On Animal Planet’s Monsters Inside Me tonight, a woman goes under the knife to have a mysterious one-inch piece of wire removed from her throat — and is stunned to find out what it is.
Melinda Mouldey went to see doctors after suffering shooting pains, nausea and blood in her vomit, unaware what was causing her problems.
An X-ray failed to pick up anything but a later CAT scan detected the tiny wire, embedded completely under the skin near the base of her tongue.
Every time she moved it would pierce her tonsils.
Every year in the United States roughly 1,500 people DIE as the result of ingesting a foreign object.
Head and neck surgeon Doctor Natasha Cohen decided to operate on Melinda over fears the wire could end up blocking her airways and potentially kill her.
At first Dr. Cohen struggled to see the piece of metal during surgery, and thought she might have to end up cutting out part of Melinda’s tongue or opening her neck to get it out.
But she said: “Then I caught a glimpse of the tip of the object. I asked for a clamp, and pulled it straight out.
“It was dark grey, really thin and quite sharp. Melinda had a one-inch piece of metal wire stuck in the base of her tongue.”
She and Melinda, as well as Melinda’s husband Aaron, were shocked when they finally discovered what it was.
Aaron said: “I just couldn’t help but think, ‘how did that get in your throat?'”
But what was the piece of metal, and how did it get there?
Tune in to Monsters Inside Me tonight to find out…
Monsters Inside Me airs tonight at 10/9c on Animal Planet.