The gym incident
Imagine you’re at the gym, just doing your thing on the chest press, when suddenly you feel a "pop" in your body. That’s exactly what happened to a 34-year-old man in May 2017. He didn't feel pain, but he went limp and his left leg lost sensation. He initially visited St Thomas’ hospital in London, but after MRI scans went missing and staff failed to track them down, he was discharged with a suspected bruised spine.
A life-saving intervention
Real talk: we have to stan people who advocate for their loved ones. The man’s partner, Luke—who was an ICU nurse at the time—refused to accept the diagnosis and demanded a scan. It’s a good thing he did, because doctors found a massive bleed on the man’s brain caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a tangled mass of blood vessels. If he had been given the blood thinners originally suggested, it could have been fatal.
The surgery and the 'oops' moment
Because the AVM was a complex grade 4, it required a massive 16-hour surgery involving three neurosurgeons. The surgery was a success, but the recovery room reveal was highkey chaotic. The surgeon had to sheepishly admit that, right at the end of the procedure, a piece of the patient’s skull was accidentally knocked onto the floor.
Instead of waiting months for a 3D-printed replacement, the doctors cleaned the bone and loaded the patient up with extra antibiotics to prevent infection. The man, who has since recovered and married his partner, says he finds the whole situation hilarious. "I love to imagine them picking it up, dusting it off, and saying, 'Five-second rule!'" he shared.
Why it matters
Beyond the wild "skull-drop" detail, this story highlights the critical importance of advocating for yourself in medical settings. The surgeons also use his case to prove that larger, more complex AVMs can be successfully removed—giving hope to others in similar situations.
