Tree Man's branches grow back

[waichingliu81]

Friday, December 19, 2008

An Indonesian man dubbed the "tree man" because of the gnarled warts all over his body has said his condition had worsened again, although he still hopes to recover and find a job.

Dede, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, returned home from hospital in August after six kilos of warts were surgically removed from his body and has been treated as an out-patient since.

"Those (warts) that were removed are growing again and started to reappear after I returned home," he said, adding that for a time he could go fishing and use a cell phone but now needed assistance again for such activity.

An American doctor has previously said the warts were the result of severe Human Pappiloma Virus (HPV) infection, but the disease is not life-threatening. Doctors say his case is thought to be the worst of its type in the world.

The Discovery Channel recently made a documentary about Dede's affliction and his life.

Dede, 37, first noticed the warts on his body after cutting his knee as a teenager.

Over time, Dede was sacked from his job, deserted by his wife and shunned by neighbours as the horn-like extensions covered much of his body and stopped him working. He has two children.

"I'm not desperate but I want to recover," he added, speaking from his home in the remote West Java village of Tanjung Jaya.

An Indonesian doctor said he would have further operations at the end of December or early next year to remove and reduce warts.

"We have told him that his disease could not be 100 per cent cured. In the previous operation, we only tried to increase his quality of life," said Rachmat Dinata, one of a team of doctors treating him at the Hasan Sadikin hospital in Bandung, a city near his village.

Dinata said he would need at least two operations every year.

For a while, Dede was forced to take part in a circus act in Bandung in order to make ends meet.

But after his case received widespread publicity, donations from the public and government help allowed him to get treatment.

He has also been able to buy some land to grow rice and a second-hand car so his relatives can bring him to hospital.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article...1&in_page_id=2

[TripperFan]

I feel so badly for this guy. I first learned about him a few years back when they showed his case on the Discovery Channel. Who would have thought that warts would grow like petrified wood.

Again, anytime I'm feeling badly about my health or life situation, I think of people like this guy and what they have to go through and it puts mine to shame.

This has to be some sort of rampant virus he has. If they could only find the source of the virus, maybe they could actually cure the poor guy once and for all.

[Marvo301]

I saw Dede's story on TV. I'm sad to hear his warts are growing back.

[catlover79]

Such a shame. Poor guy.