NHL prospect freaks out after 25” tapeworm comes out of body
Warning: This story is pretty gross.
Carson Meyer, an NHL prospect taken by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 6th round of the 2017 NHL draft, had been feeling increasing lethargic over the past few months to the point where he and his family thought something was seriously wrong with him.
The 21-year-old’s play on the ice at the Miami University of Ohio suffered, and the Blue Jackets were starting to worry about their new draft pick, according to People magazine.
He was losing weight, feeling tired all the time and had no appetite.
Doctors checked him for mononucleosis and other diseases, but nothing turned up. One opposing coach even wondered if he had cancer.
“He looked like Edward Cullen from ‘Twilight,’” said Carson’s mother, Holly Meyer.
But on Feb. 27, Meyer found out what the problem was — for months, a 25-inch tapeworm had been living inside him.
“It just came out,” Meyer said, describing 25-inch, orange tapeworm with a head, neck and 50 segments that he found in the toilet, according to People.
“I FaceTimed my mom and was like, ‘What the h— is this thing?’” Meyer said. “I was freaking out. Absolutely freaking out.”
His mom was freaking out too when she saw the worm, but she tried not to show it.
“I was trying to be calm,” Holly Meyer said. “He showed me everything and I remember saying, you have to get that to the trainer and figure out what it is so they can get you fixed. And I did say at that moment, ‘This is why everything has been the way it’s been, Carson. This was it.’ It was scary, but it was a relief.”
The tapeworm was indeed the cause of all her son’s ills.
Doctors told Meyer the creature is called diphyllobothrium latum, which the Centers for Disease Control says is the largest human tapeworm in existence. Normally, people get them as a result of eating raw or undercooked fish.
Diphyllobothrium latum, aka Fish tapeworm the largest parasite that infects humans. when they eat raw or undercooked freshwater fish infected by fish tapeworm cysts. The larva begins to grow in the intestine and attaches to its wall, absorbs nutrition causing VB12 deficiency. pic.twitter.com/jkaKSaL8IZ
— Meshal Alharbi (@MeshalTurkiAl) April 25, 2018
This particular tapeworm had likely been living inside Meyer for over a year, doctors said.
Hopefully, you already ate before reading this story. If you haven’t, make sure you stay away from the raw fish.
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