Cancer? And trying to get pregnant? She's living on her own and then seems to move in with Juliet?
What is her deal? Why does she want a baby so badly (vs. just trying to get herself healthy)?
And why is Juliet helping to try to get pregnant, when clearly she needs to get healthy?
Juliet seems to realize (at least this is how I read it) that her sister will die trying to have this baby.
So what is the point?
And is she injecting the same stuff into her sister that she injecting into male field mice? Why? What is the connection between a woman with cancer and a male field mouse?

I don't know if Juliet thought her sister would die trying to have the baby...I think the baby was a way to hope for the future...some real reason for her to believe her sister WOULDN'T die.

I want to know why the treatment was so radical? What was it and why did Edmund care so much?

Something about the look on Juliet's face made me think she realized that her sister would die trying to have the baby--coupled with the fact that she says to Alpert in the "interview" that none of the male field mice carried the babies to term. I thought that was foreshadowing.
I think if we are so lucky to have another Juliet FB in the future, we will find out if her sister had the baby and/or lived.
Although... how long after these events did she go off to "Mittelos Bioscience"? Did she abandon her pregnant, sick sister??

Yeah, looked like cancer to me as well. I don't know... Some women truly want to have a baby that badly. I certainly can't question that - it would be a personal choice.

I wonder if she volunteered because she did want a baby that badly AND also wanted to help her sister with her experiment - kinda like if it didn't work - oh well. Most times when women get cancer while pregnant or discover it when they are pregnant usually you can't treat the cancer and keep the baby.

But a Pregnant Male FieldMouse!!! If it worked in a male human - that means ANYBODY could "grow" a baby! Male or female... Think of the choices that would give!

Clearly they are setting this up for a future flashback. This was just an introduction to Juliet's background. I agree that she didn't expect her experiment to work, but she wanted to give her sister a shot at happiness if she was dying. She wanted to offer her something to live for that might help her struggle. I don't think she really believed she would carry the pregnancy to term, but she wanted to make her happy by becoming pregnant. It has to be this way otherwise my first thought was that it was irresponsible of her to help her sister bring a baby into the world that if it survived would likely be orphaned. I don't think Juliet had the confidence in her own skills to expect it to work. She just wanted to give her sister her dying wish.

I think she was happy for her sister, but knows it is a highly risky pregnancy. I think she goes to "Portland" thinking she will be able to visit Rachel and such, and is unpleasantly surprised otherwise. She might not even know now if Rachel is alive.

Also, what exactly was Juliet injecting? There didn't seem to be a man involved... This could also be a clue to Sun's baby's paternity... :shrug:

I think Juliet sister was working for that science company, remember Ethan walked out of her apartment just before Juliet got there. They probably told Juliet's sister to be a guinea pig, that's also how they knew Juliet was successful and her sister was impregnated.

It's interesting . . . and yes, I started a thread on the Biblical Rachel, but in light of what PaceJunkie is writing, it's interesting to note that the Biblical Rachel died in childbirth, delivering a baby breech. As an astute poster noted, one of the children was named Joseph, the other Benjamin . . .

This show kills me. :)

Laura, I've recently been looking up things about this myself (cancer and fertility) and found that chemo treatments can push a woman into premature ovarian failure. Right now the only ways they can try to preserve it is to either freeze a portion of the ovarian tissue or to freeze fertilized embryos in the hopes that they can be used in an IVF cycle once the woman is cured. So I don't know if the male field mouse has as much of a correlation with the cancer issue as it does that she could get something/someone pregnant that had little/no chance of doing so.

Clearly they are setting this up for a future flashback. This was just an introduction to Juliet's background. I agree that she didn't expect her experiment to work, but she wanted to give her sister a shot at happiness if she was dying. She wanted to offer her something to live for that might help her struggle. I don't think she really believed she would carry the pregnancy to term, but she wanted to make her happy by becoming pregnant. It has to be this way otherwise my first thought was that it was irresponsible of her to help her sister bring a baby into the world that if it survived would likely be orphaned. I don't think Juliet had the confidence in her own skills to expect it to work. She just wanted to give her sister her dying wish.

Yes, I too thought it was to give her sister her dying wish. But what if the baby survived? Then Juliet assumed that she (Juliet) would take care of the baby?

I think she was happy for her sister, but knows it is a highly risky pregnancy. I think she goes to "Portland" thinking she will be able to visit Rachel and such, and is unpleasantly surprised otherwise. She might not even know now if Rachel is alive.

It's not clear to me, actually. The end of the episode is ambiguous enough that I wasn't sure if they opened up to her about where she was really going (like to island, and not just somewhere "off the coast" of Portland, so to speak). If she knew she was really going to the island (but presumably didn't know she wouldn't be able to leave), would she willing go that far away from her sick, pregnant sister who she clearly loves very much? That's basically abandoning her right when her sister needs her. That would be weird of Juliet would seem out of character for her, from what we know from her FB.

Also, what exactly was Juliet injecting? There didn't seem to be a man involved... This could also be a clue to Sun's baby's paternity... :shrug:

I think Juliet sister was working for that science company, remember Ethan walked out of her apartment just before Juliet got there. They probably told Juliet's sister to be a guinea pig, that's also how they knew Juliet was successful and her sister was impregnated.

Pairing Selene's comment with Pen's.... I wonder if Ethan helped impregnate her?? What was he doing at the apt.? Was the sister working for Mittelos or was she secretly just trying more than one avenue for trying to get pregnant at once? She had the injections from her sister but was also receiving some kind of injection (literally or figuratively) from Ethan as well?
I mean, Juliet was genuinely very surprised that her sister was pregnant. She did not expect it to work. So that might indicate that Ethan and Alpert were meddling in it.
BUT WHY?

It's interesting . . . and yes, I started a thread on the Biblical Rachel, but in light of what PaceJunkie is writing, it's interesting to note that the Biblical Rachel died in childbirth, delivering a baby breech. As an astute poster noted, one of the children was named Joseph, the other Benjamin . . .

This show kills me. :)

And we have the "Lost Time" anagram... oh so confusing... :rolleyes:
100%
Wow, Lisa, thanks for that info. I think I see what you are saying (science isn't my strong suit).

Hmmm, but if Ethan was testing on Juliet's sister and he was the reason she was pregnant, why would they need Juliet. Seems more likely, he's just communicating with her.

But then again, Ethan was injecting Claire's belly in a similar fashion to how Juliet injected into her sisters.

Right, there was definitely a similarity to the injections (even the way it was filmed), which was of course meant to make you think that the first scene was on-island or an on-island FB, when it was in fact pre-island and pre-Ethan in her life.

To me, it is a really good questions "Why Juliet?" What if the reason they want her has nothing to do with her so-called fertility dr. abilities? What if they want her for something totally different? I mean, frankly, I'm not so sure she really is such a great doctor. She could be fairly mediocre for all we know.

Something thought of on the TWOP forums that bears mentioning...
What if Rachel is actually Julietts brother?

Although...how long after these events did she go off to "Mittelos Bioscience"? Did she abandon her pregnant, sick sister??
Between the scene with Rachel, where Rachel was eager for Juliet to take this great career opportunity, Juliet's own grief and desire to get away from the life she'd been leading, and Albert's stressing how much Mittelos wanted her, I'd say Juliet left Miami VERY soon afterwards.

She was asking if she could take her sister with her. Albert said she couldn't get the treatment she needed where Juliet was going (UNDERSTATEMENT OF YEAR!). The implication I got was that Mittelos would see to it that Rachel got any medical help she needed--both for her cancer and for her "miracle" pregnancy. Bet Juliet got reassured of that several times.

But whether or not Mittelos kept her appraised of Rachel's condition--well, maybe for the six months "trial period" (that they never intended to stand). But afterwards? I don't know. Maybe they threatened Rachel, and THAT'S why Juliet stayed on the Island?

To me, it is a really good questions "Why Juliet?" What if the reason they want her has nothing to do with her so-called fertility dr. abilities? What if they want her for something totally different? I mean, frankly, I'm not so sure she really is such a great doctor. She could be fairly mediocre for all we know.

Juliet, mediocre? No way she is an AMAZING doctor!! ;) :p

It is interesting though that she's been on the island for three years and we have yet to see anyone pregnant or any babies 3 years or younger.

Something thought of on the TWOP forums that bears mentioning...
What if Rachel is actually Julietts brother?

Maybe, but I think the reason Juliet's sister had cancer was to show she was essentially infertile and thus this pregnanct was a scientific breakthrough.

It also seemed strange to me that Juliet would be introducing fertility drugs to her sister who clearly is suffering from cancer. I wondered if they wanted her to have a baby in order to help save her? (stem cell, placenta treatment...) Terrible to say, but use the baby in order to save her life..

Something thought of on the TWOP forums that bears mentioning...
What if Rachel is actually Julietts brother?

OMG, thank you to that poster. Seriously, for the first couple scenes I wasn't sure if she was a he or not. I know that sounds bad, but she kind of had a masculine quality to her.... and well, with all the talk about the male field mice, I just wasn't sure if that was the connection or not.

Juliet, mediocre? No way she is an AMAZING doctor!! ;) :p

It is interesting though that she's been on the island for three years and we have yet to see anyone pregnant or any babies 3 years or younger.

Yeah, seriously, I think you are agreeing with me, but I'm not sure, so I'll just say....
Juliet hasn't demonstrated to me *once* that she is actually an amazing doctor. And it doesn't help that she has such low self-confidence about her abilities. Maybe if she had Jack's hero complex ;) I'd be more willing to think she was all that and a bag of chips. ;)
It also seemed strange to me that Juliet would be introducing fertility drugs to her sister who clearly is suffering from cancer. I wondered if they wanted her to have a baby in order to help save her? (stem cell, placenta treatment...) Terrible to say, but use the baby in order to save her life..

I never thought of that...

Oh to go along with the idea that Juliet's sister may have been working for Ethan is the fact that Juliet's sister was encouraging her to take the job in Portland and not worry about her.

It is interesting though that she's been on the island for three years and we have yet to see anyone pregnant or any babies 3 years or younger.

I'm guessing that's why they are doing their research on that particular island. Maybe for some reason, no one can conceive there and Ethan and Juliet were working to try and figure out why. You can see why Claire would have been so valuable to them.

It also implies that Sun was pregnant before coming to the island if she should be unable to conceive on it. If Jin was sterile pre-island, that tells you the baby has to be Jae's.

I think Mittelos, aka Hanso/Dharma, just sent Ethan to spy on Juliet and he followed her to the building where her sister lived and then made contact with the sister, whom they were using for leverage in a variety of ways.

My read was that the chemo had made Rachel infertile, and this in turn weakened her will to live. Juliet was gambling that getting pregnant might be the thing that would make her sister fight to survive,

Cardie

I'm guessing that's why they are doing their research on that particular island. Maybe for some reason, no one can conceive there and Ethan and Juliet were working to try and figure out why. I'm wondering if the films of the woman's uterus which Mittleos showed to Juliet - where Juliet guesses it's a 70-year old woman but it's actually a 26-year old - are one of the islanders. Namely Alex.

I also wondered why a woman who was obviously (or apparently) dealing with cancer would be actively trying to conceive. But what if it wasn't cancer? What if the sister's illness was actually just a result of the experimental treatment for her infertility...?

I'm wondering if the films of the woman's uterus which Mittleos showed to Juliet - where Juliet guesses it's a 70-year old woman but it's actually a 26-year old - are one of the islanders. Namely Alex.

Alex is only 16. Maybe it's Amelia :eek2: Maybe the woman looks 70 but is really only 26!

Alex is only 16. Maybe it's Amelia :eek2: Maybe the woman looks 70 but is really only 26!d-oh! Then time is really an issue on that island...
100%
I also wondered why a woman who was obviously (or apparently) dealing with cancer would be actively trying to conceive. But what if it wasn't cancer? What if the sister's illness was actually just a result of the experimental treatment for her infertility...?That's a good point.. Kind of like "the remedy is worse than the disease"...

That's a good point.. Kind of like "the remedy is worse than the disease"...

Are you referring to the hatch map, because there was a quote to that effect "the cure is worse than the disease" on the hatch map. Just saying. :)

Cancer? And trying to get pregnant? She's living on her own and then seems to move in with Juliet?
What is her deal? Why does she want a baby so badly (vs. just trying to get herself healthy)?
And why is Juliet helping to try to get pregnant, when clearly she needs to get healthy?
Juliet seems to realize (at least this is how I read it) that her sister will die trying to have this baby.
So what is the point?
And is she injecting the same stuff into her sister that she injecting into male field mice? Why? What is the connection between a woman with cancer and a male field mouse?

So many valid questions! I assumed that Juliet was giving her special medicine to help cure her cancer, not impregnate a woman who is/may be dying. I'm not an expert on the disease, but I know that treatments and the disease itself takes a lot of out of you. You'd need a whole lot of energy just day to day, but carrying a child inside of you for 9 months!!?!?!?

So many valid questions! I assumed that Juliet was giving her special medicine to help cure her cancer, not impregnate a woman who is/may be dying. I'm not an expert on the disease, but I know that treatments and the disease itself takes a lot of out of you. You'd need a whole lot of energy just day to day, but carrying a child inside of you for 9 months!!?!?!?

Actually that true, even if she just had cancer, she had quite a lot of energy and besides the headwrap, seemed quite healthy.

Oh AND.. in the hallway, when Ethan first said 'hello' to her, he was coming out of her (or was it her sister's?) apartment. Maybe it wasn't the medicine that Juliet was giving her that made her pregnant, but something Ethan gave her. When we first see her sister, she says something like 'oh, I must've fallen asleep.', and that was right after Ethan left.

So maybe Mitellos was trying to make Juliet think that she was this genius and they wanted her special medical assistance.. but they really wanted her there for another reason, which we don't know of yet. (?)

Are you referring to the hatch map, because there was a quote to that effect "the cure is worse than the disease" on the hatch map. Just saying. :)yup, referring to the blast door map - "Aegrescit medendo"

i think ethan was just doing surveillance on juliet, which would explain how they know her sister is pregnant (like they said, they do thorough background checks). he could have put a bug in their apartment or something... if he did something to rachel, than there would have been a scene where rachel tells juliet that some creepy looking guy came into their apartment...

also, what if rachel's cancer was a side-effect of the treatment juliet was giving her? what if she was unable to have kids, and was so desperate to become pregnant she willingly became a guinea pig for juliet's research. that would explain why edmund keeps on bringing up the "ethical" concerns.

I'm guessing that's why they are doing their research on that particular island. Maybe for some reason, no one can conceive there and Ethan and Juliet were working to try and figure out why. You can see why Claire would have been so valuable to them.

It also implies that Sun was pregnant before coming to the island if she should be unable to conceive on it. If Jin was sterile pre-island, that tells you the baby has to be Jae's.


But the Others are going to be extremely interested in Sun if she continues to say that it is Jin's. I smell a future storyline.

if he did something to rachel, than there would have been a scene where rachel tells juliet that some creepy looking guy came into their apartment...

But remember when Ethan did all that stuff to Claire and gave her that sour liquid to drink? She forgot everything when she woke up. Oooohh

I also wondered why a woman who was obviously (or apparently) dealing with cancer would be actively trying to conceive. But what if it wasn't cancer? What if the sister's illness was actually just a result of the experimental treatment for her infertility...?

Right, this was sort of my original question. We're meant to assuem it's cancer, as everyone in this thread rightly has, but there isn't proof in the show that it was cancer. We just jump to conclusions because of her head scarf.

So many valid questions! I assumed that Juliet was giving her special medicine to help cure her cancer, not impregnate a woman who is/may be dying. I'm not an expert on the disease, but I know that treatments and the disease itself takes a lot of out of you. You'd need a whole lot of energy just day to day, but carrying a child inside of you for 9 months!!?!?!?

No, I don't think she was giving her cancer-curing medicine.... but it is certainly weird to think if she was suffering from cancer that she could carry a baby to term.

Oh AND.. in the hallway, when Ethan first said 'hello' to her, he was coming out of her (or was it her sister's?) apartment. Maybe it wasn't the medicine that Juliet was giving her that made her pregnant, but something Ethan gave her. When we first see her sister, she says something like 'oh, I must've fallen asleep.', and that was right after Ethan left.

So maybe Mitellos was trying to make Juliet think that she was this genius and they wanted her special medical assistance.. but they really wanted her there for another reason, which we don't know of yet. (?)

Right, this is what I was thinking too (eventually). I may have actually posted my thoughts in a different thread last night. But yes, I was thinking they might have wanted Juliet for another purpose altogether, and Ethan actually got Rachel pregnant (whether through special injections or something more lurid). I don't know what they'd want Juliet for, if not medicine, but she hasn't proven to me that she is even a good doctor, so it's not clear to me that they even want her for her fertility skills.

i think ethan was just doing surveillance on juliet, which would explain how they know her sister is pregnant (like they said, they do thorough background checks). he could have put a bug in their apartment or something... if he did something to rachel, than there would have been a scene where rachel tells juliet that some creepy looking guy came into their apartment...


Unless Rachel was "in on it" or as Amber says below, he drugged her so she couldn't remember.

But remember when Ethan did all that stuff to Claire and gave her that sour liquid to drink? She forgot everything when she woke up. Oooohh

...
But a Pregnant Male FieldMouse!!! If it worked in a male human - that means ANYBODY could "grow" a baby! Male or female... Think of the choices that would give!

One word:

Hurley

Don

Juliet's sister I think had either ovarian or uterine cancer which would prevent her from having children. That's how the male mouse and Juliet's sister are connected...they obviously both are unable to reproduce.

I don't think Juliet would help her get pregnant just to give her "something to live for." If anything, a pregnancy would weaken Rachel's body while she was pregnant and make her die faster (if she's dying).

Also, Juliet's husband said they would make millions of dollars or something if the research was good. There is something "more" to the pregnancy, me thinks.

How about this: Rachel is dying, so Juliet is growing a clone of Rachel INSIDE of Rachel to grow a new...liver? lung? breast? whatever it is that has cancer. She's an incubator for her own cure...

Something like that?

Alex is only 16. Maybe it's Amelia :eek2: Maybe the woman looks 70 but is really only 26!
Actually, I think "Amelia" may have benefited from another Dharma experiment....Life EXTENSION. (I'm thinking she's more like 107 years old. :3: ).

But there are other women (who would be about 29 now), that it could have been.
What about Colleen? (The lady that Sun killed?)

Juliet's sister I think had either ovarian or uterine cancer which would prevent her from having children. That's how the male mouse and Juliet's sister are connected...they obviously both are unable to reproduce.

I think you are very close. People here are missing the point. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why someone who has an unusable uterus would be interested in a doctor able to create a pregnancy in a male mouse. Hint: the male mouse has no uterus.

The duh factor here is overwhelming. Solution for someone with an unusable uterus with a treatment to allow someone WITHOUT a uterus to get pregnant available? Don't think too hard. Simple: remove the uterus and use this new treatment. Duh.

I think we can guess that it is highly likely Juliet's sister had uterine cancer and had her uterus removed. Further, I think my earlier comment in another thread about Juliet injecting someone else's embryo carries more weight here. It also explains why her "research" would have been so powerful. Taking a treatment from mice to men doesn't always work. Further, changing genders in the process is even more astounding.

The fact that the "others" had someone they wanted to impregnate who had a bum uterus coupled with the fact that they had proof that the treatment could work (i.e. Juliet's sister) explains an even bigger picture. Let me explain.

This is going to cross over from the duh factor to speculation. Juliet was sent to the island to perform experimental fertility treatment (i.e. what she did on her sister) to perfect the process. I think Alex was wrong. The Others had no intentions of killing Claire. They were about to give her a C-section and take her baby. Alex did have that right. But they were going to take more than her baby--they were going to take her womb as well and make her a test subject.

I'm sure the first question one everyone's mind is "why Claire"? Look to the snatching of children as the clue. They get to kill two birds with one stone here. They snatch her child plus make her a test subject all in one whack. Ethan saw this as quite a prize.

Taking the speculation even one step further--who might be the intended recipient of this treatment (and the owner of the bum uterus)? None other than Penny Widmore. It all fits right down to the manufacturer of Sun's pregnancy test being the Widmore corporation. This also explains quite a bit more, but I'll stop there.

Something thought of on the TWOP forums that bears mentioning...
What if Rachel is actually Julietts brother?


I'm glad to see someone besides me had this thought. I can't let go of the male mice not carrying to term...

Cancer? And trying to get pregnant? She's living on her own and then seems to move in with Juliet?
What is her deal? Why does she want a baby so badly (vs. just trying to get herself healthy)?
And why is Juliet helping to try to get pregnant, when clearly she needs to get healthy?
Juliet seems to realize (at least this is how I read it) that her sister will die trying to have this baby.
So what is the point?
And is she injecting the same stuff into her sister that she injecting into male field mice? Why? What is the connection between a woman with cancer and a male field mouse?

Perhaps her sister(having cancer) knew that she was going to die anyway and thus she allowed herself to become Juliette's guinea pig. No doubt there was a solid bond present between the two and I figure that her sister was capable of such a selfless act to help Juliette in the future.

Perhaps her sister(having cancer) knew that she was going to die anyway and thus she allowed herself to become Juliette's guinea pig. No doubt there was a solid bond present between the two and I figure that her sister was capable of such a selfless act to help Juliette in the future.

I don't think you paid close attention. Her sister said "Now all I have to do is get better" and when Juliet was offered the position, she was told she would be back in 6 months so she could help her sister.

It is all signs that her sister had cancer, but it was caught early and her prognosis was very good.

I don't think you paid close attention. Her sister said "Now all I have to do is get better" and when Juliet was offered the position, she was told she would be back in 6 months so she could help her sister.

It is all signs that her sister had cancer, but it was caught early and her prognosis was very good.

Its all speculation anyway. But my question to you would be: How do you know it was caught early? And that the prognosis was good? She sure didnt look like she was on the road to recovery lying in bed all sick-looking.

Its all speculation anyway. But my question to you would be: How do you know it was caught early? And that the prognosis was good? She sure didnt look like she was on the road to recovery lying in bed all sick-looking.

People who have just come off aggressive cancer treatment usually don't look like they are the epitome of good health. It doesn't mean they are on the threshold of death though. It goes something like this:

1) Rachel is diagnosed with uterine cancer.
2) Doctors biopsy and scan for tumors elsewhere, but don't find them.
3) Tell her it is malignant, but caught early. The only safe way is to remove uterus and treat with radiation and chemo to be sure.
4) When removing her uterus, they saw no signs the tumor had spread elsewhere.
5) That combined with the radiation/chemo treatment, they gave her a good prognosis.
6) Having completed treatment and showing no signs of cancer elsewhere, she begins to despair knowing she can't have kids.
7) Juliet tells her of another way and Rachel begs her to do test it on her.
8) Juliet seizes the opportunity to test her treatment on a willing test subject.

Ta da!

excellent thread....

Yes it was pretty clear thta she sister was still pretty sick and feeling the effects of the chemo.

I also thought it was a man at first so I laughed at the idea that the sister was a brother! Very cleaver!

I cant beleive that Juleitte just up and left her sister even for 6 months to take this job..unless they pushed her into it somehow by digging up some dirt on her...,face it she stole the meds she needed and did this without anyone knowing...

The fact that she could impregnate a male mouse tells us that there is no need for a uterus in order to carry the pregnancy under the conditions of her experiment. That being said, if her sister had cervical cancer, she would have most likely had a hysterectomy (removal of her uterus) and when she became pregnant via the experiment it was a miracle because she did not have a uterus to implant the fertilized egg. I think this was what all the excitement was about, not that she could become pregnant, but that she COULD become pregnant without a uterus, hence the story of the male mouse.

excellent thread....

Yes it was pretty clear thta she sister was still pretty sick and feeling the effects of the chemo.

I also thought it was a man at first so I laughed at the idea that the sister was a brother! Very cleaver!

I cant beleive that Juleitte just up and left her sister even for 6 months to take this job..unless they pushed her into it somehow by digging up some dirt on her...,face it she stole the meds she needed and did this without anyone knowing...

Well, Juliet was convinced they killed her ex since she definitively said that was the one obstacle for her to come with them. What would they do to her sister if they sensed THAT was the reason she wouldn't go with them now? In other words, they wanted her to join their team and weren't going to let anything get in the way. She wanted to keep her sister safe.

excellent thread....

Yes it was pretty clear thta she sister was still pretty sick and feeling the effects of the chemo.

I also thought it was a man at first so I laughed at the idea that the sister was a brother! Very cleaver!

I cant beleive that Juleitte just up and left her sister even for 6 months to take this job..unless they pushed her into it somehow by digging up some dirt on her...,face it she stole the meds she needed and did this without anyone knowing...

Hence Ben must have some relationship with Edmund Burke in order to have the troubled past between Benry and Juliette. If they told her 6 months and it ended up being 3 years, she must have done something to upset Ben. My working theory right now is that Ben is Edmund's brother, but its just a guess.
100%
People who have just come off aggressive cancer treatment usually don't look like they are the epitome of good health. It doesn't mean they are on the threshold of death though. It goes something like this:

1) Rachel is diagnosed with uterine cancer.
2) Doctors biopsy and scan for tumors elsewhere, but don't find them.
3) Tell her it is malignant, but caught early. The only safe way is to remove uterus and treat with radiation and chemo to be sure.
4) When removing her uterus, they saw no signs the tumor had spread elsewhere.
5) That combined with the radiation/chemo treatment, they gave her a good prognosis.
6) Having completed treatment and showing no signs of cancer elsewhere, she begins to despair knowing she can't have kids.
7) Juliet tells her of another way and Rachel begs her to do test it on her.
8) Juliet seizes the opportunity to test her treatment on a willing test subject.

Ta da!

Well bro, I guess the rest of us rely on what the show actually reveals, and not our own personal Lost fantasies that we write ourselves. And I think it would be cervical cancer....but Im also not a doctor, I just play one on TV.

Well bro, I guess the rest of us rely on what the show actually reveals, and not our own personal Lost fantasies that we write ourselves. And I think it would be cervical cancer....but Im also not a doctor, I just play one on TV.

It could be cervical. It could also be uterine. They both have similar treatments depending on the stage.

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=9188
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4696

The key difference is that with uterine cancer is that if it had not spread, she could still in theory have all the necessary faculties to have children. With late stage cervical cancer that requires removing the womb she would have had to have most everything in the general area removed. This would also have a MUCH lower chance of survival. Stage 1 uterine cancer fits better. Period.

It could be cervical. It could also be uterine. They both have similar treatments depending on the stage.

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=9188
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=4696

The key difference is that with uterine cancer is that if it had not spread, she could still in theory have all the necessary faculties to have children. With late stage cervical cancer that requires removing the womb she would have had to have most everything in the general area removed. This would also have a MUCH lower chance of survival. Stage 1 uterine cancer fits better. Period.

Ummmmmmmmmm....ok. I find it interesting that you are attempting to argue the validity of something that the writers didnt reveal in the show. Unless you have read spoilers or something, but this is your own personal fabrication of what is happening, not fact, but speculation. And once again, Im not a medical doctor, I just play one on TV.

For whatever its worth I have been through chemo. It can take the hair quite a while to grow back and you feel your absolute worse towards the end of treatment. If you had seen me a week after my last treatment you would have thought I wasn't long for this world. A bald head and suffering from fatigue doesn't automatically equal 'she's clearly still sick'. She could be through her treatments and be on the slow road to recovery.

Chemo alone can render you sterile. It did me but fortunately I already had all the kids I was going to have.

Ummmmmmmmmm....ok. I find it interesting that you are attempting to argue the validity of something that the writers didnt reveal in the show. Unless you have read spoilers or something, but this is your own personal fabrication of what is happening, not fact, but speculation.

What a very truncated and uninteresting message board this would be if all we did was discuss what was absolutely revealed.

This show often allows for us to use our imagination and doesn't spoon feed you everything. If you lack the imagination or the ability to draw your own conclusions, I feel for you. Personally, based on the evidence at hand I find no difficulty in concluding what the most likely type of cancer she had.

I'll have to bookmark this thread in the event that they do reveal what type it was so that I can bring it back up to either accept I'm wrong or show you that you are. Either way, it was you that started the argument which I find even more amusing than you criticizing me for arguing.

The fact that she could impregnate a male mouse tells us that there is no need for a uterus in order to carry the pregnancy under the conditions of her experiment. That being said, if her sister had cervical cancer, she would have most likely had a hysterectomy (removal of her uterus) and when she became pregnant via the experiment it was a miracle because she did not have a uterus to implant the fertilized egg. I think this was what all the excitement was about, not that she could become pregnant, but that she COULD become pregnant without a uterus, hence the story of the male mouse.

Yeah, this would definitely make sense, diabolo. Thanks.

div2n and HoardingHurley, calm it down. I have no idea why you are escalating a conversation about cancer into this snarkyness. :chillpill:

The key difference is that with uterine cancer is that if it had not spread, she could still in theory have all the necessary faculties to have children. With late stage cervical cancer that requires removing the womb she would have had to have most everything in the general area removed. This would also have a MUCH lower chance of survival. Stage 1 uterine cancer fits better. Period.

The fact that Juliet was able to impregnate a male mouse makes the fact of her sister having or not having a uterus unimportant. Male mice have no uterus, therefore her sister wouldnt need one either
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And regardless of who started the argument, or what is perceived as one, could we get back to the topic at hand without the negativity?

Drawing on crap from the Lost Experience…

Maybe infertility is the real issue. Maybe Dharma/Hanso/Others are working on creating a world-wide infertility pandemic. This could alter the The Valenzetti Equation’s population element – and save the world! Hason/Mittlewerk were looking to kill people with some type of disease, maybe this is kinder, gentler way that others (*The* Others?) have come up with. Of course once everyone is infertile, then this special “Juliet process” can be used to keep human population growth under strict control.

Throw in a time-traveling sub plot where this has already happened, maybe this is why the Others want these unaffected people (from the past) and their babys. This could explain the harsh methods they use on the survivors, since they need to keep this a secret or something (or keep their uneffected wombs out of general population).

What a very truncated and uninteresting message board this would be if all we did was discuss what was absolutely revealed.

This show often allows for us to use our imagination and doesn't spoon feed you everything. If you lack the imagination or the ability to draw your own conclusions, I feel for you. Personally, based on the evidence at hand I find no difficulty in concluding what the most likely type of cancer she had.

I'll have to bookmark this thread in the event that they do reveal what type it was so that I can bring it back up to either accept I'm wrong or show you that you are. Either way, it was you that started the argument which I find even more amusing than you criticizing me for arguing.


I think someone needs a hug.
100%
What a very truncated and uninteresting message board this would be if all we did was discuss what was absolutely revealed.

This show often allows for us to use our imagination and doesn't spoon feed you everything. If you lack the imagination or the ability to draw your own conclusions, I feel for you. Personally, based on the evidence at hand I find no difficulty in concluding what the most likely type of cancer she had.

I'll have to bookmark this thread in the event that they do reveal what type it was so that I can bring it back up to either accept I'm wrong or show you that you are. Either way, it was you that started the argument which I find even more amusing than you criticizing me for arguing.


I think someone needs a hug. :)

What a very truncated and uninteresting message board this would be if all we did was discuss what was absolutely revealed.

This show often allows for us to use our imagination and doesn't spoon feed you everything. If you lack the imagination or the ability to draw your own conclusions, I feel for you. Personally, based on the evidence at hand I find no difficulty in concluding what the most likely type of cancer she had.

I'll have to bookmark this thread in the event that they do reveal what type it was so that I can bring it back up to either accept I'm wrong or show you that you are. Either way, it was you that started the argument which I find even more amusing than you criticizing me for arguing.

I think someone needs a hug.
100%



I think someone needs a hug. :)

Before this ruins the topic at hand, end it. Back to the subject without the sarcasm and banter. Thanks

Well, Juliet was convinced they killed her ex since she definitively said that was the one obstacle for her to come with them. What would they do to her sister if they sensed THAT was the reason she wouldn't go with them now? In other words, they wanted her to join their team and weren't going to let anything get in the way. She wanted to keep her sister safe.

I can definately see your point. especially that she is so distraught with grief and self guilt that she wished this...They did promise her that she would return in 6 months...I wonder if she wsa brainwashed to think that what she was doing eas sooo good that she needed to stay and I also wonder if when those 6 months were up was she brainwashed to think her sister died???therefore she has no where else to do so might as well hang around there and now she may be realizing those thoughts are wrong and she needs to find out herself???

Hence Ben must have some relationship with Edmund Burke in order to have the troubled past between Benry and Juliette. If they told her 6 months and it ended up being 3 years, she must have done something to upset Ben. My working theory right now is that Ben is Edmund's brother, but its just a guess.
.

Nice theory....I can see that as a possibility...If Benry was around the island al lhis life though would he "know" his brother? Or could Edmund be someone who left the island..found Juliette and now they "found" her again???

If that is the case than Edmund was truly not doing their group any good

i actually think juliet's work with her sister had more to do with the uterine cross sections juliet was shown than the field mice -- something to do with getting someone who shouldn't be able to conceive to do so.

i'm thinking either the mittelos people did something to her sister to give juliet no reason to stay in miami, or else juliet has been trying to get back to her sister for the last 3 years and ben wouldn't let her.... until now, perhaps.

I'm wondering if Ben's tumor had anything to do with Juliette's work. Maybe she was brought there to get Ben pregnant. Granted, that would be weird.

Well, I asked my Biology teacher how a woman could to that with just simple injections, and he said that he didn't know what the injections were, but that it is possible for woman to conceive on their own. It's called parthenogenisis. I created a thread about it, just no one replied. It has nothing that deals with any cancer problems though...

ok first thing, after watching this show for almost 3 years now i don't like to assume anything. Just because Rachel had her head wrapped and looked bald doesn't indicate to me she had cancer. And unless someone specifically said cancer the writers could take this a completely different direction, which they usually do. Isn't it what they call a red herring?

Also this Mittelos guy, doesnt that name sound close to the other Hanso guy Mittelwerk or something like that? I just found it creepy that a potential employer would know that much about someone's personal life. That would send a red flag up to me.

I like the theory about Rachel being Juliet's brother. Kind of Ugly Betty there.

I'm wondering if the films of the woman's uterus which Mittleos showed to Juliet - where Juliet guesses it's a 70-year old woman but it's actually a 26-year old - are one of the islanders. Namely Alex.


Ahhh... i think that is a great thought.

I think its definately her sister though and not a man. Men with cancer dont wear scarves to cover their bald head ... generally only us women would do that :redface: (i think ?)

Well, I asked my Biology teacher how a woman could to that with just simple injections, and he said that he didn't know what the injections were, but that it is possible for woman to conceive on their own. It's called parthenogenisis. I created a thread about it, just no one replied. It has nothing that deals with any cancer problems though...

Right, this isn't possible with humans yet, of course.
There are many threads around the Fuselage that are talking about this idea and have been for months, ever since it was a code word in The Lost Experience. Also, it's been talked about in the Rebellious Rabbits thread for ages. Just do a search. :smile:

ok first thing, after watching this show for almost 3 years now i don't like to assume anything. Just because Rachel had her head wrapped and looked bald doesn't indicate to me she had cancer. And unless someone specifically said cancer the writers could take this a completely different direction, which they usually do. Isn't it what they call a red herring?
In today's Kristin from E! column the actress who plays Rachel confirms that it is cancer, but that she doesn't know what type of cancer it is. TPTB haven't told her. But she is "playing" it as if it is not something "near" the pregnancy (for now).

Right, this isn't possible with humans yet, of course.
There are many threads around the Fuselage that are talking about this idea and have been for months, ever since it was a code word in The Lost Experience. Also, it's been talked about in the Rebellious Rabbits thread for ages. Just do a search. :smile:

Really? I didn't know that. I did do a search using the word parthenogenisis but I didn't get any results. Good to know that I'm not the only one thinking along these lines.

there was an O2 tank near the bed I think ?? lung cancer ?

Well, I think it's because of how you were spelling the word.
Try: parthenogenesis
I got plenty of threads when I used that. And narrow your search to just TLE and GT forums, so that you can find relevant threads.
Here's Rebellious Rabbits (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=21714&highlight=)
It's very long so do a thread search for parthenogenesis for relevant posts.

Well, I think it's because of how you were spelling the word.
Try: parthenogenesis
I got plenty of threads when I used that. And narrow your search to just TLE and GT forums, so that you can find relevant threads.
Here's Rebellious Rabbits (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=21714&highlight=)
It's very long so do a thread search for parthenogenesis for relevant posts.

Oh, LOL, I hate spelling mistakes. :biggrin: Thanks for the help.

Of Mice and Men carrying babies, haha.

I thought Julliette's sister looked familiar? Any ideas?

I thought Julliette's sister looked familiar? Any ideas?

Who is the actor that played her?

Robin Weigert.

Ever you ever thought that the sickness Juliet's sister has, could be cured through stem cells or through a child(matching blood, matching marrow) Sooooo with all the news about stem cell research, so forth and so on, the writers maybe going down that track with the use of these injections.

has anyone talked about cloning????

I also wondered why a woman who was obviously (or apparently) dealing with cancer would be actively trying to conceive. But what if it wasn't cancer? What if the sister's illness was actually just a result of the experimental treatment for her infertility...?

YES. Thank you -- this is what i've been saying. They have never come out and clearly stated that Rachael is dealing with cancer. I think she's sick from something else -- and my leading guess is that it's the stuff they've been injecting her with.

Cancer? And trying to get pregnant? She's living on her own and then seems to move in with Juliet?
What is her deal? Why does she want a baby so badly (vs. just trying to get herself healthy)?
And why is Juliet helping to try to get pregnant, when clearly she needs to get healthy?
Juliet seems to realize (at least this is how I read it) that her sister will die trying to have this baby.
So what is the point?
And is she injecting the same stuff into her sister that she injecting into male field mice? Why? What is the connection between a woman with cancer and a male field mouse?

I wouldn't be surprised if we are all just assuming Rachel had cancer. She could be suffering side effects from the experimental fertility treatments. Maybe she was even a former Dharma lab rat employee...liked the lamp in her room.
There was no direct statement that RAchel is on the same regimen as the field mouse. Mr. Alpo only mentioned that Juliet had accomplished this.

I really think that we should explore the option that Juliettes sister was once a male, making it her brother. That is the tie in with the male field mouse. And would also explain the illness.

Just because she is bald doesn't mean she has cancer. It doesn't mean he was once a man either. Losing the hair is just side-effect for the treatment.

She was infertile before and couldn't bare children. The breaktrough by jewels is the way to fix this. Make anybody able to have a kid, even men.

They need to create a special child (or children) at the island, that's why she was brought there.

Someone posted on another thread that the actress who plays Rachel stated in an interview that her character had cancer...so I think that's why the conclusion was drawn.

I'm still under the impression that the injections were hormonal and aiding her in getting pregnant, not making her ill, but I could just be myopic b/c this is my area of research.

I wonder what kind of cancer she had? Wouldn't you want to avoid hormonal treatments for certain types of breast cancer?

Yes, but if this is in vitro fertilization, she would need the hormones to establish pregnancy. I think it's IVF b/c Juliet was looking at the DNA of the embryo in one shot. You can't manipulate or genetically select the embryo qualities at this stage unless the embryo is created outside of the body and then transfered in.

If this isn't IVF, then I have no idea what the injections are or whose DNA she was looking at...:confused:

I was thinking that there may be a connection between cancer and a zygote. Cancer is out of control cell growth. Maybe the injections were to force a speed-up in the mitotic processes. This would allow the zygote to grow faster and improve the chance of viability but the side affect could be cancer.

Someone posted on another thread that the actress who plays Rachel stated in an interview that her character had cancer...so I think that's why the conclusion was drawn.


I mentioned it in this thread, but spoilerfonted it since it was from an interview with Ausiello (or was it Kristin?). I think it's sort of spoilery, personally. The cancer conclusion was drawn prior to that interview being released, though.

oops! sorry for not spoiler--fonting. i went back and edited...

It's all good. :smile:

So I don't really think I subscribe to this theory, but anyone think there may be a connection with the supposed cancer Rachel has and the tumor Ben has? Someone mentioned something about getting Ben preggers....Far stretch, I know, just a thought for amusement.;)

So I don't really think I subscribe to this theory, but anyone think there may be a connection with the supposed cancer Rachel has and the tumor Ben has? Someone mentioned something about getting Ben preggers....Far stretch, I know, just a thought for amusement.;)

I think we better keep a closer eye/tallie on the mysterious cancers/rare illnesses.
So far, we got Walt's mom, who just up and croaked "it was very quick...a rare blood disease. (Non hodgkin's lymphoma, anyone?).
Then we've got Ben's not so rare, but then again, not so common spinal tumor.
Now we've got a possible transgender Rachel with alopecia getting ovarian injections.
We've also got a few dozen past dead hims and hers who died of "the sickness" on the island, not to mention..
Young ladies with geriatric uteruses.
Let's not forget Adam and Eve who just seemed to know that they were dying, and laid down in pretty little caticombs carved out of mud, put their own lillies on themselves and laid down and died, complete with hands folded over chests.

ON the other hand, we've got Rose in miraculous remission,
Jack who fell through the jungle canopy with just a puncture wound, Bernard untouched, sitting next to someone who looked like they had their face smashed in...up in a tree, no less,
And Mr. Locke who has risen from the chair, so to speak.
I would love to speculate on all this, but that would be for the theory section.

I asked Gregg Nations (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=69156) about my theory that it was the fertility treatments, not cancer, making Rachel sick. His non-answer kind of leads me to believe I'm right.

What do you guys think?

Gregg gives non-answers to everything, but it is certainly a possibility...

Yeah, I think he just wasn't answering. :shrug:

Hmmm, but if Ethan was testing on Juliet's sister and he was the reason she was pregnant, why would they need Juliet. Seems more likely, he's just communicating with her.

But then again, Ethan was injecting Claire's belly in a similar fashion to how Juliet injected into her sisters.

There are indications that Hanso/Dharma already know how to do the pregnancy thing (Locke's mom, etc.) It could be that they want Juliet on the island for other reasons... like being able to wish her husband dead and having it come true. There are shades of Walt there.

So, how to get Juliet to come to the island? Make her think that she's finally made her breakthrough, and that she's being hired for her expertise. Do you see any infants on the island with the exception of Aaron? I haven't. What has Juliet, a fertility specialist, been doing for 3 years then?
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Really? I didn't know that. I did do a search using the word parthenogenisis but I didn't get any results. Good to know that I'm not the only one thinking along these lines.

Here:
http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/The_Lost_Experience_clues/June_6

Something thought of on the TWOP forums that bears mentioning...
What if Rachel is actually Julietts brother?

You know, this could just be a detail overlook, but after re watching last night: the boobs are waaaaaaaaaaay to average everyday lady boobs, and there is no evidence of an Adam's apple, plus her voice is really feminine...not hormone injection feminine.. I don't think she's in transition, or has been in transition. But I definitely think we will find out that she is a retired Dharma testee. Maybe sworn to secrecy or had some weirdo memory wipe. Just the way she likes her candles, likes being near the beach, the way she dresses, and that apartment. It's like she looked up 1800 hatch deco.

Can be Ben Racheal's son?¿ maybe he had "Progeria" (because that medicaltecnology don't works fine or something else...)