2003 At-Risk Survivor

At-Risk Survivors have misadventures that stop short of the ultimate sacrifice. Nevertheless we salute the spirit of their colossal blunders with an Honorable Mention. Better luck next time!

Eel Enema
2003 At-Risk Survivor
Confirmed True by Darwin

(Late 2003, Hong Kong) An unidentified Hong Kong resident, age 50, entered the Accident and Emergency Department of a local hospital complaining of abdominal pain. The doctor's examination revealed peritonitis, an inflammation of the abdomen. Wondering what had caused this problem, doctors ordered an x-ray and spotted what appeared to be an eel inside his colon! Could an eel be the source of his pain?

Yes, the man admitted, there was an eel inside him. He had been suffering from constipation, he told the dubious medical staff, and thought that inserting an eel into his rectum would relieve it.

The man was rushed to the operating room, where an emergency laparoscopy disclosed that a 50-cm (19-inch) eel was biting the side of his colon. The eel also had also taken a bite out of his rectum wall in transit, so to speak. After surgeons removed the animal and reconstructed the rectum, the man's pain and constipation were both cured. He was discharged from the hospital a week later.

Eel Enema 2003 At-Risk Survivor Confirmed True by Darwin

Eel Enema
2003 At-Risk Survivor
Confirmed True by Darwin