Human beings are a bit of a puzzle. There’s a paradoxical desire for connection with others while also staying unique. On the one hand, each and every single one of us has unrepeatable life experiences and relationships. On the other hand, there’s nothing new under the sun. There are tons of commonalities to be found between us and the people living all over Earth, from our similar wants and needs to psychology and biology.
However, some people have such bizarre genetics and medical histories that they feel like anomalies. Today, we’re featuring some internet users’ stories about some of the things that make them statistically rare, including niche allergies, biological quirks, and surviving against the odds. Scroll down to have a read.
#21
I suffered a stillbirth last year... which is sadly not that rare.
But the autopsy discovered the cause was a disseminated herpes infection which I contracted from my partner.
Intrauterine herpes infection is very rare. For it to cause death is very rare. Neither of my two OBs, the perinatologist, nor the pathologist has ever seen a case of it. Not only that, I had no symptoms at all - never experienced an outbreak, had normal CBC, etc. The pathologist could only find cases where the mother also had a disseminated infection which passed to the baby.
My doctor said it’s the medical equivalent of being struck by lightning.
The good news is that this did not put future pregnancies at risk, since this typically only happens during a primary infection. I am now 36 weeks with another baby boy and other than being on preventative acyclovir, they are not concerned for him.
But the autopsy discovered the cause was a disseminated herpes infection which I contracted from my partner.
Intrauterine herpes infection is very rare. For it to cause death is very rare. Neither of my two OBs, the perinatologist, nor the pathologist has ever seen a case of it. Not only that, I had no symptoms at all - never experienced an outbreak, had normal CBC, etc. The pathologist could only find cases where the mother also had a disseminated infection which passed to the baby.
My doctor said it’s the medical equivalent of being struck by lightning.
The good news is that this did not put future pregnancies at risk, since this typically only happens during a primary infection. I am now 36 weeks with another baby boy and other than being on preventative acyclovir, they are not concerned for him.
54points
#22
Hmmm... There are a few things... I have centralized heterochromia, which is a mutation of a mutation... Of a mutation. On top of that, it's hereditary and not linked to any horrific condition that's normally linked to hereditary centralized heterochromia.
However, if you want incredibly rare...
My wife is alcohol intolerant. I didn't learn about it until she recounted a tale about her grandmother trying to calm her down as a baby by putting whiskey on her gums. Yeah, she calmed down alright... Then her face turned blue and she wasn't breathing. This anomaly is rather rare. But what makes this crazy? My dad is allergic to alcohol, which is very similar but just as rare! Not just grain alcohol, he's allergic to isopropyl as well. He can't even have it on his skin for too long, otherwise it will start burning. There was even a malpractice suite because a doctor didn't believe him when he said he was allergic. Her words were, "It's not possible to be allergic to alcohol." I won't go into details, but the doctor almost fainted and my dad has an insane scar because of it.
However, if you want incredibly rare...
My wife is alcohol intolerant. I didn't learn about it until she recounted a tale about her grandmother trying to calm her down as a baby by putting whiskey on her gums. Yeah, she calmed down alright... Then her face turned blue and she wasn't breathing. This anomaly is rather rare. But what makes this crazy? My dad is allergic to alcohol, which is very similar but just as rare! Not just grain alcohol, he's allergic to isopropyl as well. He can't even have it on his skin for too long, otherwise it will start burning. There was even a malpractice suite because a doctor didn't believe him when he said he was allergic. Her words were, "It's not possible to be allergic to alcohol." I won't go into details, but the doctor almost fainted and my dad has an insane scar because of it.
50points
#23
I'm a colorblind woman. Apparently, it's 8x rarer in women than in men.
43points
#24
I was present the two times the US was attacked on American soil. I lived in Pearl City, Hawaii just outside of Pearl Harbor when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on 12/7//1941,. I worked in the Pentagon when a missile strruck it on 9/11/2001.
Edit: To all those correcting me, yes it was a plane and not a missile. In my very old age I get confused sometimes. When I evacuated the Pentagon as ordered, I could see the part of the plane that was sticking out of the side of the Pentagon. Took me a hell of a long time to get home because of the incredible traffic jam that occurred in the aftermath.
Edit: To all those correcting me, yes it was a plane and not a missile. In my very old age I get confused sometimes. When I evacuated the Pentagon as ordered, I could see the part of the plane that was sticking out of the side of the Pentagon. Took me a hell of a long time to get home because of the incredible traffic jam that occurred in the aftermath.
42points
#25
Instead of sweating I just get really really cold when working out. So far no health problems just a cool way to freak out my friends.
38points
#26
Benign brain tumor that may have been sitting there my whole life.
my doctors say lots of people could be walking around and not even know it so who knows how rare it is.
my doctors say lots of people could be walking around and not even know it so who knows how rare it is.
35points
#27
My height. I'm around 6ft, which isn't that amazing, except that I have just turned 13.
35points
#28
I have a 34th vertebrae in my spine normally there is only 33.
31points
#29
Left handed, dyspraxic and coeliac!
I’m like the unicorn nobody asked for.
I’m like the unicorn nobody asked for.
25points
#30
One of my eyes is sectorally heterochromatic. That's rare enough on its own, but I figure that the color combination and position on the iris makes it absolutely unique on Earth.
EDIT: Wow, this blew up! For those asking, [I'm Hazel with a chunk of brown.](https://i.imgur.com/5TgPutS.jpg).
EDIT: Wow, this blew up! For those asking, [I'm Hazel with a chunk of brown.](https://i.imgur.com/5TgPutS.jpg).
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17points
