s he had before the game. When House agreed to an MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
upon the parents' request, the injected contrast
Contrast medium
A medical contrast medium is a substance used to enhance the contrast of structures or fluids within the body in medical imaging...
was not filtered out by the kidneys and damaged multiple tissues, causing all the symptoms. Jackson is to be cured with dialysis
Dialysis
In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
, and he reconciles with his much-relieved parents.
In the end, Cuddy gives House his regular dose of methadone, but House refuses to take it. He insists that the lack of pain and his brighter mood interfered with him doing his job, but Cuddy accuses him of simply being afraid of change. House leaves his office with his cane after throwing the medicine in the garbage can.
Music
- The song that plays while House is shaving for his interview is "$300" by Soul CoughingSoul CoughingSoul Coughing was a popular New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 1990s. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unusual cult...
, from the album El OsoEl OsoEl Oso , released in 1998 is the third and final album by the New York City band Soul Coughing. The disc is marked by a deep drum and bass influence...
.