Yamini Karanam jokingly claimed that her “evil twin” had been torturing her for years.
This is Indiana University PhD student Yamini Karanam. The 26-year-old decided to seek medical help after she started having problems listening to conversations.
Karanam told NBC4 News that she could not understand what was going on when two or more people were talking at the same time.
Writing on her blog in March, Karanam said she began experiencing headaches, then started making "slips and misses" at work and found herself struggling to read.
Doctors investigated and thought they discovered a tumour, although different experts could not agree on what action to take.
NBC4 News
So, using $32,000 her friends had raised, the PhD student went to the Skull Base Institute in Los Angeles, the Washington Post reported.
It was there that her surgeon, Dr Hrayr Shahinian, made a remarkable discovery.
NBC4 News
During keyhole surgery, Shahinian discovered a teratoma, also known as an embryonic twin, in Karanam’s brain.
The teratoma was reportedly found with bone, hair, and teeth.
Karanam jokingly referred to it as her "evil twin" during an interview with NBC4 News.
“[It’s] has been torturing me for the last 26 years, can you believe it?” she said.
Doctors have now removed the teratoma, and Karanam is expected to make a full recovery.
NBC4 News
"I was stuck with it much longer than I thought," she said.
"It doesn't leave you much choice other than to deal with it the best you can."
