“Congratulations on your parasite” is a card you’re going to have a hard time finding at Target. That’s partly because tapeworms are unusual pets to keep in your home (and body), and partly because having one isn’t something one wants to be congratulated upon. Not even if that person is now suddenly breaking records with the length of the writhing mass shaking around their intestines. It’s a cause for embarrassment and consideration of life choices rather than a reason to celebrate.
And it’s something a man in China is certainly feeling right now. Especially because his story, as well as his penchant for just going ham on some raw beef, is being broadcast for the entire world to see.
Thankfully for him, the man who turned his bloody steak dreams into a horror movie reality that might make you never want to eat meat again, has remained anonymous. But you’ve got to read exactly what happened to him and how. Here’s an account from IFL Science:
After two years of stomach aches, lack of appetite and chronic anemia, the man’s symptoms suddenly worsened with severe abdominal pain, vomiting, weakness and rapid weight loss. The worsening of his health forced him to go to the doctors, where they quickly referred him to the Department of Infectious Diseases at Renmin Hospital in Shiyan, China.
Although a physical examination showed nothing too unexpected, they did find an oncosphere – the larval form of a tapeworm – in his poop sample.
You know the only way to get a tapeworm out of you? First, you’ve got to kill it. Then you’ve got to poop it out. So, not only did this man suffer the effects of ill health for two years, but then had to bear the indignity that was crapping out a giant alien and having it measured for scientific purposes. Sure, we can all benefit from this dude’s misery (especially if you click over to see the tapeworm and decide to just drink water and eat fruits and vegetables only for the rest of your life), but is anyone checking up on him? Is he doing okay? Psychologically?
The one upside to this whole fiasco (besides the picture of the tapeworm) is the fact that according to researchers, the man has righted himself and is back to full health. He’s eating, too (although he might not be wanting to)! At least it wasn’t in his brain!
(Via IFL Science)
