Discovery Health-my new fav channel

I am at once both mesmerized and aghast at Medical Miracles/Medical Incredible (both on Discovery Health channel). Very graphic surgeries are shown and the most amazing medical stories are told. Tonight's was "Pregnant for 46 yrs"-just amazing the things the human body can adapt to and survive. Stuff like that just reaffirms my belief in something bigger than just our human existence and knowledge.

The first story was of this woman whose baby had died in her womb and was too large to miscarry or be reabsorbed. At the hospital, she ran away when she found out that they wanted to operate to remove the fetus. 46 yrs later, she had a lot of pain and medical complications so she finally decided to go back to the doctor. They removed it and it was a "stone baby". Very gross. Her body had covered it in calcium deposits to seal it off from her internal organs.

In the next story, this woman was pregnant with twins. Then in her 12th week she started bleeding and had a lot of pain. Then they found out that she had a third baby who was ectopic (in her fallopian tube) and by the 12th week, it had grown so big that it had ruptured the tube (hence the bleeding and pain) but it had reattached itself to her abdominal wall and it continued growing. Can you imagine? Normally, ectopic pregnancies like that, don't progress that far and eventually rupture - usually both mother and baby die. At 7mths, they did C-section of sorts. They first delivered the twins in the womb. Then they had to search for the 3rd baby b/c they couldn't see it. Finally they got him out. They said there was a 60 million:1 chance of her and her babies surviving the operation. And they expected the 3rd baby to most likely have brain damage or developmetal problems due to his development outside the womb. But the kids are all healthy and developing normally (they showed them at age 6). Just amazing.

Then the stories on medical incredible - this guy with neurofibromatosis. They thought he'd be dead by 8. He's 36. They removed a 7 1/2 lb tumor from his neck when he was 8. He had over 10 serious surgeries as a kid to remove tumors. Tumors grow all over his face and now that he's older they are too entwined with his brain and facial muscles for them to be removed. He has migraines that last 5-6 weeks at a time. He travels around educating and talking about his disease and self-esteem/having a positive outlook on life.

This other kid had this genetic disorder where his body can't block or heal from damage caused by UV rays. Just opening the door to check the mail could cause serious damage. He has to check his skin for cancers every day so that they can be caught early enough to be treated. His family moved from Israel to NY to get away from the intense UV/sun there. Such courage these people have. This kid (19) said that God doesn't give us more than we can bear and this is what he has to bear.

When I see stuff like that, it makes all the stuff I worry about seem almost silly by comparison.