[Faline]

We've all lost pens down the back of a sofa but one woman managed to misplace one for 25 years - after she swallowed it by accident.
The surprising find only came to light after the 76-year-old woman visited her doctor suffering from weight loss and diarrhoea.



An urgent investigation revealed areas of the woman's large intestine had become inflamed, which was causing the abdominal pain.
Doctors at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital Foundation Trust then took a CT scan of her abdomen where they were amazed to find a 'linear object' that looked much like a pen.

When questioned, the patient remembered that 25 years before she had used a felt-tip pen to poke her tonsils while looking at them in a mirror. However, she had then fallen forward off a step and swallowed the pen by accident.
Her husband and GP had dismissed her story at the time after plain abdominal X-rays came up normal.



The doctors performed a gastroscopy, which confirmed there was a plastic felt-tip pen sitting in the lumen of the woman's stomach.
It hadn't caused her any gastric damage - indeed the symptoms that had prompted the investigation in the first place had resolved themselves.
The medical team her decided that they should remove the pen as there was a small risk it could perforate her stomach lining.
It was removed under general anaesthetic and amazingly the doctors found the pen was still in working order.
Reporting the case in British Medical Journal Case Reports, the team led by Dr Oliver Waters, concluded: 'Occasionally it may be worth believing the patient’s account however unlikely it may be.'

[zykron]

Ooouch, if it was a marble, she could've thrown it back up I suppose, but not this.

[Darkmist74]

After 25 years, why would you try to write with it after it was inside someone's stomach?

[Cumulonimbus]

I'm sorry, but why the hell would you poke your tonsils with a pen or writing utensil of any kind? Also, don't you think 25 years ago would have been a good time to address the "pen in my digestive tract" issue?

[DiamondSmiles]

Wow! And it's a felt tip pen! Those stupid things are usually dried out when I need one! I guess a nice moist atmosphere and they're good!

[BryanXavier]

And the maker of the pen?? I'm gonna get a few. My tonsils have been bothering me, too.

[DiamondSmiles]

Years ago, they used to put a Bic clear plastic pen on an ice skate and have a professional, (Peggy Fleming), iceskate with it and it worked, but, it wasn't a felt tip.

I can't tell what brand it is that was inside the woman.

[zykron]

Originally Posted by diamondsmiles ↗

I can't tell what brand it is that was inside the woman.

Either way, it left its mark.

[BryanXavier]

That was a true "groan" not a "fuck you" btw.

[Mr.Goodbar]

Her husband and GP had dismissed her story at the time after plain abdominal X-rays came up normal.

Her husband was a doctor and didn't believe her. Sue that useless prick!