Chinese man has elephant legs weighing more than 300 pounds
- 7 years ago
CHINA — A Chinese man suffering from massively swollen legs is still alive and fighting a condition that should have killed him years ago.
A mosquito bite at age 19 infected Liu Zhongqiu with parasitic roundworms that gave him a rare disease called elephantiasis, reports the Daily Mirror.
This disease attacks the lymphatic system, causing fluid to accumulate in affected body parts.
In Liu’s case, what started as a small lump on his testicle led to massive swelling, first in the genitals, and then his limbs.
Although doctors only offered grim expectations that the man would not live to age 20, Liu managed to survive another seven years. However, he is unable to urinate properly, and now has legs that together weigh 150 kilograms (330 pounds) — as much as a giant panda.
Even worse, the swelling has slowly spread to his abdomen and has gotten so bad, he sometimes vomits after a meal.
The 26-year-old doesn’t expect his humongous legs will ever go back to normal, and only hopes to survive a bit longer.
A mosquito bite at age 19 infected Liu Zhongqiu with parasitic roundworms that gave him a rare disease called elephantiasis, reports the Daily Mirror.
This disease attacks the lymphatic system, causing fluid to accumulate in affected body parts.
In Liu’s case, what started as a small lump on his testicle led to massive swelling, first in the genitals, and then his limbs.
Although doctors only offered grim expectations that the man would not live to age 20, Liu managed to survive another seven years. However, he is unable to urinate properly, and now has legs that together weigh 150 kilograms (330 pounds) — as much as a giant panda.
Even worse, the swelling has slowly spread to his abdomen and has gotten so bad, he sometimes vomits after a meal.
The 26-year-old doesn’t expect his humongous legs will ever go back to normal, and only hopes to survive a bit longer.