Sometimes even a seemingly ordinary symptom can hide something unexpected. This was also the case with a woman named Monica Deyanira Cabrera Barajas (26), who had been suffering from a persistent cough for more than a month. Her condition was life-threatening and required emergency surgery.
- Monica was troubled by a persistent cough.
- An examination revealed a metal part of the piercing lodged near her aorta.
- During the first operation, the doctors were unable to remove the foreign object.
- Before the second operation, Monica wrote a farewell letter because she was afraid of death.
- Doctors warned that the displacement of the piercing could have caused the aorta to rupture.
Monica talked about her serious complications in a post on social networks. She revealed that at first she did not even notice the missing piece of jewelry, as she has several piercings on her body. However, when the cough persisted, she decided to go for an examination, which led to the discovery of a foreign object.
Doctors discovered that the metal part from her piercing got stuck just half a millimeter from the aorta, the most important artery in the human body that carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the rest of the body.. “The only explanation I gave to the pulmonologist is that I fell asleep and the ball fell off. I was lying on my back, so I didn’t notice anything,” said Monica.
Although the procedure was supposed to last only about 20 minutes, the situation quickly became complicated. During the first attempt, doctors were unable to remove the metal piece because it had already fused with the internal tissue. “They tried for almost an hour and a half, but could not remove him,” the young woman explained.
She was writing a farewell letter
Ahead of a second, more invasive operation associated with the risk of heavy bleeding, Monica admitted that she was prepared for the worst. The day before the procedure, she therefore decided to write a farewell letter to her loved ones. “Honestly, I thought I was going to die. It was a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Even the surgeon was shocked at how close the metal part was to the heart“, she stated.
Monica believes that the incident could have ended tragically if the doctors had not detected the problem in time. If the metal pierced her lungs or heart, it could cause lung failure or rupture of the aorta. “I love piercings, but I will be more careful. I don’t want to experience such fear again“, she concluded.
This article comes from the Ringier publishing partner website. The content and data contained in it were taken without editorial intervention.
