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Woman Survives 'Internal Decapitation' (NRR)

drewnicedrewnice 5,465 Posts
edited May 2007 in Strut Central
This story completely blows my mind:Woman survives 'internal decapitation'[/b]Story Highlights[/b]??? Woman, 30, survives "internal decapitation," separation of skull from spine??? Skin, spinal cord, other internal organs remained intact; she's not paralyzed??? Surgeons attached metal halo with screws in head, neck to minimize movementDENVER, Colorado (AP) -- Even her surgeon calls her a miracle.Shannon Malloy was critically injured January 25 when a car crash slammed her into the dashboard. Her skull separated from her spine, although her skin, spinal cord and other internal organs remained intact.The rare condition is known clinically as internal decapitation, and it left her with no control over her head.Her injuries left Malloy with nerve damage that made her eyes cross, and she has difficulty swallowing. She was not paralyzed.Dr. Gary Ghiselli, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Denver Spine Center, said he and his colleagues had never seen such an injury in someone still living."I've seen it once before," Ghiselli said, "and, unfortunately, the patient didn't make it."Even after the crash, physicians in Nebraska, where Malloy lives, told relatives they should prepare to say their goodbyes.Ghiselli said a will to survive kept Malloy, 30, alive long enough for surgeons to insert screws in her head and neck and attach a halo to minimize movement -- no easy task."My skull slipped off my neck about five times," Malloy said. "Every time they tried to screw this to my head, I would slip."Doctors eventually stabilized her head and strengthened her neck. The halo has since been removed."It's a miracle that she was able to survive from the actual accident," Ghiselli said. "It's a miracle that she's made the progress that she's made."Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

  Comments

  • hemolhemol 2,578 Posts
    "My skull slipped off my neck about five times," Malloy said. "Every time they tried to screw this to my head, I would slip."


    That's fuckin tough. She should fight some other incredibly tough person, and the winner should eat the loser's heart. Then the winner could walk through bullets and smoke to single-handedly defeat terrorism everywhere.
  • CousinLarryCousinLarry 4,618 Posts
    "My skull slipped off my neck about five times," Malloy said. "Every time they tried to screw this to my head, I would slip."


    That's fuckin tough. She should fight some other incredibly tough person, and the winner should eat the loser's heart. Then the winner could walk through bullets and smoke to single-handedly defeat terrorism everywhere.

    Reading the part about her head slipping off made me queezy. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much that must have hurt.
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    "My skull slipped off my neck about five times," Malloy said. "Every time they tried to screw this to my head, I would slip."


    That's fuckin tough. She should fight some other incredibly tough person, and the winner should eat the loser's heart. Then the winner could walk through bullets and smoke to single-handedly defeat terrorism everywhere.

    The sad part is, I imagine now the simplest of accidents could kill her pretty easily. I had to quit reading when the doctor said that the family should still prepare 'their goodbyes'.
  • oripsorips 238 Posts
    Her injuries left Malloy with nerve damage that made her eyes cross, and she has difficulty swallowing. She was not paralyzed.

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