Humans are strange. There’s a specific itch in our brains that can only be scratched by the weird, the whacky or the downright horrifying. It’s in the way pimple-popping videos garner millions of views, the way we can’t look away from car accidents or the way thousands of podcasts have been created to sate our morbid curiosity for true crime. By the same token, when it comes to strange and inexplicable medical conditions, we are like moths to a flame.
New to 10 Play, Mystery Diagnosis is a documentary series that details some truly fascinating medical mysteries that defy the experts. From a man growing a second skeleton to a strep infection causing neurological damage, here are some of the series’ most curious cases.
The Woman Who Missed Puberty- Season 9, Episode 9
Growing up, Jeanne and her family thought she was just a late bloomer but when she reached her late teens and had failed to hit puberty, they feared something was wrong. After reaching out for medical help, Jeanne was told that her ovaries had failed to develop and must have them surgically removed. The surgery was a success and with the help of estrogen medication she was able to develop as expected. But concerns were raised again as she continued to grow abnormally tall and broad in her twenties. When Jeanne was able to gain access to her past surgery records, they learned that she had been victim to an unimaginable medical coverup.
A Second Skeleton Season 10, Episode 3
Season 10, Episode 3 introduces us to Matt who had always been a relatively healthy child- except for a curious pain in his hip. Assuming nothing of it, Matt went through life as normal until he suffered a wake boarding accident at 17. After the accident, he experienced a slew of strange symptoms including a shooting pain from his neck down and a strange bone-like protrusion close to his spine. Ruling out cancer, doctors were left stumped. Eventually they uncovered that Matt was suffering with FOP (Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva), an extremely rare condition that causes muscles and tendons to transform into bone creating a second ‘skeleton’.
The Boy Who Only Hopped - Season 9, Episode 2
Season 9, Episode 2 introduces us to 13-year-old Sammy who started experiencing some strange uncontrollable behaviours. He refused to sleep in his bed, developed some curious vocal ticks, began to hallucinate and eventually refused to walk - only hop. Doctors treated him with medication, suspecting he had developed OCD or Tourette's Syndrome, but when he failed to respond to treatment medical professionals were left dumbfounded. Desperate for answers, his mother finally found a doctor who diagnosed him with PANDAS disease- an extremely rare disease that attacks the brain. As it happens, Sammy’s condition was a result of a strep infection and according to his doctor he was ‘literally losing his mind’. Thankfully, with antibiotic treatment he was able to return to normal.
Unexplainable Sight Loss – Season 9, Episode 6
During the final weeks of her pregnancy, Theresa Ennis had a sudden episode of sight loss accompanied by intense pain in the back of her head and neck. Concerned for her baby’s health, she rushed to the hospital where she was told she had experienced an ocular migraine and had nothing to worry about. However, after she delivered her baby, she continued to experience strange episodes of vision impairment that her doctors could not explain. In one instance she described her eyesight as looking through a kaleidoscope. Finally, Theresa was diagnosed with the rare condition called Susac’s Syndrome which restricts blood flow inhibiting proper eyesight function.
Woman Can’t Stop Growing Season 10, Episode 1
In her mid-twenties Tanya Angus’ life was turned upside down when she began to experience some strange symptoms. Doctors concluded that the excruciating pain in her head and a curious crackling noise inside her ears were the result of stress-induced migraines. What they couldn’t explain was why she was growing so much. Over the space of a few years, Tanya went from a size 9 to a size 11 shoe and began to tower over her boyfriend at the time. She decided to return to her hometown to be with her family and according to her sister 'she was unrecognisable'. Eventually, doctors diagnosed her with the extremely rare Acromegaly - a hormonal disorder that causes excessive and unstoppable growth. Due to her abnormal appearance, Tanya has been victim to cruel judgement but is grateful to have loving friends and family surrounding her. Acknowledging her involvement in the documentary series Tanya hopes that sharing her story can help anyone else who might be suffering too.
Check out even more of the curious cases on Mysterious Diagnosis right now on 10 Play.
