Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez once said,
"No medicine cures what happiness cannot."
Hello and welcome to<i> Case Closed.</i>
Happiness isn't sold in pharmacies.
It's not that simple.
Let's see how this quote relates to our first case.
Bring out the litigants, please.
I can't let her turn into Mary Magdalene
when she's always been a saint.
If it's an illness, then I welcome being sick.
I finally feel fulfilled.
Hello and welcome.
Hello.
Vanessa, you're suing your mother, right?
Unfortunately, I am.
Tell me why you're suing your mother Juana
and what you demand in order to settle this case.
I'm suing my mother to ensure her wellbeing.
I ask that she undergo treatment
because she suffers from Cupid's disease.
I also ask be named her guardian
so that I may have control of her finances.
You think you'll get to control my money, but you won't.
It's my money.
Well, let's start by deciphering a few things.
Do you live with your mother?
Yes.
You live with your mother. Your age?
23.
23 years old.
Your mother is young.
She looks healthy. How old are you?
-45. -Excellent!
Understood. This is important.
She's asking for control of your finances.
Tell me the facts of the case.
You mentioned Cupid's disease, but I don't know what it is.
Please explain.
I'm sure it sounds strange to you.
The same thing happened to me at first.
I'll tell you what happened.
I come from a close-knit family.
It's always been my dad, my mom and me.
My mother has always been very conservative and a role model.
She taught me importance of stability and to be respectful.
A few months ago my mother's personality changed.
She stopped being conservative
and became uninhibited in every sense of the word.
She changed how she dressed, the places she frequented...
She wasn't going out to dinner.
She was going out to party like any other young adult.
She shows up home drunk at 6:00 AM with complete strangers.
The last straw came when...
We're not wealthy by any means.
We saved money so I could go to school and so we could travel.
My mother took the savings we had at home,
but she didn't invest them.
No, she used the money to gamble,
play the lottery...
It's my money. I worked hard to save it.
She claims she's investing it,
but she's actually squandering it.
She drinks.
I have evidence of it all.
I think it'll say more than a thousand words.
Come closer. Hand over the evidence.
Now, I have a problem with your suit.
This is something her husband should be doing.
Her husband and partner would come here to complain.
"Ma'am, my wife has changed.
She's squandering our money."
However, you're the one suing her.
Where is your father? Why isn't he here?
Sadly, we're no longer a family.
My parents divorced because of my mother's behavior.
My dad left my mother.
You know why!
Your father left your mother?
He did.
So they're divorced.
They are.
The money you're referring to is her money.
It doesn't belong to the family.
I worked hard for that money.
I'm going to review the evidence you handed over.
She withdrew $8,000 and went to the casino.
That's great.
Then she withdrew $1,000 and went to the casino.
She spent $1,400 at a liquor store.
All within a month.
You also handed in a medical report.
It says that Juana has been diagnosed with neurosyphilis.
"This is the result of the syphilis bacteria
making it's way to the brain.
The patient exhibits behavioral disorders.
Her libido has increased and she's uninhibited.
The patient has refused treatment.
She's been made aware of the severe health risks she faces
if she goes on without it."
That's right. That's why I'm here.
I had to deal with all of this on my own
because my dad was out of the picture.
He left because she was inconsiderate...
Did you know your mother had suffered from syphilis?
No! Never!
That's how I found out.
When I realized my mother was obviously unwell,
I tried to figure out what was happening.
I went through her things and I discovered her diagnosis.
I didn't know what neurosyphilis was either.
I did some research and confronted her.
I discovered that my father suffered from syphilis
and she contracted it.
They then decided to undergo treatment.
My mother is allergic to the only known cure,
which is penicillin.
They tried to treat her with other things,
but nothing really worked.
Now, 20 years later,
her neurological capabilities are being affected.
That's why it's called neurosyphilis.
It attacks the brain.
It's like a drug.
The brain destroys its neurons
and it diminishes your ability to care for yourself.
It has a similar effect to that of drugs.
You feel excited and euphoric, but it's not real.
You're actually very sick. That's why I'm here.
It probably sounds weird because you'd think
she'd be more mature since she's 45 and I'm 23.
No, that's not true.
Good judgment and a good argument
shouldn't be ignored because of your age.
I think a child could have more common sense than an adult.
-I'm glad. -That's not the point here.
I just wanted to understand what was going on.
You're worried because she refuses to be treated
and because that could lead to something serious.
Absolutely.
There's also the fact
that you believe she's squandering her money.
-Absolutely. -That's why you're worried.
You demand two things.
You want her to treat her neurosyphilis
and to be in control of her finances until she's better.
Yes.
-That's all I want. -I understand your suit.
Very well. Juana, how do you respond?
Well, I can say that I'm very happy.
I feel like a new woman.
20 years go... When you were two, Vanessa.
I was diagnosed then.
I was heartbroken.
My husband infected me with that disease.
That means a lot.
It does.
I know of one thing it could mean.
-Maybe he was unfaithful. -Exactly.
It's a sexually transmitted disease.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease.
I was devastated by the news.
I wanted to protect our home and Vanessa, so I kept quiet.
I kept quiet for years.
I kept that secret
and I stayed married to her father for many years.
But I reached my limit.
-I was sick of... -It was out of love.
No, I was focusing on others instead of myself.
I realized that I'd never focused on myself.
I was always looking after my family, my daughter.
So I asked myself,
"When are you going to look after yourself?"
And of course, a change took place.
When did the change start?
About two years ago.
I wanted to enjoy life.
Things got dicey about a month ago.
I was happy when I started going out with my ex,
but then I wasn't.
He never slept with me again. He was extremely boring.
It was awful!
Being with him was awful. My life lacked color.
That all changed two years ago.
Did you realize your life was boring before that?
No, no.
-You thought that was that? -Yes.
Two years ago everything changed.
I wanted to go out, but he didn't want to.
I wanted to go out for drinks...
Go out with whom? My friends?
I'd go out with friends.
Tell her their ages!
Hold on. Let's take a short break.
When we return, you can tell me about your friends,
what you do with them,
and what is making you so happy that you're refusing treatment.
There's something else I'd like to know.
I want to know the consequences of refusing treatment
and how the disease will progress.
You feel happy right now, but you're 45.
I wouldn't want you to be very ill when you turn 60.
That's what I'm worried about. You're still young.
We'll discuss that when we return.atment?
When you become a go-go dancer?
I decided to refuse treatment.
I'm a smart woman and I know what's happening to me.
I knew there was something different about me,
so I decided to visit the doctor.
I told the doctor my symptoms.
I underwent some tests and I was diagnosed.
I turned the page right then and there
and live my life.
I refused to undergo treatment. I wanted to be happy.
Vanessa doesn't have to decide over my life
and she can't decide over my money.
She wants to control my life, but I won't put up with it.
I'm not hurting anyone. I'm living my life.
You're hurting the people around you.
Bring out the witnesses.
Why is this hurting you? What's bothering you?
Tell me, I'd like to know.
It bothers me that the woman who raised me,
taught me the values I hold dear,
the woman who made me Vanessa, is gone.
She's my mother!
My mother may be well now and she may feel happy,
but she's like a coke addict.
She feels happy for a while,
but she doesn't realize her brain is dying.
I love her! I'm suing her out of love!
She sees me as enemy number one right now, and that's okay.
If I win this suit, it's for her sake.
Who came here as the defendant's witness?
I did.
Your name?
Alberto.
What do you have to say, Alberto?
We both suffer from the same disease.
I've been living with it for a long time.
It's made me the life of the party.
-Really? -Basically.
I enjoy life.
I spend everything I earn. I work to earn what I spend.
What a great role model.
Well, you're more than welcome to join us.
-Nope. -Feel free.
You must suffer from negative consequences too, Alberto.
Yes. It's a disease.
There's a positive side to it. You feel alive and happy.
What's the downside?
Well, you lose some sensitivity,
you can't feel certain parts of your body.
I forget I have an arm.
-You forget you have an arm? -I don't use it.
I can't move it.
It atrophies because you don't move it.
Yes, that's right.
And you're still unwilling to seek help, Alberto?
What for?
I'm fine.
Ma'am, I'm...
Happiness is the big issue here.
How can we achieve it without killing ourselves?
They're killing themselves while in search of happiness.
Your name?
My name is Pablo.
Are you're here to support the plaintiff?
Yes, I am.
Vanessa is my girlfriend.
I'd like to tell you how bad things have gotten.
We've been dating for two years.
I'd visit her house often and we were very happy.
Ma'am, about four months ago everything went to hell.
Why?
She's out when I show up to pick her up.
Then I run into this woman right here.
The worst part is that she's always throwing herself at me.
She says she wants to sleep with me
and that Vanessa won't figure it out.
"Let's do it here, there..." I feel helpless!
I want this woman to...
You know you like it.
She needs medical attention! This woman is crazy!
Is it true?
He wants it, too.
-He does? -Yes, he does.
He's just putting on an act.
That's what you think, Mom.
He wants it, too. He flirts with me, too.
We have to meet elsewhere.
Bring out Dr. Irizarry and Dr. Hernandez, please.
Okay.
Hello.
-Hello. -Hello.
Dr. Irizarry, please enlighten us
with regards to neurosyphilis.
How does this happen?
What are the consequences of not seeking treatment?
Neurosyphilis is a sexually transmitted disease.
It's the latent phase of syphilis.
Syphilis starts out as a chancre in the genital region
and it spreads everywhere.
Then it disappears.
In some cases, it goes away on its own.
But in 15-20% of cases it manifests itself in the heart
or in the central nervous system.
That is the case here.
Is that why it's called neurosyphilis?
Because it's in the brain?
Yes, or in the spinal cord.
These patients will suffer from damage that it's irreversible.
In some cases, they'll suffer from aneurysms.
It'll attack some organs until it kills the patient.
It's no longer contagious
since it's in the central nervous system.
However, it'll progress and her condition will worsen.
Now, it is strange for a patient to develop
the symptoms she describes.
Most patients tend to suffer from paralysis, paraesthesia,
they lose all sensation in...
He says that he's happy even though he can't feel his arm.
He does, but...
I am happy!
Although is strange for a patient
to develop such changes in behavior,
it could happen in cases
where the disease has progressed considerably.
Now, this can be treated with antibiotics.
If you're allergic to penicillin,
there are other antibiotics that can be used.
The patient can be treated,
but their symptoms will not disappear.
Does that mean that the joy she feels won't disappear?
She might mellow out,
but if her joy is the result of the disease, then it'll remain.
It's permanent.
It is.
She could receive treatment and remain happy.
Quite possibly.
That's great!
Did you hear that?
Let's discuss that topic.
Why are we willing to hurt ourselves
while in search for happiness?
Believe it or not,
we're designed to search for that feeling
through neurotransmitters.
That's what she's feeling right now.
Every times she behaves in a certain way,
she feels how these chemicals reinforce her behavior.
These chemicals are massed produced in the brain.
What she's feeling is the result of the chemical mixture.
That's why she feels euphoric and happy.
Someone needs to bottle that and sell it.
People are...
I mean...
People are willing to do anything to feel that way.
There are many ways to do this in a healthy way.
For instance, practicing sports.
You can do various activities
that will provide the same feeling,
but in a healthier way.
These wouldn't have
the negative consequences she's experiencing.
If you like doing sports, going to the gym...
If you don't like doing that...
They'd rather turn to sex and other things, Doctor.
The activities you mentioned provide the same effect
and they obviously won't hurt her.
Dr. Irizarry provided me with ray of hope, though.
He says that the damage you've already sustained,
which in your case has been positive,
won't disappear.
Yes.
It won't disappear.
Well, I'd like to ask you to please find...
Please visit a doctor
and take the antibiotics you're supposed to take.
I know you're allergic to penicillin,
but there are others.
I'll allow you to continue managing your money
because I don't think you've squandered that much.
I don't think you've squandered any of it.
I think you used that money to have fun!
Congratulations! That's what money is for.
You're not spending all of it.
However, I will ask you to take the correct antibiotic
in order to control your neurosyphilis.
You can't risk your health.
Are you going to do as I ask?
I'll ask for a second opinion.
It won't be any different.
You can if you'd like,
but you need to take antibiotics
in order to improve your condition.
I won't let you decide over her finances,
but I will have her undergo treatment.
If she refuses to be treated,
then you may return because she'd be in contempt of court.
She's required to seek medical help.
She has to follow that order
because by coming here she agreed to follow my ruling.
I'm not giving you control of her finances
because I don't think she's spent that much money.
Nor do I think she's been acting crazy.
However, it is imperative that she seeks medical help.
In regards to that, I rule in your favor.
It's final. Case closed!
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