Carson Meyer, 21, had just been drafted into the National Hockey League and should have spent the remainder of his time at college celebrating and playing hockey, but an unseen health issue almost stopped him in his tracks on his way to success.Meyer told People that, during his senior year of college, he started feeling lethargic and had no appetite during his senior year of college. Teammates and friends started to wonder if he was suffering from a serious health ailment. His future NHL team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, started to worry about his performance as well. “One coach asked some of my teammates if I had cancer,” Meyer told The Athletic.Friends said not only did his appearance change but so did his personality. “His personality completely changed, too. He’s usually really upbeat and energetic and excited about life. But, he was sad and quiet, just not himself.”Meyer was barely able to muster the energy to play hockey and eventually his weight dropped to 170 pounds. Doctors took several tests, including blood tests for mononucleosis and other issues.Then, during a visit to the restroom, the answer fell out of him. A tapeworm inched itself from his body, finally exposing the reason for his health issues. “It just came out,” Meyer said. “It” was a 25-inch, orange tapeworm with a head, neck and 50 segments.Meyer said he called his parents. “I FaceTimed my mom and was like, ‘What the hell is this thing?’ ” he said. “I was freaking out, absolutely freaking out.”Doctors told Meyer that he had a diphyllobothrium latum, a type of tapeworm that comes from eating undercooked fish. They also told him that due to the size of the worm, it had probably been in his body for a year. After he was prescribed antibiotics, Meyer said it only took a month for him to finally start feeling normal again. “I honestly was starting to think that it was all in my head, and that got me really worried,” he said. “But about a month after we got an answer, I started feeling like myself again, and I feel really good now.”
Carson Meyer, 21, had just been drafted into the National Hockey League and should have spent the remainder of his time at college celebrating and playing hockey, but an unseen health issue almost stopped him in his tracks on his way to success.
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Meyer told People that, during his senior year of college, he started feeling lethargic and had no appetite during his senior year of college. Teammates and friends started to wonder if he was suffering from a serious health ailment.
His future NHL team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, started to worry about his performance as well.
“One [opposing] coach asked some of my teammates if I had cancer,” Meyer told The Athletic.
Friends said not only did his appearance change but so did his personality.
“His personality completely changed, too. He’s usually really upbeat and energetic and excited about life. But, he was sad and quiet, just not himself.”
Meyer was barely able to muster the energy to play hockey and eventually his weight dropped to 170 pounds. Doctors took several tests, including blood tests for mononucleosis and other issues.
Then, during a visit to the restroom, the answer fell out of him.
A tapeworm inched itself from his body, finally exposing the reason for his health issues.
“It just came out,” Meyer said. “It” was a 25-inch, orange tapeworm with a head, neck and 50 segments.
Meyer said he called his parents.
“I FaceTimed my mom and was like, ‘What the hell is this thing?’ ” he said. “I was freaking out, absolutely freaking out.”
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Doctors told Meyer that he had a diphyllobothrium latum, a type of tapeworm that comes from eating undercooked fish. They also told him that due to the size of the worm, it had probably been in his body for a year.
After he was prescribed antibiotics, Meyer said it only took a month for him to finally start feeling normal again.
“I honestly was starting to think that it was all in my head, and that got me really worried,” he said. “But about a month after we got an answer, I started feeling like myself again, and I feel really good now.”