The story of a 28-year-old woman who didn't poop for 45 days has left social media users in disbelief.
Now, I'm sure many of us read Everyone Poops when we were children, but it turns out that wasn't the case for one woman, whose lack of bowl movements not only left her in severe pain, but could have also resulted in her death.
Her story has recently been thrown into the spotlight by video creator Zack D. Films, whose recent post has amassed more than 2.7 million views on YouTube.
In his video, Zack recalls the story of 28-year-old housewife from Chembur, Mumbai, who experienced a medical anomaly that left doctors both astonished and alarmed.
For an astonishing 45 days back in 2013, she was unable to have a bowel movement, leading to a life-threatening situation that required emergency surgery.
The woman, referred to as Anusha (name changed), sought medical attention at the Nova Specialty Surgery Centre in Chembur after enduring prolonged constipation accompanied by vomiting.
Her abdomen was severely bloated, exerting painful pressure on surrounding organs, and she had become malnourished due to decreased food intake.
Dr. Amit Thadhani, consulting general and laparoscopic surgeon at the center, noted that such extreme cases of fecal impaction are typically observed in obese or bedridden individuals, making Anusha's condition particularly unusual given her lean build, per Times of India.
Per the BBC, diagnostic evaluations revealed a "football-sized" mass of hardened fecal matter lodged in the sigmoid colon, an uncommon site for such blockages.
This mass was perilously close to perforating both the large and small intestines, necessitating immediate surgical intervention. During a two-hour emergency procedure, surgeons performed a sigmoid colostomy to carefully extract the compacted feces without causing further damage to the intestinal walls.
Dr. Thadhani emphasized the delicacy required, as using instruments to break the hardened mass could have resulted in intestinal perforation.
Over in the comments section of Zack D. Films' video, social media users shared their thoughts, with one person commenting: "How the hell does someone spend 45 days without pooping and not consider medicine or checkups?"
Another added: "I feel so sorry for her. That has to hurt."
"That's enough traumatizing for today," a third added.
Anusha's case is particularly remarkable considering that the longest documented duration of constipation prior to this was ten days (as of 2013).
Her unprecedented 45-day ordeal not only posed severe physical health risks but also suggested potential psychological factors contributing to her condition. Consequently, she was referred to a psychiatrist for further evaluation.
Following the successful surgery, Anusha was discharged and began her recovery.