Woman rushed to hospital after swallowing spoon, feels object inside chest

2026-02-09 - 18:09

A 28-year-old Belgian woman has recounted the “truly terrifying” moment she accidentally swallowed a 17cm-long spoon while eating yoghurt at home. Reymy Amelinckx, from Rumst, Belgium, said the freak incident happened when her energetic dog, Marley, suddenly jumped on her while she was sitting on the couch. With the spoon in her mouth and her hands occupied, she was startled by the dog’s movement and lost control. “I put the spoon in my mouth so I had my hands free to reply to a message. Just then, Marley decided to jump on me,” she recalled. “I was so startled I jerked my head back, and before I knew it, the spoon was lodged in my throat. I stood up and started to panic.” Unable to remove the spoon, Reymy said she was forced into a split-second decision. She eventually swallowed it, later admitting she felt too embarrassed to immediately tell her boyfriend when he returned home. She initially tried to ignore the situation, believing it wasn’t serious. “I didn’t feel bad at all – so I didn’t say anything about it right away. It wasn’t until after dinner that I realised it was actually quite serious. There was a 17cm spoon in my stomach. Online, everywhere said the same thing: go straight to the emergency room. It was only then that I realised how dangerous it could be.” Doctors later confirmed the spoon was too large to pass naturally and scheduled a gastroscopy to remove it. Reymy described the wait for the procedure as distressing. “That night was difficult, I felt the spoon moving, sometimes even between my ribs. It was truly terrifying. “I felt bloated and nauseous, and I couldn’t eat without feeling strange. Sleeping was difficult because every position reminded me of the spoon in my stomach.” Two days later, the spoon was successfully removed under local anaesthetic, though the procedure caused minor internal bleeding. “I wasn’t allowed to swallow while they pulled it up. They had to rotate it in my stomach, which caused a small gastric haemorrhage. It wasn’t pleasant, but I felt pure relief when it came out.” She added: “I’m so glad the spoon was eventually removed with a gastroscopy and that they didn’t have to surgically cut open my stomach.” Reymy said her recovery was quick, though she experienced temporary discomfort. “I had a sore throat due to damage to my oesophagus, a few minor gastric bleeding episodes, and a sensitive stomach for a while, but no permanent damage.” Despite the ordeal, she decided to keep the spoon as a memento of the bizarre incident. “My boyfriend wants to turn it into a work of art. He doesn’t know exactly what yet, but it will definitely be a unique piece. That’s the least such an adventure deserves.” She also issued a warning to others about multitasking while eating, particularly around pets, advising people to seek immediate medical help if they swallow a foreign object. Vanguard News