Continuum Wellness News » Java tree man

Treeman Update: Pictures of Dede’s Life

continuum wellness — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:37:13 +0000

Life is a journey and we all have our own set of experiences. What some of us have to bear is seemingly insignificant compared to others. And while one can never truly compare oneself to others, perhaps we have never been hit by a Tsunami or an earthquake and chances are we do not have to crush rocks for a living…with only one arm, or have to deal with a condition like the tree man.
Could we display the courage to continue to live our best life?

Here is a link to a series of pictures of Dede undergoing treatment and living life.

“Tree man” comes home after treatment

continuum wellness — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:51:34 +0000

03/16/2009

JAKARTA — An Indonesian man dubbed the “tree man” because of gnarled growths on his body has
returned from hospital after six kilograms (13 pounds) of warts were surgically removed from his body, a doctor said on Tuesday.

Dede, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, first noticed the warts on his body after cutting his knee as a teenager. Over time, he was sacked from his job, deserted by his wife and shunned by neighbours as the horn-like extensions covered most of his body.

One of Dede’s doctors, Rachmad Dinata, said the hospital had allowed the 37-year-old man to enjoy the Islamic fasting month with his family now that 95 percent of the warts had been removed after nine operations. The fasting month begins on September 1.

“He cannot be 100 percent cured, but his life quality has improved. If once he depended on others to do his activities, now he can eat by himself, use his hand to write, use the cell phone,” Dinata said.

The doctor said the warts on Dede’s body, which an American doctor said were a result of severe Human Papilloma Virus infection, might re-grow. But the disease is not life-threatening anymore.

Dede was operated on at the Hasan Sadikin provincial hospital in Bandung in West Java where he was admitted nine months ago with a lung infection as a result of the warts.

Dede must still go through more surgery to trim more warts from his palms and the back of his hands after the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday in October.

From Reuters

UPDATE: 12/23/09
More info on Dede with pictures: here

‘Tree Man’ improving

continuum wellness — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:54:15 +0000

The Indonesian villager know as the “Tree Man” for massive bark-like warts on his body returned home today after doctors removed six kilograms (which is equal to slightly over 6 pounds) of the growths.

Dede, a 37-year-old from rural West Java, was taken home from Bandung city after nine months of operations to remove the woody growths that had smothered his hands and feet, doctor Rahmat Winata said.

He said he hoped to return to normal life and find a new wife after decades burdened by the root-like growths, which had left him unable to move and work except in a travelling “freak show”.

“Now I can live with my children… I can move and go anywhere,” Dede said via telephone from his village.

“I haven’t got any plans to get married yet, but I would like to.”

Dede had lived alone in the village after his wife left him and his teenage children went to stay with relatives because he could no longer care for them.

He said he had not yet talked to his ex-wife and did not know what he would do for work now that he was once again able to freely move his limbs.

His massive warts, which began growing out of control when he was still a teenager, were diagnosed last year by a US dermatologist as the result of a combination of the human papilloma virus and a genetic disorder that means his immune system is too weak to fight them off.

He will return to hospital at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in October for at least one more operation – the ninth – to remove the remaining 300 grams of the growths, doctor Winata said.

He has been given a strong course of medicine, including vitamin A, in an attempt to prevent the return of the growths, Dr Winata said.
Watch the video —->Tree Man video
Tree Man News

3/16/2009 More news: Tree Man Comes Home after treatment