These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

LMiller — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:19:30 GMT

Those pics are gross. I can't understand why these people didn't think "geez, there's something strange growing out of me... I think I should get this checked" as opposed to waiting like they did and letting it grow like that??? Yuck.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Kim S — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:04:44 GMT

Yes, the pics are "gross", but consider that these people probably do not have access to proper health care, that is probably why they grew to the extent that they did.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

MN, Baton Rouge, Louisiana — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:13:02 GMT

I only suppose that yes, they did realize that something was the matter. You have to understand that in Wang the Chinese farmer's time, there was no way to seek medical help other than to try traditional Chinese medicine. It's also likely that he did not feel any different and supposed that his abnormality was simply that, an abnormality. It didn't prove to be a handicap...so it's possible he just did not think he needed medical help. As for the "tree man", he did seek help; it wasn't his choice to remain as he is in his condition. Before you consider making insensitive comments about people and their medical conditions (no matter how extreme they are), you should consider that you do not know exactly the circumstances of their situation. I am appalled by your crude insensitivity.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Dan, Texas — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:13:10 GMT

I'd imagine most of them wanted to, but a lot of people don't have access to the medical services it takes to get something like that fixed.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Virginia Coleman, Chattanooga, TN: vlv7@hotmail.com — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:23:57 GMT

My first thought would be cancer. The most feared word ! And then try to get it removed before it turned into something like that.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Sonshine, Minnesota — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:54:24 GMT

Yes, it may be gross, but think. It seems that most of these are occurring in third world countries now where they don't have the mecical resources that we have in this nation or in our western culture. Also many of these happened hundreds of years ago and maybe further back than that when they didn't have the medical knowledge or experience that we have now. These people were just considered to be freaks. These people are victims of disease. It's just a little more visible than other diseases.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Jen in Bellevue — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:08:34 GMT

LMiller: let me plop you down in a Village in the middle of Indonesia or a remote part of China with no money, give you a job that makes the equivalent of about $20 per month, and you just go ahead and get yourself to a doctor/surgeon/hospital and get yourself some medical attention. I'm sure it'll be a cinch. If only those people would have thought of that! They must be dumb.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Niala, VA — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:18:01 GMT

Or maybe they just caould't afford to get treated because of their social status you piece of sh*t brat.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Michelle, St. Louis — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:26:06 GMT

I'm sure that many of them would like to get these checked out, but may not have the money to do so. An operation for something like this is probably not covered under insurance. Many of these types of pictures seem to take place in countries that do not have the funds, medical knowledge or tools to be able to perform such a procedure.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Geografer, Spokane, WA — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:39:42 GMT

LMiller - does it not occur to you from looking (especially at the woman) that these are people that are not exactly living in the lap of luxury? To suggust they "get it checked" is assine and shows a complete lack of critical thinking and ignorance on your part. Do you really think that everyone in the world has access to medical care? And if they do that they can afford it? Get a clue!

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Real Horn — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:35:17 GMT

I was blessed with one of these horns on my lower eyelid. I had to see a specialist to have it removed. The removal was very,very painful, required stitches, and lost three complete eyelashes. (I was awake and only had a local shot) This thing grew at an alarming rate, as all doctors are booked for weeks in advance, it took me six weeks to get in to see the doctor to have it removed. Thankfully it was not cancerous.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Linda, GA — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:49:33 GMT

That's what I don't get - like how did the tree guy get that bad without either noticing it or trying to see a doctor? Things shouldn't get that out of hand.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Charles Queen,Science Hill,KY — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:49:42 GMT

I have sympathy and feel sorry for those who are inflicted with problems such as these.I do not see anything humerous or entertaining by hearing and or seeing pictures of these people who are more often than not exploited by tabloids etc

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

C. Mullen — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:50:27 GMT

The people who don't get those things checked out usually don't because they can't, not because they don't want to. The "tree man" could not afford medical care. He only got attention from his country once a doctor from another country took interest in him and the media got wind of it.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

JA, Denver — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:56:11 GMT

Well, I don't think that they just decided not to have them checked out. You know, there are billions of people in this world without the luxury of access to medical care (whether insured or uninsured)

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Sue Morgan Conroe TX. — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:12:22 GMT

Perhaps, LMiller, they had no health insurance like so many of us here in the good old USA. There are children right here in the states with birth disfigurements that are astounding and they can't get help unles somehow one of the few charitable hospitals like St. Judes or Shriners Hospital for crippled children. Thank God that there are places like them with dedicated staff. But they can't help everyone.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

EBowshier, Columbus, OH — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:13:03 GMT

LMiller: You are probably one of the most ignorant people I have encountered in quite some time. If you did not notice, these people live in very small, insanely poor countries and have no money or means to "get this checked". Go back working your job that clearly overpays you that you get free health insurance from, and don't post anymore. You are clearly a spoiled, clueless brat.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Jim Warren, MI — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:22:57 GMT

Maybe they should move to America. They can have it taken care of for free!!!

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Sunday — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:36:21 GMT

I think I would have put a tournaquet on to kill it and have it fall off rather than letting it grow. You can do that without health services.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

JOE,ARKANSAS — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:37:23 GMT

TO ALL LUCKY AMERICANS;WE ARE SO LUCKY TO BE AMERICANS,THERE IS PROBOBLY ARE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT HAVE WORSE CONDITIONS THAN THIS

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

KEZAM, SC — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:41:53 GMT

Linda and LMiller, what part of not having access to medical attention or living in a poor, underdeveloped village in Indonesia is so hard for you to understand??? Are you so naive that you think the man with the "tree" growths could just hop in his 2009 Escalade and cruise around the corner to "County General" or whip out his cellphone to call up and see if "McSteamy" was free for a consultation? What medical attention he received was rudimentary at best, and was not advanced enough to deal with such an unusual and unprecedented problem. He did not have the money to get further attention and so he lived the rest of his life until recently secluded, until a doctor from a industrialized country that has advanced methods stepped in. Read the story. There are parts of this world that still aren't industrialized or developed, and I would have hoped that living in a country that IS we would all be educated enough to know that.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Lizzy, NYC, NY — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:52:35 GMT

The "treeman" was deserted by his wife, is unable to work due to the growths on his body, and is living in poverty. He can't afford the treatment he needs to keep his condition under control. Not everyone has medical care.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Kent Berry,Kernersville,NC — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:55:21 GMT

So cool! Now every pierced, tattooed Goth Kid in America will want one (or two or three)....thanks for the wierd but whacky medical news!

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

G Staton — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:01:03 GMT

I'm a paraplecic, for people that don't know, it means paralized from the waist down. A lot of people with deformaties or handicapes don't really care what others think as much as they care about trying to fit in. This world can be a cruel place. Many things happen to people, for those of you with opinions and negative thoughts, think about this, it only takes a car wreck a bump on the head or even struck by lighting. Then you might understand that people that are different only feel that way when they are reminded of it.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

RM Texas — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:05:41 GMT

To all those "why didn't they have it checked out" people: I guess they never figured to just whip out their Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurance card. Go figure.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Ryu Anderson, Houston, TX — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:21:18 GMT

These horns are awesome, I want one! Where can I buy one of these?
I wonder what they taste like?

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Celestrialwolf, Butte, MT — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:27:15 GMT

The treeman had tried to get help. These poor people, I feel for them. In some of these countries, doesn't a growth give you something of an inigma? Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad. Unfortunatly, these people do not have the same healthcare we do, or Britan, or Canada,ect. They have next to nothing.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Erica A, Tulsa, OK — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:40:42 GMT

One word for those that seem to think people WANT to suffer in life -- COMPASSION! Good heavens, people! Ignorance is, thankfully, a curable disease in this country -- made obvious by some of the unfeeling, insensative, short-sighted commentary. I suggest fully THINKING about something before you go letting your fingers do the walking on the internet and let others know how much of your education you're NOT picking up on, LMiller. These very cases are the reasons doctors and other medical personnel choose to work in third world countries! To give those less fortunate the opportunity to find out what is truly wrong and, hopefully, do something about it that is a lasting reality in their culture and their part of the world. Consider yourself lucky that you're not in that condition or circumstance and next time, THINK before typing!

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:45:45 GMT

My mom sprouted one "horn" on her because she kept banging it in the same place due to a broken spring in the trunk of her car. It was a ganglian cyst, removed with a quick outpatient surgery...but we sure did tease her for it :)

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Brad- Los Angeles, CA — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:49:43 GMT

I actually had one grow over an eyelash once, it sounded like clipping a fingernail when the doc clipped it.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

College Girl, Chillicothe, Ohio — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:04:13 GMT

These kind of things aren't limited to China or Indonesia. I've worked in the slums of cities in Central America and seen real poverty (povertly that makes American poor look like they're rich) and people in despeartion. They can't even imagine medical care - they struggle each day just to keep a roof (usually leaking) over their heads and a half-decent meal a day. We don't know how good we have it!!

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

RR, Illinois — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:13:25 GMT

Remember, people in certain countries don't need to worry about healthcare. The live in a society where everyone takes care of one another and all are covered under insurance, unlike this great country where if you can't pay you die.....

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Kat, Sacramento, CA — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:29:32 GMT

My guess is that LMiller is a teen or pre-teen. Obviously the people afflicted with these growths were from ancient days when the medical knowledge didn't exist to treat them, or as others have said, they are in third world countries where medical treatment is not available to them for one reason or another.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

KW — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:44:43 GMT

"He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors"

While LMiller's comment may not have been the most sensitive or "P.C." Consider the fact that maybe she/he did not think about the fact that these people may not have access to health care. Maybe She/he was just reacting to the pictures and was shocked by them more then expected. But you don't know the truth behind this story for sure either, unless you know some of these people personally. Maybe having surgery goes against their religious beliefs or perhaps they just feared being an outcast and labeled a freak. Point is unless you have the absolute truth on the subject, there is no reason for name calling, elementary language and putting people down. There are easier ways to inform people of alternate theories.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Jane Doe Seattle,Wash — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:32:58 GMT

Yes, it's true. Keith Olbermann has horns sprouting under his toupee. He puts cat nip on their tips every night so that his cat, 'precious perfect' gnaws at them in the hopes they will disappear.

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

zach, SF, CA — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:06:01 GMT

god, some people really do live in a bubble

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Rachel — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:06:00 GMT

That initial comment at the top of the page is typical of the ethnocentrism from which the majority of westerners operate when confronted with realities imported from other cultures. Ignorance can be remedied with a bit of research, but the will to seek must first be present; unfortunately, a generation raised on high-fructose sugar drinks and additive-enhanced foodstuffs suffers from a cognitive deficit serving as an indictment of its willful ignorance. The great majority of people in the world live without recourse to medical care, dentists, psychiatrists, and all the other perks "civilzation" offer. They are the human race, in all their ugly, unwashed, wart-bearing beauty. Of course, that might strain your already chemically overtaxed brain so that you might stress out and...grow a horn!

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

J Dogg — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:28:41 GMT

This makes me Horny!

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Rath, Toledo, OH — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:34:44 GMT

I wonder about the historical religious implications of horns growing out of the head. Did this influence tales of "devils" in our distant past?

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

MF Cassville MO — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:17:43 GMT

Wow! Just when you think you've seen it all!

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Sonshine, Minnesota — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:22:37 GMT

Quote from Linda in GA: "That's what I don't get - like how did the tree guy get that bad without either noticing it or trying to see a doctor? Things shouldn't get that out of hand."

That's just it, like C. Mullen said, he couldn't afford the luxury of medical attention until the media got hold of his situation. Now he requires two surguries a year! What if you had to go thru that? Many others have said that most of the people in the world CAN'T AFFORD medical attention! Also, they may not have it available (think third world countries).

These aren't devil's horns. They're real!

Debbie, Oklahoma City, OK — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:42:42 GMT

Those of us who have good health because of genes, good nutrition, and mothers who cared about us as we grew up really don't know how fortunate we are until we see someone with an affliction that we think is awful. My mother always told me to "consider the source" when someone made an unkind comment about another person. Thankfully, there are people in this world with kind hearts and giving natures and the ability to heal, or try to "make it right" for others who are not as fortunate.