# 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:** 2
### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/21 "2007-11-14T16:31:52Z")
[QUOTE=twickster]
Ew. Ew ew ew.
[/QUOTE]
Considering the direction this thread has taken I think you mean "Yew! Yew, yew, yew.
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/22 "2007-11-14T16:34:21Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Il Palazzo]
I’m happy for the guy’s children. I’m sure they’ve been pine-ing to cedar father cured.
[/QUOTE]
They probably call him pawpaw.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/23 "2007-11-14T16:41:31Z")
[QUOTE=lisacurl]
For god’s sake, don’t google for images. I once saw an image of them around the head of a penis.
[/QUOTE]
But none on his balsa?
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/24 "2007-11-14T16:45:32Z")
I was going to tell you guys to quit it with the bad jokes, but on second thought, koa head.
Seriously, though, that is one of the most nauseating things I’ve _ever_ seen. None of the usual “shock” internet photos do much more than make me giggle, but that one…wow. I actually got a little numb in the fingers and toes when I looked at it, a sure early warning sign of barfage for me.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/25 "2007-11-14T16:49:37Z")
Not so much nauseating to me, I just feel sorry for the poor, er, sap.
How does he feed himself? How does he get a drink of water? How does he wipe himself? Then again, he doesn’t really face any challenges that a quadraplegic doesn’t face.
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/26 "2007-11-14T16:58:31Z")
Ya never know, he may think life is peachy!
I’m gonna stop, I swear.
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### Author:  [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/27 "2007-11-14T17:00:23Z")
Shouldn’t this guy be tree-ted by a tree surgeon?
He looks like his mood is Oak-K, but maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree. I’m sure he is pining for the days when he can get away from the freak show and branch out a little.
Oh, God. I just realized that he’s Pinocchio in reverse!
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### Author:  [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/28 "2007-11-14T17:03:48Z")
I bet his mother was a real birch.
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/29 "2007-11-14T17:04:16Z")
All kidding aside, I’m happy to read that his doctors are no longer stumped. They should take a bough.
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### Author:  [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/30 "2007-11-14T17:06:12Z")
I think he’s just a nut.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/31 "2007-11-14T17:45:20Z")
[QUOTE=Otto]
All kidding aside, I’m happy to read that his doctors are no longer stumped.
[/QUOTE]
I wonder how he greeted his doctor. “Hello, my name is Forrest, Forrest Stump.”
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### Author:  [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/32 "2007-11-14T17:46:03Z")
Medically speaking, couldn’t his blood disorder be termed [_Mal-le-leuka_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca)? Regardless, his plight would drive me barking mad.
This thread is just a long string of pithy quips, ain’t it?
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### Author:  [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/33 "2007-11-14T17:59:27Z")
How long before this shows up on House?
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/34 "2007-11-14T18:05:56Z")
So if he falls when he’s alone, does he make a sound?
Good thing he’s not contagious, or he’d have to be sequoiastered.
However, despite being treated like a freak, I hope he doesn’t arbor any ill feelings.
How did his Italian doctor deliver the good news? “Youa nota gonna be-a Sycamore!”
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/35 "2007-11-14T18:12:46Z")
I’ll bet he voted for Bush.
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/36 "2007-11-14T18:17:12Z")
_Frantically calling doctor to see when Ivygirl can get her third Gardasil shot…_
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### Author:  [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/37 "2007-11-14T18:23:25Z")
[QUOTE=tdn]
Not so much nauseating to me, I just feel sorry for the poor, er, sap.
How does he feed himself? How does he get a drink of water? How does he wipe himself? Then again, he doesn’t really face any challenges that a quadraplegic doesn’t face.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, not to be a killjoy, but I’m not finding much humor in the poor guy’s plight. That must be little short of debilitating, it (apparently) cost him his wife and made him an outcast, and it looks like it could have been stopped years ago with decent primary care. How awful. At least there’s a somewhat happy ending. Kudos to the doctor who’s helping him.
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### Author:  [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/38 "2007-11-14T18:34:40Z")
I had warts across both my paws at one point when I was younger. Bothered heck out of me, and worried my mum. Ended up having some treatment involving shaving the tops off the warts, one or two fingers at a time and applying ether, for weeks.
After seeing that poor guy – now I know I got off lightly. :eek:
Poor bugger. ☹
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/39 "2007-11-14T18:37:52Z")
GOOD lord, but that’s bizarre.
It’s like that movie **From Hell It Came** come to life. Or one of those metamorphoses from Greek Myth.
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-bizarre-medical-odditiy-man-turning-into-a-tree/426369/40 "2007-11-14T18:41:17Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham]
It’s like that movie **From Hell It Came** come to life. Or one of those metamorphoses from Greek Myth.
[/QUOTE]
Or a _really_, really slow-paced Kafka story.
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