Summary
Lenox Hill episode 8, “Full Circle” shows emotional, long labor that highlights the circle of life — the series ends showing death and new life.
This recap of Netflix documentary series Lenox Hill episode 8, “Full Circle” contains episode-specific information.
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How does Lenox Hill episode 8, “Full Circle” open?
Episode 8 begins with Amanda’s family visiting to see Amanda before her labour; she asks her family to rest before it gets to the crucial point. The next day Kevin arrives and they are going to actively bring on more contractions. Amanda has chosen to do an unmedicated delivery. During the difficult contractions, Amanda asks for an epidural. Eventually, she’s fully dilated. The baby comes out and needs oxygen but eventually, the newborn girl cries. Amanda looks out at New York City with her baby and thinks it is beautiful but accepts that she will need to return to California.
Lenox Hill episode 8, “Full Circle” shows emotional, long labor that highlights the circle of life — the series ends showing death and new life.
Extra capacity.
David holds a meeting with the team; he explains how it isn’t incentivized per case but the value derives from being successful as a team. They require more space and extra resources. It’s clear David is passionate about having the ability to serve patients effectively — you can tell he is battling with bureaucracy and wants a solution quickly.
Exponential growth
Chris’s partner wonders if the last tumor is still there. John attends a group to collate some professional opinions as he believes it is congestion. David brings up that Chris is a long term survivor so it’s hard to predict how a tumor is going to behave, so if the patient looks good, trust the patient. John states it’s unfathomable the courage the family has and the optimism.
John operates on Chris again and he shows his students the swollen brain and he finds a massive explosion of a resistant tumor which is not good for Chris — it’s a massive glioblastoma. He is determined to think of a solution for Chris. David looks at it and this tumor has grown exponentially from a single cell within two months.
Just heartbreaking
John goes to talk to Chris’s wife and reveals it was all tumor. It was the size of a lemon in 2 months. Chris has gone through every type of glioblastoma treatment. John narrates saying if he had to pause and reflect, he’d cry every time. John sees that Chris’s tumor has exploded completely and it’s covered all over his brain. He rings Chris’s partner and delivers the bad news. Chris can barely lift his head and it’s over. The family tells John that they are appreciative of everything he has done. Lenox Hill episode 8, “Full Circle” documents a hard moment to take; it’s difficult to watch and hear the heartbreak — there was so much fighting from Chris, his wife, and his family and this was genuinely tragic. We see John break into tears — this one has taken a toll.
Mitch is back in action
David treats a patient called Phil who had a bad accident on the beach — David was there and needs spinal surgery with Mitch assisting.
Pride
In the ER, Mirtha is dealing with a patient from the Pride celebrations whose jaw is out of place so they need to sedate him. They manage to align it. After helping the patient she briefly celebrates with the Pride crowds outside. David narrates that he hopes that when everyone looks back at “all of this” they are recognized for what they did. As the series ends, Chris passes away surrounded by his loved ones.
Mentions
Mirtha Macri, DO — Emergency Medicine
Amanda Little-Richardson, MD — Chief Resident, Obstetrics and Gynecology
David Langer, MD — Chair, Neurosurgery
John Boockvar, MD — Vice Chair, Neurosurgery
Rafael Ortiz, MD — Chief of Neuroendovascular Neurosurgery
Sherese Fralin, NP — Director of Advanced Practice Nursing
Eran Bornstein, MD — Vice Chair of Obstetrics
Mitchell Levine, MD — Director of Spine Surgery
Jill Kalman, MD — Executive Director, Lenox Hill Hospital
Nancy Lipsitz, MD — Anesthesiology
Amanda Amarin, Manager — External, Relations, Neurosciences
Kenneth Court, Director of IT — Neurosurgery
Griffin Baum, MD — Neurosurgeon
