BERLIN (Reuters) - A 59-year-old German woman has had most of a pencil removed from inside her head after suffering nearly her whole life with the headaches and nosebleeds it caused, Bild newspaper reported on Monday.
Margret Wegner fell over carrying the pencil in her hand when she was four.
"The pencil went right through my skin -- and disappeared into my head," Wegner told the newspaper.
It narrowly missed vital parts of her brain.
At the time no one dared operate, but now technology has improved sufficiently for doctors to be able to remove it.
The majority of the pencil, some 8 cm (3.1 inches) long, was taken out in an operation at a private Berlin clinic, but the 2 cm tip had grown in so firmly that it was impossible to remove.
Imagine having to suffer for that long before they could do anything about it! I wonder sometimes at all the human body can live with and endure,it,s incredible!
Full Version: German has pencil removed from brain
I could imagine that years ago an operation like this would be impossible..Fortunately the lead that grew didn't result in a tumor of some kind...I couldn't imagine going through the majority of my life suffering like she did...
Eeeek! Sounds painful! I guess this is no stranger than the guy that got shot in the head and didn't know it even though there was a bullet in his brains for yeeears. How does someone just continue living like that?
Oh my goodness....thats scary 
lead poisoning 
Thats a long time to be suffering, hope she has a speedy recovery.
lead poisoning Thats a long time to be suffering, hope she has a speedy recovery.
i remember watching the simpsons when homer had a crayon type pencil removed from his brain and became really intelligent, wonder if this person is gonna become intelligent to 
QUOTE(swtp @ Aug 6 2007, 12:45 PM) 
BERLIN (Reuters) - A 59-year-old German woman has had most of a pencil removed from inside her head after suffering nearly her whole life with the headaches and nosebleeds it caused, Bild newspaper reported on Monday.
Margret Wegner fell over carrying the pencil in her hand when she was four.
"The pencil went right through my skin -- and disappeared into my head," Wegner told the newspaper.
It narrowly missed vital parts of her brain.
At the time no one dared operate, but now technology has improved sufficiently for doctors to be able to remove it.
The majority of the pencil, some 8 cm (3.1 inches) long, was taken out in an operation at a private Berlin clinic, but the 2 cm tip had grown in so firmly that it was impossible to remove.
Imagine having to suffer for that long before they could do anything about it! I wonder sometimes at all the human body can live with and endure,it,s incredible!
Margret Wegner fell over carrying the pencil in her hand when she was four.
"The pencil went right through my skin -- and disappeared into my head," Wegner told the newspaper.
It narrowly missed vital parts of her brain.
At the time no one dared operate, but now technology has improved sufficiently for doctors to be able to remove it.
The majority of the pencil, some 8 cm (3.1 inches) long, was taken out in an operation at a private Berlin clinic, but the 2 cm tip had grown in so firmly that it was impossible to remove.
Imagine having to suffer for that long before they could do anything about it! I wonder sometimes at all the human body can live with and endure,it,s incredible!
Incredible is definitely the word!
3.1 inches long pencil though, it is so hard to believe she was not killed
QUOTE(swtp @ Aug 6 2007, 12:45 PM)
Margret Wegner fell over carrying the pencil in her hand when she was four. "The pencil went right through my skin -- and disappeared into my head," Wegner told the newspaper. It narrowly missed vital parts of her brain.
You'd think that the skull would stop a pencil...?
*Tries*
QUOTE(goalienan @ Aug 6 2007, 06:15 PM)
I could imagine that years ago an operation like this would be impossible..Fortunately the lead that grew didn't result in a tumor of some kind...I couldn't imagine going through the majority of my life suffering like she did...
modern pencils are lead free, almost everywhere since the 50s
QUOTE
You'd think that the skull would stop a pencil...?
Most likely. Meaning this story is most likely bull. Bild is not a particularly credible scource.
QUOTE(chemical-licker @ Aug 6 2007, 03:25 PM)
i remember watching the simpsons when homer had a crayon type pencil removed from his brain and became really intelligent, wonder if this person is gonna become intelligent to
Oddly enough, that is the first thing I thought of when I saw the title of this thread...
QUOTE(Iaret @ Aug 6 2007, 05:08 PM)
Most likely. Meaning this story is most likely bull. Bild is not a particularly credible scource.
It could be, but there have been very strange things happening depending on the exact circumstances needed to happen.
QUOTE(chemical-licker @ Aug 6 2007, 08:25 PM)
i remember watching the simpsons when homer had a crayon type pencil removed from his brain and became really intelligent, wonder if this person is gonna become intelligent to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76pqBQ2qVIw&NR=1
Classic stuff!
QUOTE(chemical-licker @ Aug 6 2007, 04:25 PM)
i remember watching the simpsons when homer had a crayon type pencil removed from his brain and became really intelligent, wonder if this person is gonna become intelligent to
That was a good episode.
i would still be uncomfortable knowing that there is still a piece in there
QUOTE(Raptor X7 @ Aug 6 2007, 03:59 PM)
You'd think that the skull would stop a pencil...?
*Tries*
*Tries*
Well at age 4 if she hit the right spot....
Bring me all the children!!!
QUOTE(chemical-licker @ Aug 6 2007, 09:25 PM)
i remember watching the simpsons when homer had a crayon type pencil removed from his brain and became really intelligent, wonder if this person is gonna become intelligent to
the simpsons is a cartoon but there have been cases reported where people who have sustained brain damage profoundly changes their personality, for example, this famous brain injury in 1848
The brain contains a lot of redundancy, so it is quite possible to damage a large part of it, and for it to continue functioning, having said that, there are some very tiny parts of the brain that if damaged can cause huge functional loss and even death, so there is no rule of thumb here. Also there are some major blood vessels around the brain matter that if ruptured will cause hemmoraging (a stroke), this could lead to death if the bleeding isn't controlled. The girl was obviously fortunate, none of these delicate parts of the brain were disrupted.
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