In an Eggshell

A small piece of eggshell fell into his omelette. He chose to ignore it.

After breakfast, he realized he felt some pain in his throat. He chose to ignore it.

A week later he fell ill with fever, chills and general malaise. The eggshell had pierced his oesophagus, causing a slight tear. The wound became infected. He thought he had a common cold. He chose to ignore it.

Another week passed. Paracetomol and Ibuprofen did not relieve his ‘cold’. He stopped ignoring it.

He went to St Vincent’s for a checkup. By then, the infection had spread to the surrounding structures. He couldn’t swallow and was getting worse for wear.

After having being scanned, he was sent to the ENT department for referral. They performed emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue.

The surgery had more complications than expected. The infection was very extensive. They removed his upper oesophagus. And then they realized that the infection had spread to the deeper structures.

He now lies in ITU, recovering slowly. The new nurse gasps at the sight of him. He had a hole in the middle of his neck. His cervical spine could be seen clearly. He was lucky to be alive.

Moral : Beware of omelettes