On ABC's Medical Mysteries last night, they had a story about a man who looked very, very pregnant.
But was he?
They had to do emergency surgery when, after 36 years of having a very pregnant belly, pain and breathing problems made it necessary for doctors to try to remove the "tumor" from his belly...
What they found is only just this side of shocking.
It seems that for thirty-six years, this poor Indian farmer had been carrying around his twin brother. This is a rare identical-twin complication which usually causes a mother's body to abort both children, but in this case, when they were in utero, his body absorbed the body of his twin brother.
It seems his twins body not only had ribs, fingers, toes, but also parasitically drew blood from his brother to keep his own body alive while inside of him. From the article:
This twin, though without a functioning brain or body outisde of his brothers, was alive.
Bhagat, they discovered, had one of the world's most bizarre medical conditions fetus in fetu. It is an extremely rare abnormality that occurs when a fetus gets trapped inside its twin. The trapped fetus can survive as a parasite even past birth by forming an umbilical cordlike structure that leaches its twin's blood supply until it grows so large that it starts to harm the host, at which point doctors usually intervene.
According to Mehta, there are fewer than 90 cases of fetus in fetu recorded in medical literature.
I tried finding a photo online of the wretched looking thing, but would you believe with all the garbage that makes it on to the world wide web, I couldn't find one? Ah, well... They showed a picture of it on the television, so you may all be better off not seeing it, especially if you've just eaten...
One doctor recalled that day in the operating room.
"He just put his hand inside and he said there are a lot of bones inside," she said. "First, one limb came out, then another limb came out. Then some part of genitalia, then some part of hair, some limbs, jaws, limbs, hair."
Inside Bhagat's stomach was a strange, half-formed creature that had feet and hands that were very developed. Its fingernails were quite long.
Now, I think we know where I'm going with this, but just in case, let me elaborate...
If a fetus is aborted even moments after conception, fundies decry murder and abortion to the high heavens... So did Bhagat's brother have a soul even up to the moment he was removed from Bhagat's stomach? Or did it's soul leave long ago, back when his body was enveloped by his brother?
honestly don't know what to expect in responses here. I was simply amazed at the story itself! Remind me in the future to write about how many human mutations actually occur on a daily basis: We're talking actual cyclop's, headless babies, all kinds of strange and natural things that happen in today's day and age that we never hear about on the news...
But that's probably for a very good reason...
So--did Bhagat's brother have a soul? Or did his soul leave long ago when his body became absorbed by his brother? And what does this mean for the thousands of natural miscarriages that happen daily? For those in comas?
Discuss....
5 comments:
i wanted to see that show but forgot it was on. i know you asked a very deep question and i am not sure how i should answer your question but from my personal view point i am glad that man finally gave birth so to speak!! no one should have to carry anyone that long!! i had the wonderful job of being with child 5 times and its not always fun!! :) i am not sure when the soul goes or comes but the mans brother didn't sound like he had a brain from what i could understand so whenever his brother stopped growing into a human that was going to walk and talk and take in air on his own is when God took care of the soul. i know there are alot of wierd things that happen in the human and animal field. i do feel God has grace for these things that happen and feel these little ones and people who really don't know what is going on will be taken care of by God who loves these creatures that makes Replieys Believe It Or Not show. only by the grace of God i could of been someone that could of been one of those creatures. when your grandfather was in and out of his coma i felt his spirit was there. i was there when he died and i felt something leave the room. maybe its when your heart and brain stops is when the soul goes. than there is the thing about being hooked up to machines. it just keeps going doesn't it. time to eat ice cream!! :) hope you have fun playing this game of yours! :) really jason you should play games that don't tax your brain so much. candy land can be fun. :) love and prayers
Q: "So--did Bhagat's brother have a soul?"
A: No.
Q: Do any of us?
A: No, it's all a great big game of make believe.
Speaking of make believe - this extremely rare medical condition was the basis for an x-files episode once. Talk about life immitating art...
The inside twin had a soul. I am not sure when it left the body. Wish I had that answer. I make a lot of Christian people upset with my answers many days.
Should the brother have been relieved of his burden? YOu bet he should have. It was affecting HIS health. His twin had no life to speak of. To me that's a no-brainer.
Now, the abortion thing. Personally, I couldn't do it. It's taking life, in MHO. WOuld I tell someone else they could not do it? No. It's not my place. Especially in a situation where the woman/girl carrying the baby might die if she DOES carry the baby. Who am I to tell her she has to die because abortion is wrong? Again, not my place.
As for comas, same thing. It's not my place to issue orders. My Mother specifically made me promise that she would never be hooked up to machines to be kept alive. My sisters and I kept that promise to her. She was one that everything was black and white. Abortion was out of the question. Life was in the hands of God, not of man. But, when it came time for her, she wanted no assistance by way of machines. ::shrugs::
I suppose every case is a bit different, but in the end, someone has to make a decision. Make it one you can live with.
Good post, Jason.
If it had a soul, then the chicken I had for lunch had more of a soul.
The inside twin had a soul. I am not sure when it left the body. Wish I had that answer. I make a lot of Christian people upset with my answers many days.
Should the brother have been relieved of his burden? YOu bet he should have. It was affecting HIS health. His twin had no life to speak of. To me that's a no-brainer.
Now, the abortion thing. Personally, I couldn't do it. It's taking life, in MHO. WOuld I tell someone else they could not do it? No. It's not my place. Especially in a situation where the woman/girl carrying the baby might die if she DOES carry the baby. Who am I to tell her she has to die because abortion is wrong? Again, not my place.
As for comas, same thing. It's not my place to issue orders. My Mother specifically made me promise that she would never be hooked up to machines to be kept alive. My sisters and I kept that promise to her. She was one that everything was black and white. Abortion was out of the question. Life was in the hands of God, not of man. But, when it came time for her, she wanted no assistance by way of machines. ::shrugs::
I suppose every case is a bit different, but in the end, someone has to make a decision. Make it one you can live with.
Good post, Jason.
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