# House 5/17 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345 "2005-05-18T01:51:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/21 "2005-05-18T18:03:45Z")
So if House were to have his leg amputated now, would his pain go away? Is his pain just in his leg? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/22 "2005-05-18T19:11:30Z")
Yep. He’s got dead-or-dying muscle tissue in his leg that keeps breaking and tearing, and it’s probably never going to heal because they took out too much muscle and he keeps walking on it. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/23 "2005-05-18T20:28:50Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > What’s strange about that (to me, anyway) was in a recent issue of _Entertainment Weekly_, Lisa Edelstein (Dr. Cuddy) said that in the character background that SHE created (as a part of getting into character) was that Cuddy and House had a former sexual relationship. Still very possible. And I thought it was obvious they had a relationship, perhaps more than just sexual. C’mon–watch them! She’s SO in love with him and he with her, in his fashion. Cameron doesn’t stand a chance, even with the new, wavy hairdo. As much as he hates it House needs someone willing to make the tough decisions for him, like Stacey did. He knew perfectly well that Stacey would “choose life” for him ten seconds after he lost consciousness but he asked for the induced coma, anyway, saving himself from making a decision in which he’d look like something other than the hard-ass he fancies himself to be. Like Cameron said last week, they are both damaged and he doesn’t need another damaged person in his life. He’s damaged enough for two. Anyway, Cuddy is closer to his age and they have more in common. AND she’s a Hot Jewish Chick with no aprehensions about hangin’ her nam-nams out for all to admire and who could ask for more? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/24 "2005-05-18T20:40:35Z")
Cuddy said back in the first Volger episode that she and House had a thing of sorts a long time ago. If she had just been his doctor when his leg went south, she would have said just that it was a doctor-patient relationship, rather than admitting to some level of romantic involvement. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/25 "2005-05-18T21:00:36Z")
That was pretty great. When House was digging around in the drawer and sniffed the “World’s Greatest Dad” mug, I thought the absent lecturer was an alcoholic. Then he spit the water out, and I figured it was some kind of contaminant in the pipes. “Who lets their kids play with lead paint?” Heh heh. I loved the way they fiddled with the cut-out patients in the scenarios. Farmer Bob on the volleyball team, Carmen Electra as the farmer to give House the opportunity to leer at her, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/26 "2005-05-18T21:11:12Z")
**Larry Mudd.** here’s what’s so great about that scene: House was talking about the drug seeking addict and how, “drug addicts get sick more often than non-drug addicts.” A light goes off in House’s brain and he starts rooting around in the sick lecturer’s desk (whose been absent five times this year) for incriminating evidence, stumbles on the mug, rules out alcohol after he sniffs it, the comes up with the lead diagnoses after drinking out of it. Meanwhile he’s juggling the conversational threads of these other three clinic cases, quizzing the med students and his ex-wive’s return. Wish the hell I could multitask like that. ---
**Author:** ![YPOD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e99b99/32.png) [@YPOD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YPOD)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/27 "2005-05-18T21:48:01Z")
Well, I sort of wonder if House was mistreated. After all, he specifically said to knock him out for two days so he would get over the worse of it. As soon as he is out, his wife, knowing his intentions, says change the treatment? And the doctor goes along? That does not seem right to me. Maybe if his condition changed suddenly, or there was a problem after the two days I could see changing the treatement. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/28 "2005-05-18T21:53:45Z")
Were they actually married? I got the idea that, when Stacy mentioned “by proxy,” that they may have been engaged, but not married. Did I miss something where it stated that they were married? ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/29 "2005-05-19T01:38:01Z")
I thought it meant she was the person named on his health care power of attorney, and thus empowered to make medical decisions for him if he was incompetent to do so (as in unconscious.) ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/30 "2005-05-19T02:57:06Z")
Right. But wouldn’t she be the default if they were married, without having to specify that she was his by-proxy? I mean, like with Terri Shiavo a while back. Her husband became the automatic POA when they married. That’s why I didn’t think that House and Stacy married. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@shadowfax33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shadowfax33)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/31 "2005-05-20T03:41:48Z")
I’m coming _very_ late to this discussion, but I just watched the show after TiVo-ing it on Tuesday. I wonder if someone could answer a question for me, and it is one that may have been answered in a previous episode that I didn’t see: Is House currently addicted to painkillers? He seems to be, and I don’t know if it has been referenced on the show. I found it amusing that he popped some pills while discussing drug addicts with the class. If he is now addicted to painkillers it is unfortunate but understandable. But the story on this ep. seemed to portray him as a drug addict \*prior \* to the problems with his leg; that is, if we’re assuming that the original assumption of the doctor treating him was correct. So…was House a drug addict before the aneurism? Or was he merely taking matters into his own hands in the emergency room by grabbing the syringe and injecting himself, leading the attending physician(s) to conclude that he was a drug-seeking junkie? This episode has totally hooked me. It was, IMHO, one of the most brilliant things I’ve ever seen on a regular TV series–really unique. Guess I’ll get to catch up during summer reruns. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/32 "2005-05-20T04:16:25Z")
> [@shadowfax33](#): > > I’m coming _very_ late to this discussion, but I just watched the show after TiVo-ing it on Tuesday. I wonder if someone could answer a question for me, and it is one that may have been answered in a previous episode that I didn’t see: > > Is House currently addicted to painkillers? He seems to be, and I don’t know if it has been referenced on the show. I found it amusing that he popped some pills while discussing drug addicts with the class. > > If he is now addicted to painkillers it is unfortunate but understandable. But the story on this ep. seemed to portray him as a drug addict \*prior \* to the problems with his leg; that is, if we’re assuming that the original assumption of the doctor treating him was correct. So…was House a drug addict before the aneurism? Or was he merely taking matters into his own hands in the emergency room by grabbing the syringe and injecting himself, leading the attending physician(s) to conclude that he was a drug-seeking junkie? > > This episode has totally hooked me. It was, IMHO, one of the most brilliant things I’ve ever seen on a regular TV series–really unique. Guess I’ll get to catch up during summer reruns. House IS addicted to painkillers, however the drug addict wasn’t him, IMO. I believe he said that the drug addict was misdiagnosed by the doctors and died 3 days later and then House switched to his own story where he didn’t tell the doctors about his injury until 3 days of misdiagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/33 "2005-05-20T04:27:31Z")
I got the impression that the doctors who initially treated House thought he was a drug addict. He seemed to admit to it that as well. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/34 "2005-05-20T08:34:24Z")
I had that impression too. When he was about to go into cardiac arrest he self-prescribed and demanded that the nurse give him an injection. (What was it? Calcium channel blockers? Sounds right, l think.) When she expressed her reluctance, he said, “Come on, it’s not going to give me a buzz.” Seemed like there was already some expectation that he was going to be trying to wheedle medication out of people. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/35 "2005-05-20T12:12:34Z")
Although the show itself seems to misuse the terms, House wouldn’t be allowed to practice if he were an addict. He is dependent on pain-killers, but not an addict. To be considered an addict, his use of pain killers has to be inappropriate (not needed for pain), and he has to do things that cause legal, social, or occupations consequences (stealing, writing illegal prescriptions, etc). ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/36 "2005-05-20T12:59:11Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > I loved how House had written “NOT THIS LEG EITHER” to go along with “NOT THIS LEG” on the other leg. That’s determination! > > I think it would be cool if House had to teach that class occasionally. It would be a nice change of pace. I totally agree on both these notes. House is a good show, and it has to be careful not to be too formulaic, but I think the acting is excellent and the drama they’re building up is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/37 "2005-05-20T14:24:00Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > To be considered an addict … he has to do things that cause legal, social, or occupations consequences (stealing, **writing illegal prescriptions** , etc). And, like many doctors before him, he sidesteps THAT one by prescribing for himself. There seems to be an “understanding” between House, the pharmacist, and, I presume, Cuddy about his regular and easy restocking. [hijack] There was an ad a few years back intending to show that drug addicts are not always junkies mugging people for a fix. In it a man in a business suit got on an elevator while the narrator listed all the things he was taking. My wife piped in, “So stay out of his way because he’s late for surgery!” [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/38 "2005-05-20T16:33:16Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > He is dependent on pain-killers, but not an addict. To be considered an addict, his use of pain killers has to be inappropriate (not needed for pain), and he has to do things that cause legal, social, or occupations consequences (stealing, writing illegal prescriptions, etc). :dubious: I’ve never heard the definition of the word qualified that way before. Every dictionary I’ve checked agrees with the usual definition of the word, which is “someone who is physiologically dependent on a substance and experiences withdrawal symptoms if the substance is withheld.” _Dorland’s Medical Dictionary_ defines “addict” as “a person who cannot resist a habit, especially the use of drugs or alcohol, for physiological or psychological reasons.” House is _clearly_ an addict. When he stops taking the Vicodin, the pain isn’t his primary problem – it’s the withdrawal. I’m curious, though, where did you pick up this unusually narrow definition of “addict?” ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/39 "2005-05-20T21:10:18Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > House is already pretty good, but if they broke from formula like this in every episode, this would be the best thing on TV by far. Hope this is a sign of things to come. Um, huh? Isn’t a formula baseline a good thing for a TV show to maintain in, say, half the episodes? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345/40 "2005-05-20T21:18:33Z")
> [@shadowfax33](#): > > If he is now addicted to painkillers it is unfortunate but understandable. But the story on this ep. seemed to portray him as a drug addict \*prior \* to the problems with his leg; that is, if we’re assuming that the original assumption of the doctor treating him was correct. So…was House a drug addict before the aneurism? Or was he merely taking matters into his own hands in the emergency room by grabbing the syringe and injecting himself, leading the attending physician(s) to conclude that he was a drug-seeking junkie? I think the latter. House has the sort of personality to rip a syringe out of someone’s hand & inject himself. (This _is_ a guy who once casually tasted vomit to make a diagnosis.) This was misconstrued as drug-seeking behavior, which slowed his diagnosis, which then worsened his case to the point that he is now ironically stuck with a chemical dependency that’s increasing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-5-17/304345.md?page=3)