Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, especially when it comes to the brain. Take the case of Dante Autullo.
Autullo was using a nail gun to put together a shed in his hometown of Orland Park, Ill., Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, he had the nail gun above his head and fired it. He thought he felt a nail fly past his ear, and in fact his common-law-wife, Gail Glaenzer, cleaned a cut on his head afterward.
But the next day Autullo, 32, felt nauseous, and went to the hospital. Imagine his surprise when doctors showed him an X-ray of his skull, which showed a 3 1/4 nail in the middle of his brain.
AP reported that at first Autullo thought the doctors were trying to pull one over on him.
“When they brought in the picture, I said to the doctor, ‘Is this a joke? Did you get that out of the doctors’ joke file?” Autullo said, according to AP.
But it was no joke. The nail was there.
Autello remained remarkably cool even after he learned that he had a nail in his head. As an ambulance took him to a second hospital for surgery, he posted his mind-blowing X-ray on Facebook, AP reported.
Autello was apparently lucky in terms of where the nail ended up in his brain, barely missing the area that controls motor function, according to AP.
Surgeons removed the nail and Autello was doing well. As one neurosurgeon explained, being shot in the head with a nail is a lot different than being shot in the head with a bullet. The nail is thin, so does minimal damage, and doesn’t explode into pieces like a bullet.
AP’s report said that surgeons removed the nail by putting a hole in Autello’s skull near each end of the nail, and then fished out the nail. Part of the skull came out, too, and that was replaced with titanium mesh, the wire service said.
I’d suggest that Autello lay off the do-it-yourself home projects for awhile.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-nail-in-brain-20120121,0,5467139.story
Melgie says:
what?! he didn’t felt any pain? what is he thinking? why are you going to point a nail gun in your head then squeeze the trigger? isn’t that act of lunacy? but in other hand thank god that he is still alive and suffer minor head injuries.
22nd January 2012 at 1:00 pm
Darren Atchley says:
“I’d suggest that Autello lay off the do-it-yourself home projects for awhile.”
Yeah, maybe he should stick to changing light bulbs for a while.
Not only did this guy survive a nail shot to the brain but retained his witty sense of humor.
Glad to read a relatively lighthearted brain injury story Gordon – I didn’t think there was such a thing.
22nd January 2012 at 6:33 pm