Monsters Inside Me Full Episodes | S03E07 I Coughed Up Worms! Documentary | Medical Examiner 2026

[00:00:04]We never imagined that our lives would change so drastically.

[00:00:10]>> Nature's deadliest organisms.

[00:00:13]>> I had all these gut feelings that something was terribly wrong.

[00:00:18]>> They can hijack our bodies.

[00:00:20]>> I thought I was going to die.

[00:00:22]>> Disable our immune systems.

[00:00:24]>> I mean, I was freaking out.

[00:00:27]>> And eat us from within.

[00:00:29]Once the virus reaches the brain, the survival rate drops to nearly zero.

[00:00:35]>> These things were inside of her and they were coming out of her mouth.

[00:00:40]>> For those infected, Lisa Mullet is a stay-at-home mom. She lives in the small town of New Iberia, Louisiana with her 5-year-old son, Keith, and her husband, Cody, who works in the local police force.

[00:00:59]I love being a parent. There's no feeling in the world like knowing a little person depends on you for everything.

[00:01:09]>> I've always wanted to be a dad cuz uh I had a very good childhood growing up. I always wanted boys.

[00:01:17]>> Both Lisa and Cody have a close relationship with Lisa's mother, Mitsy, who loves spending time with her daughter and grandson. I think [music] that's when she's at her happiest is when all the family's together.

[00:01:33]>> Lisa and Cody are looking forward to the arrival of a new baby just 3 months away.

[00:01:40]But one evening in late August, Lisa starts [music] to feel unwell. [bell] >> I had a stuffy nose and a scratchy throat, and I wasn't feeling great.

[00:01:52]Colds are fairly common in South Louisiana, so I wasn't concerned.

[00:02:00]>> Cody goes to work the night shift and Lisa takes flu medication before going to bed.

[00:02:07]>> About 2 hours after taking medication, I woke up still feeling feverish. I took my [music] temperature again and it was now 104. When I realized that the medication was not bringing my fever down, I [music] became very scared.

[00:02:24]>> At this stage [music] in her pregnancy, the fever could put Lisa's baby at risk.

[00:02:29]She decides to go to the hospital.

[00:02:32][music] >> She called me and she said, "Mom, I need you to meet me at the hospital." And she kept [music] coughing, you know, all through the conversation.

[00:02:42]When Lisa arrives, the doctors see her immediately.

[00:02:47]>> My exhaustion [music] was so severe that it literally took everything I had to tell [music] the doctors I needed something to drink.

[00:02:58]>> The doctors suspect Lisa has pneumonia and [music] make a drastic decision about her care.

[00:03:06]It was about 1 or 2:00 in the morning and uh her OV was called [music] and he told them to go ahead and admit her. I had to call Cody on the phone that night and I told him I said, "Cody, you need to leave and come up here." I mean, it was like it was just impossible that she could be this sick this fast.

[00:03:29]>> For 2 days, the doctors treat Lisa with antibiotics.

[00:03:34]But by the third day, Lisa still isn't responding to the treatment.

[00:03:39]Her doctors are puzzled and run some tests to determine the cause of the infection.

[00:03:45]>> Lisa's oxygen level had dropped down to 60 [music] and it should have been in the high 90s.

[00:03:51]They told me they were taking her downstairs, putting her in ICU, and that they were going to intubate her.

[00:03:57]>> [music] >> Lisa's lungs have become so filled with fluid, she can no longer breathe on her own.

[00:04:04]>> I was so exhausted that I told my doctors I didn't want to breathe anymore. And after that, [music] everything goes blank for me.

[00:04:14]>> She was fighting the machine really hard.

[00:04:18]It really shook me up emotionally.

[00:04:22]>> And Lisa isn't their only concern.

[00:04:25]Unable to get the infection under control, Lisa's doctors think her baby could be at risk.

[00:04:32]The next morning, Lisa's contractions start.

[00:04:36]>> No matter what the doctors did, my body was not receiving enough oxygen. So, essentially, I started to reject the pregnancy.

[00:04:45]>> When the doctor came in, he said, "If she doesn't stop the contractions, I'm going to have to take the baby." And I was like, "No way." Because there's I mean, she's 26 [music] weeks pregnant.

[00:04:58]You can't take the baby. And he turned around and he said, "I'll have to take the baby."

[00:05:05]>> Despite the family's concerns, the doctors operate immediately.

[00:05:10]>> He said, "The infection is too bad. We could lose Lisa or we can take the baby and that way they both have a chance." I was freaking out.

[00:05:25]Within 10 minutes, the premature newborn is on life support.

[00:05:30][music] We couldn't hold him or see him, but we could stand in the hallway while they rolled [music] him to another room. He was in a plastic bag to keep his body temperature [music] up and hooked up to all these monitors.

[00:05:48]>> The baby weighed 3 lb 2 oz. [music] He was so tiny. He was almost transparent.

[00:05:56]They [music] had told me that he would probably be blind. He would have a hole in his heart. [music] I just couldn't accept it. I just couldn't accept it.

[00:06:07]They had said that, you know, his chance of survival was was, you know, basically 50/50.

[00:06:15]Seeing him for the first time, you know, I I never would have imagined how something that small and can can survive.

[00:06:25]>> As the baby fights for his life, doctors turn their attention to Lisa. But the day after her early cescareian, doctors uncover another problem.

[00:06:35]>> Lisa's [music] doctor said that she had ran into some more complications.

[00:06:40]They explained [music] to us that her lungs were uh filling with fluid and uh that her oxygen level was decreasing lower than it had been before.

[00:06:51]>> The infection is slowly suffocating.

[00:06:53]Lisa, >> the doctor came in and he said, "Your daughter's lungs, the lining on her lungs is like the sheet of a Bible.

[00:07:03]It's that thin. And every time she coughs, she's ripping them.

[00:07:09]He said, "Well, the survival rate is only like 30%."

[00:07:17]I said, "Okay."

[00:07:21]>> Then at the end of the week, doctors call Lisa's family in for a meeting.

[00:07:27]>> We were expecting to hear that she was possibly doing better or possibly they had come up with a game plan. They really didn't know what was causing all this. and they had said that it was basically just a waiting game at this point. She wasn't going to make it. Um she was going to die.

[00:07:46]You know, it it was unbearable to think of me raising the boys by myself.

[00:07:53][music] >> But Cody refuses to give up.

[00:07:56]>> She was a mom and [music] you know, she had a newborn baby who she still at this point had no idea that she had given birth to.

[00:08:04]>> [music] >> I felt to myself that we needed more information and there was more that could have been done for her. My aunt worked for a critical care pulmonologist [music] across town. So me and her started talking about possibly getting Lisa transferred to another facility.

[00:08:20]>> But the doctors tell Cody that Lisa [music] is too frail to be moved.

[00:08:25]>> The doctor said that there was no way Lisa would be able to survive uh transporting to another hospital.

[00:08:35]Cody faces an agonizing decision.

[00:08:38]>> If she does die during the transport, would I be willing to to live with [music] that the rest of my life and explain that to our two sons?

[00:08:47]>> And I just looked at Cody and and just at that point, I had [music] to trust him.

[00:08:53]>> Cody decides to risk the transfer and arranges for a helicopter to transport Lisa to another hospital. The [music] nurses just looked at us like, "What?

[00:09:05]What are you doing?" And Cody said, "We're going to get her out of here and get her where we can get some help."

[00:09:11]Cody was desperate. I mean, he had all these decisions that he had to make and he just made them like a man.

[00:09:21]And uh she was go-kart.

[00:09:37]Mother of two, Lisa Mullet is suffering from a mysterious lung infection and is barely clinging to life.

[00:09:45]Doctors say there's nothing more they can do. But Lisa's family refuses to give up hope and transfers her to another hospital.

[00:09:54]I felt to myself that we needed more information and there was more that could have been done for her. You know, it it was unbearable to think of me raising the boys by myself.

[00:10:07]At the new hospital, doctors place Lisa back on life support.

[00:10:12]Infectious disease specialist Dr. Elizabeth Barrero reviews the case.

[00:10:19]We had a very, very sick young girl here that had a life-threatening illness.

[00:10:25]The primary chest X-rays indicated that her lungs were basically shutting down, and it was critical that we try to save Lisa's life.

[00:10:36]>> Dr. Barrero and her colleagues start by extracting liquid from Lisa's lungs to see if it contains any clues to what is making Lisa sick.

[00:10:46]Two days later, Dr. Barrero gets the results.

[00:10:51]>> When they sat down and looked at us, I mean, you could tell by the grave look on their faces that what they had to say was not good.

[00:10:59]That was probably the only time that I just thought, you know, God, what happened?

[00:11:05]>> I came across a serious illness that uh was causing all all the the problems Lisa was going through. The infectious disease doctor told us that what Lisa had was called asinoidinobactor balmani.

[00:11:22]>> A sinabacttor balmani is a deadly bacteria that pres on people with weak immune systems. The bacteria enters the body through breaks in the skin or mucous membranes and often migrates to the lungs and respiratory system.

[00:11:37]Inside Lisa's body, the bacteria have been secretreting toxins, killing her cells one by one and severely damaging her lungs. A cinitbactor balani is a microbe that lives mostly in aquatic environments.

[00:11:52]But in recent years, it has emerged as one of the most deadly superbugs on the planet. Because the bacteria are resistant to most antibiotics, doctors are often powerless to stop it.

[00:12:06]>> Because [music] of the multi-drugresistant pattern of this bacteria in particular, her life was definitely [music] at risk.

[00:12:14]>> Doctors told us that uh Lisa had a 2% chance of living.

[00:12:18]>> Lisa's mother thinks she might know how her daughter contracted the deadly superbug.

[00:12:24]I had heard about asinita backmani [music] because my son was in Iraq and that's when they told me you know it's they call it the Iraqi bacteria. So I'm thinking oh my god did he bring it in my house.

[00:12:40]A senabbactor balmani is a bacteria often called Iraqi because it's affected military personnel in Iraq, but it's also known to exist in hospitals all over the world and it can infect patients even in carefully controlled environments. A sinabacttor prefers moist environments and often enters the body through catheters or breathing tubes.

[00:13:02]>> But the doctors say it's impossible Lisa could have contracted a cinidabacttor from her brother.

[00:13:08]They suspect she caught it in the previous hospital through a ventilator.

[00:13:16]Lisa may have only had a simple flu virus [music] when she first got sick, but her decreased immunity left her vulnerable to a secondary infection.

[00:13:27]Now she's fighting for her life.

[00:13:29]>> Lisa was [music] just being torn up by this bacteria.

[00:13:33]>> It felt like we had hit rock bottom. We thought we'd [music] never get Lisa back.

[00:13:39]>> We were trying to to bring ourselves to the point where we would have to accept that.

[00:13:47]>> To make matters worse, one of the only drugs known to combat a cinidapactor [music] is a medication called polymixen, which can have devastating side effects.

[00:13:58]>> You know, [music] at at some point, you just think it can't be any worse.

[00:14:04]For weeks, Lisa undergoes the punishing treatment.

[00:14:09]Then, as her condition slowly improves, she is taken off the ventilator and something wonderful happens.

[00:14:17]>> We were sitting in her room and [music] and she began to kind of stir around.

[00:14:24]She opened her eyes and she looked at Cody and she said, "Where's my baby?"

[00:14:31]I didn't really understand where I was or what was going on, but I knew that I wasn't pregnant [music] anymore.

[00:14:40]>> She started crying and uh I had told her that that they had to take the baby.

[00:14:48]>> And so Cody grabs my hand and he says his [music] name is Carson.

[00:14:56]And I said, "How old is he?

[00:15:00]He said that Carson is 2 months old and I started to [music] cry.

[00:15:11]Despite his premature birth at 6 months, Carson is healthy.

[00:15:17]And 3 [music] weeks later, Lisa meets him for the first time.

[00:15:21]>> One day, [music] Dr. Barrero walked into my room and she said, "Bring her babies.

[00:15:29]The bacteria is gone. You can bring her babies."

[00:15:33][snorts] They hand me this baby that weighs 5 lb [music] 6 oz.

[00:15:42]And he's little and beautiful.

[00:15:45]And I just [music] cried.

[00:15:48]He fell asleep and he was just beautiful and healthy and that's all that mattered.

[00:15:57]>> Today, Lisa is healthy and happy as a full-time mother to her sons, but her ordeal with a cinnidactor has left her permanently damaged.

[00:16:07]>> I have some lung capacity issues and some things I deal with on a day-to-day basis, but overall, I'm healthy. Had Cody not stood his ground and stood up for me, then I would be dead and I owe everything to him.

[00:16:28]It >> is estimated that tens of thousands of people die each year from ainitabacttor infections.

[00:16:36]>> Antibiotic resistance develops when bacteria survive exposure to an antibiotic.

[00:16:43]Taking the full course of anti-anibiotic prescribed [music] can help to prevent the emergence of deadly superbugs.

[00:16:54]>> A young woman comes face to face with a monster from within.

[00:17:00]>> I actually saw these things coming out of her.

[00:17:04]I thought I was [music] going to die.

[00:17:15]Britney McWills is a college student in Brian, Texas.

[00:17:20]Living in a house near campus with her friends Mary [music] and Nicole, Britney enjoys socializing with her fellow students.

[00:17:27]>> I live in a big house with [music] seven girls, and it's always fun and energetic. It's just like having a whole bunch of big sisters.

[00:17:35]>> Britney is [music] very energetic. She can't sit still. Britney is the youngest in the house and she's kind of our wild child.

[00:17:44]>> Despite having left home, Britney also has a close relationship [music] with her mother, Doris, who is a nurse in a nearby town.

[00:17:52]>> Britney, she is very hardworking. She's a [music] student. Everything that she does, she puts uh her heart into it and she gives it 100%.

[00:18:04]It's the beginning of the spring semester [music] and Britney is spending one last day at her mother's house.

[00:18:10]>> Britney always wanted [music] to run when she came here. She liked to go to the track at an old high school.

[00:18:16]>> I have a lot [music] of good memories there. I ran competitively with a lot of my close friends. [music] >> But as Britney starts her workout, she senses [music] that something is a miss.

[00:18:30]When I was running, I felt like I wasn't getting enough oxygen. So, in my mind, I was thinking, "Well, maybe you're just not as in shape as you thought you were."

[00:18:43]Britney tries to push herself, but only feels worse.

[00:18:48]I started hearing this noise. I was like, "What is that?" It was me wheezing.

[00:18:55]my body started aching and so [music] I just kept telling myself, "Get through this last lap. Just get through it."

[00:19:03][music] That was the toughest smile I've ever ran. And I had never felt like that before.

[00:19:11]>> After the run, Britney returns to her mother's house.

[00:19:15]>> She said that she had started feeling bad as she was running her laps. Working as a nurse, I recognized symptoms of flu. It was peak flu season, so I gave her some [music] medication and I told her to drink plenty of fluids.

[00:19:27]>> Britney's mother gives her some acetto menophen. And despite feeling [music] exhausted and feverish, Britney makes the 2-hour drive back to her house on campus.

[00:19:39]There were several of us just sitting in the living room talking, and [music] Britney came in, didn't really say much to anybody, just walked back to her room, which is not typical for Britney.

[00:19:49][music] She normally is very sociable.

[00:19:53]>> Britney hopes a good night's sleep will help her feel better. But when she gets into bed, her cough gets even worse.

[00:20:01]And I'm constantly up and down all night because I'm spitting. I had so much congestion that I couldn't breathe if I was laying down. I could hear her coughing. She was complaining of being tired and of her chest feeling tight.

[00:20:16]But it didn't seem out of the ordinary.

[00:20:19]It seemed like she was just sick.

[00:20:25]>> For the rest of the night, Britney quarantines herself in her room.

[00:20:31]The next morning, her roommates Nicole and Mary are in the living room.

[00:20:36]>> We could hear her coughing from the living room where we were, and it sounded almost like someone was vomiting.

[00:20:46]I heard her scream from the bathroom.

[00:20:47][music] and she was calling me in there.

[00:20:50]Britney had backed herself against the wall, kind of looking in the general direction of the commode, but not [music] looking in it. She had a look of shock, panic, kind of fear on her face, and she asked me to describe to her what I saw in the kimote. When I first looked in the toilet, it looked just like stringy mucus, but then when I looked back, I saw it moving.

[00:21:17]They look to me like maggots.

[00:21:32]3 days after coming down with what she thinks is the flu, college student Brittany McWills has started coughing up live worms.

[00:21:45]I saw it moving.

[00:21:48]>> They looked to me like maggots.

[00:21:51]>> Horrified, Britney calls her mother, Doris, who is a nurse.

[00:21:55]>> She was almost hysterical.

[00:21:58]In the 10 years I've been a nurse, I have never heard of an incident of anyone coughing up any worms.

[00:22:04]>> At Doris's insistence, Britney and her roommates head straight to the emergency room.

[00:22:13]I just remember thinking that's not right. People shouldn't this shouldn't be happening.

[00:22:19]>> I started [music] praying and I just started saying, you know, Lord, whatever's wrong with me, please help me.

[00:22:25]>> As soon as they arrive at the hospital, Mary and Nicole checked Britney in.

[00:22:30]>> I went to the bathroom in the hospital cuz [music] it was hard trying to keep swallowing. So, I went in. I spit in the bathroom.

[00:22:37]In the toilet, Britney comes face to face with her worst fears.

[00:22:42]>> I look down and I see about 20 [music] inch long white worms in the toilet.

[00:22:48]I didn't know what to do. I was just really, really scared.

[00:22:55]>> After the girls tell the nurses about their ailing friend, Nicole goes to check up on Britney.

[00:23:01]>> She was kind of leaned over like she was going to vomit.

[00:23:07]I actually saw the worms coming out of her. That was pretty [music] scary for me.

[00:23:15]And I kept saying, "This is not ending.

[00:23:19]Something's really wrong."

[00:23:24]>> As soon as I saw the worms in the toilet, I wanted the nurses to see because I knew that they were skeptical.

[00:23:32]>> So Nicole takes matters into her own hands.

[00:23:37]The worm [music] was sitting down at the very bottom of the toilet bowl. I took the cup and I put it down by the edge of the water and I took the spoon and I tried to make the water go so the worm would float into the cup.

[00:23:54]Eventually, I was able to get the worm into the cup.

[00:24:00]After I collected the worm, I took the worm up to the nurses station.

[00:24:05]>> A doctor immediately calls Britney in and examines the specimen.

[00:24:10]>> She had never seen a case like that in Brian.

[00:24:14]>> Without lab results, the doctors can't make an official diagnosis.

[00:24:19]They prescribe Britney a drug that they hope will kill the worms, but they can't be certain.

[00:24:26]After being done with the doctor, I saw my mom and I was just really relieved and I gave her a hug and I told her, "I'm glad you're here."

[00:24:32]>> Britney was very scared. She started crying at that point and she just grabbed on me and started hugging me.

[00:24:39]>> Britney heads home with her mom, but she has more questions than answers.

[00:24:44]>> I wanted specific answers like when will they be gone? How long is this going to last? Am I going to be okay? So leaving there and not really having a diagnosis was nerve-wracking to me. It was so scary.

[00:24:58]>> 2 days later, Doris takes Britney to her primary care physician.

[00:25:04]>> When she did the assessment on Britney, she did hear some congestion in her lungs. She also heard some faint wheezing. The doctor left the room for a minute and she came back and she had a book in her hand and she said, "I think I know what you have.

[00:25:32]Britney McWills thought she just had the flu until she began coughing up live worms.

[00:25:41]Desperate to know what's wrong, Britney goes to her primary care physician.

[00:25:47]The doctor left the room for [music] a few minutes and then she came back with a book and said, "I think I know what you have."

[00:25:53]She said that what I had was a worm called ascaris.

[00:25:57][music] Ascaris is a round worm that infests the human digestive tract.

[00:26:03]When eggs are swallowed, they hatch into microscopic larae that make their way from the small intestine into the bloodstream.

[00:26:12]There they are carried to the lungs where they climb up the host's airways and are swallowed back into the intestines.

[00:26:20]Here they reach maturity and breed.

[00:26:26]Usually adult worms stay in the digestive tract where they can live undetected for years. But in Britney's case, it's likely [music] her fever made her body too hot for the worms.

[00:26:38]In this inhospitable environment, [music] these ascorus worms head for the nearest exit, crawling up her esophagus and into her airways, triggering her cough.

[00:26:51]My biggest fear was that I was going to keep coughing up worms.

[00:26:56]>> In extreme cases, ascerous worms can cause secondary infections and intestinal blockages, which can be fatal.

[00:27:07]But when and how did the worms get inside Britney?

[00:27:11]>> The doctor started asking me all these questions about if I had been out of the country, but I never left Texas. He started asking me what I like to eat just to try to see if something that [music] I ate could have given me the worms.

[00:27:24]I told him I had been eating a lot of salads. He said, "Well, I bet you got them from someone illegally fertilizing their salads and that you didn't wash it good enough."

[00:27:34]Ascaris thrives in human feces, which is sometimes used as fertilizer.

[00:27:41]Although it's illegal in the United States, accidentally contaminated or imported produce can carry the parasite.

[00:27:49]The doctor prescribes a powerful antiparasitic drug [music] called Albendazole that paralyzes the worms and prevents them from feeding, starving them to death.

[00:28:00]After 3 weeks, Britney is parasite free.

[00:28:04]But soon after her recovery, she is diagnosed with asthma.

[00:28:11]Britney has adjusted a lifestyle [music] uh to where now she knows that she can't run like she used to. I feel blessed that I only have asthma because it could have been so much worse.

[00:28:27]A family is torn apart by a mysterious predator.

[00:28:31]>> Mother's instinct told me that something's wrong here.

[00:28:35]>> Her eyes were real dilated and twitching really bad and then she collapsed.

[00:28:43]>> The uh good way to raise your children, it teaches them to grow things and uh teach them to respect the land they live on.

[00:28:53]Their daughter Shannon is especially fond of the farm animals and hopes to follow in the family tradition.

[00:28:59]>> She fed her calf hay and gave it a bottle before she went to school every morning. [music] >> She was very much a country kid. She just enjoyed all the things that a [music] lot of the country children do.

[00:29:12]>> The family is preparing for a busy summer. Shannon [music] is turning 16 and planning her birthday party.

[00:29:22]But two months before the big day, Patty is at home when she receives a letter from Shannon's school nurse.

[00:29:31]>> One afternoon, Shannon came home with a note from school that I needed to sign saying that it was okay to give her some sort of painkiller because she was having a headache.

[00:29:44]To tell you the truth, I didn't really think a whole lot about it.

[00:29:48]>> But as days pass, Shannon's headaches persist.

[00:29:53]A week later, I was like, "You still have that headache?" And she said, "Yes, seems like I have a headache every day, Mom."

[00:30:00]>> In fact, Shannon is taking painkillers on a daily basis.

[00:30:06]>> I just thought that for her to ask for to complain about a headache all [music] within a few days was very unusual cuz she didn't like to take medicine.

[00:30:16]>> Despite the pain, Shannon insists there's nothing seriously wrong.

[00:30:21]She'd tell me, she said, "Wonder what is wrong with me?" Just made real light of it. I thought maybe it was just, you know, stress [music] from u French class because she seemed to be struggling a little bit with her French class.

[00:30:35]>> Two weeks later, Shannon is getting ready for a special event, her first prom. We were in the bathroom upstairs and I was helping her fix her hair and putting her makeup on and she's usually not very assertive and just quiet and kind of really easygoing.

[00:30:53]But she became highly irritated with me that I wasn't doing this right. I had way too much makeup on her.

[00:31:01]She broke out in tears, which is so not her. She's really just not quite that an emotional person. And for her to become that grumpy with me was unusual. [music] Angie's like, I don't want to go after making all these plans and wanted to go so bad.

[00:31:21]>> At her parents' insistence, [music] Shannon attends the prom.

[00:31:24]>> I didn't really think too much about it.

[00:31:28]>> We just thought it was just being a rebellious teenager.

[00:31:33]>> Patty and Tony continue to keep a close eye on Shannon.

[00:31:37]The following Monday, their daughter is getting ready for school.

[00:31:41]>> They had class pictures for Future Farmers of America and they were going to do the pictures before class.

[00:31:47]>> As we got ready to go out the door, she asked me how many light switches I seen.

[00:31:52]Then I said, "One." And she said, "Dad, I see three."

[00:31:58]I was thinking, you know, how could you see three? I looked at her eyes and they were kind of dilated and twitching. So, I was completely confused.

[00:32:10]>> Moments later, Shannon's triple vision passes. She is determined to make it to her class picture. So, Tony drives her to school, but she isn't there for long.

[00:32:21]>> A few minutes later, the phone rang and it was the school saying that Shannon had had an episode.

[00:32:29]I asked what happened and she said, "Well, she passed out.

[00:32:47]Tony and Patty Reed have spent weeks watching their 15-year-old daughter experience a series of strange symptoms, including severe headaches, behavioral changes, and mood swings.

[00:32:59]Tony and Patty chalk the symptoms up to the teenage years. But after an alarming bout of triple vision, they get a call from Shannon's school.

[00:33:09]>> The school had just called and asked us to come back and pick Shannon up that she had just collapsed, had a feeding spell. Whenever we went to pick her up, she was pale, gray looking.

[00:33:21]>> When Patty asks Shannon what happened, she seems disoriented and withdrawn.

[00:33:26]>> She said, "I remember hearing voices, but I couldn't respond back."

[00:33:32]Patty takes Shannon straight to the family doctor who examines her and sends her for further testing.

[00:33:40]But when they get to the hospital, Shannon appears to be feeling fine.

[00:33:45]>> She was joking and cutting up with a couple of the nurses being her sweet self. So I really felt relieved thinking, "Okay, she's seeing a doctor.

[00:33:54]We're going to find something out."

[00:33:56]>> Later that day, the test results come in. Everything they done showed that there was nothing wrong. He the CT scan came back said there was inflammation, but they said that could be from the headaches.

[00:34:10]Doctors diagnose Shannon with migraine headaches and prescribe a pain relief medication.

[00:34:19]As summer approaches, Shannon's symptoms [music] seem to dissipate.

[00:34:23]It was nearing the end of the school year and Shannon [music] had her future farmers of America banquet.

[00:34:31]It's an annual [music] event where they elect new officers and the children serve their parents dinner.

[00:34:39]She seemed to be okay that night.

[00:34:42][music] She had brought her plates and set those down and proceeded to go back and get some [music] tea for her dad.

[00:34:53]And I noticed when she got through the table, the picture of tea was shaking.

[00:34:58]>> Shannon was shaking bad enough that tea was actually spilling out of the glass.

[00:35:03]She was really, really shaking bad.

[00:35:06]>> Concerned, Patty and Tony [music] watched Shannon closely for the rest of the evening.

[00:35:13]>> That night when Tony and I got home, we had a conversation.

[00:35:17]He had suggested then we get a referral for a specialist. [music] Me and some buddies started looking on our insurance to look for neurologist.

[00:35:27]I thought there was something wrong with her nervous system. I didn't know.

[00:35:31]>> As Patty and Tony call for appointments for Shannon, school [music] is almost out for the summer. Shannon is in good spirits.

[00:35:40]>> It was a Friday, the very last day of school. I had the day off. She said, "I need to go get some stuff for my scrapbook."

[00:35:48]The family meets [music] at a nearby store.

[00:35:51]>> We were just kind of goofing and talking about the day and she just seemed real funny and witty and excited.

[00:35:58]>> Shannon leaves [music] her parents and goes to the craft section.

[00:36:02]>> She was at the craft area. We was coming walking through the store and she comes back through the store.

[00:36:10]>> We saw her coming and she seemed somewhat confused and empty-handed. she didn't have anything in her hand. And I was like, "Hun, did you not find what you were looking for?"

[00:36:21]>> She come up and caught up with us and said, "Uh, Dad, I can't get my eyes to focus." Somebody looked at her eyes and her eyes were real dilated and twitching really bad.

[00:36:32]And then she collapsed.

[00:36:35]>> Tony rushes to catch her.

[00:36:38]>> She started seizing her whole body started twitching on the floor.

[00:36:45]I guess I just went off. I think I started screaming.

[00:36:50]Just look at you feel like you're outside of this box watching all this happen. You can't do nothing about it.

[00:37:10]Patty and Tony Reed are out shopping with their 15-year-old daughter, Shannon, when she suffers a devastating seizure before their eyes.

[00:37:19]>> She uh started seizing. Her whole body started twitching on the floor. I took her arms and laid her down gently like uh you know to keep her from getting her head and stuff. And then I held her head so she wouldn't bang her head against the floor and stuff. Just looking at you feel like you're outside of this box watching all this happen and you can't do nothing about it.

[00:37:43]Paramedics [music] take Shannon in an ambulance to the emergency room.

[00:37:49]There, doctors struggle to bring the seizure under control. And when Patty and Tony are finally allowed to see Shannon, she's unconscious.

[00:37:58]>> She was in a coma. I mean, she was just laying there. She was laughless.

[00:38:03]felt kind of cold climbing.

[00:38:06]>> I actually felt like, okay, [music] my child is sick, but at the same time, I had this comfort like, okay, she's in good hands and it's going to be okay.

[00:38:15]>> That was Friday night.

[00:38:18]Uh, when we arrived up there [music] late and they grilled us half a night on what could happen to her.

[00:38:27]Doctors suspect that Shannon has an infection, but all of her tests come up negative, and nothing in the [music] case history reveals what could be causing the seizures.

[00:38:37]>> Even though I couldn't hug her or none of that stuff, I could hold her hand.

[00:38:41][music] She seemed to be comforted by us being there, so I'd never like to leave her.

[00:38:47]>> The following day, doctors continued to run tests on Shannon, taking her blood and spinal fluid, searching for clues.

[00:38:55]They felt like it was a viral infection, some kind of a virus, but their test was not showing what it was. It was showing nothing. They called in specialists.

[00:39:05]They called in neurology specialist.

[00:39:08]They called in every specialist they could find in the hospital and they just weren't finding anything.

[00:39:16]Nothing in her test showed that there was anything wrong.

[00:39:20]>> On Sunday morning, Shannon's doctors are still searching for a cause. when they make a horrifying discovery.

[00:39:27]The infection has ravaged Shannon's internal organs. Her kidneys and liver are shutting down and her muscle tissue has degenerated.

[00:39:36]Something is attacking her from within.

[00:39:40]Sunday morning. I remember the doctor saying that her heart was in that of a shape of a 80some year old and that her muscle tissue was like that of an overworked bodybuilder.

[00:39:54]>> Doctors place her on life support and [music] the search for a diagnosis becomes even more urgent.

[00:40:01]But Shannon is fading away.

[00:40:04]She actually had her last heart failure while they doing the test.

[00:40:11]They did [music] come in and ask if we wanted to be there, and I said, "No, come get me when it's over.

[00:40:18]I don't want to watch my child die."

[00:40:23]>> Minutes [music] later, doctors inform Patty and Tony that Shannon has lost the fight.

[00:40:30]>> I guess I screamed, cried so loud that they had >> [music] >> Doctors order an autopsy, but the results [music] are inconclusive.

[00:40:40]The infection that killed Shannon remains a mystery.

[00:40:44]Then, 2 months after Shannon's death, Patty gets a phone call.

[00:40:51]>> Phone rang and it was her doctor.

[00:40:55]>> An examination of Shannon's [music] brain reveals what killed her.

[00:40:59]He said, you know, it looked like she contracted rabies.

[00:41:05]>> Rabies is a virus transmitted by saliva which enters the body through breaks in the skin.

[00:41:12]The virus traveled through Shannon's muscle tissue to [music] reach her peripheral nervous system.

[00:41:18]It then progressed through Shannon's nerves towards her brain, leading to changes in behavior, headaches, and seizures.

[00:41:27]Once the rabies virus reaches the brain, the survival rate drops to nearly zero.

[00:41:35]>> But how did Shannon contract this deadly virus?

[00:41:38]>> You know, first thing you think is, "Oh god, I've let my child get bit by something." And we couldn't place anything.

[00:41:46]>> There was a lot of potential places that she could have gotten it. And we all have our own theories. She petted every wild animal that she could get her hands on, [music] every dog or cat. So, I suspect we'll never know.

[00:42:03]>> No cure exists for an advanced infection, but treatment before or soon after exposure can stop an infection in the early stages. Having pets vaccinated against rabies is one of the best ways to stop the virus from spreading. And getting medical attention for any wild animal bite is crucial.

[00:42:24]>> Today, Patty and Tony Reed work to increase rabies awareness.

[00:42:29]>> We want to get rabies awareness out.

[00:42:31]It's a disease that can be stopped.

[00:42:33]>> If you're over 65 or you have parents or loved ones in that age group, there's something you urgently need to know. A habit that most of us consider essential for good hygiene and health might actually be silently harming seniors every single day. Yes, I'm talking about daily bathing. I know that may sound shocking. After all, we've been taught our whole lives that staying clean equals staying healthy. But as a doctor with over 40 years of experience working closely with elderly patients, I've seen a different truth emerge. One that many people don't want to believe. But ignoring it could [music] be deadly.

[00:43:10]I've personally treated numerous cases where seniors have fainted, slipped, or suffered heart-related complications, all because of their daily bathing habits. And every winter, I witnessed the heartbreaking reality. Elderly patients who collapse in their bathrooms due to what they thought was just a simple, innocent [music] bath. So, please, if you're a senior or have a beloved parent who insists on bathing everyday, stay with me to the end of this video. What I'm about to share might just save a life, maybe even yours. But before I dive into these critical truths, do me a small favor.

[00:43:45]Click the like button and hit subscribe if you want more life-saving advice [music] and practical health wisdom for you and your loved ones. Your support helps keep this important content going.

[00:43:55]Now, let me reveal [music] the five shocking truths about bathing after the age of 65. Truths most people have never heard before. Shocking truth number one, hot baths can be dangerous for your heart. Have you ever wondered what happens inside your body when you soak in hot water? Let me explain. When an older adult steps into a hot bath, [music] the heat causes their blood vessels to rapidly dilate. That's medical language for expanding. As a result, blood pressure can drop suddenly and significantly. For a younger person, this might just cause a little dizziness. But for someone over 65, especially if they already have high blood pressure, heart disease, or weakened circulation, this sudden drop can be extremely dangerous. I'll never forget one patient in particular, a kind 90-year-old gentleman who had proudly told me for years, "Doc, I've taken a hot bath every day since I was a teenager. That's why I'm so strong." And yes, he seemed healthy until one icy January morning when he collapsed from a heart attack in his bathroom. The only thing that saved his life was the fact that his daughter had come to check on him just in time. He ended up in the ICU and never bathed alone again. [music] What most people don't realize is that after 65, the autonomic nervous system, which controls heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature regulation starts to weaken. It doesn't respond as quickly to sudden changes like going from hot water to cold air. The result, orthostatic hypotension, a dangerous drop in blood pressure that can lead to fainting or worse. And get this, [music] based on my clinical observations, when someone over 65 bathes in water hotter than 41° C, about 106° F for longer than 15 minutes, the cardiovascular load increases by 20 to 30%. That's equivalent to a light jog, except you're standing in a slippery enclosed [music] space instead of running on a treadmill.

[00:45:55]So, what should you do? Here are my doctor recommended [music] safety tips.

[00:46:00]Lower the water temperature. Keep it between 38° C and [music] 40° C, 10.4 to 104° F. Use your wrist or the back of your hand to test it. It should feel [music] warm, not scalding. Limit your time. Stay in the water for no more than 10 minutes. That's enough to get clean without overloading your heart. Stay hydrated. [music] Drink a glass of water before and after your bath. Seniors are more prone to dehydration, which makes blood pressure drop faster. Sit down.

[00:46:37]Place a sturdy shower chair in your bathroom and use it every time. Sitting reduces the risk of slipping and makes it easier to recover if you feel dizzy.

[00:46:47]Never bathe alone if you're over 80.

[00:46:50]Always let someone in the house know you're bathing or consider a bathroom alert system. These small changes might seem inconvenient, but they could literally prevent a medical emergency.

[00:47:01]Shocking truth number two, daily bathing can severely damage elderly skin. I know how much we all enjoy the feeling of cleanliness. But the older your skin gets, [music] the more fragile it becomes. And daily bathing, especially with hot water and soap, can actually accelerate aging, dryness, and [music] skin damage. Here's why. As we age, our skin's ability to produce natural lipids and oils [music] declines. After age 65, your skin produces only about half the natural moisture it did in your 20s.

[00:47:35]That means you're much more prone to dry, flaky, and irritated skin, even without any health conditions. And if you take a hot shower or bath every [music] single day, you're stripping away what little protection your skin has left. Let me share the story of one of my recent patients, a lovely 78-year-old woman named Mrs. [music] H.

[00:47:56]She came into my office complaining of severe itching that kept her up at night. She had red, inflamed [music] skin on her arms, back and legs. I asked her about her bathing habits, [music] and she said, "Doctor, I'm just very clean. I scrub myself from head to toe every single day." After some testing, we found that her skin was so dry and cracked that it had become vulnerable to infection. The constant washing had stripped away her skin's protective barrier. We even found micro tears in her skin under the microscope. She was shocked and heartbroken. She asked, "Did I do this to myself by just trying to stay clean?" The answer, unfortunately, was yes. In fact, in a study I conducted with a group of dermatologists, we found that elderly patients who bathed with soap more than four times a week had a 60% higher chance of developing clinically dry skin. Dry skin isn't just uncomfortable, it's dangerous. When it cracks, it can become infected. I've had patients hospitalized from skin infections that started as minor itching. Now, let me share with you the bathing methods I've personally developed through years of experience and deep observation. Methods specifically designed to protect and nourish elderly skin, which becomes more fragile and sensitive with age. First, let's talk about frequency. I strongly recommend reducing the number of baths or showers to [music] three times a week. I know that may sound surprising, especially if you're used to bathing daily, but here's the truth. Your skin needs [music] time to restore its natural oils. As we age, our sebaceous glands become less active, meaning we produce less oil to protect our skin.

[00:49:41]Daily bathing, especially with hot water and harsh soap, strips away these precious [music] lipids, leading to dryness, itching, and even cracking.

[00:49:50]Think of your skin [music] as a shield.

[00:49:53]If you keep sanding it down every day, it eventually becomes thin and damaged.

[00:49:58]Giving it a break between baths is one of the best gifts you can give your aging body. Second, be selective with where you use soap. You don't need to scrub your entire body from head to toe with soap each time. Instead, focus only on the essential areas like your armpits, groin, and [music] feet. These regions are more prone to odor and bacteria, but the rest of your body can be gently washed with water or a soft cloth. Overwashing areas like your arms, legs, or back can actually do more harm than good, especially if you're using regular soap. Which brings me to my next point. Third, always choose the right soap. This may sound like a small detail, but it's incredibly important.

[00:50:42]Most commercial soaps are alkaline with a pH between 9 and 11. This is much too harsh for mature skin. Our skin has a natural pH of about 5.5, slightly acidic, to maintain its barrier and fight off harmful bacteria. When you use alkaline soap, you're disrupting that balance. That's why I always recommend using a mild acidic soap or cleanser with a pH between 5.5 and 6.0. It cleans without stripping your skin and helps maintain the healthy barrier you need.

[00:51:15][music] Fourth, remember the golden 3 minutes. This is a rule I live by. As soon as you finish bathing, apply your moisturizer within 3 minutes. Why?

[00:51:27]Because during those first few minutes, your skin is still damp and that's [music] when it's best able to absorb moisture. If you wait too long, the water on your skin evaporates and actually [music] pulls hydration away with it. So, pat yourself gently with a towel. Don't rub and immediately follow up with a good quality moisturizer.

[00:51:47]Think of it like sealing in all that hydration before it escapes. Fifth, choose moisturizers that contain ingredients that do more than just sit on your skin. Look for products with ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Ceramides are like bricks in your skin's protective wall. They lock in moisture and prevent irritants from sneaking in.

[00:52:08]Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid works like a sponge, drawing water from the environment into your skin to keep it plump and smooth. When used together, they form a powerful duo to combat dryness, flakiness, and that tight, uncomfortable feeling many older adults experience after a bath. Now, let's move to the third shocking truth, and it's one that's far too often overlooked.

[00:52:31]It's extremely difficult to recover from falls in the bathroom. The bathroom is supposed to be a place of cleanliness and relaxation, but for many older adults, it becomes a danger zone. Falls in the bathroom are the number one cause of injury among the elderly. And I say this not just based on research, but from firstirhand experience. I've seen it happen countless times over the years. Let me share one case that [music] has stayed with me. Last winter, an 88-year-old gentleman slipped while stepping out of his bathtub. Just like that, one moment of imbalance and he [music] fractured his hip. He was rushed to the ER, underwent surgery, and while the operation itself was successful, his life changed [music] forever. He never regained the same level of mobility, lost his independence, and eventually had to move into assisted living. That one fall didn't just break a bone. It broke his routine, his confidence, [music] and his freedom. Here's a chilling statistic. 38% of bathroom falls happen during or just after bathing. And even worse, elderly individuals who suffer fractures from these falls face a dramatically higher risk of death.

[00:53:41]According to research from Severance Hospital, the one-year mortality rate for seniors over 80 who suffer a hip fracture is around 25%. [music] That's 1 in4. It's devastating and most people don't realize just how dangerous a simple fall can be. So, why is this happening? There are three major reasons. Slippery bathroom floors. Water mixed with soap creates a slippery surface that's nearly invisible but extremely hazardous. Sudden blood pressure changes. When you stand up from a hot bath, your blood pressure can drop quickly, causing lightadedness or dizziness, which leads to loss of balance. Loss of balance and muscle strength. With age, our muscles weaken, reflexes slow, and coordination fades.

[00:54:30]Combine that with a slick surface and poor lighting, and it's a recipe for disaster. But here's the good news.

[00:54:37]These risks can be reduced with simple, practical steps. Install non-slip mats in your tub and on the bathroom floor.

[00:54:44][music] This is one of the most effective and affordable ways to prevent falls. Avoid loose rugs as they can bunch up or slip. Add safety handles near the bathtub and next to the toilet.

[00:54:57]These provide support where it's needed most and can truly be life-saving. Use a shower chair. Sitting while bathing significantly reduces your chances of slipping. In fact, studies show it can lower fall risk by more than 90%. Move slowly. Take your time [music] standing up after a bath. Don't rush. Let your body adjust. If you feel dizzy, sit and wait. Your safety matters more than speed. Ask for assistance. Especially if you're over 80 or living alone. Don't hesitate to call for help. Pride should never [music] come before safety. Let's move to the fourth shocking truth.

[00:55:40]Temperature regulation after bathing is crucial and often overlooked. As we grow older, our ability to maintain a stable body temperature begins to decline. In fact, studies show that people over 80 have up to a 40% reduced ability to adapt to temperature changes compared to young adults. And this becomes especially dangerous after taking a hot bath. Let me tell you about something heartbreaking. Last January, a 92-year-old woman took a long, warm bath before bed. She didn't dry off thoroughly and sat in a slightly chilly room afterward. Within the hour, her body temperature dropped to 34.5° C, 94.1° F, a clear case of hypothermia.

[00:56:25]She was rushed to the emergency room.

[00:56:28]Now, let's talk about something that often gets overlooked, [music] but can make all the difference in your well-being after a bath. safe temperature management. [music] As someone who has experienced the ups and downs of aging skin and body firsthand, I want to share with you some practical and potentially life-saving [music] advice to keep your body safe and warm after bathing. First, always take a moment to warm the bathroom before you enter. This simple act can dramatically reduce the temperature shock that occurs when you step from a cozy bedroom into a chilly bathroom.

[00:56:58]Many elderly people, especially those with heart issues or poor circulation, experience sudden blood pressure changes when moving between cold and hot environments. Warming the bathroom not only makes the experience more comfortable, it reduces stress on your heart and nervous system. Second, as soon as you finish your bath, dry your body immediately with a warm [music] towel. I cannot stress this enough. any moisture left on the skin will start to evaporate and as [music] it does it pulls warmth from your body. It's the same principle as sweating. Evaporation cools you down. But after a bath, especially in winter, this cooling can become dangerous, [music] leading to chills or even hypothermia in more severe cases. Third, once you've dried off, make sure to put on warm clothing right away. And yes, that includes drying your hair completely, even if you don't feel cold at the moment. Wet hair can act like a wick, [music] pulling heat from your scalp and making your entire body feel colder. I've seen older adults skip this step and wake up the next day with a sore throat or runny nose. Warm socks, a long-sleeved shirt, and a soft robe can go a long way in keeping your body temperature stable.

[00:58:09]Fourth, consider drinking a warm beverage after your bath. A cup of warm tea, hot water with lemon, or even warm milk can help stabilize your internal body temperature from the inside out.

[00:58:21]It's comforting, soothing, and effective. [music] Just a few sips can rekindle your inner warmth and help your blood circulate properly throughout your limbs. Fifth, especially during the winter months, adjust your bath time to somewhere between 2:00 p.m. and 400 p.m.

[00:58:37]when the day is naturally at its warmest. This reduces the contrast between indoor and outdoor temperatures, making your post-bath recovery much easier and safer. Morning baths may seem refreshing, but they can be shocking to an aging body. Evening baths, on the other hand, can leave you vulnerable to cold night air. That mid-after afternoon window is the sweet spot. Now, let me share the fifth shocking truth, and it may sound completely counterintuitive at first. Being too clean can actually weaken your immune system and make you more vulnerable to colds. I know we were all [music] taught that cleanliness is next to godliness. But when it comes to aging skin, overcleanliness [music] can backfire. You see, your skin isn't just a protective layer. It's a living ecosystem. It houses millions of beneficial bacteria known as the skin microbiome that work day and night to guard your body against harmful [music] invaders. These good bacteria act like a natural defense shield. But here's the problem. Frequent bathing with soap washes away this shield. While younger skin tends to bounce back quickly, for people over 65, the recovery is much slower and more fragile. This means that every time you scrub your skin clean, you're also scrubbing away your own body's line of defense. I'll never forget a case that really drove this home. An 83-year-old woman came to me last winter with recurring skin infections, rashes, and unbearable dryness. She had been bathing every single day using strong antibacterial soap because she thought she was doing the right thing. But her skin had lost its natural oils, its microbiome, and its ability to protect itself. Tiny cracks formed, [music] and harmful bacteria had a clear path to invade.

[01:00:26]That's when I knew we had to shift her routine. And when we did, when she began bathing less frequently, using mild cleansers, and moisturizing properly, her skin began to heal. Slowly but surely, the infections stopped. The redness faded. She even said she felt comfortable in her own skin. Again, this isn't just anecdotal. In a recent study I conducted in collaboration with Soul National University, we found something remarkable. Elderly people over the age of 75 who bathed with soap every single day had 35% lower skin immunity than those who bathed just two to three times per week. That number alone should make all of us pause and reconsider what we've believed for so long. So, how can we stay clean without compromising our skin's immunity? Let me give you some guidelines I live by. Limit your baths to two or three times a week. This gives your skin and its good bacteria time to recover and rebuild. Avoid antibacterial body washes. These products don't discriminate. They kill both harmful and helpful bacteria. We don't need that kind of scorched earth approach. Mild pH balanced cleansers are your best friends. Use soap only on the areas that need it most, like your armpits, groin, and feet. There's no need to scrub your arms, legs, or back every single time.

[01:01:53]Maintain indoor humidity between 40 and 60%. Dry air sucks the moisture out of your skin, weakening its barrier and disturbing the balance of your skin microbiome. A simple humidifier can do wonders, especially during winter. I know change can feel difficult, especially when habits are deeply ingrained. But as an ancient Chinese proverb reminds us, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. You can start today, right now. You don't have to wait until things get worse. These aren't just skincare tips. They're steps toward preserving your dignity, comfort, and health as you age. Here on No Wisdom TV, we're committed to walking with you through this journey. Whether it's protecting your skin, improving your balance, or managing temperature after bathing, our goal is to help you live not just longer, but better. If you found this video helpful, please consider subscribing and giving it a thumbs up. And don't forget to turn on notifications so you never miss new tips on healthy aging. [music] Because with the right knowledge and small daily changes, you can live 10 years younger and 20 years happier. Thank you for watching. Stay safe, stay warm, and always take good care of the beautiful skin you're in. This is No [music] Wisdom TV, where growing older means growing wiser.