# This week's bizarre medical odditiy. Man turning into a tree.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 14, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369 "2007-11-14T14:41:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/1 "2007-11-14T14:41:53Z")
[Link](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=MLYGYKBGOGQ2DQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2007/11/12/wtree112.xml) , with fantastic pictures.
Tomorrow night he will be featured on the Discovery Channel. Just a really interesting story I wanted to share.
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### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/2 "2007-11-14T15:07:27Z")
Is he related to [this guy](http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2007-07-08-leafy-robber_N.htm)? š
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/3 "2007-11-14T15:22:19Z")
āCutaneous hornsā? That isā¦ astonishing. Something I had never dreamed could exist.
Letās hope he gets the treatment he needs.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/4 "2007-11-14T15:24:31Z")
Ew. Ew ew ew.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/5 "2007-11-14T15:26:21Z")
Insurance companies everywhere will have to re-evaluate customer claims that 'ā¦the tree came out of nowhereā¦"
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/6 "2007-11-14T15:50:28Z")
Now is the time for the obligatory, āWow, Iāve had friends turn into vegetables, but thisā¦ā
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/7 "2007-11-14T15:59:08Z")
So, if the guy gets horny, does he get wood?
Iām glad that his doctor got to the root of the problem.
The guy looks a little board in those pictures.
Thank you, Iāll be here all week.
Seriously, though ā How weird. Iām happy that he found a cure. His life must have really sucked.
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### Author:  [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/8 "2007-11-14T16:03:54Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace]
āCutaneous hornsā? That isā¦ astonishing. Something I had never dreamed could exist.
[/QUOTE]
For godās sake, donāt google for images. I once saw an image of them around the head of a penis. As it seems they are linked to HPV, I guess this isnāt surprising, butā¦
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/9 "2007-11-14T16:08:50Z")
Sure, people like the tree man now but once this clears up heāll be much less poplar.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/10 "2007-11-14T16:19:31Z")
[QUOTE=Otto]
Sure, people like the tree man now but once this clears up heāll be much less poplar.
[/QUOTE]
Donāt make an ash of yourself.
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### Author:  [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/11 "2007-11-14T16:24:28Z")
:eek:
howā¦
whatā¦
howā¦
ewwwww
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### Author:  [@Resistance\_is\_Character-Formin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Resistance_is_Character-Formin)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/12 "2007-11-14T16:25:42Z")
I know somebody who has something like this, but not as extreme. He has those growths on his hands and arms, but he files them down.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/13 "2007-11-14T16:26:57Z")
[QUOTE=Otto]
Sure, people like the tree man now but once this clears up heāll be much less poplar.
[/QUOTE]
Fir sure.
But Iām sure heāll be the life of the party once he leaves.
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/14 "2007-11-14T16:27:05Z")
Can he make his own syrup?
Does he need to bring a surfboard to the beech?
In spring does he get up and leave?
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/15 "2007-11-14T16:28:20Z")
[QUOTE=Kuboydal]
In spring does he get up and leave?
[/QUOTE]
Beat you to it by one minute. š
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### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/16 "2007-11-14T16:29:50Z")
That poor sap.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/17 "2007-11-14T16:29:50Z")
and now
number 5
The Larch
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/18 "2007-11-14T16:30:12Z")
[QUOTE=tdn]
Beat you to it by one minute. š
[/QUOTE]
You made me so sad Iāll leave out the Pinus and Ironwood jokes.
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/19 "2007-11-14T16:31:14Z")
If you invited him over for dinner, would you have to spruce things up a bit?
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/20 "2007-11-14T16:31:27Z")
Iām surprised the case is getting so much publicity. Isnāt this a birch of doctor-patient confidentiality?
Iām happy for the guyās children. Iām sure theyāve been pine-ing to cedar father cured.
How much does tree-tment for this kind of thing cost? Iām sure the man willow the doctor more than just a thank-you note.
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