OAK LAWN, Ill. — Dante Autullo was sure he’d merely cut himself with a nail gun while building a shed, and thought doctors were joking when they told him what an X-ray revealed: A 3 1/4-inch nail was lodged in the middle of his brain. Autullo was recovering Friday after undergoing surgery at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where doctors removed the nail that came within millimeters of the part of the brain controlling motor function. “When they brought in the picture, I said to the doctor ‘Is this a joke? Did you get that out of the doctors joke file?’” the 32-year-old...

LONDON: An elderly woman in Britain had a pen stuck in her stomach for 25 years. The 76-year-old accidentally swallowed the felt-tip pen in the 1980s when using it to hold down her tongue while checking her tonsils in a mirror, Daily Express reported Thursday. But no one believed her at the time because hospital scans revealed nothing and she completely forgot about it. The plastic pen was removed when she went to see a gastrointestinal specialist after suffering from severe stomach pains, weight loss and diarrhoea. Read more…

Conjoined twins have been born in Brazil with two heads, two functioning brains and two backbones – but a single heart. The rare condition is thought to have occurred when one of the pair failed to fully develop in the womb. Doctors say separating the twins, named Jesus and Emanuel, is not currently an option because there is only one set of organs, Reuters reports. They are being monitored by specialists to see how they develop. Dr Neila Dahas, who is treating the newborns, said surgery was not being considered at the moment. Read more…

Women wondering whether or not to take the next step with a new man in their life should heed the advice of Russian scientists – and take a deep whiff. Sniffing a potential partner’s scent could tell if Mr Right has a sexually transmitted disease, according to a new study. The research found that gonorrhea-infected men smelt ‘putrid’ to women, reports MSNBC.com.’Our research revealed that infection disease reduces odor attractiveness in humans’ wrote Mikhail Moshkin, a professor at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Russia, and the lead author of research...

NEW YORK (WABC) — Most of us are familiar with the term sleep walking, but what about texting while sleeping? There’s actually a growing community of people who say they’re experiencing this phenomenon. “Sometimes I look at my phone and I’m like did I text that while asleep? I’m not really sure,” said Christopher Heath. Some say sleep texting is a sign of these technologically advanced times. At least according to the thousands of members belonging to the sleep texting Facebook page. “I have to look full conversations while I’m asleep but I...

A 24-year-old Cincinnati father died from a tooth infection this week because he couldn’t afford his medication, offering a sobering reminder of the importance of oral health and the number of people without access to dental or health care. According to NBC affiliate WLWT, Kyle Willis’ wisdom tooth started hurting two weeks ago. When dentists told him it needed to be pulled, he decided to forgo the procedure, because he was unemployed and had no health insurance. When his face started swelling and his head began to ache, Willis went to the emergency room, where he received prescriptions...

For two-year-old Connie Lloyd, there was nothing amusing about having a bright red ‘clown’s nose’. Born with a benign tumour that grew to cover her nose, she suffered cruel taunts and name-calling and was told the rare condition could not be cured. But the shy little girl has a reason to smile at last after surgeons defied the odds and left her with a ‘nose like mum’s’. Doctors had spotted a shadow on Connie’s nose at the 26-week scan but when she was born in September 2008, she appeared perfectly healthy. Connie, from Slough, Berkshire, was just a day old when parents Zara Green...

A 29-year-old from Bridgend, South Wales, has become Britain’s youngest grandfather after his 14-year-old (now 15) daughter, Tia, recently gave birth to a baby girl. Shem Davies was also 14 when Tia was born, who celebrated her 15th birthday in hospital after giving birth to her baby girl – Gracie. Shem, who was mistaken by maternity nurses as Gracie’s father, said: “It is an absolute joy to see Gracie thriving. I’m incredibly proud of Tia. She’ll be a brilliant mum. At first I wasn’t overly pleased that she was pregnant but I soon got over that. Now it’s...

MADRID, Spain — Doctors in Spain have carried out the world’s first double leg transplant, giving new lower limbs to a patient who lost both legs at mid-thigh in an accident, officials said Monday. The Valencia regional government said the surgical team was led by Dr. Pedro Cavadas, who in 2009 carried out Spain’s first face transplant — the first anywhere to include a new tongue and jaw. The government statement said the operation at La Fe Hospital in Valencia was extremely complex and Cavadas will wait at least 48 hours to release more information. “Today we can say...

Health officials in the Indian state of Rajasthan are launching a new campaign to try reduce the high population growth in the area. They are encouraging men and women to volunteer for sterilisation, and in return are offering a car and other prizes for those who come forward. Among the rewards on offer is the Indian-made Tata Nano – the world’s cheapest car. Many in the government are worried about the size of India’s population. It is expected to overtake that of China by 2030. Sitaram Sharma, the head doctor of Jhunjunu in western India, is hopeful that the chance to win a...