In the 1980's, a young man in this twenties came into the ER on an almost weekly basis. He would show up in the waiting room, vomit a quart of red blood all over the floor, and get ushered into an ER slot immediately.
He complained of excruciating stomach pain and terrible dizzness. After getting IV's placed and labs drawn, the ER staff would find him dangerously anemic. He'd get blood tranfusions immediately, perhaps 2 or 3 PRBCs (packed red blood cells, or concentrated red cells).
As soon as he was stable, they'd offer him an emergent endoscopy (a camera down his mouth into his stomach under light anesthesia) to find the source of the bleeding.
He always refused. He'd tear out his IVs, and leave AMA (against medical advice).
To the frustration of the GI, Medicine, and ER staff, he kept coming to the ER.
He kept getting vomiting blood.
He kept getting transfused.
He kept refusing the life-saving diagnostic test that might save his life.
Finally, one day after another ER visit, a curious medical student asked if he could look at the vomited blood under the microscope.
This is what he saw:

See, the blood the guy vomited all had nuclei in the red cells. Human red blood cells lose their nucleus during the maturation process. They look like little red bags with nothing in them.
What was wrong with this guy? And why did his blood look like that?
Well, the smart medical student also looked at the patient's real blood (a sample taken from his vein) under a microscope too. And it looked normal, like the blood on the left side of the picture.
Turns out, this guy was donating blood for money. Afterwards, he'd go to a local slaughterhouse, buy a few pints of chicken's blood (avian blood always has nuclei in the red blood cells). Then he'd go to the ER, drink the lot right outside the door, walk in and make some noise about his stomach hurting, then hurl chicken blood all over the place.
Let me tell you, there's nothing like a man vomiting a ton of red blood to make the ER staff jump up and take notice.
As always, his lab test would show he was anemic (because he'd just donated); the ER would stabilize him by transfusing blood; and he'd disappear before the endoscopy.
Then, his veins plump with new, transfused blood, he'd head for another Red Cross center and sell off the pints of blood he'd just received.
Is that crazy and brilliant and awful, or what?
Lesson learned. When thinking of a weird medical situation for your story, also consider thinking outside the species.

If you've got a fictional medical question, let me know! Post below or email me at
All I ask is that you become a follower and post a link on your blog when I post your answer.
Also, don't forget to check out Laura Diamond's Mental Health Mondays and Sarah Fine's The Strangest Situation.
61 comments:
That story is both awesome and terrible. It's the stuff of urban legend! Great post, Lydia. You never disappoint.
That story is so insane! I've never head anything like that. Thanks for the post.
That's brilliant - in a disgusting sort of way. :) Definitely thinking outside the box!
I'm speechless. All the money that was wasted because of this, and all those poor people made to wait longer because he was deemed a medical emergency. Yay for the brillant med student. :D
In Canada, blood donation is voluntary so this would never happen.
I can't believe that! I guess brilliant in a weird sort of way.
This is so devious, I can't believe it wasn't one of my patients. And who knew chicken blood has nuclei? I will never look at Foghorn Leghorn as an equal again.
it's amazing - and awful! - what people will do for money.
Interesting - in a disgusting sort of way...It would make an interesting plot or character twist, that's for sure!
EWWWW!!!! That's insane! What a story.
Wow!! How incredible!! Wow!! Now that is what I call a story and a half and more!! Yikes!!! The guy was a either a genius or just crazy or plain greedy! LOL!
Take care
x
Um, wow. Lydia, I have no words. But, I bet Sarah could do a post on this and it would fit right into your (as in you, Laura and Sarah) theme. Because there must be more than just desperation for money and a sick brilliance, right?
-Vicki
Random question, is it possible to die or cause serious damage by suppressing a sneeze?
Now that's going a long way to get some money. Sheesh. Ugh, I can't even envision drinking chicken blood, let alone throwing it all back up again later. Ewewew.
What a career choice, huh?
What happened the next time he showed up in the ER???
Fascinating! And to think I used Chicken's Blood only for special occasions!
WOW! Truth is stranger than fiction!
How did he pay for all the ER visits? You would think that would be more expensive than the $ he got for the blood. But I guess if he was selling his blood, he probably had the govt pay for his medical visits, no?
Wow. There just aren't any words...
@.@ That is SO GROSS! And very sneaky. But yay for the brilliant med student who figured it out!
@Giles, if you suppress a sneeze, your brains might implode.
Just kidding. No harm in suppressing a sneeze.
@Kelly, he probably used a fake name or had no insurance. Yes, the taxpayers probably ate up his ER costs.
@Miss Sharp, I have no idea what happened to him! I think they probably confronted him and he ran away. But that could just be my improvising imagination.
It would be brilliant if it didn't involve him drinking chicken blood.
That guy was weird. Laura Diamond should talk about his mental state.
But you're so right about thinking outside the box.
Eeuwww! What an excellent plot device. And thanks for the comic relief--after reading along, glued to your story, curious and horrified, if was great to get to the chicken Bok Bok-ing!
Christ, that's disturbing. Makes for a damn engaging blog post, though!
This is so weird and amazing, and yes, pretty brilliant. Although, I can't imagine being able to force myself to drink chicken blood like that. D: Gross.
Oh, that is just hilariously sad! Makes you ask yourself, what kind of life is that - so not worth it. Great story though, and definitely outside the box. Thanks for getting my brain going!
Now that was someone desperate for money!
Wow that is weird! Think outside the species, I love that! This is one story I won't soon forget. *shudders*
What a weird fellow, that man was. I sure I will remember this story all my life.
That story makes me feel slightly sick. Not sure if it's the blood or the moral outrage. haha. Chicken blood. yuck.
hi miss lydia!
chicken blood! ack! yikes! pretty yucky way to get some money and for sure pretty messy. you got some way strange stories!
...hugs from lenny
So, since he vomited it up right away, it didn't give him any diseases? Could you get a disease from drinking raw animal blood? Gross!
Oh my gosh. I am sending this link to my nurse daughter who will love it, while I on the other hand am trying very hard to get these images out of my head LOL.
Gah! that's just awful, awful! I hate the practice of paying people for their blood anyway, and this proves the point. Not that this happens all the time of course, and I suppose not as many people would donate if they didn't pay, but still....
Haha, I've never heard of a blood smuggler. But that is creepily genius!
Wonk. I rather flip hamburgers.
That is, I'd rather...
I agree with one commenter above it is the stuff of urban legend right there.
It is because of donors like him, drug users, and the advent of HIV that the FDA will no longer allow blood centers who use their donated blood for patients to pay for donations.
As always, a "stimulating" post. LOL. Roland
That is crazy bizarre. Great post!
That's disgusting! What a strange story!
That tactic was weirdly brilliant, but I can't help wondering if his arm and/or vein didn't begin to feel like a sieve. :)
Ho.Lee.Smokes.
This is about the best truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story I've heard in a long time.
Wow. I couldn't make up anything half as good as this!
Yeow. I don't know WHAT to think!
How did he even come up with such a thing? And once he did, how did he manage to go through with it? Yuck. It would make an excellent ploy to use in a book, though.
That guy was going through a lot to get money by seliing blood. Seems like he should have come up with an easier way to make money.
Only one word to describe it. WOW. Okay, amazing, unbelievable, etc., all work too.
I can't wait to tell the story to my friend who's a doctor, but I'll give you credit. :)
That is so disturbing. Wow, what some people will do.
I feel terrible for find this story hilarious. The guy's crazy, but definitely brilliant. You have to admire him a little for that.
What tha... What? He'd ... drink chicken blood and then barf it all over the ER?!?
Sounds to me like this guy has bigger problems than money. :D
sigh.
You funny thing w/the stories! ;p
That upped the disgust meter a few notches.
Wow! I'm going to have to agree with everyone else. That was one of the best truth-is-stranger-than-fiction stories I've ever heard. Great post, Lydia! Oh, and, as always, the visuals are awesome. :D
Now that is a creative mind who def never had to wait in line...
Wow! That is just bizarre. Just thinking about it makes me a little squeamish!
Omigosh that's insane!! And brilliantly twisted!
It's one of the crazier things I've heard of and it's pretty awful as well. There are probably a lot of folks who abuse the system in order to benefit from it and in the current economy I'll bet it's getting worse.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Someday, I WILL write a mystery novel, and you will be to blame :)
That has to be one of the craziest, most brilliant, most disturbing things I've ever read. :) But thank you for posting it...I love things out of the box, haha. :)
What a crazy, but cunning guy. Thank you for sharing.
Ewww.
Banned complain !! Complaining only causes life and mind become more severe. Enjoy the rhythm of the problems faced. No matter ga life, not a problem not learn, so enjoy it :)
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