You don’t have to be lonely, but you don’t have to kill

Nobody likes to spend Friday night alone, but occasionally it happens. It happens even more frequently when your interests lie in para-medical research or DIY surgery, because frankly nobody wants to risk falling asleep next to you. Well it’s the modern era, fool! Stop looking for fresh bodies and just buy a high-quality medical mannequin!

I’m not talking about those cut-off-at-the-thighs torso models with puzzle piece organs, although they’re undeniably entertaining. No, nowadays you can find incredibly detailed, interactive, and medically specific models to squeal over study thoughtfully.

Want to practice delivering a baby? There’s a model for that. Want to have three buddies over for a CPR singalong? Try the four-headed dummy. Do you enjoy inserting catheters? First of all, you’re a perv, and second of all, here’s the model you want.

My favorites, though, are the veterinary models: dogs and cats that you can practice trauma emergencies on. For less than $100 you can get a giant patch of dog skin with a giant flea on it.

Sure, they’re expensive. But sometimes that’s the price you pay for being a creepy weirdo nobody wants to be friends with.

Aspen Multi-System Corp
Rescue Critters

March 5, 2010 | Filed Under Decor, Medical, Shopping | Comments 

When warts attack

This is Dede. He used to be called the Tree Man, because the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) went apeshit throughout his body due to a rare genetic disorder that prevented his immune system from fighting back. Back in 2007 it was so severe that it was actually life threatening, as you can see from the photo below.

Read more

February 15, 2010 | Filed Under Medical, People, Strange But True | Comments 

Worm therapy: get yourself dosed up with some parasites on purpose

ms-tapeworm-on-oprahI don’t know if “worm therapy” has any legitimate medical underpinnings, but hey, doctors love to sling leeches and handfuls of maggots around operating rooms willy-nilly these days, so maybe it’s time to invite the hookworms and tapeworms in to the party.

Hookworms cost $2400. The “dosing” is 10-24 worms. Suggested treatments:

The conditions that are actively being researched are Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Asthma, Allergies, Coeliac disease, Eczema, Multiple Sclerosis, and Psoriasis. There are theoretical reasons to believe that Atherosclerosis, Depression, Grave’s disease, Irritable bowel syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Sjorgen’s syndrome, Lupus, Migraine, Non-Ulcer Dyspepsia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasic Arthritis and Diabetes type I might respond.

Tapeworms are more of cosmetic thing. They seem to treat far fewer illnesses–the site only lists asthma and allergies–but that’s because the real purpose is weight loss. Fortunately, a tapeworm dosing is only $1400, so if you start saving now you’ll be able to afford one before you have to go to that wedding at the end of summer. I’m pretty sure, thought, that if you want to go the DIY route you can just eat some raw pork.

wormtherapy.com
(Photo: nayrb7)

June 1, 2009 | Filed Under Medical | Comments 

Photos of meat. Human meat.

The Sterile Eye is a Norwegian medical photographer’s personal blog, and as such the entries cover whatever is on the guy’s mind that day. But among the miscellania are entries where the man posts photos and stills from the videos he shoots, and they’re extremely up close and personal glimpses of the human body.

October 22, 2008 | Filed Under Medical, Photo Album, Strange But True | Comments 

West Virginian Comes Back To Life After Rigor Mortis Set In

After 17 hours of no heartbeat and no brainwaves, this woman in West Virginia opened her eyes and started talking.

Thomas suffered two heart attacks and had no brain waves for more than 17 hours. At about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, her heart stopped and she had no pulse. A respiratory machine kept her breathing and rigor mortis had set in, doctors said.

“Her skin had already started to harden and her fingers curled. Death had set in,” said son Jim Thomas. They rushed her to a West Virginia hospital. Doctors put Thomas on a special machine which induces hypothermia. The treatment involves lowering the body temperature for up to 24 hours before warming a patient up.

After that procedure, her heart stopped again. “She had no neurological function,” said Dr. Kevin Eggleston. Her family said goodbye and doctors removed all the tubes. However, Thomas was kept on a ventilator a little while longer as an organ donor issue was discussed. Ten minutes later the woman woke up and started talking.

“She (nurse) said, ‘I’m so sorry Mrs. Thomas.’ And mom said, ‘That’s OK honey. That’s OK,” Jim Thomas said.

And then she said, “Oh my, I’m so hungry! Is the hospital cafeteria still open? I’d love a fresh bowl of brraaaaiiinnnnssssss…”

“Woman Wakes Up After Family Says Goodbye, Pulls Tubes” [NewsNet5]

May 25, 2008 | Filed Under Medical, Zombies | Comments 

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